How many B-17s took off from Midway for the first air attack ?
72 P-38 Lightnings , 38 P-47 Thunderbolts and 57 P-51 Mustangs escorted the B-17s to the target ( synthetic oil plant at Ruhland , Germany ) ; 123 B-17s bombed the primary target , 21 bombed the marshaling yard at Elsterwerda and a lone B-17 bombed the marshaling yard at Riesa , Germany , owing to a bomb rack malfunction .