During his very first bombing mission on May 1, 1943, SSGt Maynard "Snuffy" Smith was a B17 ball gun turret with the 306th BG flying over France. Upon returning from the raid, the craft was hit by heavy flak and swarms of German fighters. The fuel tanks raptured, igniting a massive fire in the center of the fuselage. The damage to the aircraft was severe, knocking out communications and compromising the fuselage's integrity. As the fire spread, 3 crew members bailed out of the plane, while Smith tended to two others who were seriously wounded.
In between helping his wounded comrades, Smith also manned the .50 caliber machine gun and for nearly 90 minutes, he alternated between shooting at the attacking fighters, tending to his wounded crew members and fighting the fire. After the fire extinguishers were exhausted, Smith finally managed to put the fire out, in part by urinating on it.
The bomber reached England and landed at the first available airfield, where it broke in half as it touched down. Smith's bomber had been hit with more than 3,500 bullets and pieces of shrapnel.
His actions on that day saved the lives of six men.
Smith was assigned to KP duty the week that he was awarded the Medal of Honor as punishment for arriving late to a briefing. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson placed the medal around Smith's neck during a formation.
The sheer fact that the plane stayed in the air while hauling Snuffys massive balls is a testament to the toughness of the B17. #ww2 #b17 #stayzero #zerofoxtrot #hardcore #badass #hero