Us Official Photographs

B-17 Flying Fortress over Dutch population

STARVING DUTCH POPULATION "BOMBED WITH FOOD" -- Streaming from the bomb bay of a low-flying Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress of U.S. 8th AF 390th Bomb Group are cases of U.S. Army "10 in 1" rations, each containing three meals for 10 men. Eight hundred tons of food, enough food for 1,080,000 meals - was dropped by 400 heavy bombers on four "targets" on May 2, 1945. Marked with a large white cross and a red light, each area was surrounded by a circle a mile in diameter of cheering and sobbing starving Dutch civilians standing behind a row of green lights. The Boeing B-17's had been loaded for several days in England pending a clearance of dropping areas by the Germans. The menu was sausage, bacon, corned beef, baked beans, cereal, vegetables, coffee, condensed milk, sugar, preserved butter and a variety of other items.