Book Review of Boeing B-17 Fortress
In RAF Coastal Command Service
Second Revised Edition
Author: Robert M. Stitt
White Series I, no. 9134
Mushroom Models Publications Books (MMP), Stratus
ISBN: 978-83-65281-54-8
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $53.00
ISBN: 978-83-65281-54-8
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $53.00
HISTORY:
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC).
Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry (prototype Model 299/XB-17) outperformed both competitors and exceeded the air corps' performance specifications.
Although Boeing lost the contract (to the Douglas B-18 Bolo) because the prototype crashed, the air corps ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation.
From its introduction in 1938, the B-17 Flying Fortress evolved through numerous design advances, becoming the third-most produced bomber of all time, behind the four-engined B-24 and the multirole, twin-engined Ju 88.
The B-17 was primarily employed by the USAAF in the daylight strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets.
The United States Eighth Air Force, based at many airfields in central, eastern and southern England, and the Fifteenth Air Force, based in Italy,
complemented the RAF Bomber Command's nighttime area bombing in the Combined Bomber Offensive to help secure air superiority over the cities, factories and battlefields of Western Europe in preparation for the invasion of France in 1944.
The B-17 also participated to a lesser extent in the War in the Pacific, early in World War II, where it conducted raids against Japanese shipping and airfields.
From its prewar inception, the USAAC (by June 1941, the USAAF) promoted the aircraft as a strategic weapon; it was a relatively fast, high-flying, long-range bomber with heavy defensive armament at the expense of bombload.
It developed a reputation for toughness based upon stories and photos of badly damaged B-17s safely returning to base.
The B-17 dropped more bombs than any other U.S. aircraft in World War II. Of the 1.5 million tonnes of bombs dropped on Nazi Germany and its occupied territories by U.S. aircraft, 640,000 tonnes were dropped from B-17s.
In addition to its role as a bomber, the B-17 was also employed as a transport, anti submarine aircraft, drone controller, and search-and-rescue aircraft.
As of October 2019, 9 aircraft remain airworthy, though none of them were ever flown in combat. Dozens more are in storage or on static display. The oldest of these is a D-series flown in combat in the Pacific and the Caribbean.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Heavy bomber
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: Boeing
First flight: 28 July 1935; 84 years ago
Introduction to service: April 1938; 81 years ago
Retired: 1968 (Brazilian Air Force)
Primary users: United States Army Air Forces, Royal Air Force
Produced: 1936–1945
Number built: 12,731
Unit cost: U.S. $238,329 (1945), U.S. $2.7 million (in 2018 dollars)
Variants: XB-38 Flying Fortress, YB-40 Flying Fortress, C-108 Flying Fortress
Developed into: Boeing 307 Stratoliner
THE BOOK:
Mushroom Model Publications (MMP) is based in the UK. All their books are printed in Sandomierz, Poland by their associate Stratus in English.
Stratus also does their own line of books in both Polish and English.
The book is soft cover of 224 pages in 8 1/4" x 11 3/4" page format.
The cover art shows 2 RAF B-17's flying together. Both have temperate land schemes of brown and green over white sides and under-carriages.
The book contains 10 color photos, 257 black and white photos (11 are nose arts), 7 illustrations from maintenance manuals, 23 information lists, 4 line drawings, 3 maps, 20 color profiles, Dupont color swatches and a 7 page index at the back of the book.
Nose arts shown are: Commander over a Soviet medal awarded for carrying supplies to Moscow, Scotty Dog clenching a U-boat in its teeth, Gna(?) (part of name cut off in photo), Lucy Lastic with standing gal in bathing suit, Nanette with a gal's face, 2 Q' Queenie with a bare-breasted gal, Leopatra with a standing gal in a bathing suit, 2 S' Suzy with a gal on a swing, Ferdinand with a long-horned bull, Elizabeth with the back of a gal showing her panties, Hekla Hettie with a standing gal, Borgannes Bess with a seated gal in a bathing suit and Kuflavik Cuttie with a standing gal.
Rejected as a bomber by the RAF, the B-17 was used extensively as a long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft by Coastal Command.
This book tells the fascinating story of these operations, a vital but often overlooked part of the fight against the U-boats.
All the aircraft involved are listed, and the tedious but essential work of their crews described, including some epic encounters with enemy submarines.
Fully illustrated with many wartime photographs and scale plans of the airframe modifications.
A neat book. Highly recommended.
I want to thank Casemate publishers, who sent me this review sample and Dr. Roger Wallsgrove head-editor of MMP for this book sample.
Casemate is the N.American distributor for MMP books and they sent me this sample.
All MMP titles can be seen on Casemates website at:
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC).
Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry (prototype Model 299/XB-17) outperformed both competitors and exceeded the air corps' performance specifications.
Although Boeing lost the contract (to the Douglas B-18 Bolo) because the prototype crashed, the air corps ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation.
From its introduction in 1938, the B-17 Flying Fortress evolved through numerous design advances, becoming the third-most produced bomber of all time, behind the four-engined B-24 and the multirole, twin-engined Ju 88.
The B-17 was primarily employed by the USAAF in the daylight strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets.
The United States Eighth Air Force, based at many airfields in central, eastern and southern England, and the Fifteenth Air Force, based in Italy,
complemented the RAF Bomber Command's nighttime area bombing in the Combined Bomber Offensive to help secure air superiority over the cities, factories and battlefields of Western Europe in preparation for the invasion of France in 1944.
The B-17 also participated to a lesser extent in the War in the Pacific, early in World War II, where it conducted raids against Japanese shipping and airfields.
From its prewar inception, the USAAC (by June 1941, the USAAF) promoted the aircraft as a strategic weapon; it was a relatively fast, high-flying, long-range bomber with heavy defensive armament at the expense of bombload.
It developed a reputation for toughness based upon stories and photos of badly damaged B-17s safely returning to base.
The B-17 dropped more bombs than any other U.S. aircraft in World War II. Of the 1.5 million tonnes of bombs dropped on Nazi Germany and its occupied territories by U.S. aircraft, 640,000 tonnes were dropped from B-17s.
In addition to its role as a bomber, the B-17 was also employed as a transport, anti submarine aircraft, drone controller, and search-and-rescue aircraft.
As of October 2019, 9 aircraft remain airworthy, though none of them were ever flown in combat. Dozens more are in storage or on static display. The oldest of these is a D-series flown in combat in the Pacific and the Caribbean.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Heavy bomber
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: Boeing
First flight: 28 July 1935; 84 years ago
Introduction to service: April 1938; 81 years ago
Retired: 1968 (Brazilian Air Force)
Primary users: United States Army Air Forces, Royal Air Force
Produced: 1936–1945
Number built: 12,731
Unit cost: U.S. $238,329 (1945), U.S. $2.7 million (in 2018 dollars)
Variants: XB-38 Flying Fortress, YB-40 Flying Fortress, C-108 Flying Fortress
Developed into: Boeing 307 Stratoliner
THE BOOK:
Mushroom Model Publications (MMP) is based in the UK. All their books are printed in Sandomierz, Poland by their associate Stratus in English.
Stratus also does their own line of books in both Polish and English.
The book is soft cover of 224 pages in 8 1/4" x 11 3/4" page format.
The cover art shows 2 RAF B-17's flying together. Both have temperate land schemes of brown and green over white sides and under-carriages.
The book contains 10 color photos, 257 black and white photos (11 are nose arts), 7 illustrations from maintenance manuals, 23 information lists, 4 line drawings, 3 maps, 20 color profiles, Dupont color swatches and a 7 page index at the back of the book.
Nose arts shown are: Commander over a Soviet medal awarded for carrying supplies to Moscow, Scotty Dog clenching a U-boat in its teeth, Gna(?) (part of name cut off in photo), Lucy Lastic with standing gal in bathing suit, Nanette with a gal's face, 2 Q' Queenie with a bare-breasted gal, Leopatra with a standing gal in a bathing suit, 2 S' Suzy with a gal on a swing, Ferdinand with a long-horned bull, Elizabeth with the back of a gal showing her panties, Hekla Hettie with a standing gal, Borgannes Bess with a seated gal in a bathing suit and Kuflavik Cuttie with a standing gal.
Rejected as a bomber by the RAF, the B-17 was used extensively as a long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft by Coastal Command.
This book tells the fascinating story of these operations, a vital but often overlooked part of the fight against the U-boats.
All the aircraft involved are listed, and the tedious but essential work of their crews described, including some epic encounters with enemy submarines.
Fully illustrated with many wartime photographs and scale plans of the airframe modifications.
A neat book. Highly recommended.
I want to thank Casemate publishers, who sent me this review sample and Dr. Roger Wallsgrove head-editor of MMP for this book sample.
Casemate is the N.American distributor for MMP books and they sent me this sample.
All MMP titles can be seen on Casemates website at: