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

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

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.

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.

Random B-17G from database

44-6039

Delivered Tulsa 12/4/44; 88BG Avon Park 23/4/44; 325 BU Avon Park, Written off 8/11/44; Recl Comp 6/1/45.

43-37929

Delivered Cheyenne 6/6/44; Kearney 18/6/44; Grenier 1/7/44; Assigned 835BS/486BG [H8-F] Sudbury 2/7/44; {3m} Missing in Action Hamburg 4/8/44 with Nathan Adler, Co-pilot: John Williams, Navigator: Sam Lum, Bombardier: Joe Richter, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Forse Baisden, Radio Operator: Don Jones, Ball turret gunner: Mike Pesta, Waist gunner: Joe Davis,Tail gunner: Bill Sterfanik (9 Prisoner of War); flak, crashed Einswarden, W of Wesermunde, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 7712.

42-31974 / Bomboogie

Delivered Cheyenne 11/1/44; Memphis 23/1/44; Savannah 24/1/44; Assigned: 570BS/390BG [DI-G] Framlingham 5/2/44; Returned to US: 121 BU Bradley 3/7/45; 4168 BU Sth Plains 6/7/45; Scrapped: Kingman 30/11/45. BOMBOOGIE.

44-83528

Delivered Hunter 27/3/45; Slated 8AF, transferred Sth Plains 18/4/45; Patterson 25/5/45; 4121 BU Kelly 20/2/46; 4117 BU Robins 25/2/45; 15 TSK Gp Clovis 25/3/45; 556 BU Long Beach 9/6/46; 1503 BU Hamilton 16/6/46; 1504 BU Fairfield 20/8/46; 509 Comp Gp Roswell (Operation Crossroads) 21/8/46; 4104 BU Rome 16/10/46; AMC Columbus 27/11/46; 4000 BU Wright 22/5/47; 1 EG Eglin 28/5/47; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 18/4/48; 609 BU Eglin 17/10/48; Recl Comp 30/1/49.

44-83867

Delivered Syracuse 5/7/45; Topeka 27/8/45; Long Beach 21/9/45; re-ass 30/4/47; 338 RV Momote 1/1/48; 13 ARE Clark Fd 9/3/48; 5 Ph Recon Clark 9/3/48; 358 SR Clark 1/4/48; 567 BA Clark 16/7/48; 5 RVP Clark 18/7/48; ditched in 10 feet of water near Alibijabam Island, PI en route from New Guinea after running out of fuel 15/11/48 (all 12 aboard rescued from sand bar). Recl Comp 29/7/49.

42-31367 / Chow-Hound

Delivered Cheyenne 25/10/43; Assigned 322BS/91BG [LG-R] Bassingbourn 25/1/44; Missing in Action 50+m Caen 8/8/44 with Jack Thompson, Co-pilot: Dave Nelson, Navigator: Chas Bacigalupa*, Bombardier: Chas Sherrill, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Henry Kortebein (Korthbein?), Radio Operator: Blake Treece, Ball turret gunner: Warren Godsey, Waist gunner: Dick Collins,Tail gunner: Gerald Gillies (9 Killed in Action); flak hit in fuselage and blew aircraft in half, crashed Gelnannes, S of Alencon, Fr. Missing Air Crew Report 8079. (* one record gives nav as Prisoner of War). CHOW-HOUND.

42-97438

Delivered Denver 16/11/43; Kearney 27/11/43; Assigned 416BS/99BG Tortorella 1/44; {29m} transferred 96BS/2BG Amendola 28/3/44; while over Vienna 1/11/44 ship was damaged with Bill Donnell, Co-pilot: Tom Vaughan, Waist gunner: Jim Holbrook, Waist gunner: Jim Pewitt,Tail gunner: Francis Miaers (5 Returned to Duty); Navigator: Roy Compton, Bombardier: Chas Melvin, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jack Gruner, Radio Operator: Stan Pociask(4 Prisoner of War); Waist gunner: John Meringola (Killed in Action); ship limped back to land at Bari, Italy; {66m} Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 6/6/45; 4104 BU Rome 28/6/45; 4124 BU Altus 16/10/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 5/11/45.

44-85709

Delivered Louisville 8/5/45; Syracuse 4/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 7/11/45.

44-8045 / The Pathfinder

Delivered Tulsa 22/5/44; Dallas 4/6/44; Langley 6/7/44; Dow Fd 2/8/44; Assigned 511BS/351BG [DS-L] as H2S aircraft Polebrook 5/9/44; {54m} transferred 305BG Chelveston 5/45; Salvaged 9AF Germany 23/5/46. THE PATHFINDER.

43-37949 / Nobody Getzit

Delivered Cheyenne 8/6/44; Kearney 21/6/44; Grenier 1/7/44; Assigned: 835BS/486BG [H8-B] Sudbury 2/7/44; {15m} MIA Stuttgart 5/9/44 Pilot: Art Eacham, Edgar Berry, Vic Durley, Bob Petry, Francis Pitman, Clayton Reiter, Harry Light, Ed Long (8KIA); Jim Jent (POW); mid air coll w/43-37866 (486BG), crashed Brest, Fr. MACR 8460. NOBODY GETSZIT.

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

Improvements