A black-and-white photograph taken over North Africa on 1 February 1943 has become one of the most recognizable images of a damaged aircraft from the Second World War. A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress remains airborne even though its rear fuselage is deeply torn and much of its left tailplane has disappeared. The immediate question is almost impossible to avoid: how was it still flying? The story of All American is not simply about a rugged aircraft. It is about the decisions of an aircrew under extraordinary pressure—and about the layers of legend that accumulated around a genuine event. [1][3]
At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | 1 February 1943 |
| Area | Airspace near Tunis; return to Biskra, Algeria |
| Aircraft | Boeing B-17F-5-BO Flying Fortress |
| Serial number | 41-24406 |
| Aircraft name | All American |
| Unit | 414th Bomb Squadron, 97th Bomb Group |
| Pilot | Kendrick “Ken” Bragg |
| Copilot | Godfrey Engel Jr. |
| Opposing aircraft | Messerschmitt Bf 109 (Erich Paczia) |
| Famous photo | Charles “Cliff” Cutforth, Flying Flit Gun |
| Outcome | Landed at Biskra; all aboard survived |
| Later service | Repaired; served until 1945 |
The bomber called All American
The aircraft was a B-17F-5-BO, serial number 41-24406, serving with the 414th Bomb Squadron, 97th Bomb Group. Its crew, drawn from different parts of the United States, chose the name All American. Their pilot was Lieutenant Kendrick “Ken” Bragg. After the 97th Bomb Group moved from its earlier operations in Britain to support the Allied campaign in North Africa, the bomber eventually operated from Biskra, Algeria. [1]
The Flying Fortress carried formidable defensive guns and was designed for demanding daylight missions, but the name was never a promise of invulnerability. Bomber formations depended upon discipline, mutual support and precise timing against attacking fighters. Even after releasing their bombs, crews faced the long return journey while dealing with battle damage, unpredictable weather and the continuing threat of interception. [1][2]
The mission of 1 February 1943
On that morning, the 97th Bomb Group joined an operation against the Axis-held ports of Tunis and Bizerte, which were important to the supply of German and Italian forces in Tunisia. The B-17s departed from the Biskra area, reached the target zone and delivered their bombloads despite antiaircraft opposition. The moment that would make All American famous occurred on the return flight, rather than during the bombing run itself. [1][2]
Two Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters from Jagdgeschwader 53 intercepted the formation. Later research identifies their pilots as Julius Meimberg and Erich Paczia. Meimberg’s fighter was damaged by defensive fire and he survived by parachute. Paczia’s aircraft pressed toward All American and lost control. Whether Paczia was killed before impact or incapacitated by his injuries has not been established beyond doubt. The situation unfolded in seconds, and later accounts do not agree on every movement of the aircraft involved. [1]
A wing through the rear fuselage
Bragg and copilot Godfrey Engel Jr. tried to avoid the approaching fighter. Nevertheless, a wing of the Bf 109 cut into the bomber’s aft fuselage, creating a gaping break near the tail. The left horizontal stabilizer and elevator were torn away. Much of the surviving rear section remained attached through damaged structural members. The bomber was not literally divided into two separate pieces in flight—but its condition was far beyond ordinary combat damage. [1][3][4]
The structural damage was accompanied by problems affecting communication and aircraft systems. Keeping the bomber level required constant intervention. Bragg and Engel adjusted engine power and struggled to maintain a controllable attitude while assessing whether the remaining control surfaces would respond. A machine designed to withstand heavy punishment still depended on damaged cables, metal and the judgment of the people in the cockpit. [1]
Tail gunner Sam Sarpolus made his way forward from the vulnerable rear section. Popular retellings sometimes place him in the tail to balance the aircraft with his own weight, or describe crewmembers tying the structure together with parachute cords. Those dramatic details cannot be treated as established fact. The documented achievement was remarkable enough: the aircrew kept flying a bomber whose tail looked scarcely attached. [1]
The photograph that preserved the moment
The best-known image was not taken from an escort fighter over the English Channel. It was captured during the return across North Africa, from another B-17F, 41-24412 Flying Flit Gun. Its navigator, Lieutenant Charles “Cliff” Cutforth, photographed the stricken bomber as the formation headed back toward Algeria. [1][3]
This matters because the photograph is not just an illustration of a generic damaged aircraft. It is evidence tied to a known mission, a dated incident and a specific serial number. When the picture is published, the central identification should remain visible: B-17F, 41-24406, All American, 1 February 1943. If other archival captions call the bomber All American III, that variation needs explaining rather than quietly adopting. [1][3]
The return to Biskra
Despite its condition, All American continued toward the airfield at Biskra. The crew considered the option of parachuting out, but chose to remain aboard. Other B-17s stayed near the damaged bomber for part of the return before flying ahead to base. Preparations were made for an emergency landing. [1][2]
The remaining flying controls responded well enough for a careful approach. The tailwheel had been disabled, so the damaged rear fuselage dragged against the runway as the aircraft settled. Yet the landing was successful. Everyone aboard survived without serious injury. For those watching at Biskra, the sight was almost unbelievable: an aircraft that seemed unlikely to complete another minute of flight had managed to complete its mission’s return. [1]
The aircraft the legend leaves out: Flaming Mayme
Another B-17 from that operation was less fortunate. 41-24477 Flaming Mayme did not come home. Members of its crew were killed, including the aircraft commander Major Robert Coulter; three survivors became prisoners of war. They eventually returned after the war, bringing testimony that complicated the accepted sequence of events. [1]
Some of the surviving accounts suggest that the fighter which struck All American may also have been involved in the loss of Flaming Mayme. Bragg’s recollection gives a different account, and the German pilot Meimberg described his own combat in ways that do not settle the conflict. It would be misleading to present any one reconstruction as beyond dispute. Remembering Flaming Mayme also changes the meaning of All American’s escape: the same mission carried both an extraordinary survival and a devastating loss. [1]
What later retellings changed
The story became famous partly because the photograph demanded an explanation. Across decades, extra details entered the retellings: the aircraft supposedly made it back to England, its photograph was taken by a P-51 over the Channel, and the crew improvised repairs with parachute lines in flight. The name All American III also appears in some official photo captions. A detailed 2024 historical study, however, identifies the aircraft as All American, without the suffix. The coexistence of these records is worth noting openly. [1][3][4]
The copilot’s identity provides another example. Older versions sometimes use G. Boyd Jr., while the more detailed crew research identifies Godfrey Engel Jr. Such discrepancies are not minor when a story is supposed to preserve the experiences of real people. Cross-checking records does not diminish the drama; it removes the additions that were never necessary. [1]
| Common claim | Evidence-based account |
|---|---|
| Photographed by a P-51 over the English Channel | Taken by Charles Cutforth from another B-17 over North Africa. |
| The bomber returned to England | It landed at Biskra, Algeria. |
| Parachute cords held the tail together | Not established by reliable evidence. |
| The aircraft was definitely “All American III” | New research says “All American”; older USAF captions use “III”. |
| Copilot G. Boyd | Detailed crew research identifies Godfrey Engel Jr. |
A second life after the collision
Surviving the landing was not the end of All American’s career. Maintenance crews at Biskra removed the damaged rear section and fitted replacement parts salvaged from another B-17. After weeks of repair, 41-24406 flew again. It later served in other roles, including transport and support work, and remained on military strength until 1945, when it was withdrawn following a ground accident. [1]
The enduring appeal of All American rests in that combination of fact and human effort. A famous picture shows what happened to metal and machinery. The fuller historical record reveals the work of pilots, gunners, navigators and mechanics—and reminds us that even the most spectacular survival story belongs within the wider history of the mission, including those who never returned. [1][2]
Sources
- Adam Estes, “The Real Story of the B-17 ‘All American’”, AAHS Journal, Winter 2024, pp. 262–268 (PDF). Principal study: crew, sequence of events, the photograph, Flaming Mayme and the repair.
- EAA Warbirds of America — “A Flying Fortress Miracle”, September 2014. Older secondary account; some details differ from the 2024 study.
- Wikimedia Commons — 19430201AllAmericanB17inFlight.jpg (U.S. Air Force, 1 February 1943). Cover photograph; the archival caption names the aircraft “All American III”.
- Wikimedia Commons — Damaged tail of B-17.jpg (U.S. Air Force). Close-up of the tail damage.
- Adam Estes, “The Real Story of the B-17 ‘All American’”, Vintage Aviation News, 14 December 2023. Earlier 2023 version by the same researcher; not an independent second source.
- Armed Forces Heritage Museum — “The Rest of the Story: The ‘All American’ B-17 and a Burlington Hero”, 26 June 2025. Local museum account and cultural memory of the event.
- World War II Database — B-17F All American on the ground at Biskra, photo #17705. Photographic record of the aircraft at Biskra (secondary collection).
Photograph credits: Cover: B-17F 41-24406 All American in flight over North Africa after the collision, 1 February 1943. Photo: Charles ‘Cliff’ Cutforth (Flying Flit Gun); U.S. Air Force / Wikimedia Commons (public domain). The archival caption names the aircraft “All American III”; the 2024 study [1] gives the name as “All American”.