Which was the best heavy bomber of WWII

[Daryl Hunt]

Here is a good one. And there are many really good bombers to choose from from the Flying Fortress to the Lancaster. Let's hear it on this one.

The B-25. That was the plane my Grandfather was over the production of in WWII.

Not everyone who served their country did it in uniform.



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The B-25 was a medium bomber. That's another question in itself. How about opening up that question by itself.

 

[Hossfly]

Here is a good one. And there are many really good bombers to choose from from the Flying Fortress to the Lancaster. Let's hear it on this one.

The B-25. That was the plane my Grandfather was over the production of in WWII.

Not everyone who served their country did it in uniform.



View attachment 108712

My father-in-law was a gunner on a B-25 and flew many sorties out of New Guinea as the war in the Pacific Marched toward Japan. I had the pleasure of boarding one of the last Billy Mitchell's still flying with my two sons and their granddad, of course we never left the ground, it was on tour with other vintage planes at the general aviation airport near our home. A great memory for me and my boys, not so much my wife's father, it brought back memories of those they left behind.

I have been lucky enough to watch a B-25 fly- and a B-17 and a B-29.

The Evergreen Museum in Oregon has a B-17 that you can get guided tours by former WW2 bomber crew- ours was actually a B-24 gunner, but his guiding us through the plane was a great experience.

I went through the Evergreen Museum in late 2015. That is the finest aviation museum I've ever visited. And how about the Spruce Goose? Fantastic.

 

[Syriusly]

Here is a good one. And there are many really good bombers to choose from from the Flying Fortress to the Lancaster. Let's hear it on this one.

The B-25. That was the plane my Grandfather was over the production of in WWII.

Not everyone who served their country did it in uniform.



View attachment 108712

My father-in-law was a gunner on a B-25 and flew many sorties out of New Guinea as the war in the Pacific Marched toward Japan. I had the pleasure of boarding one of the last Billy Mitchell's still flying with my two sons and their granddad, of course we never left the ground, it was on tour with other vintage planes at the general aviation airport near our home. A great memory for me and my boys, not so much my wife's father, it brought back memories of those they left behind.

I have been lucky enough to watch a B-25 fly- and a B-17 and a B-29.

The Evergreen Museum in Oregon has a B-17 that you can get guided tours by former WW2 bomber crew- ours was actually a B-24 gunner, but his guiding us through the plane was a great experience.

I went through the Evergreen Museum in late 2015. That is the finest aviation museum I've ever visited. And how about the Spruce Goose? Fantastic.

Yeah- being able to compare a B-17 to the scale of the Spruce Goose is amazing.

Great museum.

 

[teapartysamurai]

Here is a good one. And there are many really good bombers to choose from from the Flying Fortress to the Lancaster. Let's hear it on this one.

The B-25. That was the plane my Grandfather was over the production of in WWII.

Not everyone who served their country did it in uniform.



View attachment 108712

My father-in-law was a gunner on a B-25 and flew many sorties out of New Guinea as the war in the Pacific Marched toward Japan. I had the pleasure of boarding one of the last Billy Mitchell's still flying with my two sons and their granddad, of course we never left the ground, it was on tour with other vintage planes at the general aviation airport near our home. A great memory for me and my boys, not so much my wife's father, it brought back memories of those they left behind.

I have been lucky enough to watch a B-25 fly- and a B-17 and a B-29.

The Evergreen Museum in Oregon has a B-17 that you can get guided tours by former WW2 bomber crew- ours was actually a B-24 gunner, but his guiding us through the plane was a great experience.

I went through the Evergreen Museum in late 2015. That is the finest aviation museum I've ever visited. And how about the Spruce Goose? Fantastic.

You should see the Dayton Air Museum, (in the birthplace of Aviation). It's really great!

I take my kids to see the B-25, the B-1b, parts of the Apollo Moon landing, and they get to see their own history cause my Dad worked on Apollo 11 and the B-1 (a and b) and my granddad was over the B-25.

 

[teapartysamurai]

I just want to make a mention of the courage of those flying B-25s.

You have to have a lot of guts to sit in a canopy of glass while Germans are shooting at you.

That's some breathtaking bravery.

 

[Syriusly]

I just want to make a mention of the courage of those flying B-25s.

You have to have a lot of guts to sit in a canopy of glass while Germans are shooting at you.

That's some breathtaking bravery.

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Agreed- but I think it was even tougher with the B-17s and B-24's which flew into the heart of Germany- the first years of American strategic bombing the loses were horrific- I believe the highest for any service except the submarine corp.

 

[baileyn45]

I have a somewhat funny story told to me by a friend's dad many years ago. He was, I believe, a navigator on, again I believe(it's been a long time) a B17. The actual plane was the 5000th off the assembly line and was christened the 5 Grand. Well I guess all the factory personnel signed the fuselage using some kind of paint sticks. As the plane was flown to England the increased weight and drag from the paint sticks ate up their fuel and they crash landed in a field. I can say it was funny because no one was hurt and his crew made it through the war. Sounded crazy at first but he had pictures of he and his crew with the signed plane and an article from a British newspaper about the crash. Man did he love telling that story.

 

[Hossfly]

I have a somewhat funny story told to me by a friend's dad many years ago. He was, I believe, a navigator on, again I believe(it's been a long time) a B17. The actual plane was the 5000th off the assembly line and was christened the 5 Grand. Well I guess all the factory personnel signed the fuselage using some kind of paint sticks. As the plane was flown to England the increased weight and drag from the paint sticks ate up their fuel and they crash landed in a field. I can say it was funny because no one was hurt and his crew made it through the war. Sounded crazy at first but he had pictures of he and his crew with the signed plane and an article from a British newspaper about the crash. Man did he love telling that story.

​

 

[baileyn45]

I have a somewhat funny story told to me by a friend's dad many years ago. He was, I believe, a navigator on, again I believe(it's been a long time) a B17. The actual plane was the 5000th off the assembly line and was christened the 5 Grand. Well I guess all the factory personnel signed the fuselage using some kind of paint sticks. As the plane was flown to England the increased weight and drag from the paint sticks ate up their fuel and they crash landed in a field. I can say it was funny because no one was hurt and his crew made it through the war. Sounded crazy at first but he had pictures of he and his crew with the signed plane and an article from a British newspaper about the crash. Man did he love telling that story.

​

Awesome that you found this. The picture I saw was of course the standard crew photo. No mistaking that ship!

Thanks very cool.

 

[Hossfly]

I have a somewhat funny story told to me by a friend's dad many years ago. He was, I believe, a navigator on, again I believe(it's been a long time) a B17. The actual plane was the 5000th off the assembly line and was christened the 5 Grand. Well I guess all the factory personnel signed the fuselage using some kind of paint sticks. As the plane was flown to England the increased weight and drag from the paint sticks ate up their fuel and they crash landed in a field. I can say it was funny because no one was hurt and his crew made it through the war. Sounded crazy at first but he had pictures of he and his crew with the signed plane and an article from a British newspaper about the crash. Man did he love telling that story.

​

Awesome that you found this. The picture I saw was of course the standard crew photo. No mistaking that ship!

Thanks very cool.

I found this picture of the 5 Grand

The Unger crew and "5 Grand" at Kearney, Nebraska. Standing (L to R): 1st LT Edward C. Unger (P), 2nd LT Richard L. Jacobson (CP), LT John H. Belay (N), LT George W. Y. Moller, Jr. (B). Front row (L to R): SGT Walter W. Giffith (FE), SGT Jack K. Boyce (RO), CPL Anthony T. Guercia (BG), CPL Louis Sendek, Jr (WG), CPL Robert A. Bohyer (TG), SGT John B. McBride (WG). (submitted by Tony Guercia)

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

​

 

[baileyn45]

I have a somewhat funny story told to me by a friend's dad many years ago. He was, I believe, a navigator on, again I believe(it's been a long time) a B17. The actual plane was the 5000th off the assembly line and was christened the 5 Grand. Well I guess all the factory personnel signed the fuselage using some kind of paint sticks. As the plane was flown to England the increased weight and drag from the paint sticks ate up their fuel and they crash landed in a field. I can say it was funny because no one was hurt and his crew made it through the war. Sounded crazy at first but he had pictures of he and his crew with the signed plane and an article from a British newspaper about the crash. Man did he love telling that story.

​

Awesome that you found this. The picture I saw was of course the standard crew photo. No mistaking that ship!

Thanks very cool.

I found this picture of the 5 Grand

The Unger crew and "5 Grand" at Kearney, Nebraska. Standing (L to R): 1st LT Edward C. Unger (P), 2nd LT Richard L. Jacobson (CP), LT John H. Belay (N), LT George W. Y. Moller, Jr. (B). Front row (L to R): SGT Walter W. Giffith (FE), SGT Jack K. Boyce (RO), CPL Anthony T. Guercia (BG), CPL Louis Sendek, Jr (WG), CPL Robert A. Bohyer (TG), SGT John B. McBride (WG). (submitted by Tony Guercia) ​

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

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That's interesting, I must have seen a different crew, the picture Mr Lenahan had was taken from the side of the plane and a little farther away. I like the angle of the picture Mr Lenahan had as it showed more of the plane, but this one gives a much better shot of the crew.