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

41-2450

Delivered Sacramento 17/11/41; MacDill 5/1/42; Project X 18/1/42; Assigned 3BS/6BG Panama 4/3/42; Guatemala 15/4/42; Albrook, CZ 1/11/42; take off accident (from APO 841) 27/5/53 with Bob Charles at (APO 839) Talara, Peru; Written off ??.

41-9020 / Phyllis aka Tugboat Annie

Assigned 340BS/97BG Polebrook 3/42 as PHYLLIS; col with 41-9051, rep; 92BG Bovingdon 8/42; 303BG Molesworth 1/5/43 and was painted in bright colours as a formation ship; 2SAD Lt Staughton 19/7/44; on cross country trip from Molesworth to Kings Cliffe 23/7/44, with Major Louis Shulstad, Co-pilot: Capt Harry McDaniel, but pilot raised u/c in error in landing (2 Returned to Duty); Salvaged n/battle damaged 27/7/45. PHYLLIS aka TUGBOAT ANNIE (Used as hack by Gp HQ.)

41-2418

Delivered Salt Lake Strategic Arms Depot (SAD) 26-Nov-41; Assigned 25BS/6BG 25-Dec-41; Panama 1-Jun-42; Puerto Rico 11-Jul-42; Guatemala 10-Aug-42; Returned to US (RETUS) Brownsville 3-Oct-42; Guatemala 8-Jan-43; Albrook, Canal Zone 14-Jan-43; mid-air collision with Bill Ellerbe 17-May-43, force landed Guayaquil, Ecuador; Written off 26-Jun-46.(? Assigned 19BG and destroyed on ground at Bandoeng, Java, 20-Feb-42?). Never served in the UK.

41-9030 / Big Punk

Assigned 414BS/97BG MacDill, FL, force landed base with Joe Bernhardt 27/3/42; Grenier, NH with Bill Saunders force landed Buhl, ID 15/6/42; Polebrook 3/42; with Lt. William P. Saunders took part in 8AF 1st raid 17/8/42; transferred 92BG Bovingdon 4/12/42; 310FySqd then 305BG Chelveston /11/43; 27 ATG; 3 SAD Watton, Written off 25/5/45. BIG PUNK.

41-2632 / Crock O’ Crap

Delivered Lowry 5/3/42; Boise 7/4/42; Assigned 93BS/19BG, transferred 394BS/5BG Hawaii 28/5/42; Returned to the USA Hendricks 21/12/43; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Albuquerque 9/8/45. CROCK-O-CRAP. (Shown in Midway, a TV documentary).

41-2443

Delivered McChord 4/12/41; Assigned 7BG Java, 42BS/11BG Hickam 15/12/41; with Chas Allen (Ward Cox), crashed Keaheakahoe, Hawaii, 5/4/42.

41-9061

Delivered Wright Fd 3/2/42; Eglin 17/5/42; Wright 3/6/42; Phillips 21/6/42; Tinker 19/9/42; Wright-Patterson 19/2/43; force landed base with Hilliard Estes 16/7/43; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 20/12/45.

41-2476

Delivered McChord 24/12/41; Assigned 19BG Malang, Java 26/1/42 with Capt Walt Sparks; transferred 9BS/7BG; while on mission to Balikpapan and return to Malang AF, shot down & crashed in sea off SE Borneo 29/1/42 with Capt Walt Sparks, Co-pilot: Major Stan Robinson, Navigator: Rich Cease, Bombardier: Bill Biggs, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Gordon Drake, Obs-Lt Jack Loughlin, Ball turret gunner: Lloyd Terrell,Tail gunner: Chas Pritchard, (8 Killed in Action) Radio Operator: and crew all KIA.

41-2526

Delivered Ogden 25/1/42; Hill 15/2/42; Cheyenne 30/3/42; Wayne Co. 17/4/42; RCAF Dorval 22/4/42; Gander-Prestwick 10/5/42 with Don Ross, RAF [FK193]; 220 Sq (ZZ-H) Ballykelly and Aldergrove, N.I.; to RAE Farnborough then St Eval for Met training, before moving to Lagens, Azores 24/10/43; Struck Off Charge 12/6/45.

41-2584

Delivered Barksdale 20/2/42; MacDill 13/3/42; with John Swanson coll with B-17 in taxi accident 27/3/42; Assigned 43BS/29BG Cheyenne 21/5/42; Boise 27/6/42; with Alex Carver force landed Gowen 30/7/42; with George Page crash landed Gowen 21/9/42. Salvaged.

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

“Big Tail”