B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 40-2045

History of
B-17 40-2045

Delivered 30BS-14BS/7BG Clark Fd, Phillipines 11-Feb-40; shot down by enemy aircraft at Luzon, Philippines 10-Dec-41. First USAAF B-17 lost in combat. No MACR issued.

Last updated: 6. June 2017

B-17 40-2045 Details

First B-17 of US Air Force lost in combat.

Boeing B-17C 40-2045 crashed five miles (8 kilometers) east of Clark Field. The bodies of Captain Kelly and Sergeant Delehanty were found at the crash site.

“The wreckage was found along a rural road 2 miles west of Mount Aryat (Mount Aryat is about 5 miles east of Clark Field). The tail assembly was missing. Parts . . . were scattered over an area of 500 yards. The right wing with two engines still in place remained almost intact although it was burning when the search party arrived. The fuselage and left side of the plane were badly wrecked and burned. T/Sgt Delehanty’s body was lying about 50 yards north of the wreckage. Capt Kelly’s body . . . was found very near the wreckage with his parachute unopened. . . .”

— Narrative Report of Flight of Captain Colin P. Kelly, Air Corps, O-20811 (deceased) on Dec 10, 1947, by Eugene L. Eubank, Colonel, Air Corps, Commanding, Headquarters, 5th Bomber Command, Malang, Java, Feb 19, 1942

Source: https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/10-december-1941/

B-17 40-2045 Crew