During World War II, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress became one of the most iconic symbols of American air power. Flying high-altitude, daylight bombing missions deep into Nazi-occupied Europe, these four-engine heavy bombers were a critical part of the Allied strategy. But what did the Germans — both Luftwaffe pilots and military leadership — think of the B-17?
Admiration and Respect, With Caution
To many in the German military, the B-17 was both a formidable foe and a technical marvel. German fighter pilots who engaged the aircraft in combat quickly developed a grudging respect for the bomber’s rugged durability. B-17s could absorb massive damage and still manage to limp back to England, trailing smoke and riddled with holes. Luftwaffe ace Adolf Galland reportedly called the B-17 “a flying porcupine” due to its heavy defensive armament — up to 13 .50 caliber machine guns placed in multiple turrets and positions around the aircraft.
German pilots quickly learned that attacking a B-17 head-on or from the rear came with serious risks. Its gunners, working in coordinated defense, could put out a withering wall of fire. Even with coordinated Luftwaffe attacks, bringing down a B-17 often required multiple fighters — and cost the Germans dearly in pilot losses.
A Strategic Threat
To the German High Command, the B-17 represented a new kind of warfare — strategic bombing that targeted not just military installations, but also industrial and economic infrastructure deep inside the Reich. The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) believed in daylight precision bombing, and from 1942 onward, waves of B-17s crossed the Channel to hit targets like ball-bearing factories, oil refineries, and rail yards.
This campaign alarmed German leadership. By 1943, losses in industrial output due to bombing were becoming significant. German propaganda often downplayed the impact of the raids, but inside Hitler’s command circles, there was growing fear that sustained Allied bombing could cripple the war effort.