[NickM]

If I didn't know any better I'd say it's an amalgam of the beef 8thAF bomber crews had after Gen Doolittle 'freed' the escorts to see & destroy the Luftwaffe, by the somewhat 'cold blooded' but effective idea to use the bombers as 'bait'; If I recall correctly the 15 AF had a major problem with lack of escort fighters--indeed I was surprised to learn that the 15th had to halt bombing operations a few times due to heavy losses;