Quick Facts
- Date: May 17, 1943. ([history.com](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/may-17/the-memphis-belle-flies-its-25th-bombing-mission?utm_source=openai))
- Mission/Target: Bombing of German U‑boat facilities at Lorient, France (Eighth Air Force). ([afhistory.af.mil](https://www.afhistory.af.mil/FAQs/Fact-Sheets/Article/458995/memphis-belle/?utm_source=openai))
- Unit/Base: 324th Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group (H), RAF Bassingbourn, England. ([nationalmuseum.af.mil](https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/1506245/AFmuseum/the-memphis-belle-american-icon/?utm_source=openai))
- Aircraft: Boeing B‑17F, serial 41‑24485, “Memphis Belle.” ([afhistory.af.mil](https://www.afhistory.af.mil/FAQs/Fact-Sheets/Article/458995/memphis-belle/?utm_source=openai))
- Crew Lead: Capt. Robert K. Morgan. ([afhistory.af.mil](https://www.afhistory.af.mil/FAQs/Fact-Sheets/Article/458995/memphis-belle/?utm_source=openai))
- What made this mission historic: It marked the crew’s 25th officially credited combat mission; the aircraft itself flew its 25th on May 19, 1943, to Kiel, Germany, with a different crew. ([nationalmuseum.af.mil](https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Upcoming/Press-Room/News/Article-Display/Article/198469/memphis-belle-anniversaries-highlight-aircrafts-famous-past/?utm_source=openai))
- Memphis connection: Named for Morgan’s sweetheart, Margaret Polk of Memphis, Tennessee. ([nationalmuseum.af.mil](https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Upcoming/Press-Room/News/Article-Display/Article/1052156/b-17f-memphis-belle-to-be-placed-on-public-display-on-may-17-2018-at-national-m/?utm_source=openai))
Main Story
On May 17, 1943, the Memphis Belle and the ten airmen most associated with her reached a milestone few could imagine in early World War II: a 25th credited combat mission. Flying from RAF Bassingbourn with the 91st Bomb Group, Capt. Robert K. Morgan’s crew attacked the German submarine base at Lorient, France—part of the U.S. Eighth Air Force’s growing daylight strategic bombing campaign. At a time when bomber losses were severe, completing 25 missions carried immense symbolic weight for aircrews and the American public alike. ([nationalmuseum.af.mil](https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/1506245/AFmuseum/the-memphis-belle-american-icon/?utm_source=openai))
Because airframes and crews were sometimes mixed, the May 17 sortie was the crew’s 25th but the airplane’s 24th. Two days later, on May 19, another crew flew the Memphis Belle to Kiel, Germany, completing the aircraft’s own 25th mission. Shortly thereafter—on June 9—the Morgan crew departed England with the Belle to begin a stateside, three‑month War Bond tour that brought the story of the Memphis Belle to communities across America. Director William Wyler’s 1944 documentary further cemented the Belle’s place in U.S. memory. ([afhistory.af.mil](https://www.afhistory.af.mil/FAQs/Fact-Sheets/Article/458995/memphis-belle/?utm_source=openai))
Legacy
The Memphis Belle’s name reflects its 901 roots: Morgan named the bomber for Margaret Polk of Memphis, a story preserved by museum collections and local memory. After decades on display in Memphis, the aircraft transferred to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, where it underwent a meticulous restoration and went on public display in 2018. In Overton Park’s Veterans Plaza, the Margaret Polk “Memphis Belle” monument honors the connection between the famed Flying Fortress and the Bluff City—just a few miles from Beale Street—keeping this chapter of Memphis history alive for new generations. ([nationalmuseum.af.mil](https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Upcoming/Press-Room/News/Article-Display/Article/1052156/b-17f-memphis-belle-to-be-placed-on-public-display-on-may-17-2018-at-national-m/?utm_source=openai))
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