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

41-9097

Delivered Boise 303BG 16/4/42; West Palm Beach 17/4/42; Gt Britain 9/5/42; India; Con Inv 30/6/43.

41-9131

Delivered SAAD 25/4/42; Langley 25/5/42; Olmstead 18/2/43; Langley 5/3/43; Mitchell 6/6/43; Cherry Pt 7/7/43; Grand Is 23/9/43; 1 MPC Culver 1/1/44; with ? f/landed Nebraska 26/9/44.

41-2484

Delivered Langley 31/12/41; Assigned 30BS/19BG Java 9/2/42 with Evans; transferred 9BS/7BG; then 64BS/43BG; strafed Singosari 20/2/42; Salvaged. (?While with 7BG crash landed Malang, Java 8/2/42 and abandoned?)

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.

41-2651

Delivered Lowry 5/3/42; with Walter Howard crashed on take off 22/3/42, rep; Boise 13/9/42; Biggs 3/11/42; Wendover 9/12/42; 2137 BU Hendricks 28/5/43. Written off 5/7/44.

41-2593 / Bataan aka Miss Em

Delivered MacDill 24/2/42; MAAD 18/6/42 mod as XC-108 as taxi for Gen McArthur, called BATAAN; later used by Gen Eichelberger as MISS EM; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Walnut Ridge 30/10/45.

41-9075

Delivered Boise 303BG 4/4/42; Salt Lake City 17/5/42; Ephrata 17/6/42; 305BG Muroc 17/8/42; Biggs 11/9/42; Rapid City 3/12/42; Oklahoma City 24/2/43; Pueblo 1/9/43; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Albuquerque 5/7/45.

41-2499

Delivered San Antonio 10/1/42; 7BG Hawaii 2/42; then Singosari, Java 9/2/42 with Smithson; to Asanol, India with Norman Llewellyn 2/4/42; with Capt Don Keiser 20/5/42; Returned to the USA Hendricks 14/6/43; 4121 BU Kelly 23/9/44; 3018 BU Kingman 18/10/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Albuquerque 25/6/45.

41-2590

Delivered MacDill 24/2/42; Cheyenne 14/5/42; force landed with Bill Bloodgood MacDill 20/6/42; Walla Walla 26/6/42; Eglin 3/8/42; Wright 25/9/42; Lockbourn 22/4/43; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Walnut Ridge 18/10/45.

41-2668

Delivered Minneapolis 9/3/42; Assigned 93BS/19BG Hawaii 5/5/42; retUS 3137 BU Hendricks 21/10/43; Written off 13/7/44; Recl Comp 20/3/46.

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

“Big Tail”