Native Feather

Q: Did they really BOMB Miles City during WW II?

A: Yes, and it’s an amazing tale. Miles City (Montana) was the site of the ONLY domestic bombing mission ordered by the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. On March 21, 1944, a huge Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress flew from Rapid City (South Dakota) to break an ice jam on the Yellowstone River. Approximately 500 people had been displaced by flooding, and boats had been used to rescue some marooned families. The road north toward Jordan could not be reached, and water levels were rising. Leighton Keye, Miles City Mayor and owner of the Olive Hotel, had convinced Governor Sam Ford to call the Army for help.

The day before the B-17 dropped bombs, local pilots Leighton “Brud” Foster (Foster Drugs), Fred Cook (Cook Signs), and Ted Filbrandt (one account listed Maurice Smith of Smith’s Bootery instead) had flown their small Piper Cubs to drop 12 homemade bombs made from 1,500 pounds of dynamite. Their homemade bombs exploded on the surface of the ice and had little effect.

On its first run, the B-17 Flying Fortress dropped one 250-pound bomb just downstream from the 7th Street Bridge that crossed the Yellowstone River. The next two runs dropped six bombs each, bringing the total to 13 bombs, 3,250 pounds of explosives.

The bombs were configured with a 10-second delay to explode underwater. The hundreds of spectators heard loud whooshes rather than bangs. There were, however, impressive tornado-like spirals of mud, water, and ice that peaked at about 150 feet high! The bombing mission succeeded, and water levels fell about 10 feet during the next 24 hours. The event was broadcast live from atop Garfield School by Ian Elliot on radio station KRJF, 1340 AM. Listeners some miles away heard the whooshes on the radio first, followed by the airborne soundwaves.

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress had a wingspan of 104 feet. The plane had a crew of 10 that day, including the bombardier. Top speed for a B-17 was about 300 mph. One Miles City resident, reportedly aerial sprayer Lyman Choate, helped direct the pilot.

I am from the Wild West town of Miles City. I love the images that illustrate our heritage. This photo was not the particular plane that bombed Miles City, but it is among the few surviving color photos of a B-17 bomber during WW II. Text and digital restoration of photo by Gary Coffrin.