Special Sub-Topic: Nicknames of WWII Planes Click Here To Play: Nicknames of WWII Planes

B-17

Flying Fortress. The B-17 Flying Fortress was built by Boeing, Lockheed and Douglas. Together theese companies produced 12,731 Flying Fortresses.

P-38

Lightning. The P-38 Lightning was nicknamed "the fork-tailed devil" by the Germans. This plane is famous for shooting down Admiral Yamamoto over the South Pacific.

P-47

Thunderbolt. The US built 15,683 P-47 Thunderbolts.

P-61

Black Widow. The Black Widows first kill was in the South pacific on July 7, 1944. Soon after the Black Widow had replaced the P-40 in all of the Air Forces nightfighter squadrons.

B-29

Superfortress. The Superfortress was only used against Japan. More that 2,000 of these planes were delivered by the time Japan had surrendered. When production ended in May 1946, a total of 3,960 had been produced.

Mitchell

B-25. The most famous raid by the B-25 was when Jimmy Doolittle attcked Tokyo in April 1942.

Marauder

B-26. This plane was a light bomber. Operational Marauders were delivered in 1941.

B-24

Liberator. A total of 18,188 Liberators were built. The B-24 and the B-17 were a major part of the American daylight air bomber offensive over Europe

B-18

Bolo. At the outbreak of the war the main US bomber was the B-18. Many were destroyed in the attack on Pearl Harbor. After Pearl Harbor many were used for anti-submarine missions in the Caribbean.

P-39

Airacobra. This single-seat fighter was used from 1941 to 1944. A total of 9,558 Airacobras were built. Of theese 4,773 were sent to the Russians. Some Airacobras were also sent to the British.