B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber in WW2. With database about the fate of each single aircraft.
English
Deutsch
“The best bomber which was ever built. She could handle extensive damage and still stay in the air.”
General Ira C. Eaker
Featured B-17s
Boeing B-17 #42-102544 / Sack Time
Lost by flak/aa-fire / (17 April 1945)
Boeing B-17 #42-39912 / Sky Chief
Crashlanding / (16 July 1944)
Boeing B-17 #42-5125 / Boom Town Jr
Lost by flak/aa-fire / (13 June 1943)Werbung/Advertisement
Recently modified B-17s in the database
B-17 #42-3384 / Jonny Boy
Delivered Denver 1/6/43; Presque Is 6/8/43; Assigned 20BS/2BG Massicault 27/8/43; transferred 353BS/301BG Oudna 14/11/43; Cerignola 7/12/43; Lucera 1/2/44; {53m} to depot 20/7/44; Salvaged 14/9/44.
B-17 #42-5910 / Ruhtie aka Hell-Cat aka Homesick Angel
Delivered Long Beach 5/5/43; Denver 11/5/43; Dow Fd 31/5/43; Assigned 326BS/92BG [JW-N] Alconbury 6/6/43 RUTHIE; transferred 365BS/305BG [XK-N] Chelveston HELL-CAT 10/6/43; then 422BS [JJ-Z/N]; 858BS/8AFCC Cheddington 26/6/44; battle damaged Romilly 15/9/43 with ? + crew, crash landed RAF Hawkinge; Salvaged 2 SAD Lt Staughton 16/9/43. HOMESICK ANGEL.
B-17 #43-39023 / My Bonnie aka Maiden Prayer aka Starduster
Delivered Lincoln 10/11/44; Grenier 2/12/44; Assigned 563BS/388BG Knettishall 15/12/44; transferred 568BS/390BG [BI-K] Framlingham 1/1/45 MAIDEN PRAYER; Returned to the USA Bradley 30/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 2/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 25/11/45. MY BONNIE.
B-17 #42-30810
Delivered Cheyenne 4/8/43; Gr Isle 11/8/43; Assigned: 338BS/96BG [BX-Y] Snetterton 11/9/43; MIA Munich 18/3/44 Pilot: Bob Muirhead, Co-Pilot: Bob Besse, Navigator: Len Hoenferle, Bombardier: Frank Spencer, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: John McMillan, Ball Turret Gunner: Bob Blackburn, Waist Gunner: Edgar Weislogel (7POW); Radio Operator: Jerry Peck, Waist Gunner: Bob Seal, Tail Gunner: Bob Haase (3KIA); Enemy aircraft, two engines out, then ship snapped in half over Black Forest, crashed Ditteshausen, near Freiburg, Germany. MACR 3422.
B-17 #42-31336
Delivered Vandalia 26/10/43; Assigned: 561BS/388BG Knettishall 14/12/43; MIA Frankfurt 10/2/44 Pilot: Bob Tolles, Co-Pilot: Ed Moerbe, Navigator: Bill Conway, Bombardier: Harry Wasserstom, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Cliff Raymond, Radio Operator: Vernon Klenk, Ball Turret Gunner: Larry Jacobson, Waist Gunner: Bob Barrington, Waist Gunner: Dick Evans, Tail Gunner: George Millar (10KIA); Enemy aircraft, probably crashed North Sea. MACR 2347.
B-17 #42-3057 / Picadilly Commando aka Blonde Bomber
Delivered Cheyenne 18/1/43; Nashville 27/2/43; Assigned 324BS/91BG [LG-N] Wildflower 21/3/43; Bassingbourn 26/3/43; Missing in Action Oschersleben on its 38th mission, 11 January 1944 to Oschersleben, Germany. Pilot Wayne E. Murdoch chute failed to open; Radio Operator: Teddy J. Morris (2 Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Kenneth L. Manson; Navigator: George F.Young Jr; Bombardier: Robert R. Case; Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Arlo L. Roswell; Ball turret gunner: Thomas H. Rogers; Left Waist gunner: Walter T. Romanofski; Right Waist gunner: Russell B. Hoover; Tail gunner: Julius R. Sobieski – foot shot off in action (8POW-baled out over target area); Flak hits and enemy aircraft, crashed between Hornhausen and Ausleben, six miles NW of Oschersleben, Germany. Missing Air Crew Report 1918. PICADILLY COMMANDO later BLONDE BOMBER.
B-17 #44-8207
Delivered Dallas 10/7/44; Langley 5/8/44; Grenier 29/8/44; Assigned: 562BS/388BG Knettishall 2/11/44; 563BS; battle damage Hamburg 31/12/44 Pilot: Wayne Davis, Maj Bill Harrell, Fred Dearing, Bill Stafford, Ed Van Every, Orvil Gough, Earl Jasper, Lt Norman Isaacs {radio nav}, Jerry Janis, Lt Don Sachs {tg} (10POW); flak, ditched off Baltrum, Germany. MACR 11241.
B-17 #42-107116 / Gypsy Girl
Delivered Tulsa 26/2/44; Rapid City 2/3/44; Dow Fd 14/4/44; Assigned: 398BG Nuthampstead 24/4/44; no ops, Transferred: 338BS/96BG [BX-B] Snetterton 2/5/44; destroyed by Enemy aircraft at Poltava Pilot: 1st Lt H.D.Stenseth 21/6/44; Salvaged. 1/7/44. GYPSY GIRL.
B-17 #42-97271 / Boss Lady
Delivered Cheyenne 15/2/44; Dalhart 29/2/44; Dow Field 3/4/44; Assigned 545BS/384BG [JD-A] Grafton Underwood 25/4/44; Missing in Action Hamburg 30/3/45 with Gerald Hicks (Killed in Action); Jesse Hendricks, Bob Thiefels, John Gussin, Bill Goodman, Charles Winner, Robert Grocki, Roger Walcott, Sherman Edward Meek (8 Prisoner of War); flak, crashed Ramhusen, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 13565. BOSS LADY.
B-17 #42-31081 / Son of a Blitz
Delivered Cheyenne 16/9/43; Assigned 613BS/401BG [IN-C] Deenethorpe 4/11/43; Missing in Action Zwickau 7/10/44 with Augustus J. Nelson, Edgar W. Nevois, John S. Kulczycki Jr., Blaine B.Wilcox, Larry E. Williams, John T. Dorris, Frank R. Majeski, Bobbie D. Anderson, James J. McCarthy (9 Killed in Action); flak, crashed Politz, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 9757. SON OF A BLITZ.
