{"id":9655,"date":"2018-11-27T02:00:15","date_gmt":"2018-11-27T01:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/?post_type=b17database&#038;p=9655"},"modified":"2021-04-24T11:16:45","modified_gmt":"2021-04-24T09:16:45","slug":"42-32066-silver-sliver","status":"publish","type":"b17database","link":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/b17\/42-32066-silver-sliver\/","title":{"rendered":"42-32066 \/ Silver Sliver"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>How we identified B-17G-35-BO #42-32066 &#8216;Silver Slipper&#8217;.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I came across this picture of a B-17 of the 95th Bomb Group (Square B) over Rostock, Germany.<br>The image caption stated, that this was a mission on 11 January 1944.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But something is strange and confusing on that picture. So, let\u2019s check facts and do it right \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"621\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/42-32066-original-621x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18918\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/42-32066-original-621x1024.jpg 621w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/42-32066-original-182x300.jpg 182w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/42-32066-original-768x1267.jpg 768w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/42-32066-original-931x1536.jpg 931w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/42-32066-original-1241x2048.jpg 1241w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/42-32066-original-scaled.jpg 1551w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 621px) 100vw, 621px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking to the 95th Bomb Group history, and general 8th Air Force history. The target of on that day was Oschersleben, Germany. The 95th Bomb Group flew to Rostock on follow days:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>20 February 1944<\/li><li>24 February 1944<\/li><li>11 April 1944<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First thing to check is the correct date of this picture.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you look closer to the B-17. You can see, that the inner side of the engine nacelles are painted with olive to avoid sun reflections. And non-staggered waist gun positions, but fitted with windows. That means, this is a Natural Metal Finish (NMF) B-17. February 1944 is a bit to early for NMF B-17s in combat. So, the date of the picture is 11 April 1944.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After that, I have checked the mission report of 95th BG about 11 April 1944. And the report states, that the primary of that day was Poznan, Poland. But this target was under overcast and the group bomb a target of opportunity &#8211; Rostock, Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"639\" height=\"550\" src=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/95th_bg_11_Apr_1944.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18922\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/95th_bg_11_Apr_1944.jpg 639w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/95th_bg_11_Apr_1944-300x258.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 639px) 100vw, 639px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For my <a href=\"https:\/\/ww2overlay.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ww2overlay<\/a> project, I have put the original image to a current Bing Map picture. In this overlay, I noticed that the bombing run was done from East to West direction. This fact confirms the 11 April 1944 as correct date of the picture. Because They flew from Poland back in East to West direction and bombed Rostock, Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/48704194-Rostock-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18923\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/48704194-Rostock-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/48704194-Rostock-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/48704194-Rostock-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/48704194-Rostock-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/48704194-Rostock.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The identification<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After that, I have check the mission load list and formation chart. We have reduced down the possible NMF B-17s and eight B-17s left. These are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>42-97290 &#8211; Smilin&#8217; Sandy Sanchez (B-17G)<\/li><li>42-97232 &#8211; G. I. Issue (B-17G)<\/li><li>42-97223 &#8211; (B-17G)<\/li><li>42-97215 &#8211; Scooter (B-17G)<\/li><li>42-97194 &#8211; Good Pickin (B-17G)<\/li><li>42-97120 &#8211; Irene&#8217;s Folly (B-17G)<\/li><li>42-97068 &#8211; Key Bird (B-17G)<\/li><li>42-32066 &#8211; Silver Slipper (B-17G)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see and check the formation chart over the target, #2066 \u201aSilver Slipper\u2018 was the lead plane of that day.<br>And the very interesting information is on the original image, at the top. There is a number #1992, which is the s\/n of the camera plane. But #1992 is not in the formation chart, but a B-17 #1993, in same group like #2066 \u201aSilver Slipper\u2018. We are sure, that this #1992 was a spelling-error and #2066 \u201aSilver Slipper\u2018 is our B-17 in the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"770\" src=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/95th_bg_11_Apr_1944_b-1024x770.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18921\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/95th_bg_11_Apr_1944_b-1024x770.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/95th_bg_11_Apr_1944_b-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/95th_bg_11_Apr_1944_b-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/95th_bg_11_Apr_1944_b.jpg 1357w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Much thanks to Phil M. of the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/1551752068432083\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook Group \u201eFlying Fortress 1936 &#8211; 1945\u201c <\/a>for brainstorming and help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Delivered Cheyenne 21\/1\/44; Gr Island 11\/2\/44; Presque Is 11\/2\/44; Assigned 412BS\/95BG [QW-D] Horham 3\/3\/44; transferred 335BS (OE-D); 67m, with R.E. Squyres sustained battle damaged Stuttgart 16\/12\/44, ran into mud off end of runway on return, then hit by 43-38453 which had overshot runway, Salvaged 17\/12\/44. SILVER (SLIVER) SLIPPER.","protected":false},"featured_media":18916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"airplane-status":[435],"status-date":[755],"status-day":[1866],"status-month":[1865],"status-year":[1892],"production-block":[51],"manufacturer":[130],"delivered":[],"project-number":[],"bomb-group":[292],"bomb-squadron":[322,360],"raf-service":[],"b17tags":[],"class_list":["post-9655","b17database","type-b17database","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","airplane-status-battle-damaged","status-date-16-12-1944","status-day-1866","status-month-december","status-year-1892","production-block-b-17g-35-bo-42-31932-42-32116","manufacturer-boeing","bomb-group-95th-bomb-group","bomb-squadron-335th-bomb-squadron","bomb-squadron-412th-bomb-squadron"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.0","language":"en","enabled_languages":["de","en"],"languages":{"de":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":true},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":true}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b17database\/9655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b17database"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/b17database"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9655"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"airplane-status","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/airplane-status?post=9655"},{"taxonomy":"status-date","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/status-date?post=9655"},{"taxonomy":"status-day","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/status-day?post=9655"},{"taxonomy":"status-month","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/status-month?post=9655"},{"taxonomy":"status-year","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/status-year?post=9655"},{"taxonomy":"production-block","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/production-block?post=9655"},{"taxonomy":"manufacturer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manufacturer?post=9655"},{"taxonomy":"delivered","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/delivered?post=9655"},{"taxonomy":"project-number","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project-number?post=9655"},{"taxonomy":"bomb-group","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bomb-group?post=9655"},{"taxonomy":"bomb-squadron","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bomb-squadron?post=9655"},{"taxonomy":"raf-service","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/raf-service?post=9655"},{"taxonomy":"b17tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b17tags?post=9655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}