B-17 Bomber Formations in WWII

Historic images showing Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses in flight formations, engaging in bombing missions over Europe during World War II.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 15Th Air Force Leave The Smoldering Oil Refinery At Moosbierbaum, Austria, On Aug. 28, 1944.

Flying High Above The Clouds, Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 91St Bomb Group Wing Their Way To Bomb Enemy Installations In Frankfurt, Germany. 29 January 1944.

1St Lt. George Bauer, A Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Pilot Of The 19Th Tactical Air Command, Destroyed This Me-109 Equiped With Belly Tank, During Recent Fighting In The Ardennes Salient. His First Burst Set The Luftwaffe Plane Afire And Knocked Off A Piece

One Less Bomber Will Fly With The Jap Air Force As Parafragmentation Bombs Are Strewn Across It In A Sweep Over Aparri Airdrome On Northern Luzon By North American B-25S Of The 5Th Af. The New Fighter-Reconnaissance Plane Nearby Will Be Riddled By Bomb F

The Combined Air Assault Was The Greatest Of The War. This Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 15Th Af Has Released A String Of Bombs Thru A Hole In Heavy Clouds During An Attack On The Rail Yards At Memmingen, Germany. 22 Feb. 1945.

(Oct. 8, 1943)-Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" in three parts; tail assembly, starboard wing with two motors, and fuselage upsidedown.

Contrails stream out behind two U.S. 8th AF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses as they wing their way into Germany to attack railway targets at Bielefeld, November 26, 1944.

From The Altitude This Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 381St Bomb Group Is Flying, The Countryside Resembles A Patchwork Quilt.

Douglas A-26 Of The 410Th Bomb Group Based At A 9Th Air Force Base In France. 17 May 1945.

Boeing B-17 airplanes of the 8th AAF toward Germany to bomb target.

Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses"Of The 381St Bomb Group Fly Over The English Countryside As They Head For The Target - An Enemy-Held Installation - In Europe.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 91St Bomb Group, 8Th Air Force, Enroute To Attack Fighter-Pilot Training Base At St. Jean D'Angel In Occupied France. 27 June 1944. Altitude 23,500 Feet.

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Gading and Plajen, action by mountain field. Action in the direction of Gading, Plajen and Wonosari. The infantry raised at night to close the area, which gangs were signaled, the purification started in the morning. Somewhere on Java! A detachment is overgrown from the air. Dakotas shed their precious cargo to parachutes down, where the soldiers are waiting to transport it to the lounge and the kitchen. March 9, 1949. Indonesia, Java, Dutch East Indies

Detachment 101, an enigmatic Allied intelligence and special operations unit during World War II, played a pivotal role in the Burmese theater. Operating deep in the jungles of Burma, their mission was multi-faceted, encompassing guerrilla warfare, espionage, and sabotage against Japanese forces. Comprising a diverse group of individuals, from OSS agents to indigenous fighters, they effectively disrupted Japanese supply lines, gathered critical intelligence, and supported resistance movements.

A Douglas A-20 Of The 410Th Bomb Group Enroute To Bombs Enemy Installations Somewhere In Europe.

The Japaneseanese Betty's Shown Approaching Ie Shima With Japaneseanese Surrender Envoys Aboard. 5Th Aaf Boeing B-27 Of The 6Th Emergency Squadron Is Shown In Background.

Borth American B-25 Mitchells Of The 12Th Air Force Fly Over The Tyrrhenian Sea On Thier Way To Attack A Strategic Hun Target In Northern Italy On 3 January 1945. Meduim Bombers Of The 12Th Air Force, Working With The 5Th Army, Help Drive The Enemy Towar

This Striking Aerial Photograph Was Snapped By An Alert Combat Crew Cameraman, Sgt. Max Shapoff, Of New York City, As One Of The 15Th Aaf Consolidated B-24 Liberators Crashed Somewhere In German-Held Territory. The Ship Was Hit By Flak. This Photo Reveal

During A Mission On April 2, 1945, A North American B-25 Of The 1St Bomb Group (Provisional) 2Nd Bomb Squadron (Provisional), Of The 14Th Air Force's Hard-Hitting Chinese-American Composite Wing, Flies Over Its Smoking Target In Japaneseanese-Occupied Neisiang

EUROPE-Bombs from Consolidated B-24 Liberators of the U.S. 8th Air force hurtle targetward during one of their attacks on military installations behind the enemy lines.

A Huge Formation Of 379Th Bomb Group Boeing B-17 'Flying Fortresses', Roars Over An 8Th Air Force Base In England On 12 March 1945.

Focke-Wulf 190 attacking a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress on the way to bomb Bremen, Germany.

Enemy on Kiska.

A Japanese fighter plane (upper left) comes in to attack one of the Boeing B-29 Superfortresses which raided Anshan and Tangku on 29 July 44. Enemy fighter opposition was moderate and our losses were extremely light.

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Pankelan at Krawrang. A cargo plane flies over and casts supplies. March 13, 1948. Indonesia, Java, Krawang, Dutch East Indies

Anefo photo collection. Mounting photo models. Fokker G-1 hunting cruisers fight Messerschmitt's Waalhaven airport. 10, 1940. Rotterdam, Waalhaven

During World War Ii, It Wasn't An Unusual Sight To See Large Formations Of These North American P-51 "Mustangs" As They Streaked Through The Sky Toward Their Rendezvous Point With Heavy Bombers. 8Th Fighter Command.

A Pattern Of Douglas C-47S And Gliders Is Pictured Against The Sky As The 439Th Troop Carrier Group Sends Load After Load Of Airborne Infantry Reinforcements Into Needed Areas. 5 April 1945.

Blockading The Dutch East Indies, 13Th Af Consolidated B-24 Liberators Strafe Japanese Cargo Ships In Makassar Straits.

Royal Air Force- Operations by the Photographic Reconnaissance Units, 1939-1945. De Havilland Mosquito PR Mark XVI, NS502 M, of No. 544 Squadron RAF based at Benson, Oxfordshire, in flight. Note the ports for the vertically installed cameras on the underside of the fuselage.

Huge Two-Ton Bombs Are Shown Here As They Drop From The Bomb Bays Of A Flight Of 58Th Bombardment Wing Superfortresses And Head For The Japanese City Below. Two Of The Big Missiles Can Be Seen Beneath The Upper Plane And A Third Is Visible Under The Wing

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses On Their Way To A Raid On Regensburg, Germany. 17 Aug 1943.

Bombing of Los Negros Island in the Admiralty Group.

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Exercise drops of stocks by plane. C47 Dakota throws Parachute. November 1947. Indonesia, Dutch East Indies

Vintage photograph. F - 86s at Larsen air force base

THE GREATEST AIRBORNE INVASION IN HISTORY---Trails left by landing gliders can be seen in the German fields pictured with many of the aircraft in various landing positions. One glider of this group burned. The troops later received supplies dropped

Royal Air Force- France 1939-1940. Three Fairey Battles of No. 88 Squadron RAF based at Mourmelon-le-Grand, flying in 'vic' formation over the snow-covered French countryside. nother 'vic' of Battles can be seen at extreme upper right.

The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Pistol Packin' Mama' Of The 381St Bomb Group Stationed At An 8Th Air Force Base Near Ridgewell, Essex County, England, 20 December 1943.

After dropping their bombs on the targets on Corregidor and Caballo Island in the Philippines, the Consolidated B-24 "Liberators" of the 494th Bomb Group, turn away from their objective and head for home. 14 February 1945.

The Volcania munitions...

Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 305Th Bomb Group Warm Up Before Take-Off From Their Base At Chelveston, England On A Mission On 29 June 1943.

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses 'Midway' Of The 381St Bomb Group Stationed At An 8Th Air Force Base Near Ridgewell, Essex County, England, 10 April 1944.

Aircraft, Burma, India &Aircraft, SINGLE, North American War

Fully Loaded With Bombs And Extra Gas Tanks, A Flight Of 12Th Af 350 Fg, 345Th Fs Republic P-47 Thunderbolts Wing Their Way Toward A German Target In Northern Italy. The Pilots Keep Perfect Formation As A Defense Against Enemy Planes. This Photo Was T

A NINTH AIR FORCE BOMBER STATION, England--Roaring in at a low altitude this Douglas A-20 Havoc of the Ninth Air Force is shown blasting enemy supply lines on the Cherbourg peninsula. These hard hitting light bombers are playing a great part in

Two 500-pound incendiary bomb clusters plunge toward their target over Kiel, Germany. One of the bombs, containing more than 100 small incendiary bombs has broken and scattered the bombs like matchsticks, while the other is on the verge of breaking

One Of The First Photos Of The Bombing Of Hickam Field, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941. Unidentified Planes Over Army Airfield, Hawaii. War Theatre #22 - Hawaii.

Yellow Nosed North American P-51S 'Forming Up' As They Climb For Altitude.England.

Formation Of Curtiss C-46 Commandos Passes Over A 9Th Troop Carrier Command Base Somewhere In France. 21 March 1945. 9Th Air Force 313 Tcg

Heavy Smoke Rises During The Eruption Of Mt. Vesuvius On 23 March 1944. One Engine On A North American B-25 Of The 340Th Bomb Group Can Be Seen In The Foreground. Italy.

Their Mission Completed, These Huge Consolidated B-24 "Liberators" Of The 494Th Bomb Group, Head Back To Their Base From The Raid On Caballo And Corregidor Islands In The Manilla Bay Of The Philippines. February 1945.

A Consolidated B-24 Liberator Of The 15Th Af Leaves The Rail Yards At Muhldorf, Germany Covered With Smoke As It Heads For Its Home Base On 19 March 1945. Bombers Of The 15Th Af Are Slicing Vital Rail Lines From Vienna To Munich As The Air Offensive Agai

A Formation Of 401St Bomb Group Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses"Returning From A Raid On Dresden, Germany, Flies Over Control Tower At An 8Th Air Force Base In England. 23 April 1945.

B-25 "Mitchell" medium bomber of the U.S. Army 5th AF, flying over the western tip of New Britain Island during the coordinated land, sea & air attack on Cape Gloucester.

China-This plane crashed on 9 July 44 on take-off for a mission. The plane lifted slightly near the end of the runway then crashed. All but one of the crew of eight were killed. The survivor was only slightly injured. The rest of the squadron took

Flight formation of F-86F Sabre jets against dark sky

Glider Reclamation - The Gliders Of The 9Th Troop Carrier Command Pictured Here Were Just A Few Of Those Used In The Invasion Of Southern Holland In Sept. 1944. These Gliders Will Be Reclaimed And Repaired By Skilled Engineers For Future Use By The 9Th T

The North American B-25 Mitchell 'Worth Fighting For', One In A Formation Of Mitchell, Enroute To Bomb Enemy Installations In Italy, Sometime In 1944.

A Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Carrying General Purpose Bomb Heads For The Target At Santiago, North Luzon, P.I.

N.A.T.O. Aerobatics -- The team with the four aircraft inverted at the top of a loop.This unique photo shows a mixed formation comprising aircraft and pilots of leading aerobatic teams of the royal air force. The royal Canadian Air Force and the U.S. Air Force based in Europe.At the head of the quartet is a Hawker Hunter of No.54 Squadron, R.A.F. fighter ***** being piloted by captain Richard G. Immig, a united states airforce officer of Gillette, New Jersey, serving with the R.A.F. on exchange posting. On either side of the leader are two sabres of the royal canadian air force "Sky Lancers" Aerobatic team, from No.2 wing, R.C.A.F., of Grostenquin, France being flown by flying officers L.N. Eisler of Regina, Saskatchewan, and B.R. Campbell of Ottawa. August 09, 1955. (Photo by Associated Press Photo).

Douglas C-47 Skytrains, 12 Af Troop Carrier Wing, Loaded With Paratroopers On Their Way For The Invasion Of Southern France, 15 August 1944.

Royal Air Force Operations Over Albania and Greece, 1940-1941. Two Bristol Blenheim Mark Is of 'A' Flight No. 30 Squadron RAF, taking off from Eleusis, Greece, for a bombing raid over Italian-occupied Albania. Both aircraft are carrying external bomb loads in the Light Series Carriers fitted under the fuselage.

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Aviation day military aviation at Kemajoran airport. Fly show. March 9, 1947. Batavia, Indonesia, Jakarta, Kemajoran, Dutch East Indies

Bombing of Ammunition ship...

Vapor Trails From Consolidated B-24 Liberators Of The 15Th Air Force As The Bombers Headed For The Railyards At Vienna, Austria, On 15 January 1945. Such Attacks Are Supporting The Russian Advance. 451St Bomb Group.

A Pattern Of Transport Planes And Gliders Is Pictured Against A Grey English Sky As The 439Th Troop Carrier Group Sends Load After Load Of Airborne Infantrymen To France Where Allied Forces Are Fighting For The Liberation Of Europe. 7 June 1944.

The Royal Navy during the Second World War In the middle distance three of the Fairey Barracuda bombers returning to land on after the Fleet Air Arm attack on the German battleship TIRPITZ in Alten Fjord, Norway. An aircraft carrier can be seen sailing in the distance.

Vintage photograph. Four US Navy Panther Jets fly close formation

Curtiss P-40's of the 11th Air Force at Alexai Point Airbase, Attu, Aleutian Islands, are lined up on the marston mat strip against a background of fog. The fog rolled down from the hills within 10 minutes. 1943.

Enemy on Kiska.

No. 22 (army Co-operation) Group, Royal Air Force, June-november 1940. Five Westland Lysander Mark IIs of No. 225 Squadron RAF based at Tilshead, Wiltshire, flying in formation near Westdown Camp.

A Japaneseanese supply area on Talili Bay, just west of Rabaul, burns after bombing by Mitchell B-25's (one can be seen in upper right) of Maj. Gen. Hubert R. Harmon's U.S. Army 13th AF. Mitchells have been used extensively in the South Pacific area on

Bred For Combat Over Korea - A picture of grace and symmetry is this Far East Air Forces Bomber Command Superfort headed for a pre-selected Communist target in North Korea, Although lightning shutter action stops the B-29 medium bomber cold, and makes it appear suspended by invisible strings, it is nevertheless eating up mileage separating its Japan base from the target area. A thing of beauty to friendly United Nations forces on the battlefront, this implement of modern warfare strikes fear to

Aircraft, Burma, India & INDIA,RESCUE War

Big Moment In Ie Shima. Wheels Down, The First Of Two Japanese Bombers Carrying Surrender Delegation Prepares For Landing On Island Strip.

Detachment 101, an enigmatic Allied intelligence and special operations unit during World War II, played a pivotal role in the Burmese theater. Operating deep in the jungles of Burma, their mission was multi-faceted, encompassing guerrilla warfare, espionage, and sabotage against Japanese forces. Comprising a diverse group of individuals, from OSS agents to indigenous fighters, they effectively disrupted Japanese supply lines, gathered critical intelligence, and supported resistance movements.

Les Bombardiers Américains Douglas "Boston" Font Partie de la Puissante Force Aérienne Qui Vaincra L'Axe. 1942 - 1945. Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Domestic Operations Branch. Bureau of Special Services. 3/9/1943-9/15/1945. World War II Foreign Posters

Radar Equipped Lockheed P-38 Lightning Reconnaissance Plane Takes Off, Its 'Droop Snoot' Nose Crammed Into Special Electronic Devices. Trips Like These Precede Visits Of Giant Bombers Against Enemy Industrial Targets. Intensive Preliminary Planning Char

Consolidated B-24s on bombing run, Bremen, Germany (Dec 16, 43).

Consolidated B-24 Liberators Of The 15Th Air Force Fly Over The Alps Enroute To Smash Railyards At Vienna, Austria, On 15 January 1945. Bombers Of The 15Th Af Are Slicing The Vital Rail Links Between Vienna And Munich, Bottle-Necking German Supplies To T

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 381St Bomb Group, En Route To Bomb Enemy Installations In Europe, Leave Their Trails In The Sky.

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Aviation day military aviation at Kemajoran airport. Fly show. Formation fly. March 9, 1947. Batavia, Indonesia, Jakarta, Kemajoran, Dutch East Indies

Two Airborne Early Warning Squadron 113 (VAW-113) E-2C Hawkeye aircraft fly over the air station during pre-deployment training. Base: Naval Air Station, Fallon State: Nevada (NV) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Ground Crews Of The 324Th Bomb Squadron, 91St Bomb Group, Stationed At Bassingbourne, England, "Sweat Out" The Return Of Their Planes From A Bombing Mission. This Waiting For Planes Is One Of The Most Agonizing Time Of Life At A Bomber Mission. 24 June

Royal Air Force Balloon Command, 1939-1945. Kite balloons rise above the airfield at Cardington, Bedfordshire, during handling practice by No. 1 Balloon Training Unit.

North American P-51s and Republic P-47s are shown on the deck of a tanker in Ireland after they were transported from an American port. 5 October 1943.

The Royal Navy during the Second World War A Fairey Barracuda landing on HMS VENGEANCE in the Clyde. The arrestor hook has caught the arrestor wire.

An air-to-air right side view of a Russian Tu-95 Bear-G long-range bomber, one of four sighted as they reconnoitered the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN-72) Battle Group. Country: Western Pacific

Digitally restored vector photo of a B-17 Flying Fortress on a bombing mission in Germany during World War Two.

Photo collection Spaarnestad topics. C. Nederlands Front - Meidagen '40. Repro's telex messages and newspaper pages. German paratroopers jump over Westland from Junker JU52. 10 May 1940. The Netherlands

Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Bristol Type 152 Beaufort. Beaufort Mark I, X8931 'L2'. of No. 5 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit based at Chivenor, Devon, in flight over the sea.

Bombing of Hansa Bay, New Guinea.

Anefo photo collection. Parachutist training in Gilze-Rijen (NB). 19 May 1966. Gilze, Rijen

Douglas C-47's of the 1st Air Commando Group lined up ready for take off from Palel, India, to transfer Indian and English troops into the invasion of Meiktila, Burma. 17 March 1945.

US Army transport of the type missing. March 6, 1945. (Photo by Australian Associated Press).

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Aviation day military aviation at Kemajoran airport. Fly show. Aircraft in the air. Mitchell B-25. March 9, 1947. Batavia, Indonesia, Jakarta, Kemajoran, Dutch East Indies

An air-to-air view of a CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter during refueling operations with a KC-130 Hercules aircraft. Country: Mediterranean Sea (MED)

U.S. Carrier-Based Planes Come Home -- Scout bombers of the United States Navy circle their carrier home (lower left) as they prepare for landing. As the pianos pass astern of the carrier, one will detach itself from the flight and swoop down onto the deck while the others continue to circle. Thus, one by one, all the planes come in. February 01, 1943.;U.S. Carrier-Based Planes Come Home -- Scout bombers of the United States Navy circle their carrier home (lower left) as they prepare for landing

Martin B-26s over Mediterranean.

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