EAA Triple Five Flier EAA Triple Five Flier Newsletter | Page 4

through those events, but others are much younger, so please indulge me while I relate some info about the 8th,
and the B-17.
The B-17 was developed in the 1930’s. At that time, aviation technology was advancing very rapidly, and few
fighters could match the latest generation of bombers for performance. The new bombers also carried an impressive amount of defensive firepower. As the story goes, upon seeing all of the gun positions on the original
prototype “Model 299,” a Seattle Times reporter named Richard Williams remarked, "Why, it's a flying fortress!" Of course, that ended up becoming the official name of the B-17. With a title like that, and superior high
altitude speed, I guess we can’t blame anyone for thinking the bombers would be able to operate over enemy
territory with impunity.
Sadly, that turned out not to be the case. Losses early in the war were staggering by today’s standards. For example, in one attack on Schweinfurt in October of 1943, of the 291 B-17s that participated, 60 were shot down,
and 17 more were damaged beyond repair. Of the 2,900 men who took off that day, 650 did not make it back.
By VE day, the 8th Air Force had lost over 47,000 men, with 26,000 killed. Seventeen members received Congressional Medals of Honor. During my time in the Air Force, we could never have considered combat operations with casualty rates like that, and I doubt the citizenry would endure them in this era.
Over time, the B-17 has become something of an icon of military air history, while similar airplanes are not
quite as well known by the public. B-17 veterans tell me that’s partly because it seemed as if the Fort could
sustain a lot more damage than the B-24, and still make it home. But don’t neglect to consider the sacrifice and
heroics that marked the crews of all of those other bomber types as well. Many of the existing airports throughout this entire region were originally built during WW II as training facilities for bomber units, so this is an important part of our local history.
It will be such an honor to have Aluminum Overcast at Las Cruces and Santa Teresa in January, and I hope all of you get a
chance to come and see it, and maybe even take a ride. When
you do, try to imagine what it must have been like for the many
thousands of airmen who fought and died for our freedoms in
WW II, in all sorts of airplanes, ships, and on the ground. I know
two local survivor veterans who fought in B-17s, and they’ll be
near my heart in January.
Wes Baker

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