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By the time the definitive B-17G appeared, the number of guns had been increased from seven to 13, the designs of the gun stations were finalized, and other adjustments were completed. The B-17G was the final version of the Flying Fortress, incorporating all changes made to its predecessor, the B-17F, [ 64 ] and in total, 8,680 were built, [ 75 ...
The combat box was a tactical formation used by heavy (strategic) bombers of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. The combat box was also referred to as a "staggered formation". Its defensive purpose was in massing the firepower of the bombers' guns, while offensively it concentrated the release of bombs on a target. [1]
The design was mainly deployed on the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator, as well as the United States Navy's Liberator, the PB4Y-1. The ventral turret was used in tandem in the Convair B-32, successor to the B-24. Ball turrets appeared in the nose and tail as well as the nose of the final series B-24.
Various firearms used by the United States military during World War II, displayed at the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax County, Virginia. The following is a list of World War II weapons of the United States, which includes firearm, artillery, vehicles, vessels, and other support equipment known to have been used by the United States Armed Forces—namely the United States Army, United ...
The USAAF Eighth Air Force's B-17 bombers were called the "Flying Fortresses" because of their heavy defensive armament of ten to twelve machine guns — eventually comprising up to thirteen heavy 12.7 mm calibre, "light barrel" Browning M2 guns per bomber — and armor plating in vital locations. In part because of their heavier armament and ...
Though the Air Corps hadn't cleared the B-17 for combat, they were desperately needed in Britain. The 20 ferried bombers were production B-17Cs (company designation Model 299T), designated Fortress Mk I by the RAF. The aircraft's single .30 caliber nose-mounted machine guns were replaced with .50 caliber Brownings. [7]
This mission would make LeMay's name as a combat leader. The task force consisted of seven B-17 groups totalling 146 aircraft, each group but one flying in a 21-aircraft combat box tactical formation. The groups were organized into three larger formations termed "provisional combat wings."
Prior to the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday, 7 December 1941, the 19th Bombardment Group had 35 B-17s in the Philippines.By 14 December, only 14 remained. Beginning on 17 December, the surviving B-17s based there began to be evacuated south to Australia, and were then sent to Singosari Airfield, Java in the Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia) on 30 Decemb