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B-17 Memphis Belle by Keith Woodcock.
The Memphis Belle, a Boeing-built B-17F-10-BO, manufacturer's serial number 3470, USAAC Serial No.41-24485, was added to the USAAF inventory on 15th July 1942 and delivered in September 1942 to the 91st Bombardment Group at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. She deployed to Prestwick, Scotland, on 30th September 1942, moving to a temporary base at RAF Kimbolton on 1st October, and then finally to her permanent base at Bassingbourn, England, on 14th October. Each side of the fuselage bore the unit and aircraft identification markings of a B-17 of the 324th Bomb Squadron (Heavy); the squadron code 'DF' and individual aircraft letter 'A'. Captain Robert K. Morgan's crew flew 29 combat missions with the 324th Bomb Squadron, all but four in the Memphis Belle. The aircraft's 25 missions were:
7 November 1942 - Brest, France
9 November 1942 - St. Nazaire, France
17 November 1942 - St. Nazaire, France
6 December 1942 - Lille, France
20 December 1942 - Romilly-sur-Seine, France
30 December 1942 - Lorient, France (flown by Lt. James A. Verinis)
3 January 1943 - St. Nazaire, France
13 January 1943 - Lille, France
23 January 1943 - Lorient, France[
14 February 1943 - Hamm, Germany
16 February 1943 - St. Nazaire, France
27 February 1943 - Brest, France
6 March 1943 = Lorient France
12 March 1943 - Rouen, France
13 March 1943 - Abbeville, France
22 March 1943 - Wilhelmshaven, Germany
28 March 1943 - Rouen, France]
31 March 1943 - Rotterdam, Netherlands
16 April 1943 - Lorient, France
17 April 1943 - Bremen, Germany]
1 May 1943 - St. Nazaire, France
13 May 1943 - Meaulte, France (flown by Lt. C.L. Anderson)
14 May 1943 - Kiel, Germany (flown by Lt. John H. Miller)
15 May 1943 - Wilhelmshaven, Germany
17 May 1943 - Lorient, France
19 May 1943 - Kiel, Germany (flown by Lt. Anderson) |
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