B-17E | B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies

The first of the “Big Ass” B-17’s arrived England to equip the US 8th Air Force in July 1942. All the planes had been modified with enlarged gun windows and 0.50-calibre guns on either side of the nose. Further modifications were made to them after they were operational including work on the radio, bomb rack, lighting, oxygen, extinguisher and survival systems. By the time the B-17E had been shipped across the Atlantic, newer models were already coming off the Boeing production line. In fact, the B-17E was only on full combat status for just over two weeks before the appearance of the B-17F’s

The B-17E was not used in great numbers for combat because the F model was so different in performance that it made joint operations, using both planes unlikely. The B-17E took a back seat and was eventually esed as a trainer, a transport and a target-tower. With its armaments removed it could give better handling and speed.

Random B-17E from database

41-2534

Delivered Sebring 27/1/42; Cheyenne 20/5/42; Eglin 29/11/42; crash landed with Bill Yeats, Hendricks 10/4/43; rep. then force landed base with R.A. Hobbs 7/7/43; Salvaged 5/2/44.

41-9103 / Dixie Demo

Assigned 414BS/97BG Polebrook 11/4/42; with Lt. Clarence L. Thacker on first 8AF mission 17/8/42; transferred 92BG Bovingdon 24/8/42; 91BG Bassingbourn 3/3/43; 385BG Gt Ashfield 8/43 as target tow & hack; Returned to the USA 23/6/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Walnut Ridge 19/12/45. DIXIE DEMO.

41-2503

Delivered MacDill 25/1/42; Assigned 7BG Java 19/2/42 with Franklin; shot down over Buitenzong, Java, 19/2/42 with Franklin; Salvaged.

41-9191

Delivered MacDill 92BG 12/5/42; Hendricks 24/6/43; Assigned 6BS/29BG Gowen Fd; with Tom Fenton force landed when stored gun fired, at Gowen Fd, 8/9/42; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Albuquerque 12/6/45.

41-2399

Delivered Boeing as experimental aircraft for flight testing 4-May42; also at Oseola and Selfridge, MI. Fields. Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Stillwater, Oklahoma 19-Sep-45. Never served in the UK.

41-2641

Destroyed on ground on 25/04/1942.

41-9165

Delivered Sebring 4/5/42; MAAD 15/5/42; Sebring 13/7/42; 2137 BU Hendricks 29/11/42; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Albuquerque 9/10/45.

41-9154 / The Bat out of Hell

Delivered Geiger 419BS/301BG 28/4/42; Assigned 97BG Polebrook 8/42; 327BS/92BG [UX-S] Bovingdon /9/42 as T/T a/c; with Warren K. Manning crash landed 25/6/44; Written off 26/6/44. THE BAT OUTA HELL.

41-2451 / Aztec’s Curse

Assigned 7BG Panama 17/12/41, with John Taylor force landed Rio Hato, CZ 27/12/41; with Scott crash landed south of Rio Hato, 1/6/42, when on re-supply mission to FEAF; Guatemala 7/7/42; with Dave Tyler force landed Alamagordo 6/10/42; Returned to the USA Tinker 8/7/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 24/8/45. Parts used to restore B-17G 44-83812 at Grass Valley, Cal 1969. AZTEC’S CURSE.

41-2463 / Yankee Doodle

Delivered Geiger 28/12/41; Assigned 26BS/11BG Hickam 13/2/42; transferred 394BS/5BG; crashed on take off Guadalcanal with Gene Roddenberry (later of Star Trek fame) 2/8/43; Bombardier: John Kruger, Navigator: Talbert Wollam [body taken home for burial 15/3/48] (2 Killed in Action), rest of unknown crew OK; Written off 13/8/43. [however another record gives aircraft was destroyed on ground at Morotai A/fd. D.E.I. by Japanese bombing in 11/44] YANKEE DOODLE.

B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies B-17E

“Big Tail”