was the memphis belle the first to complete 25 missions
one of the first
title: Memphis Belle (aircraft) text: chosen by the Eighth Air Force from those who had flown combat aboard, led by Capt. Morgan, for a 31-city war bond tour. Morgan's original co-pilot was Capt. James A. Verinis, who himself piloted the "Memphis Belle" for one mission. Verinis was promoted to aircraft commander of another B-17 for his final 16 missions and finished his tour on 13 May. He rejoined Morgan's crew as co-pilot for the flight back to the United States. The B-17 "Hell's Angels" (41-24577) of the 303rd Bomb Group completed 25 combat missions on 13 May 1943, becoming the first B-17 to complete the title: Memphis Belle (film) text: 25th mission occurred, and there was no special welcome for the crew when the mission was over. The aircraft's participation in the Bremen campaign occurred in April 1943; the final, 25th mission of the "Belle" was a month later to Lorient, France before being flown back to the United States. For the fighters, seven P-51 Mustangs were used, five of the P-51s were painted in the markings of the first USAAF Merlin-engined Mustang squadron to operate in Britain (a few months later in 1943 than the actual mission). As there were no surviving flyable Messerschmitt Bf 109s, Luftwaffe fighter aircraft title: Memphis Belle (aircraft) text: is on display. The crew for the "Memphis Belle" are as follows: The "Memphis Belle", a Boeing-built B-17F-10-BO, manufacturer's serial number 3470, USAAC Serial No. 41-24485, was added to the USAAF inventory on 15 July 1942, and delivered in September 1942 to the 91st Bombardment Group at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. She deployed to Prestwick, Scotland, on 30 September 1942, moving to a temporary base at RAF Kimbolton on 1 October, and then finally to her permanent base at RAF Bassingbourn, England, on 14 October. Each side of the fuselage bore the unit and aircraft identification markings of a B-17 title: Memphis Belle (aircraft) text: of the 324th Bomb Squadron (Heavy); the squadron code "DF" and individual aircraft letter "A." Captain Robert K. Morgan's crew flew 29 combat missions with the 324th Bomb Squadron, all but four in the "Memphis Belle". The aircraft's 25 combat missions, which included eight German aircraft shot down by her crew, were: <nowiki>*</nowiki> Sources disagree on which two of these three missions the "Memphis Belle" received mission credits for. Morgan's crew completed the following missions in B-17s other than the "Memphis Belle": The aircraft was then flown back to the United States on 8 June 1943, by a composite crew title: Memphis Belle (aircraft) text: Memphis Belle (aircraft) Memphis Belle is a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress used during the Second World War that inspired the making of two motion pictures: a 1944 documentary film, "", and a 1990 Hollywood feature film, "Memphis Belle". The aircraft was one of the first United States Army Air Forces B-17 heavy bombers to complete 25 combat missions. The aircraft and crew then returned to the United States to sell war bonds. In 2005, restoration began on the aircraft at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio where, from May 2018, it