B-17 Logbook

[arglebargle]

This is a copy of the logbook of a B-17 flying for the 8th Air Force in Europe in '43-44. Found it online after receiving a pdf of it from a family member.

They knew I'd be interested, as my father flew bombers in the Pacific, and I have read his copies of his logbooks, discussed it with him, and read the account of the war by one of his crew members.

I thought some of the folks here might appreciate reading this bit of WWII history. And the pilot was nicknamed 'Tex' too!

http://www.slideshare.net/Art37/b-17-logbook-1943-1944

 

[Kendo]

Absolutely fascinating read. Thanks for posting.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Fantastic!

 

[Phoenix]

Really awesome reading. Many thanks for posting this.

Amazing how they made it back from some of those raids.

 

[Phoenix]

Oh, also: I highly recommend downloading the log to read it, as it is in clear text and easily readable. The online version image is a little tough to decipher in spots...

 

[arglebargle]

Oh, also: I highly recommend downloading the log to read it, as it is in clear text and easily readable. The online version image is a little tough to decipher in spots...

Yeah, I had the PDF, and it made very good reading, as well as very clear reading.

These guys were on their fifth mission when the got tabbed for the Scwheinfurt Raid, known as 'Black Thursday', the single worst air mission for our losses in all of WWII.

The amount of training, practice and basic flying disasters was instructive too.

Looks like they got shot down on their 24th mission: One away from going home....

Interesting to see the differences with flying in the Pacific. Talking to my father, he said their bombing missions only met trouble directly over the bomb site. Otherwise it was navigation and fuel efficiency that was important, on long, over water flying. The Japanese did not have the German 88 anti aircraft guns. The description of flack over Germany was fairly frightening; always on target.