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''Memphis Belle'' is the nickname of a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress during the Second World War that inspired the making of two motion pictures: a 1944 documentary film, ''Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress'', and a 1990 Hollywood feature film, ''Memphis Belle''. The aircraft was one of the first B-17 United States Army Air Forces heavy bombers to complete 25 combat missions with her crew intact.〔Buescher, John. "("The 'Memphis Belle'." ) ''Teachinghistory.org.'' Retrieved: 8 October 2011.〕 The aircraft and crew then returned to the United States to sell war bonds.〔("B-17 Flying Fortress." ) ''United States Air Force.'' Retrieved: 30 July 2011.〕 As of 2014, the aircraft is undergoing extensive restoration at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.〔Baruda, Bob. ("Memphis Belle" moves to National Museum of the U.S. Air Force." ) ''National Museum of the United States Air Force,'' 31 August 2005. Retrieved: 19 July 2007.〕 == Combat history == The ''Memphis Belle'', a Boeing-built B-17F-10-BO, USAAC Serial No. 41-24485, was added to the USAAF inventory on 15 July 1942,〔Havelaar 1995, p. 211.〕 and delivered in September 1942 to the 91st Bombardment Group at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine.〔Bishop 1986, p. 133.〕 She deployed to Prestwick, Scotland, on 30 September 1942, moving to a temporary base at RAF Kimbolton on 1 October, and then finally to her permanent base at Bassingbourn, England, on 14 October.〔 Each side of the fuselage bore the unit identification markings of the 324th Bomb Squadron (Heavy) - DF: A.〔〔Bishop 1986, p. 233.〕 Captain Robert K. Morgan's crew flew 29 combat missions with the 324th Bomb Squadron, all but four in the ''Memphis Belle''. The aircraft's 25 missions were: * 7 November 1942 - Brest, France, (Brittany)〔("25 Missions: The Story of the Memphis Belle." ) ''Air Fronts.'' Retrieved: 12 August 2008〕 * 9 November 1942 - St. Nazaire, Brittany 〔 * 17 November 1942 - St. Nazaire, Brittany 〔 * 6 December 1942 - Lille, France〔 * 20 December 1942 * * 30 December 1942 - Lorient, Brittany (flown by Lt. James A. Verinis) * 3 January 1943 - St. Nazaire, Brittany 〔 * 13 January 1943 - Lille 〔 * 23 January 1943 - Lorient, Brittany 〔 * 14 February 1943 - Hamm, Germany 〔 * 16 February 1943 - St. Nazaire, Brittany 〔 * 27 February 1943 * * 6 March 1943 - Lorient, Brittany 〔 * 12 March 1943 - Rouen, France 〔 * 13 March 1943 - Abbeville, France 〔 * 22 March 1943 - Wilhelmshaven 〔 * 28 March 1943 - Rouen 〔 * 31 March 1943 - Rotterdam, Netherlands 〔("Hells Angels vs. Memphis Belle, Historical Information." ) ''303rd Bomb Group Association.'' Retrieved: 11 August 2008.〕〔Morgan and Powers 2001, p. 187.〕〔("1943 dailies of 324th Bomb squadron." ) ''91st Bomb group Association.'' Retrieved: 11 August 2008.〕 * 16 April 1943 - Lorient, Brittany 〔 * 17 April 1943 - Bremen, Germany 〔 * 1 May 1943 - St. Nazaire, Brittany 〔 * 13 May 1943 - Meaulte, France (flown by Lt. C.L. Anderson) * 14 May 1943 - Kiel, Germany (flown by Lt. John H. Miller) * 15 May 1943 - Wilhelmshaven 〔 * 17 May 1943 - Lorient, Brittany 〔 * 19 May 1943 * * Morgan's crew completed the following missions in B-17s other than the ''Memphis Belle'': * 4 February 1943 - Emden, Germany (in B-17 DF-H 41-24515 ''Jersey Bounce'')〔Morgan and Powers, pp. 167, 384.〕 * 26 February 1943 - Wilhelmshaven (in B-17 41-24515)〔Morgan, pp. 177 and 384.〕 * 5 April 1943 - Antwerp, Belgium (in B-17 41-24480 ''Bad Penny'')〔 * 4 May 1943 - Antwerp (in B-17 41-24527, ''The Great Speckled Bird'')〔Morgan and Powers, pp. 196, 385.〕 The aircraft was then flown back to the United States on 8 June 1943, by a composite crew chosen by the Eighth Air Force from those who had flown combat aboard, led by Capt. Morgan, for a 31-city war bond tour. Morgan's original co-pilot was Capt. James A. Verinis, who himself piloted the ''Memphis Belle'' for one mission. Verinis was promoted to aircraft commander of another B-17 for his final 16 missions and finished his tour on 13 May. He rejoined Morgan's crew as co-pilot for the flight back to the United States. It is important to realize the claim to fame is based on the crew completing their tour. The notoriety was not based on the aircraft's completion of 25 combat missions. That honor belonged to another B-17. The "Hell's Angels" B-17 (41-24577) of the 303rd Bomb Group completed 25 combat missions on 13 May 1943, becoming the first B-17 to complete the feat, one week before the Memphis Belle.〔("Hell's Angels vs Memphis Belle." ) ''303rdbg.com.'' Retrieved: 21 September 2011.〕〔("Boeing B-17F-25-BO "Hell’s Angels". ) ''National Museum of the United States Air Force,'' 25 June 2009. Retrieved: 21 September 2011.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Memphis Belle (aircraft)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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