The principal long range heavy bombers used by the 8th Air Force over europe,during the strategic daylight bombing campaign,were the B-17 "Flying Fortress" and the B-24 "Liberator". They each carried a crew of 10, were armed with 10 heavy caliber machine guns, and flew in a protective formation meant to maximize their firepower. It was thought, by Army Air Corps Planners,that their heavy defensive armament and tight formations were sufficient to ward off German fighters, and conduct precison daylight raids over Germany. However, when operational missions commenced, the air groups were mauled by the Luftwaffe, which was at its peak strength. It was not until the introduction of the P-51 "Mustang",with sufficient range to accompany the bomber groups to any target in Germany, that they finally had a measure of protection against German interceptors.The following table gives an indication of the losses suffered by 8th Air Force bomber crews, as well total sorties flown,German aircraft destroyed and bomb tonnage dropped.
| TYPE | SORTIES | TONNAGE | LOSSES | KILLS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-17 | 291,508 | 640,306 | 4688 | 6659 |
| B-24 | 226,775 | 452,508 | 3626 | 2617 |