B-17 Cockpit How the Pilot sees it....

Over Europe, back in World War II, our main bomber fighting the nazis was the B-17, carried 10 men, boys, really, many no older than 18 or 19. Many manned the ship's 12 50 caliber machine guns. 

     The pilots sat up here in the cockpit. Lots of instruments overhead you can't see, and, to the rights of the co-pilot and left of the pilot. Below you, the navigator and bombardier sat both also manned machine guns. 

      Ever hear of "Twelve O'clock High?" That came from this cockpit and thousands just like it. German fighters learned to attack head on, high up - from 12 o'clock. Their attempt was to killl these two pilots in hopes that it would make the plane go down out of control. 

       When you see the old war films of a B-17 spinning end over end downward, that's what happened. This was a proud and tough bomber and most crew members were happy to fly in them. The reason? This tough bird: you could kick the crap out of it, shoot it full of holes, blow engines off it, blast the tail off, - and it still got you home. It was the best thing Boeing ever made. 

          I know pilots who got their 17's home with 3 engines out, 700 bullet holes in the body and half the crew dead, but he still got the plane back with the rest of the guys alive. It was a great plane and serves us well. The plane AND the B-17 crews were the greatest Generation.

###