The True Incredible Story Of The B-17 All-American III

Against All Odds

On February 1, 1943, the B-17F Flying Fortress All-American III was almost cut in half because of a midair collision with a German fighter. Despite the odds, it still managed to make it back him with its entire 10-person crew.

The aircraft was given a mission to disrupt the supply lines of the Axis forces in Tunisia. During their return trip, Lt. Kendrick Bragg Jr’s B-17 collided midair with a Messerschmitt Bf-109.

Despite the impact of the collision that sliced the B-17’s fuselage diagonally, removing the left stabilizer and elevator as well as damaging the flight controls, the sturdy design of the bomber lived up to its reputation. It somehow endured another 90-minute flight back to its base in Algeria.

Lt. Bragg did a meticulous landing of the aircraft, keeping the tail raised for as long as he could. The All-American III was repaired and returned to service as a utility plane for the 352nd Bombardment Squadron. It flew until it was dismantled in March 1945.

There are several myths about the incident, but most of them were debunked in a 2012 interview with bombardier Ralph Burbridge. According to him, the plane returned to base in Africa, and not England as it was often claimed.

He clarified that the collision happened after the bombs were dropped and not before. Also, he said that all ten crew members downed their parachutes – shutting down claims of parachutes used to somehow hold the tail together.