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The B17 Flying Fortress was supposed to be a war winning weapon. But by the end of 1943 the American 8th Air Force flying them was at breaking point.

German flak and fighters shot down B17s in their hundreds, as US Strategic bombing doctrine came face to face with the realities of aerial warfare. Something had to change and change they did.

Just one year later, the 8th Air Force were masters of the air over Europe having dealt a killing blow the German Luftwaffe. So how did they do it? In this video, IWM Curator Dr Hattie Hearn looks at the changes in leadership, tactics and technology that transformed the air war over Nazi occupied Europe.

See these aicraft up close. Plan your visit to IWM Duxford:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwmdux...

Discover the stories of the 8th Air Force: https://www.americanairmuseum.com/

Explore and licence the film clips used in this video from IWM Film:
https://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/co...

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