Fine day at work...

[Bob Womack]

One of the interesting aspects of the B17, to me, is just how much serious battle damage the aircraft could take and yet still fly hundreds of miles back to it base in England after dropping it's payload on target. I have seen images and photographs of B17's that have clearly had large sections of their airframe shot away which one would think couldn't possibly have made it home, yet they have.

Both my parents remember, as children during the war, seeing both British and American aircraft returning from raids clearly in trouble because, for example, they had an engine or engines out and the expression "returning on a wing and a prayer" was very apt in such situations.

By the way, "A Wing and a Prayer," the book by Harry Crosby, group navigator of the 100th Bomb Group (Bloody 100th) is a very, very good read.





Bob