B-17 Flying Fortress units of the United States Army Air Forces 2d Bombardment Group, Langley Field, Virginia on 11 January 1936; the first production B-17B was delivered on 29 March 1939 also to the 2nd Bombardment Group. A total of 12,677 production Fortresses was built before production came to an end. In August 1944, the Boeing B-17 equipped no less than 33 overseas combat groups. The last Boeing-built B-17G was delivered to the USAAF on 13 April 1945. Following the end of World War II, the Flying Fortress was rapidly withdrawn from USAAF service, being replaced by the B-29 Superfortress. Literally thousands of Fortresses used in combat in Europe by Eighth
The Bomber Command War Diaries The Bomber Command War Diaries The Bomber Command War Diaries (subtitled: "An Operational Reference Book, 1939 -1945") is a book by the British military historian Martin Middlebrook and the researcher Chris Everitt that documents every operation by RAF Bomber Command in Europe in World War II. The book also details the operational performances of each squadron and group and it remains in print today. Everitt who had served in the RAF throughout the war as ground staff was the recently retired Chief Administrative Officer of Slough College and his research for the book involved over 300 visits to the Public