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

41-2521 / G. I. Angel

Delivered Ogden 25/1/42; Hill 18/2/42; Cheyenne 12/4/42; Lowry 8/5/42; Hamilton 29/5/42; slated RAF by transferred 72BS/5BG Hawaii 30/5/42; fate unknown after 15/6/44. Salvaged Hawaii 10/8/44.

41-2558

Delivered Pendleton 5/2/42; Cheyenne 14/5/42; Wright 15/6/42; Blythe 2/7/42; Geiger 1/9/42; Topeka 28/9/42; Oklahoma 27/11/42; Lockbourn 30/3/43; with Kurt Ahlstrom crashed near base 22/6/43. Salvaged.

41-2448

Delivered Sacramento 8/12/41; Assigned 74BS/6BG Guatemala 27/12/41; Guatemala 12/4/42; with G.H. Blasé force landed base 27/11/42; Returned to the USA Tinker 8/7/44; Written off 9/2/45. (?Destroyed by strafing at Broome, Aus, just after Java evacuation 3/3/42?).

41-9109

Delivered Sarasota 97BG 18/4/42; West Palm Beach 27/4/42; Assigned Gt Britain 26/5/42 in error; 10AF DAUB 13/9/42; 12AF GLEN 11/1/43; 15AF OHAM 30/9/44; Grenier 18/10/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Walnut Ridge 10/10/45.

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.

41-9068

Delivered Geiger 301st Bomb Group 3/4/42; Alamogordo 18/6/42; Westover 2/7/42; New Castle 1/9/42; Assigned 421BS/304BG Salt Lake City 30/12/42; damaged in take off with Doug Buskey at Presque Is 22/2/43; Mitchell 8/6/43; Cherry Pt 26/7/43; Lakeland 30/9/44; Hillsboro 31/10/42; Red Bluff 22/2/45; 461 BU Seymour 30/8/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Ontario 31/10/45.

41-9214 / The Skipper

Delivered Cheyenne 22/5/42; Assigned 431BS/11BG Hickham 3/6/42; transferred 98BS and 23BS/5BG; ditched 20/3/43 off Russell Is. SWPAC; (?retUS Tyndall 27/12/43; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Albuquerque 12/6/45.?) THE SKIPPER.

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

“Big Tail”