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

41-2608

Delivered Ogden 22/2/42; Cheyenne 25/3/42; Wayne Co. 14/4/42; RCAF Dorval 20/4/42; Gander-Prestwick 28/4/42, RAF [FK195]; 206 Sq (VX-L) Benbecula, Scot. 19/8/42, sunk U-boat U-469 off SW Iceland 25/3/43 with Willis Roxburgh; two days later U-169 was sunk with Ian Samuel; then on 9/2/43 with Sq Ldr R. Patrick damaged U-614; Struck Off Charge 27/4/44.

41-9226

Delivered Cheyenne 23/5/42; Assigned 431BS/11BG Hawaii 7/6/42; transferred 13AF Poppy 22/7/42; ditched at sea 11/9/42 with Willard G. Woodbury.

41-2394 / Hanger Queen

Delivered Patterson 2-Dec-41; March 18-Dec-41; MacDill 18-Jan-42; West Palm Beach, (Mercury 6AF) 4-Mar42; Pendleton 3-Aug-42; Ogden 2-Sep-42; Boise 9-Oct-42; Oklahoma City 6-Feb-43; Hendricks, 6-Jul-43; with Phil Bennett crash landed base 7-Jul-43; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Albuquerque 9-Jun-45. HANGAR QUEEN. Never served in the UK.

41-2438

Delivered Salt Lake SAD 2/12/41; Assigned 88RS/7BG [aircraft 12] 40RS/19BG Hickam 26/12/41; Returned to the USA Nov/42; Tinker 16/12/43; Assigned RCAF [9206]; 168th Heavy Transport Sq Rockcliffe, Ontario; Used for VIPs and mail to Prestwick, Scotland. Sold to Argentina as LV-RTO, Struck Off Charge 1964.

41-2543

Delivered Tucson 4/2/42; Geiger 12/2/42; Cheyenne 9/5/42; Wendover 12/5/42; Ephrata 4/6/42; Wendover 22/6/42; Westover 11/8/42; Boise 20/8/42; Topeka 28/10/42; Sioux Falls 21/11/42; Smyrna 28/2/43; Lockbourn, OH, force landed Baer Fd, Wayne, IN. with Leroy Rennfeldt 8/4/43; Written off 18/11/43.

41-9078

Delivered Boise 303BG 4/4/42; Salt Lake City 17/5/42; force landed Ephrata 4/6/42 with Harvey Williams; Muroc 21/7/42; Geiger 2/9/42; 1174 Pilot Trng Sq Lockbourne, OH 22/2/43; force landed base 26/8/43 with Leland Calvert; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 9/10/45.

41-9093 / Spook

Delivered Geiger 301BG 8/4/42; Lowry 31/5/42; Assigned 72BS/5BG Hawaii 7/6/42; transferred 431BS/11BG; retUS 2138 BU Tyndall 27/12/43; Kingman 22/10/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Albuquerque 25/6/45. SPOOK!

41-9080

Delivered Geiger 301st Bomb Group 6/4/42; Assigned 11AF Bronze 5/6/42; Kodiak 11/7/42; Gore 14/3/43; New Castle 6/4/42; Olmstead 17/5/43; Wilmington 30/8/43; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Bush Fd 19/6/45.

41-2647

Delivered AMC Wright 1/6/42; Newark 15/4/43; Wright 22/4/43; ASF Phillips,MD. 22/4/46.

41-9062

Delivered Geiger 301st Bomb Group 30/3/42; Wendover 23/5/42; Assigned 52BS/29BG Gowen 5/6/42; Wendover 11/7/42; Westover 11/8/42; Oklahoma City 5/12/42; Boise 31/12/42; with Jim Geary crashed Gowen Fd 15/2/43 thru mechanical failure; Written off 18/2/43.

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

“Big Tail”