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B-17 Flying Fortresses including (serial number 44-6700) of the 463rd Bomb Group, 15th Air Force in flight during a raid over Regensburg, 7 February 1945. Handwritten caption on reverse: '46700, 774BS, 463BG.' Printed caption on reverse: '60362 USAF - Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" of the 15th Air Force head for the oil refineries at Regensburg, Germany, on 7 February 1945. Fortresses of the 15th AF, partially responsible for reducing Ploesti's oil 80% before the Rumanian city capitulated to the Russians, have been keeping up their persistent attacks against the few remaining sources of German oil supplies.' On reverse: US Air Force 1361st Photographic Squadron AAVS (MAC) Photo [Stamps].
 
Struck by two bombs from a higher Liberator, Sqn Ldr L.С. Saxby and crew in KK320/ V of No 37 Squadron had a miraculous escape. One bomb struck the port inner engine and sheared off the propeller and the second went through the fuselage just behind the flight deck, narrowly missing the top-turret gunner, P Off Walter Lewis. Lewis later described the incident: 'I was looking up and saw a bomb leave an aircraft above us. I saw it getting bigger and bigger as it came towards us. The next thing I realised was that the fuselage had been hit near the flight deck and I seemed to be pushed down in front of my seat. The perspex above me was taken clean off. All that happened to me was a bump on the shoulder.' Despite the damage, Saxby managed to regain control and fly the aircraft the near-300 miles back to home station at Tortorella. The target was Monfalcone port and the date 16 March 1945. (IWM C5163)

Take note of the Aussie modification to the nose.




 
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