B-17 Specifications

Boeing B-17G “Flying Fortress” Specifications

More than 12,700 B-17’s were built by Boeing, Douglas, and Lockheed -Vega. The first B-17 (B) was delivered in October 1939 and the last B-17 (G) was delivered July 29, 1945.
Approximately 6,000 heavy bombers (B-17’s and B-24’s) were lost during operational sorties and another 2,000 were written off as a result of crashes or extreme damage. Around 2,500 were returned from Europe after the war most of which went into storage in the Arizona desert.

In addition to the 6000 heavy bombers, there were 500 medium bombers, and 2500 fighters lost.

Over 30,000 airmen were killed or missing and another 30,000 made prisoner of war.

Only one of three airmen survived the air battle over Europe during World War II. The losses were extrordinary.

The casualties suffered by the 8th Air Force in World War II exceeded those of the US Marine Corps and the US Navy combined.

The B-17G carried a standard crew of 10: comprising a pilot, co-pilot, bombardier/chin turret gunner, navigator/cheek gunner, flight engineer/top turret gunner, radio operator, ball turret gunner, two waist gunners, and tail turret gunner.

The area of England known as East Anglia, about the size of Vermont, became what flyers called an “unsinkable aircraft carrier” and was the home for more than 130 American bases and 75 airfields. Almost 350,000 airmen passed through these 8th Air Force airfields during the war. The very *British* names of these bases became familiar to all who flew — Glatton, Snetterton, Stowmarket, Lavenham, Bassingbourne, Polebrook, Molesworth, Martlesham Heath, Podington, Eye, Bury St Edmunds and Kingscliffe to name just a few.

The typical airfield in East Anglia was home to about 50 B-17’s or B-24’s and had a compliment of about 2500 men who flew, repaired, serviced and supported the air operation. Not to be forgotten were the men who “kept ’em flying”. For every bomber at the field there were 30 or more men who did not fly. They repaired the plane, loaded the bombs and munitions, policed the field, maintained the radios, cooked and fed 2500 men a day, operated the laundry, worked in the PX, and handled the many other duties required to keep the planes flying and the field operating — all essential to the successful launching of the air strike.

The average flyer was about 20 years of age and even for these young men the effects of flying very long missions under extreme cold, the constant hum and vibration, and being exposed to enemy fighters and flak, resulted in unusual stress that sometimes resulted in a breakdown. Most flyers slept long hours when not flying. I can attest to that.

In the early years of the air war crews were required to fly 25 and later 30 and then 35 missions before they were returned to the States. This was called a “tour” and upon completion the survivors automatically became members of the “Lucky Bastards Club”.
I guess those of us who survive today must surely consider ourselves “Lucky Bastards”.

The following table contains the specifications of a B-17G