Boeing B-17 FIRST SHUTTLE FIGHTER-BOMBER MISSION FROM BRITAIN TO RUSSIA.

Boeing B-17 FIRST SHUTTLE FIGHTER-BOMBER MISSION FROM BRITAIN TO RUSSIA. The ball turret gunner of an Eighth Air Force bomber watches, ground crew men ready his gun for the first Britain to Russia shuttle mission via Germany. More than 1000 heavy bombers, escorted by P-51 Mustang fighters, took off from a base in England June 21, 1944, unloosed their bombs over Berlin and landed in Russia. Refuelled and reloaded in Russia, the planes will take off again, drop more bombs on Nazidom and fly back to the home base in Britain. This was the first time long range fighters escorted the heavy bombers all the way on a shuttle raid.