[Stonewall Jackson]

The Liberty Belle in happier times.

[jazusamo]

Very sad, she was a beautiful plane.

[ken5050]

Awesome pic..many thanks for posting

Since we have just passed another D-Day anniversary, a little perspective is in order.

The 8th USAAF ( for which the B-17 was the main bomber) lost 26,000 men over Europe. That number is GREATER than the total USMC KIA in all of WW II. Of the Marine deaths, almost 8,000 occured taking Iwo Jima.

The chief reason for the Iwo Jima campaign was to use the island's airstrips as an emergency landing site for the B-29's that were bombing Japan. Indeed, the first B-29 ditched in the water along side the landing beaches on day 3 of the invasion. USAAF studies done just after the war suggest that having Iwo available for emergencies may have saved 20-25,000 USAAF lives.

Also, we must never forget that the main reason for the constant bombing of Germany from 43-44 was to destroy the Luftwaffe. The D-Day invasion could not have succeeded ( or at best been much more costly) without total air supremacy over the invasion beaches.

[Gator113]

She was so very beautiful. Thanks for posting that pic.

[hattend]

BTTT