jschare
Active Member
A great documentary and it doesn't cost a dime...
http://www.archive.org/details/TheMemphisBelleAStoryofaFlyingFortress
http://www.archive.org/details/TheMemphisBelleAStoryofaFlyingFortress
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The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress Download
- Thread starter jschare
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Anonymous
Guest
Question, I had heard somewere in the past that the Hells Angel B-17 hit 25 missions before the Bell, any truth to that?
Persimmon
Well-Known Member
That is correct
The difference was that the Belle returned to the USA .
The name may well have had a lot to do with it.
"On 13 May 1943 the 303rd's B-17F "Hell's Angels" became the first 8th Air Force B-17 to complete 25 combat missions. This feat has wrongly been credited to the "Memphis Belle" B-17 including the 1943 and 1990 "Memphis Belle" movies. The "Memphis Belle" B-17 was the first to complete 25 missions and return to the USA. "Hell's Angels" continued to fly combat missions until 13 December 1943, when she completed 48 combat missions it was retired from combat."
The difference was that the Belle returned to the USA .
The name may well have had a lot to do with it.
"On 13 May 1943 the 303rd's B-17F "Hell's Angels" became the first 8th Air Force B-17 to complete 25 combat missions. This feat has wrongly been credited to the "Memphis Belle" B-17 including the 1943 and 1990 "Memphis Belle" movies. The "Memphis Belle" B-17 was the first to complete 25 missions and return to the USA. "Hell's Angels" continued to fly combat missions until 13 December 1943, when she completed 48 combat missions it was retired from combat."
Persimmon
Well-Known Member
Stony said:
Sort pf true I think.
Did the Co pilot Capt. James A. Verinis not do the first few missions in the Belle and then went off to become lead pilot with his own crew for 16 missions ?
He flew his 25 missions at the same timescale and he was placed back in the "original crew" for the flight home and the bond funding tour. on the instructions of the lead pilot Captain Morgan
As I recall there was at least one other change as well.
Clearly the mind is not as sharp as it used to be !!
jschare
Active Member
Robert Morgan, the Memphis Belle pilot, says in his book that the Hells Angels plane was the first B-17 to complete it's 25 missions but the Memphis Belle was the first plane and CREW to complete the 25 missions and go home. I guess it's a matter of semantics. William Wyler, the director of the documentary, also had footage of the Hells Angels completing it's 25 missions and was going to use that if the Memphis Belle didn't make it back from it's 25th mission.
Stony
Well-Known Member
I met Morgan a couple of times before he died and he told me some things about the filming of movie "Memphis Belle". The production company sent him over to England for two weeks as an adviser for the script, etc. and Morgan told me "They didn't do a f#@*king thing I told them".
One thing some people don't know about Morgan is that he led the first B-29 raid against Japan.
One thing some people don't know about Morgan is that he led the first B-29 raid against Japan.
Hamsterbear
Member
The big, big point to the whole "Memphis Belle" story...
Is that in the early days of the air campaign against Germany, the average life expectancy of a bomber crew was something like 4 missions until you were shot down, killed, captured or wounded. They were getting slaughtered, so the first CREW and PLANE to achieve 25 missions was a HUGE moral/PR boost for the AAF. They had to take the message home that , YES it is possible to win this thing.
Is that in the early days of the air campaign against Germany, the average life expectancy of a bomber crew was something like 4 missions until you were shot down, killed, captured or wounded. They were getting slaughtered, so the first CREW and PLANE to achieve 25 missions was a HUGE moral/PR boost for the AAF. They had to take the message home that , YES it is possible to win this thing.
ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
Could you imagine if they had of made "Hells Angel" instead? Matthew Modine would never have got the job, and Russel Crowe wasn't on the scene yet? :lol:
Couchy
Couchy
