Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Technical Information
Background
These rugged bombers had
earned the affection of their ten man crews for always bringing them home.
Model "E" and "F" were the types used during the Pacific War, with only a few "G" models
serving in non-combat duties, like Air / Sea Rescue late in the war.
Pearl Harbor & The Philippines
The B-17 was synonymous with the start
of the Pacific War, with the famous flight of B-17s that flew into Pearl
Harbor
during
the
surprise attack of December 7, 1941. Also, for the crushing destruction
of many B-17s on the ground in the Philippines. The 19th BG flew Flying
Fortresses huge distances at great odds from bases in the Philippines, Java
as they fell back to Australia during the early days of the war.
Phased Out By B-24 In The Pacific
As the war progressed, they were replaced
with by the B-24 Liberator which was faster,
had a longer range and could carry a larger bomb load. At first, some crews
did
not like the B-24, but operational they quickly phased out the B-17 in New
Guinea theater by mid-1943.
