Memphis Belle

The crew of the B-17 bomber Memphis Belle flies its twenty-fifth and final combat mission over Germany, needed to complete their tour and return home. Facing flak, fighters, and mounting tension, the young airmen must survive one last dangerous daylight raid.

The real Memphis Belle was among the first US Eighth Air Force B-17 crews to complete twenty-five missions over Europe, and its story was popularized by William Wyler's 1944 documentary. Daylight strategic bombing raids in 1943 suffered heavy losses before long-range fighter escort became available.

The film dramatizes and compresses events for tension; the actual crew's missions were less uniformly climactic than depicted.

Directed by Michael Caton-Jones

Cast: Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Tate Donovan, D.B. Sweeney

Positioned at 17 May 1943 within the Strategic bombing of Germany phase of the war, as part of the Combined Bomber Offensive. This is entry 99 of 150 in the chronological archive.

• B-17
• bomber crew
• Eighth Air Force
• daylight bombing
• based on true story

• 

  Masters of the Air

  1943–1945

• 

  Twelve O'Clock High

  1942–1943

• 

  Days of Glory

  1943–1944

• 

  The Dam Busters

  16–17 May 1943

• 

  Stalag 17

  Winter 1943–44

• 

  The Guns of Navarone

  1943