Name Sophie Gianaris

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Name -__Sophie Gianaris______________________

The B-17 was the world's first 4-engine long range heavy bomber. It was used everywhere until the end of World War II. Built with the concept that a day bomber should be able to self-protect from enemy fighters, the common B-17G type had 8 gun positions with 13 heavy machine guns arranged to cover all directions. It had a crew of 10 and was equipped with advanced electronics and could carry over 5 tons of bombs. In 1941, as part of the Lend-Lease deal signed between F.D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, B17’s were sent to Britain to help out Bomber Command. In total 20 were sent to Britain it had an inauspicious debut .The first one to fly to Britain crashed on July 8th 1941, two B17’s went on a mission with the R.A.F. to attack the naval base at Wilhelmshaven during the flight, its guns froze and its bombs were dropped off target. The R.A.F. responded to this by putting more armour on the plane more weapons and keeping its flight path at a lower altitude. On August 17th 1943, B17’s attacked the ball-bearing factory at Schweinfurt. This was a very important target as 52% of all of Germanys ball-bearings were produced there. it was also a massively defended factory. 211 B17’s took part in the raid – 60 planes were lost a loss rate of just under 30% in 1943, it was estimated that 1/3rd of all B17 crews would not survive By 1944, the B17’s also had fighter protection in the shape of the awesome Mustang fighter. The Mustangs carried extra fuel tanks and could accompany the B17’s deep into Germany. With their increased fire power and their new bodyguards, the B17 could now concentrate on two primary targets – what was left of the Luftwaffe’s factories and Berlin itself.

In February 1944, the B17’s went all out to destroy the factories that kept the Luftwaffe flying. In February ‘Big Week’ took place. In all, 3,500 B17s were involved in bombing raids on factories in Germany. 244 planes were lost (about 7% of the planes taking part) in just a week but the back of the factories producing for the Luftwaffe had been fatally broken. While the Lutwaffe had planes, many were forced to stay on the ground as they had no parts to keep them airborne.

Berlin was the next target. This was probably the most defended city in the world at this time. The Luftwaffe had kept what reserves it had for planes to defend the city. On March 6th, 1944, in a massive raid on Berlin, 69 B17’s were lost – but the Luftwaffe lost 160 planes. Whereas the 8th Air Force could recover from these losses, the Luftwaffe could not. By the end of the war, The 8th Air Force and the RAF had destroyed 70% of Berlin.

After Berlin, the 8th Air Force turned its attention to Germany’s synthetic oil factories. Attacks on these factories started on May 12th. In just one month, the USAAF dropped 5000 tons of bombs on these factories. In August 1944, 26,000 tons were dropped and in November 1944, the attacks peaked at 35,000 tons. The attacks decimated the Germany military’s ability to move. The Battle of the Bulge, Hitler’s attempt to push back the advancing Allies in Europe, ended because of the lack of fuel to keep his tanks moving. Albert Speer, in his book “Inside the Third Reich” commented after the war that there were 300 King Tiger tanks at Munich rail station waiting to be moved to the front – but the Germans had neither the railways nor the fuel needed to move these tanks around; both targets of Allied bombing. However, the raids on the oil factories took their toll – 922 B17’s were lost in total with the loss of nearly 10,000 men killed, wounded or captured.

The bombing raids on Germany by the 8th Air Force and the RAF’s Bomber Command, took the heart out of Germany’s industrial production. By September 1944, Germany had lost 75% of its fuel production. Out of the 1.5 million tons of bombs dropped on Germany, the B17 dropped 500,000 tons. The 8th Air Force had fired 99 million rounds of ammunition during these flights and it is thought that 20,000 German planes were destroyed. In total, over 12,000 B17’s were built in the war and nearly 250,000 Americans experienced flying in them. 46,500 were either killed or wounded. However, the part played by the B17 in the European theatre of war was of great importance.

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s. It was one of the first true modern fighters of the era, including such features as an all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, and retractable landing gear. The Bf 109 was produced in greater quantities than any other fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 33,984 units produced up to April 1945.^[1] Fighter production totalled 47% of all German aircraft production, and the Bf 109 accounted for 57% of all German fighter types produced.^[2] A total of 2,193 Bf 109 A-E were built prewar, from 1936 to August 1939. Approximately 1,000 Bf 109 derivatives were manufactured postwar under licence as Czechoslovakian-built Avia S-99 & S-199s and Spanish-built Hispano Aviación HA-1109 and HA-1112 Buchons.

The Bf 109 was the backbone of the Luftwaffe fighter force in World War II, although it began to be partially replaced by the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 from 1941. The Bf 109 was the most successful fighter of World War II, shooting down more aircraft than any of its contemporaries. Originally conceived as an interceptor, it was later developed to fulfill multiple tasks, serving as bomber escort, fighter bomber, day-, night- all-weather fighter, bomber destroyer, ground-attack aircraft, and as reconnaissance aircraft. Although the Bf 109 had weaknesses, including short range^[3] and challenging take off and landing characteristics, it stayed competitive with Allied fighter aircraft until the end of the war.

The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was a long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of World War II.

The P-51 flew most of its wartime missions as a bomber escort in raids over Germany, helping ensure Allied air superiority from early 1944. It also saw limited service against the Japanese in the Pacific War.

The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a lightweight fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) from 1940 to 1945. The origin of its official designation was that "A" signified a carrier-based fighter, "6" for the sixth such model built for the Imperial Navy, and "M" for the manufacturer, Mitsubishi. The A6M was usually referred to by the Allies as the "Zero"—a name that was frequently misapplied to other Japanese fighters, such as the Nakajima Ki-43—as well as other codenames and nicknames, including "Zeke", "Hamp" and "Hap".

Its history mirrored that of the Empire of Japan in World War II. When it was introduced, the Zero was the best carrier-based fighter in the world and it was greatly feared by Allied pilots.^[1][2][3] The IJNAS also frequently used the type as a land-based fighter. A combination of excellent maneuverability and very long range made it one of the finest fighters of its era. In early combat operations, the Zero gained a legendary reputation, outclassing its contemporaries. Later, design weaknesses and the increasing scarcity of more powerful aircraft engines meant that the Zero became less effective against newer fighters. By 1942, new tactics and techniques enabled Allied pilots to engage the Zero on more equal terms. By 1943, American and British manufacturers were producing fighters with greater firepower, armor, and speed, and approaching the Zero's maneuverability. The Mitsubishi A6M was outdated by 1944, but remained in production. During the final years of the War in the Pacific, the Zero was utilized in kamikaze operations.

The following is a ton of information about the various types of aircraft used during World War II. Before you start reading, brainstorm and list your predictions about these pages. There’s no right or wrong answers. What do you think you’re going to learn? What do you want to learn? How does this connect with what you already know.

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