The bomber's flight is said to have yielded one of the most famous photographs of World War II, and has been linked with the phrase "Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer."

[1] On February 1, 1943, bombers of the 414th Bombardment Squadron departed their base near Biskra, Algeria, to attack the German-controlled seaports, Bizerte and Tunis, Tunisia.

[8][9] The bomber squadron maintained formation to protect the All American until they were beyond the range of enemy fighters, with the crew donning parachutes in the expectation of having to bail out.

[5] Burbridge explained that the aircraft returned to her base in North Africa, and could not have made a long trip back to England as widely recounted.

[5] The Harold Adamson and Jimmy McHugh 1943 song "Comin' In on a Wing and a Prayer" was not written about All American as sometimes reported, but was about another 97th Bomb Group B-17, Thunderbird.

[10] In a wartime letter, navigator Harry C. Nuessle listed the All American's crew of its 1 February 1943 flight, along with their signatures:[4][7] † Bragg was a halfback on the 1938 Duke Blue Devils football team.