Fate of aircraft seen
I was just wondering what happened to some of the real aircraft shown and identifiable in the film, so I did some research. They are identified by the numbers on their tails. All the Boeing B-17s shown on the field and taking off going into battle were B-17E models and all were used in training stateside and never left the USA. All were ordered in 1941 and delivered to the Army Air Force starting in late February, 1942.
41-9137: Written off after training accident at Pyote Army Airfield, Texas 5/4/43
41-9117: Written off after training accident at Hendricks Army Airfield, Florida 11/20/43
41-2594: Sold as surplus, scrapped at Walnut Ridge Army Airfield 11/13/45
41-9127: Sold as surplus at Kirtland Field, Albuquerque, NM 7/5/45 - ultimate fate?
41-9152: Written off after training accident Hendricks Army Airfield, Florida 4/29/43
41-9187: Written off after training accident Lockbourne Army Airfield Columbus, Ohio 1/21/44
Other training aircraft seen in the film were the twin-tailed Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan, and most often the Douglas B-18A Bolo. It's interesting to note that they showed the bombardiers training on mostly the Bolos and never on the B-17s they would actually fly in combat.
Albuquerque Army Air Base was built in 1941 and renamed Kirtland Army Airfield in 1942 after Col. Roy C. Kirtland, one of the earliest Army aviators. It is still an active USAF base and shares runways with Albuquerque's international airport.
BG Eugene L. Eubank, who gave the intro to the film, was the actual director of bombardment at Air Force headquarters from September 1942, until April 1943. He then was commander, 2nd Bomber Command, 2nd USAAF - in charge of training bomber crews in the USA. In February 1945 he was sent to commands with the Eighth Air Force in Europe. After the war he held various commands in the US and the Pacific. He was awarded the DSM, Silver Star and DFC (2). He retired in December 1954 and passed away April 1997, age 104.
For more info on bombardier training at Kirtland in WWII, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirtland_Air_Force_Base#Bombardier_traini ng