On May 17, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force will hold a grand event to celebrate the completion of the restoration of the B-17F "Memphis Beauty" and permanently stationed in the Air Force Museum.
The B-17 bomber is a four-engine heavy bomber built by American Boeing for the United States Army Air Force. The U.S. military offered a contract for the production of 200 bombers in the 1930s, when Douglas and Glenn F. Kennedy competed. L. Martin, in the end Boeing won the mature experience of designing the four-engine model.
If the tail wing is broken, it can also fly back to the airport
The B-17 bomber made a name for itself in the European theater of World War II. The aircraft has a crew of 10, 5 machine gunners, a maximum load of 8 tons, and 13 heavy machine guns, distributed in the top turret, the abdominal spherical turret, the middle left and right shooters, and the tail shooter. The B-17 has a maximum flight altitude of 10,667 meters and is robust and reliable, often able to fly back to the airport after being hit hard, thus saving many crew members. Pilots jokingly called it "aerial concrete."
At that time, General Curtis Limei designed multiple large formations for the bombers, different heights, different positions, covering each other, forming a tight network of fire, and the gunners were strictly trained to ensure that they did not mistakenly attack each other. This tactical formation of German fighters was difficult to get close to, hence the B-17's name "Air Fortress"!
The Memphis Beauty (production serial number No. 41-24485) was the first bomber of the U.S. 8th Air Force to return to the United States after 25 missions in World War II. Her crew received the plane in Bangor, Maine, in September 1942 and then flew to Memphis, Tennessee, for a brief stopover, where Captain Robert E. Lee was killed in a car accident. K. Morgan fell in love with the local Lady Margaret Polk at first sight, and his landline was given the name "Memphis Beauty" for it. From there, she flew across the Atlantic Ocean to the Base of Basinborn, not far north of London in England.
According to statistics, bomber pilots fighting in the European battlefield were shot down at 82% in the first three months, and in the face of this situation, the War Department made a decision in order to improve morale, as long as the crew successfully completed 25 combat missions, they could retire home and reunite with their families.
The Memphis Beauty on the Battlefield of Europe
On November 7, 1942, the Memphis Beauty and her companions left the runway and flew to the port of Brest, France, still under German occupation, where she began her more than 36,000 kilometers of combat. In 25 combat missions, the aircraft was tested, covered with bullet holes, scaly wounds, and numerous damage to the machine guns on board; 5 times it was hit by the engine, and once the tail was almost knocked out by ground artillery fire. But miraculously, none of the crew members had been seriously injured in such a harsh environment. During this period, the Memphis Beauty changed a total of 9 engines, two main wings, two vertical tails, two main wheels on both sides and many more components. But he never flinched, faced with a variety of complex tasks, all of which he tried to achieve, which also created a myth of 25 times, and created the myth of the beauty of Memphis. He was also the only B-17 bomber to have its own materials in the U.S. Air Force Archives.
After returning home, the Memphis Beauty and its crew members sold war bonds at Patterson Airport in Dayton, Ohio.
In the summer of 1943, after returning to the United States after completing its 25th mission, the crew members rushed to various rallies to thank the people for their contribution to the war and encouraged the American public to continue to support the army's participation in the war. The crew visited 32 cities across the United States, where they received a heroic welcome.
In 2005, the "Memphis Beauty" changed hands several times, and was finally placed in the refurbished hangar of the U.S. National Air Force Museum, the time-ravaged "Memphis Beauty" was now in ruins, and the museum also raised all parties to repair and maintain the "Memphis Beauty", and the repair process was intermittent.
The Memphis Beauty in the restoration
On March 14, 2018, the Memphis Beauty was finally towed out of the repair plant after the overhaul was completed, and the meritorious aircraft appeared in the public eye with a new look.
Stills from the movie "Beauty of Memphis"
In 1990, the story of the "Memphis Beauty" was brought to the screen. As a true historical adaptation of the World War II air combat theme film, whether it is the shooting method or the vivid and delicate performance of the actors, each of the characters will make a deep impression and be regarded as a classic by the public and many hangmi.