Something To Make You Humble

[Jack Cook]

Brave men all.....................

[gregv]

interesting shots Jack.

Not to be disrespectful in any way, but that first shot looks heavily doctored or at least re-touched, old school style (pre-photoshop, cut n' paste). I wonder what the original image of the B-17 was?

cheers

greg v.

[Former Member]

Thanks for sharing the pics Jack. That second photo is also in the latest issue of World War II magazine which arrived in mailbox today.

John

[Mudge]

gregv wrote:

Not to be disrespectful in any way, but that first shot looks heavily doctored or at least re-touched, old school style (pre-photoshop, cut n' paste). I wonder what the original image of the B-17 was?

Didn't occur to me at first because I was taken by the sheer hopelessness of the situation. Now that I've gone back and looked closer, I think you may be right.

Mudge the semi-observant

[Jerry O'Neill]

IMHO the photo was doctored only to separate it from the background.

Most of the work done on the image is along the outline of the aircraft. If you look at the background, without the added photo retouching, much of the aircraft would simply blend in.
Jerry

[vg-photo]

Sure seems that way to me too. Like the "sharpen edges" tool in photoshop, but manually.

[Second Air Force]

I think the retouched photo was also in an "Impact" AAF magazine article and looked exactly as it does in Jack's pic. The wartime photographic personnel sometimes worked on photos to clarify them. Godspeed to the crewmen of both ships.

[Jack Cook]

I looked at my tiff file and it is basically outlined in pencil to make it more viewable. No retouching.

[Paul Krumrei]

I can clearly see the pencil lines around it. I think it may have just been someone on the origianl photo showing the aircraft more defined.


GodBless those crew members.


Question though......the second photo shows the #3 and #4 feathered, with the #1 and #2 running. Why would they bail with two engines running, or was it maybe just hey, lets get the hell out of here situation?

I am sure it was, either that it gave the guys enough time to bail and not worry about it.

[Second Air Force]

Paul,

Is there a little smoke beginning to trail between #1 and #2 in the second photo? I've seen this shot many times but you raised an interesting question about the feathered engines. Possibly the white streak behind the left wing is a fuel leak and it was decided to punch out before it lit up.

Scott

[Jack Cook]

Not just engines or airframe. I'm sure the crew possibly got some bad hits.
Doesn't matter if the a/cs 100% if the pilots get hurt you're done....game over.

[gregv]

I looked at my tiff file and it is basically outlined in pencil to make it more viewable. No retouching.

That thought struck me as well, and makes sense in context; thanks for having a look. Must take a nasty hit to rip off a wing...

What a truly horrifiying photo. Godspeed to the crew.

greg v.

[Dennis7423]

Something else I noticed in the 2nd picture is that the radome on top of the nose seems to be blanked over...was this common practice? Either way, both pics are just as the title says...very humbling. This is the reason why I have such deep respect, and get very emotional, in anything that has to do with veterans. God Bless them all.

-Dennis S.
Greeley, CO

[GIJOE290]

I might be wrong, but those look still shots from a movie; maybe Frank Cappa's(?) or the Mighty 8th? I recall seeing them on a History Channel show. It's difficult to watch (epec. photo #1) wing being sheared off, seeing it roll over and to think about the loss of the Airmen.

[SPANNERmkV]

#2 picture
The AC appears to be in a severe nose up attitude relative to the ground.
That could imply many BAD things!
Control loss due to pilot's condition?
Control cables separated?... (That happened to my Dad over England fortunately in a nose up trend, so he could bail out, come home and make babies!!!

That top photo...yikes rolling a B17 in!