B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies
B-17E
“Big Tail”
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.
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Random B-17E from database
Delivered Cheyenne 1/6/42; Wayne 30/6/42; Dorval 10/7/42; Gander-Silloth-Prestwick 21/7/42, to RAF [FL459]; 220 Sq (VX-J) Ballykelly 20/8/42, attached to 1402 Met Flight, Aldergrove 18/1/43 in preparation for Operation Torch in the Mediterannean; sank sub U-624 7/2/43 with George Roberson, followed by U-707 9/11/43 with Rod Drummond, Bob Thompson, G. Grundy, L. Parker, J. Fitzpatrick, J. Brodie, F. Galloway, – Fitzgibbon, from Lagens, Azores; yet a third, No. U-575 on 13/3/44 with Wilf Travell, sharing with 179 Wellington Sq; on 14/11/42 out of Ballykelly with George Gamble dropped emergency supplies to crew of ditched Whitley, before returning to Predannack; Benbecula 11/43; 519 Met Sq (Z9-M) Wick, Scot. 23/3/45; 251 Met Sq (-A) Reykjavik, Iceland, 24/7/45. Struck Off Charge 22/12/45; recorded with 51 MU mid 1946.
Delivered Ogden 22/2/42 (for RAF KH998); Cheyenne 27/3/42; slated RAF but transferred 23BS/5BG Hawaii 22/5/42; transferred 26BS/11BG; crash landed in jungle Espirito Santos 24/8/42 with Robert D. Guenther; Written off 15/6/44.
Delivered Salt Lake SAD 21/1/41; Assigned 40RS/19BG Hickam 26/12/41; transferred (42BS) 38BS/11BG; then 43BG, 394BS/5BG; Returned to the USA Lambert, MO. 7/3/44; Chanute 1/2/45; Recl Comp 15/6/46. CALAMITY JANE. (?Ditched off Duma Pt 24/9/42, out of gas. Crew rescued then executed. Wreck still there in 60ft down?)
Delivered Cheyenne 28/5/42; Wayne 5/7/42; Dorval 11/7/42; Gander-Prestwick 17/7/42, to RAF [FL462]; 59 Sq (PJ-C) Thorney Is, 31/12/42, on 3/3/43 attacked U-boat and badly damaged it; 220 Sq (ZZ-W) Benbecula 7/4/43; Lagens, Azores Nov/43; hit trees on overshoot at Gosport, Hants. 22/1/45. Struck Off Charge 4/7/45.
Delivered MacDill 23/1/42; Tucson 31/1/42; Assigned 7BG Hawaii 2/42 then to 10AF Nasal, Asanol India with Lt Carmack 20/5/42; Ret US, New Castle, Del. 29/5/42; Wilmington 30/8/42; Written off 5/6/44.
Delivered Salt Lake Strategic Arms Depot (SAD) 12-Jan-41; Assigned 431BS/11BG Hickam Field, HI 30-Jan-42; wore shadow shading camouflage, crash landed Guadalcanal with Bill Keys 25-Nov-42. Written off 20-Sep-43. OLD MAID. Never served in the UK.
Delivered Boise and assigned 359BS/303BG Molesworth 10/4/42; transferred 340BS/97BG Polebrook 8/42; detailed on a navigation exercise to Burtonwood, Lancs., the weather was poor, and almost certainly the red warning flares on North Wales border were missed, thus while continuing on their heading and crashed on eastern side of Cadair Berwyn, Llanthawdr Mtn, Wales 11/8/42 with Henry Gilbert, Co-pilot: Bob Beers, Navigator: Larry Schmitt, Bombardier: Leon Philipps, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Stan Aldridge, Radio Operator: Bob Memp, Ball turret gunner: Stanislas Lepa; Waist gunner: Ken Branum, Tail gunner: Wallace Sidders + two pass: Marvin Koepke, Fidel Villareal (11 Killed in Service). Salvaged. First B-17 loss in Britain involving fatalities.
Delivered Lowry 19/5/42; Assigned 435BS/19BG Hawaii 7/6/42; force landed Orangerie Bay, New Guinea 24/9/42 with George Newton, Co-pilot: Dusty O’Connor, Navigator: McMahon, – Cameron, – Olson, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: ‘Pappy’ Hale, Radio Operator: Don Pittenger, Al Regis, Ball turret gunner: George White, Waist gunner: Tex Williams,Tail gunner: Holmes (11 Returned to Duty). Salvaged.
Delivered Pendleton 5/2/42; 34BG Tucson 14/5/42; Rapid City 5/12/42; Assigned 317BS/88BG Walla Walla 14/1/43; in base landing accident with Joe Bambrough 27/1/43; rep. Lockbourn 9/4/43. Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Albuquerque 14/7/45. (Served with 7BG Asanol, India, April 1942?) PER DIEM.
Delivered Barksdale 24/2/42; 97BG Sarasota 29/3/42; Walla Walla 28/6/42; crashed & burned 15/7/42. Salvaged.
![B-17E in flight // Wikipedia Commons [Public Domain]](https://b17flyingfortress.de/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Color_Photographed_B-17E_in_Flight-1024x672.jpg)
