80 years ago today: “A formation of 15th Air Force Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses fly through flak-filled sky en route to attack the Wintershaven oil storage facilities at Vienna, on 19 November 1944.”
U.S. Air Force Number 89282AC. Print received 11/30/44 from BPR. Stamped: Passed for Pub., US Field Press Censor. Copied 14 March 1956. NARA Local Identifier. 342-FH-3A04844-89282AC
The nearest aircraft is B-17G-50-DL 44-6442 of the hard-hitting 97th Bomb Group which notably flew the first USAAF heavy bombing mission in the ETO back in August 1942.
The above image was snapped just three months after the Fort was delivered from the factory and six weeks before she failed to return from a raid.
As noted by the American Air Museum:
Delivered Kearney 5/8/44; Grenier 24/8/44; 273 BU Lincoln 4/9/44; Assigned 340BS/97BG Amendola 15/9/44; Missing in Action Kalmaki A/fd, Greece 21/1/45 with John Potkalitsky, Cummings, Hill, Chapman, Poovey, Gorman {Wounded in Action}, Shea, McKinlay, Whalen {Wounded in Action}, Couvillion {Wounded in Action}; ditched, all rescued.