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The B-17G was bristling with weapons. The Chin turret was devastating and destroyed german fighters. The usaf dream of a Flying Fortress was finally realized. P-51 pilots learned real quick don’t fly through a B-17 formation. The gunners will shoot your ass out of the sky before you can start to think WTF. German pilots where terrified attacking B-17s late in the war.

The B-17G was bristling with weapons. The Chin turret was devastating and destroyed german fighters. The usaf dream of a Flying Fortress was finally realized. P-51 pilots learned real quick don’t fly through a B-17 formation. The gunners will shoot your ass out of the sky before you can start to think WTF. German pilots where terrified attacking B-17s late in the war.

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[–] • 3 pts

I thought the Luftwaffe had switched to frontal attacks because the B17 was more vulnerable from the front?

Aside from that, I wonder if it would've been a better strategy to destroy the transportation industry like railroads, bridges, etc. If you can't ship munitions and equipment the war is over.

[–] • 1 pt

Twin fifty caliber machine guns optically guided by a terrified bombardier had a huge effect on head on runs.

[–] • 3 pts

The German pilots were afraid of the tail gunner because of the slow rate of closure and the fact that the tail gunner could shoot first. Also even quick side attacks were not for the faint of heart. Head on quick attacks became the norm and the B-17G took advantage of that. But the losses were way too high until the P-51s started clearing the skies deep into Germany. It wasn't long before rookie German pilots faced experienced American pilots with better planes. Control the skies and win the war.

[–] • 0 pt

Nice information. Thank you.

[–] • 0 pt

109's had 20mm guns. They could stay out of range of the 50 cals and shoot their asses off.

[–] • 0 pt

Even chuck yeager took advantage of that and joined a luffberry circle, cheeky bastard!

[–] • 2 pts

B-17's were getting their asses shot off til the P-51 came along. P-47's had a relatively short range and could not escort B-17's all the way to Germany. P-51's could.

[–] • 0 pt

It had the range. It was a fine fighter. It just wasn’t utilized that way. It was expensive, the P-51 was cheaper. Perhaps?

[–] • 0 pt

It had half the range as the p51 and didn't handle well that high up. It was a terrible escort for half the distance. The p51 made all the difference.

[–] • 0 pt

P-47s and P-38s where perfectly capable of escorting B-17s to Germany and back. Unfortunately USAAF staff believed in the Flying Fortress concept and did not want to waste very expensive fighter aircraft defending B-17s that could defend themselves. 1943 proved them wrong very very wrong.

[–] • 0 pt (edited )

I think the joke amongst the pilots at the time was you want to be an ace? Fly the P-51. You want come home alive? Fly the P-47. The German pilots agreed. P-47s were perfectly capable of escorting Bombers to the target and back. I’m not sure what happened. But think about this, P-51 we’re parked and scraped after the war ended. P-47s continued to fly in the USAF and the guard long into the jet age.

[–] • 0 pt

The p47 had superior armor, when fully installed. It was a more survivable aircraft when absorbing damage.

[–] • 2 pts (edited )

The USAF was shocked when B17s were falling out of the sky. Sometimes entire formations failed to return. The losses where awful. They were all volunteers. For the Germans it was a turkey shoot. Shame on the USAAF for subjecting those men to that.

Edit: the cost to produce a B-17 was $225,000+ World War II dollars, all borrowed from Jew banks. Think about that.

[–] • 2 pts

As a flight engineer I would have been standing in the top turret of a B-17. The most dangerous position on a B-17 standing up and showing your full profile to incoming bullets. The waist gunners where in just as much danger. The craziest thing is that the ball turret gunner was the safest guy on the airplane. Scrunched up in a ball. With an easy exit. Yet everybody thinks that’s the most dangerous place on the airplane due to one twilight zone episode.

[–] • 0 pt

The life expectancy of a B17 tail gunner was 6 minutes in battle. That was the first one to die.

[–] • 0 pt

Awful as it sounds, I believe it.

[–] • 0 pt

Was it any one particular aircraft or just the fact that the Allies turned out aircraft from any available factory? That alone made the NAZIs go nuts.

That companies, in some cases, changed production lines overnight to support the war effort was incredible. If we had that kind of agility today we'd be undefeatable.

[–] • 0 pt (edited )

Let’s get this straight now, I absolutely love the B-17 and worship the bravery of the crews. I hate German fighter pilots. Why? Well they were trying to kill my beloved bomber crews. No bias, but pure bias. I know you German knuckleheads were defending your country but we were attacking you to defend the Jewish banking system. (Wait wut?)

[–] • 0 pt (edited )

Let’s continue talking about B-17s. Did you know that more US airmen died over the skies of Germany than all the US Marines assaulting beaches in the pacific. Not detracting from those brave marines and soldiers. But the airwar over Germany was horrific.

Edit: watching the movie Twelve O’clock High still hurts my heart. Did you know the Hells Angels biker club was established by B17 bomber crews that came home with PTSD and violence. They where told suck it up butter cup.

[–] • 0 pt

The glockenspiel changed the war