The 100th Bomb Group, based in England, was part of the largest air armada ever assembled. Its mission: to cripple Hitler's war machine. Completing 306 missions over Nazi-held Europe, the group earned its nickname "The Bloody Hundredth" enduring heavy losses in the skies over cities like Regensburg, Schweinfurt, Bremen, Munster, Hamburg and Berlin. Long before ground troops landed at Normandy on D-Day, “bomber boys” carried the fight deep behind enemy lines. The brave airmen of the 100th flew their trusted B-17 bombers day after day, facing a gauntlet of Nazi fighters, antiaircraft defenses, and subfreezing conditions. Their targets were strategic military and industrial sites, intended to defeat the vaunted Luftwaffe and liberate Western Europe from Hitler's tyrannical grip.
From 1943-45, 757 airmen of the 100th were killed in action (KIA or MIA) and 923 more were shot down and became POWs; 229 of their B-17s were lost. In one epic air battle alone, over Berlin on March 6, 1944, the 100th Bomb Group lost 15 planes - 150 men gone in barely an hour, earning the group one of its two Presidential Unit Citations. Just two days later, the remaining airmen of the 100th returned to hit Berlin again. In early May 1945, the 100th proudly ended its aerial missions by dropping food supplies to starving Dutch citizens as part of Operation Chowhound.
"The research support from the 100th Bomb Group Foundation key historians has enabled a level of authenticity not normally seen in simulation games today.
Stories of harrowing combat from the brave members of the ‘Bloody Hundredth’ group are vast. We have many books and primary source materials at our disposal that will help to recreate missions with a historic level of detail. Thorpe Abbotts airfield, the home of the 100th Bomb Group during the war, will be recreated with each building and local landmark in their place. Flying over the English countryside will look and feel like the conditions of how those B-17 aircraft operated.
We are very honored to have the opportunity to connect with the few veterans who are still standing and to help carry on their legacy of the Second World War." said MicroProse CEO David Lagettie.
The B-17 "Flying Fortress" was beloved by aircrews: she could take punishing battle damage and keep flying. Pilots, navigators, bombardiers, engineers, radio operators and gunners - all were essential and knew their jobs well. Survival relied on teamwork. The dedicated ground personnel who maintained, repaired, and armed the “Forts” were equally vital. The air war over Europe paved the way for victory over Nazi Germany … but at a tremendous cost.
The 100th Bomb Group Foundation preserves the legacy of the men, missions, and machines of The Bloody Hundredth, providing a worldwide platform for education through its archives, artifacts, exhibits, publications, and outreach.