This B-17 was One Tough Aircraft

They all came back to base alive, except togglier Staff Sgt. George E. Abbott of East Lebanon, PA. The bottom photo is one of the most famous of the air war.

No longer possible to cut and paste text, but I am posting the photos and the link to an amazing article about a 398th BG B-17 piloted by Lt. Lawrence M. DeLancey of Corvallis, Oregon, that took a direct hit and came home October 15, 1944, with all the crew alive but the togglier, who had been killed instantly when he took a direct flak hit.

Read the story that accompanies these incredible photographs here.

That Was One Tough Ship!

The B-17 Flying Fortress could take incredible damage and still fly.

Here is some amazing proof.

This B-17 flown by pilot Glenn Rojohn of the 100th Bomb Group collided with another on a mission. Rojohn piloted the craft, which were stuck together, until both crews could bail out. Most survived.

Read the entire incredible story here on the 100th BG website: www.100thbg.com/mainpages/crews/crews5/rojohn.htm

Here are some other amazing stories of an incredible machine and crews who refused to die. The plane directly below was hit in the tail, blowing the tailgunner out. He parachuted out and became a POW. The plane returned to base safely.

The B-17 below, from the 398th Bomb Group, managed to return to base despite losing its nose to flak. The bombardier was killed instantly in this hit.

Despite being practically severed in half in a collision with a German fighter, this B-17 , named "All American" of the 97th Bomb Group, flown by Pilot Kenneth Bragg, limped back to its base in England, then broke apart on landing. SOURCE: Flying Forts by Martin Caiden