18. Bombing missions were long, cold, and intense
Flights into German airspace and back could last up to 10 hours, at altitudes of up to 29,000 feet. The B-17 was not a pressurized aircraft. Air temperatures dropped to as low as 60 degrees below zero. The crew wore heavy electrically heated suits, with thick gloves or mittens. Parachutes were bulky and inhibited crew movement. They were not worn, instead, the crewmen wore a harness to which the chutes could be rapidly clipped when necessary. Oxygen masks were worn above the altitude of 10,000 feet. Each mission brought the aircrew one day closer to rotating out of combat. Until 1944 a flier needed 25 missions to complete his tour. It was later expanded to 30.
The rate of missions being flown increased as the war went on. In 1944 one aircrew completed its 30 missions in 43 days, most of them flown in support of Operation Overlord. Besides the brutal cold and the cramped conditions aboard the bombers, the crews endured the anti-aircraft fire from the German batteries and the relentless attacks of Luftwaffe fighters. Bombers often returned to their bases with the gun positions ankle deep in spent 50 caliber shells from firing at the German fighters during the flight. Upon return, the crews were debriefed, after which they waited to hear if they were to perform another mission the next day.
