German Pilots Couldn't Believe B-17s With 16 Guns — Until These "Flying Fortresses" Fell Behind

Video Description

Why US engineers turned B-17 bombers into flying destroyers with 16 machine guns during WW2 — and the aircraft couldn't keep up with their own formations. This World War 2 story reveals how a spectacular failure became the innovation that saved 2,300 bomber crews. May 29, 1943. Captain James Hartwell, YB-40 pilot, 92nd Bombardment Group, climbed into a modified B-17 Flying Fortress at RAF Alconbury carrying 16 fifty-caliber machine guns and 11,275 rounds of ammunition. His mission: escort standard B-17s all the way to Germany and back. Every aviation expert said this would revolutionize bomber defense. The Army Air Forces spent 5.6 million dollars converting twelve aircraft into these "flying destroyers." Engineers called it the perfect solution to massacre by German fighters. They were all wrong. What the 92nd Bombardment Group discovered that May afternoon wasn't about firepower. It was about weight in a way that contradicted everything Army Air Forces planners believed. The YB-40 weighed 4,000 pounds more than standard B-17s. After the formation dropped bombs and climbed faster, the heavily-armed gunships fell behind — seven miles behind — becoming the targets they were meant to protect. By the end of July 1943, after only ten combat missions, the program was cancelled. But the Bendix chin turret from those twelve failed aircraft became standard equipment on every B-17G Flying Fortress that followed. This chin turret innovation spread through Boeing, Douglas, and Vega production lines, appearing on 8,680 B-17G bombers and reducing frontal attack losses by 71 percent before appearing in any official doctrine. The principles discovered at RAF Alconbury between May and July 1943 equipped thirty-two heavy bombardment groups and saved an estimated 2,300 bomber crews before VE Day. 🔔 Subscribe for more untold WW2 stories: https://www.youtube.com/@WWII-Records 👍 Like this video if you learned something new 💬 Comment below: What other WW2 tactics should we cover? #worldwar2 #ww2history #ww2 #wwii #ww2records ⚠️ Disclaimer: This is entertainment storytelling based on WW2 events from internet sources. While we aim for engaging narratives, some details may be inaccurate. This is not an academic source. For verified history, consult professional historians and archives. Watch responsibly.