It’s May 1, 1943 and 78 B-17’s from the 306th Bomb group are heading over the channel towards France. Their target is the German U-boat pens at St Nazaire. There is heavy cloud cover and the B-17’s let loose their bombs. The mission was shaping up as a huge success. The flak was moderate and the German fighters didn’t seem
By August 1944, the Allied forces had achieved considerable air superiority over Europe. Most of the missions in August marked an intense period of strategic bombing against facilities supplying Nazi Germany with petroleum, oil, and lubrication products. A significant target in this campaign was the oil refineries around Ploiești, Romania. Finding the details about this mission is no easy task.
In April 1943, the Eighth Air Force conducted a series of bombing missions targeting various German and Axis-occupied locations. These operations often involved B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator heavy bombers, escorted by P-47 Thunderbolt or P-38 Lightning fighters. The missions listed previously had different objectives, which are expanded upon below: – Renault factory in Boulogne-Billancourt, France (Mission 45, April
March 1942 was a significant month in the European theater of World War II, with several major events occurring that would shape the course of the war in the months to come. Here are some of the most notable events of March 1942 in Europe: The Battle of Gazala: The Battle of Gazala began on March 26, 1942, in the
The Boeing Y1-B17, also known as the Model 299, was a prototype heavy bomber developed by Boeing in the 1930s. The Y1-B17 was a remarkable aircraft for its time and played a significant role in the history of aviation. The conception of the Y1-B17 began in 1934 when the United States Army Air Corps issued a requirement for a new
During World War II, fighter plane escorts were deployed to accompany bombers on their bombing missions, providing protection from enemy fighter planes and ensuring the success of the mission. 1. Types of Fighter Planes Used During Escort Missions During World War 2, fighter planes were used to escort bombers on bombing missions to ensure protection from enemy fighter planes. The