Us Official Photographs

B-17 Flying Fortresses over Germany

A flight of six Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses makes its bombing run over a cloud-covered target in Germany. Their only guide for a bomb release point is the streak of white smoke left by the "marker" bomb, which has been dropped into the clouds by a specially-equipped bomber in a preceding formation. The science of bombing a target obscured by cloud layers has been developed by the U.S.A.A.F. so that heavy bomber fleets can strike the enemy without regard to visibility over the target areas. Visual bombing, however, still is preferred.