Flying Fortress Crew
Fig. 13. Flying Fortress Crew Pose for photograph. 12/15/12. Google Images
The B-17 bomber generally had a crew of 10. It consisted of Officers, and enlisted men, all of who flew on the Craft and had a part in the missions.
- Officers:
- Pilot
- Co-Pilot
- Navigator / Flexible Gunner
- Bombardier / Flexible Gunner, Chin Turret Gunner (B-17G)
- Enlisted Men:
- Flight Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
- Radio Operator / Flexible Gunner
- Ball Turret Gunner
- Left Waist Flexible Gunner
- Right Waist Flexible Gunner
- Tail Turret Gunner
Each of the crew members in the B-17 had a important duty. The Pilot and Co-Pilot flew the plane. The Navigator was in charge of getting the bomber to and from the target in all weather, and the bombardier was in charge of hitting the target with the bombs. Both the Navigator and the Bombardier had a machine gun they could use as needed. There was also a Flight Engineer in charge of keeping the airplane operational, and a radio operator in charge of communications. They too had guns at their disposal, and specifically, the Engineer operated the turret located atop the plane. The other crew members were strictly gunners and their sole job was to protect their aircraft. The Tail Turret gunner was located at the end of the plane. The tail gunner was generally a smaller person because of the cramped conditions. The Left and Right waist gunners were located on the left and right sides of the plane to protect its exposed sides. The Ball Turret Gunner operated the machine guns located on bottom of bomber that protected from attacks beneath the plane. All of the machine guns protruding out of the B-17 is what got it the nickname "The Flying Fortress"
Life wasn't easy for the crew members of the B-17. The bomber was unpressurized so they had to wear oxygen mask once they got above 10,000 feet in altitude. The temperature in the bomber was also extremely cold, and crew members wore thick gloves and electrically heated suits to keep them warm and comfortable during their missions. Flights could last a long time too, sometimes up to 10 hours round trip.
Initially, crewmen of a B-17 were reassigned to a noncombat duty after 25 missions in the B-17. After April in 1944, however, the number of missions was raised to 30. Further into the war the amount was changed to 35. (Gobrecht). This was largely because of the high demand for bomber crews, and the low number of people signing volunteering for it.
Initially, crewmen of a B-17 were reassigned to a noncombat duty after 25 missions in the B-17. After April in 1944, however, the number of missions was raised to 30. Further into the war the amount was changed to 35. (Gobrecht). This was largely because of the high demand for bomber crews, and the low number of people signing volunteering for it.
The Missions
Fig. 15. Photo of a B-17 crew. 12/15/12
One reason why being on a bomber crew was so unpopular was because of the mortality rate and the risk of getting injured or becoming a POW (Prisoner of War). Each Mission would involve flying long distances over enemy territory. When over enemy territory, the men on the bombers had to be constantly on the watch for incoming enemy fighters. In addition to enemy planes, there was also ground fire called "flak." This flak would create large black puffs of smoke when it exploded. The anti-aircraft shells were set to explode at the same height as the bombers. According to The Usborne Introduction to the Second World War, even if the shell didn't directly hit the bomber, it could explode nearby, which would send shrapnel shooting into the plane. This shrapnel would often time damage an engine, or even pierce the aircraft and injure a member of the crew (Dowswell). Flak was a very powerful and effective anti-aircraft tool for the Germans.
Some missions were more disastrous and dangerous than others, As Stephen E. Ambrose illustrates in his book The Good Fight:
Some missions were more disastrous and dangerous than others, As Stephen E. Ambrose illustrates in his book The Good Fight:
One Such Raid was launched against Schweinfurt, Germany, on August 17, 1943. The U.S Eighth Air Force sent 230 B-17 and B-24 bombers to destroy the factories in Germany's biggest ball bearing plant. They were attacked by German fighters all the way from the English Channel to the target, where antiaircraft gunners opened up on them. The Americans lost thirty-six B-17s and B-24s (with ten men on each plane) in the raid and took hundreds of casualties on bombers that managed to limp back to base. The attack did cause a temporary thirty-eight percent decline in production, but it was not enough. A second raid took place on October 14 and was later called "Black Thursday" because 65 of the 291 bombers were shot down and 17 others sustained damage that was beyond repair. It was one of the most expensive air attacks of the war because so many lives were lost.
It was raids like this that made bomber crews an unpopular choice.
It's also unclear how effective the bombing runs were. It seemed to have a minimal impact on Germany's weapon output, which stayed on the rise through 1944. What it did clearly do, however, was divert Germany's resources away from the front lines. The German air force was devoted entirely to protect its homeland and offered little support to the troops on the front line. Also, according to Dowswell, about a quarter of German ammunition and artillery was being used against the bombers (Dowswell). So one way or another, the bombers did their job.
Although the bombing of civilian centers did damage the home front and "dehouse" the German people, it actually furthered the German civilian's will to fight. Similar to the British, the attack on the German homeland made the people more stubborn and adamant in their stand against the allies. This was caused in part because of propaganda from the German high command that framed the bombers as tyrants and "Terror Fliers."
It's also unclear how effective the bombing runs were. It seemed to have a minimal impact on Germany's weapon output, which stayed on the rise through 1944. What it did clearly do, however, was divert Germany's resources away from the front lines. The German air force was devoted entirely to protect its homeland and offered little support to the troops on the front line. Also, according to Dowswell, about a quarter of German ammunition and artillery was being used against the bombers (Dowswell). So one way or another, the bombers did their job.
Although the bombing of civilian centers did damage the home front and "dehouse" the German people, it actually furthered the German civilian's will to fight. Similar to the British, the attack on the German homeland made the people more stubborn and adamant in their stand against the allies. This was caused in part because of propaganda from the German high command that framed the bombers as tyrants and "Terror Fliers."