Developed by the Boeing Company in the 1930s, the B-17 was a four‑engine heavy bomber aircraft used by the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. It was a very effective weapons system, dropping more bombs during the war than any other American aircraft.
What was the most effective bomber of ww2?
The PV-1 bomber, which also bore four guns, flew successful missions throughout the war. One of the best known airplanes of World War II, the B-25 bomber was also one of the most flown, most versatile, and most successful of all the combat planes of the era.
Which U.S. bomber carries the most bombs?
Carrying the largest conventional payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory, the multi-mission B-1 is the backbone of America’s long-range bomber force.
How many B-17 bombers shot down?
Of the 291 attacking Fortresses, 60 were shot down over Germany, five crashed on approach to Britain, and 12 more were scrapped due to damage – a loss of 77 B-17s.
How many tons of bombs did the U.S. drop in ww2?
Five bombs tumbled away into the icy sky. Between 1940 and 1945, U.S. and British air forces dropped 2.7 million tons of bombs on Europe, half of that amount on Germany.
Which fighter shot down the most planes in ww2?
While serving in Germany’s Luftwaffe in World War II, Erich Hartmann flew more than 1,400 missions in the Messerschmitt Bf 109, enabling him to score an astonishing 352 kills. How did Hartmann get so good at dominating the skies over the Eastern Front?
What was the greatest fighter of ww2?
The most capable fighter of WWII was the American F4U-4 Corsair carrier-based fighter-bomber, designed and produced by Chance Vought. Between 1942 and 1953 more than 12,500 aircraft were manufactured. The fighter combined good maneuverability, very dangerous armament (six .
What is the most feared bomber?
The Boeing B-29 was the biggest American bomber of the Second World War, but perhaps what made it the most deadly was that it was the aircraft that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which in a way makes the aircraft infamous.
What is the U.S. best bomber?
For more than 60 years, B-52s have been the backbone of the strategic bomber force for the United States. The B-52 is capable of dropping or launching the widest array of weapons in the U.S. inventory. This includes gravity bombs, cluster bombs, precision guided missiles and joint direct attack munitions.
Which ww2 bomber had the longest range?
A B-24 could reach 290 miles per hour and carry a 5,000-pound bomb load for 1,700 miles, giving it a longer range, greater speed and a bigger payload than its B-17 cousin.
How many b52 bombers were lost in Vietnam?
The Air Force lost 15 B-52 bombers, which amounted to a loss rate of less than two percent. Of 92 B-52 crew members involved in the losses, 26 were recovered, 25 came up missing in action, 33 became prisoners of war, and eight were either killed in action or later died of wounds.
How many B-29 Superfortresses shot down?
B-29 gunners were credited with shooting down 27 enemy aircraft. In turn 78 B-29s were lost; 57 B-29 and reconnaissance variants were lost in action and 21 were non-combat losses. Soviet records show that one MiG-15 jet fighter was shot down by a B-29 during the war.
How many b52 fell in Vietnam?
The eight-engine bomber was brought down by a North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile near Vinh on the day when B-52s flew their heaviest raids of the war over North Vietnam. The Communistss claimed 19 B-52s shot down to date.
Which country was most destroyed in ww2?
In terms of total numbers, the Soviet Union bore an incredible brunt of casualties during WWII. An estimated 16,825,000 people died in the war, over 15% of its population.
Why did US drop 2 nukes on Japan?
Overview. The United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, killing 210,000 people—children, women, and men. President Truman authorized the use of the atom bombs in an effort to bring about Japan’s surrender in the Second World War.
Which country was bombed the most in ww2?
But they also ended the war devastated: Malta holds the record for the heaviest, sustained bombing attack: some 154 days and nights and 6,700 tons of bombs.
Who had the best tanks in ww2?
Mobility and reliability were more important to the advancing Allied armies. But tanks like the Cromwell and the Comet should have been available much earlier. The Soviet Union showed it could be done. The T-34, produced in 1940, was arguably the best tank of the war.
Who had the largest Air Force in ww2?
How The Luftwaffe Fought The Battle Of Britain
- In 1940, the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) was the largest and most formidable air force in Europe.
- Three air fleets – Luftflotten 2, 3 and 5 – were deployed to face RAF Fighter Command from across the English Channel and the North Sea.
Who was the best pilot in ww2?
Known as the “Ace of Aces” for his rank as the top American flying ace during World War II, Major Richard Ira Bong is credited with the downing of an impressive confirmed total of 40 enemy aircraft over the course of his career as a fighter pilot.
Who has the fastest planes in ww2?
With a top speed of 540 mph, Germany’s Messerschmitt Me 262 was by far the fastest fighter of World War II. It was powered by jet engines, a new technology that was not always reliable.
Who is No 1 fighter in history?
#1: Sugar Ray Robinson
Cited by many as history’s greatest boxer, Robinson is the man for whom the pound-for-pound rankings were created. Sugar Ray met the fiercest competition going and simply accomplished more than anyone else on this list, with 173 wins in 200 fights, 108 by knock-out.