Posted on 06/13/2011 10:54:02 AM PDT by FunkyZero
OSWEGO, Ill. -- A B-17 bomber that dates to World War II crashed and burned in a cornfield outside Chicago on Monday as it was headed to Indiana. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said aviation officials believe the seven people on board the plane escaped uninjured.
(Excerpt) Read more at theindychannel.com ...
So it wasn't one of the new ones.
In addition to KIA and wounded, they are probably counting POW’s in the “losses.” The Marines didn’t have many POW’s in the Pacific. But if you figure the average number of planes on a mission, the number of crew per plane, and the percentage of aircraft lost per mission, over time it adds up. Not to mention the killed and wounded on the planes that made it back to England.
Was this plane part of the Confederate Air force?? In anyt case it is such a terrible shame to see even one of these magnificent warbirds lost. From the looks of it there is little left to salvage...
>>I took my son to see “Aluminum Overcast” that was visiting Seattle over the Memorial Day Weekend.<<
I was at an estate sale and heard that thing fly over. I said to my wife (also a plane buff), “That sounds like a B-17.”
And it was...
Glad I took the kids to see/tour a B-17 and B-24 last summer at the Oxford (CT) airport. Worth it!
Somebody once did a calculation as to how many resources were diverted from the US Army by the Strategic Bombing Campaign against Germany. It was astounding how many more troops & equipment could have been fielded. Of course a lot of the equipment the US did produce was being used to equip the Soviets and the Free French Army, so really it was a question of where all the highly-skilled manpower went.
How would anyone be able to tell?
Probably hit by stray shots from an Amish drive-by on the South Side.
Per The Mighty Eighth Air Force museum: The 8th AF suffered one-half of the U.S. Army Air Forces’ casualties in World War II (47,000-plus casualties with more than 26,000 deaths). The Eighth’s personnel also earned 17 Medals of Honor, 220 Distinguished Service Crosses, 850 Silver Stars, 7,000 Purple Hearts 46,000 Air Medals.
By the way, in the Schweinfurt-Regensberg raid of August 1943, the 8th Air Force lost the equivalent of a whole battalion of (600)men in one day.
I hope it wasn’t “Old Fuddy Duddy”. It’s a shame to lose any of them, but Fuddy Duddy was a favorite at WWII vintage airshows.
They were offering flights on this plane at the upcoming air show. Lucky the crash didn’t happen with paying customer aboard. That would have just added to the tragedy.
My dad served as a waist guner on a B17 during WWII.
Yowch.
I never got to see that one.
But I did get to see “Nine O Nine”.
Thank you for the link. I think. Such a loss and it’s awful to see.
I actually flew on the “Nine O Nine” a few years ago when they were in Norwood Ma.
It was a once in a lifetime experience.
I haven’t gotten to fly on one yet.
But I did get to climb through them while on the ground.
I was amazed at how little space there is on those things!
Oh no. I’ve seen Liberty Belle several times. She was a majestic bird. Not many of her kind left. Every one lost is a piece of history gone.
My missus is 5’1” and she was quite comfortable inside Nine O Nine.
I’m only four inches taller and I smacked my head.
He never talked about it until he was quite elderly. Just came home, went back to work and raised his family. He rests with the thousands of his brothers in arms in Arlington National Cemetery.
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