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| Aviation Discussion on the aircraft of WWII. |
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11-19-2006, 02:41 PM
| #1 | ||
| Senior Member  Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Kiwi Land
Posts: 850
| Is the Memphis Belle a myth? An interesting wee few facts. 303 Bomb Group The 358th B-17F #41-24577 Hell's Angels, from which the Group later named itself, completed its 25th mission on 13 May 1943. It became the first 8th Air Force B-17 to complete 25 combat missions. The Memphis Belle, a 91st BG(H) B-17, sometimes reputed to claim the first 25-mission feat, completed its 25th mission on 19 May 1943, six days after the Hell's Angels. The Memphis Belle was, however, the first 8th AF B-17 to complete 25 missions and be returned to the United States. The crew that accompanied the Memphis Belle was a makeup crew of men who had completed 25 missions. It was not the original Memphis Belle, Captain Morgan crew. Hell's Angels went on to complete 48 missions and delayed returning to the United States on its own "Flag-Waving Tour" until 20 January 1944. It would appear that the statement Quote:
Quote:
Further Scroll to Molesworth By this time Lancaster S-Sugar had racked up 41 missions. went on to do over 130. 6 303 BG aircraft did 100 missions. Sweet Rose O'Grady #42-39885 B-17G 427BS (GN-R&Z) Assigned: 30 Dec 1943 Fate: scrapped 06 Jun 1945 Missions: 134 (top in 303rd Neva - The Silver Lady #43-37590 B-17G 358BS (VK-Q) Assigned: 06 Jun 1944 Fate: scrapped 27 Jun 1945 Missions: 127 Thunderbird #42-38050 B-17G 359BS (BN-U) Assigned: 18 Jan 1944 Fate: scrapped 21 Dec 1945 Missions: 112 Daddy's Delight #42-97944 B-17G 359BS (BN-I) Assigned: 02 Jun 1944 Fate: salvaged 13 Dec 1945 Missions: 108 The Floose #42-97298 B-17G 358BS (VK-H) Assigned: 21 May 1944 Fate: crash landed 24 Dec 1944 Missions: 102 Buzz Blonde #42-39875 (aka Thru Hel'en Highwater) B-17G 427BS (GN-S) Assigned: 14 Jan 1944 Fate: MIA 10 Jan 1945 Missions: 100
__________________ 4 out of 5 voices in my head say I am normal. Majority rules. You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me. | ||
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11-19-2006, 05:32 PM
| #2 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 1,893
| So the Memphis Belle had a crew that wasn't with it for all it's 25 missions? If so why did they retire the plane at all? Like you said, a plane could do a lot more than that. I assume Hells Angels didn't have one crew that stayed on it for 100 missions! They would have rioted long before that.
__________________  "His motor's conked out!" "What's the differance, they're all Nazis!" "Luke, shut up!" "Fear the hook!" "Oh.....I wanna fly." "You mean the kind that go under water and fly up the stairs?" "What you doing? Oh Nooooo!" |
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11-19-2006, 05:48 PM
| #3 |
| Der Crewchief   Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 33,152
| From my understanding Morgans crew flew 21 missions in the Memphis Belle and 4 in a different aircraft. In fact the 25th mission flown by Morgans crew was flown on 17 May 1943 over Lorient France. Morgans crew was the first "crew" to complete 25 missions though not all of them in the Memphis Belle and they took the Memphis Belle back to the states on June 8, 1943 for a war bonds tour. It was all to get support for the war.
__________________  fly boy:"isnt that the first jet bomber becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles"[/I] |
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11-19-2006, 06:01 PM
| #4 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Kiwi Land
Posts: 850
| Adler Correct, while the crew that flew her back had all completed 25 missions, some of them had not flown them in Memphis Belle.
__________________ 4 out of 5 voices in my head say I am normal. Majority rules. You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me. |
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11-19-2006, 06:53 PM
| #5 |
| Der Crewchief Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 33,152
| According to the official website the actuall crew of the Memphis Belle flew the aircraft back to the states. What you are probably talking about though is that some of the crew members flew there 25 missions on different dates because they were flying on other aircraft at the time because the Belle was in maintenance or not on a mission. For instance Jim Verinis was the first crewmember to complete his 25 missions on May 13th. Bob Morgan and most of the crew completed their 25th missions on May 17th. The aircraft flew one more mission a day later to complete its 25th mission. After all crew members had completed there 25 missions they flew the aircraft along with there crew mascot dog "Stuka" back to the states and toured 32 cities. Here is the link to the official website: The Official Memphis Belle Web Site :: Memphis Belle Memorial Association And another interesting site: Memphis Belle Index Page
__________________ fly boy:"isnt that the first jet bomber becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles"[/I] |
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