-
-
Tunis, Tunisia-This Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress," piloted by 1st Lt. Kenneth R. Bragg of Savannah, Georgia, was on a bombing mission over Tunis on 1 February 1943 when a ME 109 dove at the ship. The Fortress fired on the attacking plane and killed the pilot. The ME109 then collided with the aircraft nearly shearing off the tail.
-
Tunis, Tunisia-This Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress," piloted by 1st Lt. Kenneth R. Bragg of Savannah, Georgia, was on a bombing mission over Tunis on 1 February 1943 when a ME 109 dove at the ship. The Fortress fired on the attacking plane and killed the pilot, whose aircraft collided with the B-17 nearly shearing of the tail.
-
This photo was taken some months after "All American's" last combat mission to Bo Rizzo on May 10, 1943. All turrets, guns and armor plate were then removed and she was used as a utility aircraft until she was salvaged overseas in March 1945. You can see evidence of the major surgery that was performed on her aft fuselage.
-
Boeing B-17F-5-BO 41-24406, All American III, 414th BS, 97th BG, after landing at Biskra Airfield, Algeria, 1 February 1943. (U.S. Air Force)
-
Boeing B-17F-5-BO Flying Fortress 41-24406, All American III, 414th BS, 97th BG, after landing at Biksra Airfield, Algeria, 1 February 1943. (U.S. Air Force)
-
Tunis, Tunisia-A German fighter plane whose pilot had been killed, crashed into this Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" while it was bombing Nazi supply lines in North Africa. The fuselage was cut half into, and one elevator was torn away.
-
Tunis, Tunisia-This Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress," piloted by 1st Lt. Kenneth R. Bragg of Savannah, Georgia, was on a bombing mission over Tunis on 1 February 1943 when a ME 109 dove at the ship. The Fortress fired on the attacking plane and killed the pilot, whose aircraft nearly tore the tail of the B-17.
-
B-17F-BO 41-24406 ALL AMERICAN
Salvage yard, Italy, March, 1945.
Assigned 92BG Bangor 13/7/42; transferred 414BS/97BG Polebrook 6/42; Maison Blanche, Alg. 13/11/42; Tafaraoui, Alg. 22/11/42; Biskra, Alg. 25/12/42; on Tunis mission was rammed by Me109G 1/2/43 almost slicing rear fuselage and tail of plane off; made it back to Biskra and repaired; transferred 353BS/301BG 3m St Donat 6/3/43; Oudna, Tun 6/8/43; Cerignola, It. 7/12/43; Lucera, It. 1/2/44; Salvaged 6/3/45. ALL AMERICAN.
1-Feb-43 Crew:
Pilot- Ken Bragg Jr, Copilot- G. Boyd Jr, Navigator- Harry C. Nuessle, Bombardier- Ralph Burbridge, Engineer- Joe C. James, Radio Operator- Paul A. Galloway, Ball Turret Gunner- Elton Conda, Waist Gunner- Michael Zuk, Tail Gunner- Sam T. Sarpolus, Ground Crew Chief- Hank Hyland.
Service
Units
-
Group
Activated 3-February-1942 at Geiger Field, Washington and equipped with B-17s. On 27-May-1942 the ground unit moved to Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, and the aircraft went to Muroc Army Air Field (now Edwards Air Force Base), California for...
-
Group
The 92nd Group sometime after arrivial in the UK converted to the role of in-theater combat crew indocrination and training. For this role, the Group traded its B-17F complement and obtained the B-17E, mostly from the 97th BG which was departing for...
-
Group
The 97th Bomb Group flew the Eighth Air Force's first heavy bomber mission from the UK when they bombed a marshalling yard at Rouen on 17 August 1942. Just a month later though the Group were reassigned to the Twelfth Air Force and left England for the...
-
-
People
-
Military | Captain | Pilot | 97th Bomb Group
Flew the B-17 'All American ' that had its tail left hanging by an ME109 and flew it safely back to base. The song 'On a Wing and a Prayer' was dedicated to Lt. Bragg for his daring deed. 97th became part of the 15th AF in 1943. This incident happened...
-
Military | Major | Bombardier | 97th Bomb Group
Flew on the B-17 'All-American' Plane - a picture of it was one of the most famous of WW II where the German fighter almost cut it in half.
...
-
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 97th Bomb Group
-
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator/Gunner | 97th Bomb Group
-
Military | Staff Sergeant | Engineer/Gunner | 97th Bomb Group
-
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Navigator | 97th Bomb Group
-
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 97th Bomb Group
-
Military | Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 97th Bomb Group
Places
-
Military site : airfield
Polebrook was laid down for RAF Bomber Command use in 1940-1941. Built by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd, it had short runways which were lengthened for USAAF heavy bomber use. The RAF used the base for operational trials - including of B-17 Flying...
-
-
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Manufactured |
Seattle, WA, USA |
1942 |
Built at Boeing.
|
Assigned |
Polebrook, Peterborough PE8 5LN, UK |
June 1942 |
Transferred 414BS, 97BG Polebrook Jun-42.
|
Delivered |
Bangor, ME 04401, USA |
13 July 1942 |
Bangor, Maine, 13-Jul-42. Assigned to 92BG.
|
Combat damaged / mid air collision |
Biskra, Algeria |
1 February 1943 |
On Tunis mission was rammed by Me109G 1-Feb-43 almost slicing rear fuselage and tailplane off; made it back to Biskra.
|
Assigned |
Saint Donat, Tadjenanet, Algeria |
6 March 1943 |
Transferred 353BS/301BG St Donat 6-Mar-43.
|
Salvaged |
71036 Lucera, Province of Foggia, Italy |
6 March 1945 |
Salvaged 6-Mar-45 Lucera, Italy
|