Paradise Lost: The legacy of the 11th Bomb Group
A burned U.S. Army Air Corps Boeing B-17C Flying Fortress (s/n 40-2074) rests near Hangar 5, Hickam Field, Hawaii, on 7 December 1941. It was one of 12 flown to Hickam from Hamilton Field, Calif., and arrived during the attack. On its final approach, the aircraft’s magnesium flare box was hit by Japanese strafing and ignited. The burning plane separated upon landing. The crew survived the crash, but a flight surgeon was killed by strafing as he ran from the burning wreck. (Courtesy Photo/National Archives and Records Administration)