Flying Bombers at MacDill Air Force Base
Crewman manning machine gun in tail of B-17E Flying Fortress. 1942. From Life Magazine “Bomber Task Force”. April 6, 1942
(Cover photo) Crewman manning machine gun in tail of B-17E Flying Fortress 1942. From Life Magazine “Bomber Task Force”. April 6, 1942
These photographs are part of the Life Magazine archives, taken in 1942 by photographer Frank Scherschel for his series “Tampa, Florida – Flying Bombers.” Shot at MacDill Air Force Base, the images documented the daily life of crews, their equipment, and the mighty B-17 Flying Fortress during World War II.
At the time, MacDill had been established as a vital training center for both B-17 Flying Fortress and B-26 Marauder crews. The work done here was critical to the Allied war effort, preparing airmen with the skills needed for combat missions overseas.
Scherschel’s assignment culminated in the article “Bomber Task Force,” published in Life on April 6, 1942, offering readers across the nation an inside look at America’s growing air power on the eve of its largest mobilization in history.
All photos Copyright Time Inc..
© Chip Weiner. All rights reserved
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL
From Life Magazine, March 9, 1942. Bomber Task Force. Photographer Frank Scherschel, shot at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa FL