Another argument for the toughness of B-17's. I might add also that most of these pilots were 21 or 22 kids who two years before had probably never even been in an airplane. Pictures like this says a lot for their training and courage.

Another view of Lt. DeLancey's B-17

Another view of the 398 BG B-17 that took the flak hit. The shell probably burst above the B-17 and downward. A lot of the damage you see may have occured on the flight home with pieces of the damaged plane shredding off, after all the plane was probably flying around 150 MPH. The pictures I saw said that the bomb togglier, S/Sgt. George Abbott was the only one killed. I got this info from: 398.org/images/images_aircraft_b-17/air

Lt. DeLancey's B-17

Paving the way for a ground attack, two B-26 Marauders leave ruins behind them after a bombing raid on a rail-yard and power- station at Charleroi, Belguim. (scanned by HOS Bandit)