Memphis Belle (aircraft) - Combat History

Combat History

The Memphis Belle, a Boeing-built B-17F-10-BO, USAAF Serial No. 41-24485, was added to the USAAF inventory on 15 July 1942, and delivered in September 1942 to the 91st Bomb Group at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. She deployed to Prestwick, Scotland, on 30 September 1942, to a temporary base at RAF Kimbolton on 1 October, and then to her permanent base at Bassingbourn, England, on 14 October. Each side of the fuselage bore the unit identification markings of the 324th Bomb Squadron (Heavy) - DF: A.

Captain Robert 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
• 6 December 1942 - Lille, France
• 20 December 1942* - Romilly-sur-Seine, France
• 30 December 1942 - Lorient (flown by Lt. James A. Verinis)
• 3 January 1943 - St. Nazaire
• 13 January 1943 - Lille
• 23 January 1943 - Lorient, France
• 14 February 1943 - Hamm, Germany
• 16 February 1943 - St. Nazaire
• 27 February 1943* - Brest
• 6 March 1943 - Lorient
• 12 March 1943 - Rouen, France
• 13 March 1943 - Abbeville, France
• 22 March 1943 - Wilhelmshaven
• 28 March 1943 - Rouen
• 31 March 1943 - Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 16 April 1943 - Lorient
• 17 April 1943 - Bremen, Germany
• 1 May 1943 - St. Nazaire
• 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
• 17 May 1943 - Lorient
• 19 May 1943* - Kiel (flown by Lt. Anderson)

* Sources disagree on which two of these three missions the Memphis Belle received mission credits for.

Morgan's crew completed the following missions in B-17s other than the Memphis Belle:

• 4 February 1943 - Emden, Germany (in B-17 DF-H 41-24515 Jersey Bounce)
• 26 February 1943 - Wilhelmshaven (in B-17 41-24515)
• 5 April 1943 - Antwerp, Belgium (in B-17 41-24480 Bad Penny)
• 4 May 1943 - Antwerp (in B-17 41-24527, The Great Speckled Bird)

The aircraft was then flown back to the United States on 8 June 1943, by a composite crew chosen by the Eighth Air Force from those who had flown combat aboard, led by Capt. Morgan, for a 31-city war bond tour. Morgan's original co-pilot was Capt. James A. Verinis, who himself piloted the Memphis Belle for one mission. Verinis was promoted to aircraft commander of another B-17 for his final 16 missions and finished his tour on 13 May. He rejoined Morgan's crew as co-pilot for the flight back to the United States.

The "Hell's Angels" B-17 (41-24577) of the 303rd Bomb Group completed 25 combat missions on 13 May 1943, the first aircraft to accomplish this feat.