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

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Improvements

The B-17G was the latst production model of the “Flying Fortress” and was manufactured in the greates numbers.

B-17G mit Kinnturm // Wikipedia Commons [Public Domain]

In effect, the B-17G was the B-17F with the powered Bedinx chin turret fitted under the nose section. Design modifications included the Minneapolis-Honeywell electric turbo-supercharger regulators allowing manifold pressure, or boost, to be controlled by one control knob for all four engines. the pilot no longer had to worry about over-revving turbines or having to constantly tweak power controls to stop oil in regulator lines becoming sluggish. Another major difference was that the waist gunners were given anenclosure that protected them from the icy temperatures of high altitude with the position of the guns staggered to give them more room to manoeuvre. The tail gun position was also improved allowing a wider field of fire, a reflector sight, and hand held guns.

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Chenyenne-Turret // http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/4381 // CC-BY-NC 3.0

However, the new model B-17 also experienced its own operating difficulties. When fired at maximum elevation, the chin turret guns had a tendency to crack the plexiglass nose; a problem was solved by fitting blast barrels to each gun. The oil cooler regulator often failed to operate and could result in complete engine seizure. The ability to feather the propeller blades, in event of engine failture, was lost in the B-17G because the standpipe that held back sufficient oil to work the feathering tank was sacrificed in the quest for a lighter aircraft. This was a major design error and meant that, by the winter of 1943, the lack of feathering was a major reason for bomber loss. Urgent request were made by Groups for special modifications kits but it was only in September 1944 that B-17G’s arrived with these modifications built-in.

Fatal Error

Another serious problem on the B-17G was the lack of an engine fire extinguisher system. Designers had believed that it was ineffective so had left it out of the new model. In reality, the system had worked well and it was requested by Bomber Groups that it be re-introduced as soon as possible.

B-17G im Flug // http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/2433 // CC-BY-NC 3.0

The B-17G was still tail heavy with the same centre of gravity problems as earlier models. However, by May 1944, when long-range fighter esort was effective defensive protection, gunners were not as busy as before and it was decided that one waist gunner be dispensed with. The radio romm gun, the least used in action, was got also rid of and the quanity of ammunition carried reduced. All these measures brought the centre of gravity nearer th a more acceptable position. In the las month of the war, when there was little enemy fighter activity, some Combat Wings flew without waist guns, ball turrets or chin turrets. Operational reports revealed an estimated 25mph increase in airspeed with the improved streamlining. In this period of the war flak batteries were a greater hazard than fighters and unneccesary gunner armor plate was removed to be replaced with laminated steel and canvas plates called “flak curtains”.

In total, the 8th Air Force received 6,500 B-17G’s. In March 1945, it could send 2,370 of them into combat operations. At the end of the war a total 1,301 B-17G’s had been shot down or reported missing in action.

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Random B-17G from database

42-98010

Delivered Dallas 1/5/44; Long Beach 12/6/44; Hunter 18/7/44; Dow Fd 3/8/44; Assigned: 551BS/385BG [HR-Q] Gt Ashfield 4/8/44; MIA Berlin (Spandau) 6/10/44 Pilot: Delroy Taylor, Miles Osmer, Orlando Krupka, Ira Barnes, Albt Beenes, Vernon James, Elvin Brown, Orvil Wright (8KIA); Bruce Martin (POW); Enemy aircraft, crashed Liepe, Germany. MACR 9523.

42-37727 / Elise

Delivered Denver 11/8/43; Scott 16/9/43; Assigned 303BG Molesworth 10/10/43; 1 BAD 23/10/43; transferred 545BS/384BG [JD-Z] Grafton Underwood 2/11/43; Missing in Action Brunswick 30/1/44 with Comus Penney, Bombardier: Harvey Pinger, Radio Operator: Roland Parsons, Ball turret gunner: Chas McClure, Waist gunner: Mercer Nickles, Waist gunner: John Kohl,Tail gunner: Walt Hunt (7 Prisoner of War); Co-pilot: Don Furber, Navigator: Bob Huber, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Allen Gregerson (3 Killed in Action); flak & enemy aircraft, crashed Rohrsen, near Eimbeckhausen, 16 miles SW of Hanover, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 2265.

42-97329 / Flak Hack

Delivered Cheyenne 19/2/44; Hunter 12/3/44; Grenier 3/4/44; Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-H] Molesworth 22/4/44; Missing in Action Magdeburg 28/9/44 with Art Michaelis, Earl Huckins, Tom Lillig, Bill Schobert, Don Jones, Dale Jensen, Harry Barth, Ed Healey (8 Killed in Action); George Hlavac (Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft, crashed Bad Grund, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 9411. FLAK HACK.

43-37806 / Miss Fortune

Delivered Cheyenne 24/5/44; Kearney 2/6/44; Grenier 16/6/44; Assigned: 486BG Sudbury 18/6/44; Transferred: 561BS/388BG Knettishall 19/6/44; during assembly for Chemnitz 6/2/45 Pilot: George Thompson, Co-Pilot: Wetterstein was killed when chute failed, rest of crew ”, mid air coll w/43-37894 (490BG) aircraft crashed Wicken, Cambs. UK, two civilians killed; (8RTD ‘); Salvaged. MISS FORTUNE.

42-38148 / Mamu

Delivered Denver 27/12/43; Gr Island 12/1/44; Assigned 368BS/306BG [BO-K] Thurleigh 9/4/44; transferred 381BG Ridgewell 5/45; retUS Bradley 7/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 12/9/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 3/12/45. MAMU.

43-37982

Delivered Cheyenne 12/6/44; Kearney 23/6/44; Grenier 7/7/44; Assigned 603BS/398BG [N7-K] Nuthampstead 31/7/44; Missing in Action 7/10/44 with Brandstatter, AOC 14/10/44, re-ass 18/10/44; Missing in Action 29/1/45 with Green, AOC {B-53} 29/1/45 and reass from 2 SAD Abbotts Ripton 25/3/45; RAF Valley 26/5/45; Returned to the USA Bradley 31/5/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 1/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 13/12/45. BE BE.

42-32062

Delivered Denver 18/1/44; Cheyenne 21/1/44; MacDill 5/2/44; Morrison 9/3/44; Assigned 815BS/483BG Tortorella 13/3/44; transferred 416BS/99BG Tortorella 31/3/44; Missing in Action {1m} Steyr, Aus. 2/4/44 with Joe Moffitt, Co-pilot: John Guldan, Navigator: Phil Melnik, Bombardier: Bob Wort (Nori?), Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Lester Malone, Radio Operator: Edsel Barker, Dailey (7POW?); Vernon Baldwin, Gene Fast, Frank Cramer (3 evaded capture), ret 2/5/44; enemy aircraft, two engines out, crash landed Oglin, Yugo; Missing Air Crew Report 4909.