media-378960.jpg FRE 1093 First Lieutenant John P. Manning, a pilot of the 303rd Bomb Group, watches Sergeant Stanley Jacobs paint mission markings onto his B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24605) nicknamed "Knock-Out Dropper". Image stamped on reverse: 'Copyright Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 17 Nov 1943.' [stamp] and '293243.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'U.S. BOMBERS RAID NORWAY IN 77 DEGREES OF FROST AND "KNOCK-OUT DROPPER" WINS THE MARATHON: Fortresses and Liberators of the U.S.A.A.F. flew 500 miles to bomb the molybdenum mines 40 miles east of Stavanger and other targets in Norway. Little flak and no fighters were encountered, but there was a temperature of 77 degrees of frost - 45 below zero - at the height the bombers flew. One of the Fortresses "Knock-out Dropper", became the first U.S. bomber operating from Britain to carry out 50 missions over German occupied territory. Photo shows:- Sgt. Stanley Jacobs, of Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts, painting the 50th, bomb on the Flying Fortress "Knock-out Dropper" after its return from the U.S. Army Air Force raid on targets in Norway, when "Knock-out Dropper" became the first U.S. Bomber operating from Britain to carry out 50 missions over German occupied territory. In the cockpit is 1st. Lt. John P. Manning, the pilot of Winneapolis, Minn. And. November 17th 1943 PN.' Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection