1-300 571st BMB Squadron High-visibility B-17 Decals
1-300 571st Heavy Bombardment Squadron B-17 Decals – 390th Bomb Group, High-Visibility
The decals are scaled to fit Flight Deck Decals 1-300 scale 3D-printed B-17 aircraft, including:
Historical Context
The 571st Bombardment Squadron was one of four B-17 squadrons assigned to the 390th Bombardment Group, along with the 568th, 569th and 570th Bombardment Squadrons. Operating from RAF Framlingham (AAF Station 153) in Suffolk, England, the group flew with the U.S. Eighth Air Force during the strategic bombing campaign against Germany and occupied Europe.
The 390th entered combat in August 1943 and went on to fly 301 combat missions over Europe. Its B-17s participated in some of the most demanding operations of the daylight bombing campaign, including attacks on Regensburg and Schweinfurt and the massive Big Week offensive against the German aircraft industry.
Targets attacked by the 571st and the 390th Bomb Group included aircraft-production facilities, ball-bearing plants, naval installations, marshalling yards, bridges, factories, synthetic-oil facilities and petroleum refineries throughout Germany and occupied Europe.
The squadron also supported Allied ground operations. Its B-17s bombed German positions near Caen shortly before the Normandy landings on D-Day, supported Operation Cobra and the breakout from Saint-Lô, attacked German transportation and supply networks during the Battle of the Bulge, and struck enemy airfields in support of Operation Varsity and the Allied crossing of the Rhine in March 1945.
The 390th Bomb Group's distinctive identification marking was the Square J, identifying its aircraft as part of the Third Air Division and the 390th Bomb Group.
Please Note: U.S. Star & Bar roundels are not included with this sheet and must be purchased separately.
