US Army Air Forces B-17 bombers ran a gauntlet of fire from flak and fighters in the hotly contested skies over Occupied Europe. Although there was constant danger, the bomber was at its most vulnerable during the last 60 seconds of the run. At that point, the bombardier took over the controls and had to fly the plane straight and level through incoming fire from all directions, until he pressed the bomb release and announced Bombs Away! AAF bombardiers of WW2 often wore beautifully made wings on their dress jackets to denote their qualification, and some had those wings made into ...
