Photos Look Back at the B-17's Long Beach Years

The women who helped make the B-17's in Long Beach are part of local history, and they're part of this 75th anniversary. 

Introduced in April 1938, the B-17 secured its place in history as a long-range, high altitude heavy bomber used to great effect against Germany in World War II. The sturdy Flying Fortress was developed by Boeing but produced by rival companies like Douglas as part of the war effort. Almost half the bombs dropped by U.S. aircraft on Germany were from B-17s.

According to Boeing: "A total of 12,731 B-17s were produced around the country. ... Between 1942 and 1945, Douglas built 29,385 airplanes -- about 16 percent of all the U.S. airplanes produced -- and peak wartime employment at Douglas was recorded at 160,000 workers. The largest facility was at Long Beach...."

Most of the photos in the gallery are by Alfred T. Palmer and date from 1942. They honor not only the aircraft but anonymous men and (mostly) women who assembled them. They're published here with their captions from the time, when young women were "girls," females in heavy industry were a novelty, and scrap metal was in fashion.

They can also be seen on display at Rosie the Riveter Park in Long Beach, and in the book, Rosie the Riveter in Long Beach, by Long Beach City Council member Gerrie Schipske.

Is there anyone that you recognize? Do you have memories about aerospace or the plant? Tell us in comments.