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ries released in January, 2024, called ‘Masters of
the Air’ from the production team of Gary Goetz-
man, Kirk Saduski, Tom Hanks and Steven Spiel-
berg. The series brought the fate of the Bloody
Hundredth and, through it, other allied air units
in World War II to a very wide audience.
One of the radar pathfinders of the 100th Bomb Group, B-17G s/n 44-8183, which flew with the unit from November 1944 until the end of the war. (Author’s collection)
Sources (common for this article, also as for the following
eleven articles about featured aircraft from the 100th BG):
- Century Bombers, Richard LeStrange, 1997
- Plane Names & Bloody Noses, Ray Bowden, 2000
- The Story of the Century, John R. Nilsson, 1946
- High Noon over Haseluenne, Luc Dewez & Michael P. Faley, 2009
- The Forgotten Man, The Mechanic, Kenneth A. Lemmons, Cindy Goodman, Jan Riddling, 1999
- Seven Days In October, Paul Andrews, Michael P. Faley, 2005, 2015
- Damn Lucky, Kevin Maurer, 2022
- With crew #13, Earl Benham, 1990
- 100th Bomb Group Foundation Archives
- Archives of the US Air Force Research Agency, Maxwell, Alabama
- National Archives and Record Administration, College Park, MD
- Archive of the Museum of Air Battle over the Ore Mountains on September 11th, 1944
- Ray Bowden/USAAF Nose Art Research Project
- Personal conversation with 100th BG veterans and historians
- Abbreviated History of the 100th Bomb Group, Harry Crosby, Jan Riddling and Michael Faley
- Bloody Hundredth, The Most Famous Heavy Bomb Group of World War II, Dewey Christopher
- Hang the Expense, a History of the “Big Frank” Valesh Crew, John R. “Dick” Johnson
- I Saw Regensburg Destroyed, Bernie Lay, Jr., Saturday Evening Post Magazine, 1943
- Original 100th, Crew #22, Piccadilly Lily, Paul M. Andrews and David Aiken
- Port Arthur News, March 23 1944
- Schweinfurt – 14 Oct 43 “Black Thursday”, Robert Hughes
- The Jeffersonian Democrat, Sept 30 1943
- Sgt. Walters shoots down enemy plane…, local newspaper articla, 10 December 1943
- The unmanned plane, Sven Persson, www.forcedlandingcollection.se
- The US Eighth Air Force in Europe / Black Thursday Blood and Oil; Martin Bowman, 2012
- www.100thbg.com
- www.100bgmus.org.uk
- www.mildenhall.af.mil
The Eduard Model Accessories release of the
B-17F in 1:48th scale as ‘The Bloody Hundredth
1943’ Limited Edition model kit, prepared in col-
laboration with the 100th BG Foundation focusing
on the early months of the 100th Bomb Group’s
fighting in Europe, is a significant element in
the field of plastic modeling which draws on the
history of the 100th Bomb Group while helping to
preserve its legacy.
HISTORY
INFO Eduard
Speciál B-17F / The Bloody Hundredth 1943
30
June 2024