Verenigde Staten van Amerika - Official USAAF WW2 Wartime Report famous Memphis Belle Bomber - 25 Missions, the Story of the Memphis Belle - Crew - Europe - B17 - Bombing - 1943

This rare restricted booklet, published WARTIME in June 1943 (see back cover) prepared by the Training Aids Division and published by authority of the Commanding General, Army Air Forces describes the story of the famous 'Memphis Belle' Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, retired from active service in the European theatre (ETO) after 25 successful bombing missions. Captain Robert K. Morgan, pilot of the aircraft, and the rest of the crew flew back to the USA and undertook a tour of AAF training establishments to give confidence and advice to aircrew trainees bound for the ETO. The booklet contains stories from each of the crewmembers, told in their own words. Factual accounts of aerial warfare over Germany and the occupied countries, an appraisal of the enemy and advice of men who have taken the war to that enemy. It lists all of the missions undertaken and has a photo of the crew at the centre. A great WARTIME!!!! publication in good condition for its age and being a softcover.

This is truly a great WW2 USAAF report related to the Memphis Belle, an original 1st edition (most on the market are facismiles reprint), which would be a great addition to your WW2 collection!


Historty of the MEMPHIS BELLE
The Memphis Belle is a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress used during the Second World War that inspired the making of two motion pictures: a 1944 documentary film, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress and the 1990 Hollywood feature film, Memphis Belle. It was one of the first United States Army Air Forces B-17 heavy bombers to complete 25 combat missions, after which the aircrew returned with the bomber to the United States to sell war bonds.[2]

The Memphis Belle, a Boeing-built B-17F-10-BO, manufacturer's serial number 3470, USAAC Serial No. 41-24485, was added to the USAAF inventory on 15 July 1942,[8] and delivered in September 1942 to the 91st Bombardment Group at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine.[9] It deployed to Prestwick, Scotland, on 30 September 1942, moving to a temporary base at RAF Kimbolton on 1 October, and then finally to its permanent base at RAF Bassingbourn, England, on 14 October.[9] Each side of the fuselage bore the unit and aircraft identification markings of a B-17 of the 324th Bomb Squadron (Heavy), with the squadron code "DF" and individual aircraft letter "A".[8][10]

Captain Robert K. Morgan's crew flew 25 combat missions with the 324th Bomb Squadron; all but four were in the Memphis Belle. The bomber's 25 combat missions, during which eight German aircraft were shot down by its aircrew, were:

7 November 1942 – Brest, France[11][N 1]
9 November 1942 – St. Nazaire, France [11]
17 November 1942 – St. Nazaire, France[11]
6 December 1942 – Lille, France[11]
20 December 1942* – Romilly-sur-Seine, France[11][12][13]
30 December 1942 – Lorient, France (flown by Lt. James A. Verinis)
3 January 1943 – St. Nazaire, France[11]
13 January 1943 – Lille, France[11]
23 January 1943 – Lorient, France[11]
14 February 1943 – Hamm, Germany[11]
16 February 1943 – St. Nazaire, France[11]
27 February 1943* – Brest, France[11][N 2]
6 March 1943 – Lorient, France[11]
12 March 1943 – Rouen, France[11]
13 March 1943 – Abbeville, France [11]
22 March 1943 – Wilhelmshaven, Germany [11]
28 March 1943 – Rouen, France[11]
31 March 1943 – Rotterdam, Netherlands[13][15][16]
16 April 1943 – Lorient, France[11]
17 April 1943 – Bremen, Germany [11]
1 May 1943 – St. Nazaire, France[11]
13 May 1943 – Meaulte, France (flown by Lt. C.L. Anderson)
14 May 1943 – Kiel, Germany (flown by Lt. John H. Miller)
15 May 1943 – Wilhelmshaven, Germany[11]
17 May 1943 – Lorient, France[11]
19 May 1943* – Kiel, Germany (flown by Lt. Anderson) [N 3]
* Sources disagree on which two of these three missions the Memphis Belle received mission credits.

Morgan's crew completed the following missions in B-17s other than the Memphis Belle:

4 February 1943 – Emden, Germany (in B-17 DF-H 41-24515 Jersey Bounce)[18]
26 February 1943 – Wilhelmshaven, Germany (in B-17 41-24515)[19]
5 April 1943 – Antwerp, Belgium (in B-17 41-24480 Bad Penny)[19]
4 May 1943 – Antwerp, Belgium (in B-17 41-24527, The Great Speckled Bird)[20]
The Memphis Belle was flown back to the United States on 8 June 1943 by a composite crew chosen by the Eighth Air Force, airmen who had flown combat aboard; they were led by Capt. Morgan for a 31-city war bond tour. Morgan's original co-pilot was Capt. James A. Verinis, who himself piloted the Memphis Belle for one mission. Verinis was promoted to aircraft commander of another B-17 for his final 16 missions and finished his tour on 13 May. He rejoined Morgan's crew as co-pilot for the flight back to the United States.

The B-17 Hell's Angels (41-24577) of the 303rd Bomb Group completed 25 combat missions on 13 May 1943, becoming the first to complete the feat, one week before the Memphis Belle