📖 Major Burns' First-Person Account
"Schweinfurt is a name I will never forget." To begin, the 1st Air Div. [our division] was to go to Schweinfurt, the 3rd Air Division was to parallel our flight plan and bomb the fighter plant at Regensburg, then proceed on to N. Africa. They got off as scheduled but our whole division was totally fogged in, and we didn't get launched until about 4 hours later.
We came under fighter attack crossing the channel, a first time for that. We had limited fighter escort for the crossing but they had all they could handle and then some. We had a running gun battle all the way to the target. Just about every ship used up all its 50 cal. ammo. We bombed, those of us still airborne, and turned for home.
Fortunately, there was little fighter action all the way back but the burning trail of crashed B-17s was a grim reminder of what had happened. As I recall, our fleet had about 360 airplanes of which about 30 or so were shot down. A horrendous toll.
When I landed back at Polebrook, I told myself that there could be no future mission that would be this rough. And for me, this came to be true.
I will also note that, despite the carnage, neither I, nor any crew member on my ship got a scratch, and this held true for the entire war. One of fate's kindnesses.
📚 Historical Context
- Target: Ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt, Germany — critical bottleneck in German war production. Ball bearings were essential for aircraft, tanks, and weapons manufacturing.
- Strategy: "Double-strike mission" with simultaneous raids on Schweinfurt and Regensburg to split Luftwaffe defenses and overwhelm German fighters.
- The Fatal Delay: Heavy fog delayed the 1st Air Division's takeoff by 4 hours, destroying the element of surprise. German fighters had time to land, refuel, rearm, and attack again.
- No Fighter Escort: B-17s were over German-occupied territory for 3 hours 30 minutes, with NO fighter support for over 2 hours. Allied fighters lacked the range for deep penetration.
- The Gauntlet: German fighters made coordinated head-on attacks (closing speed 600+ mph), then pursued from behind. Intense flak over the target area.
- Catastrophic Losses: 60 B-17s shot down (16% loss rate), 100+ more heavily damaged. Approximately 600 airmen killed or captured in a single day.
- Strategic Impact: Proved that deep penetration raids without long-range fighter escort were unsustainable. Changed 8th Air Force doctrine.
- Aftermath: Led to accelerated development and deployment of P-51 Mustang long-range escort fighters with drop tanks, arriving in early 1944.
- The Cost: This mission, along with the second Schweinfurt raid in October 1943 (nicknamed "Black Thursday"), temporarily halted daylight bombing deep into Germany.
Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress
The backbone of the 8th Air Force's daylight strategic bombing campaign. Nicknamed the "Flying Fortress" for its heavy defensive armament of thirteen .50 caliber machine guns. The B-17F model featured the distinctive frameless plexiglass nose cone for better bombardier visibility.
Mission Configuration:
Altitude: 24,000+ feet (above most flak, in thin air requiring oxygen)
Formation: Tight "combat box" for overlapping defensive fire
Fuel: Maxed out for the long mission — approximately 6 hours over enemy territory
Armament: Every .50 cal gun loaded with full ammunition (750-1,000 rounds per gun)
🗺️ Mission Route
Route Overview: The 1st Air Division departed Polebrook and other 8th Air Force bases in eastern England, crossed the English Channel, flew across Belgium and into Germany. The unescorted portion began shortly after crossing into occupied Europe. After bombing Schweinfurt, the formations turned for home, following a trail of burning B-17s that marked their path. Total mission time: approximately 7 hours.
Official Flight Record
AAF Form 5 for August 1943 showing Mission #29 on August 17 — 7:00 hours logged as Command Pilot
(Click image to view full size)
Note the 8-day gap between August 17 and the next flight on August 25. This pause likely reflects the 351st Bomb Group standing down to recover from losses, integrate replacement crews, and repair damaged aircraft. Such operational pauses after catastrophic missions were common as units rebuilt their strength.
📚 Sources & Further Reading
- Primary Source: Major General Robert W. Burns' first-person narrative (family correspondence)
- Schweinfurt–Regensburg mission - Wikipedia
- The National WWII Museum - Schweinfurt-Regensburg Raid
- National Museum of the U.S. Air Force - Regensburg/Schweinfurt
- AAF Form No. 5 Individual Flight Records - Robert W. Burns (National Archives)