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B-17E im Flug // Wikipedia Commons [Public Domain]
Die ersten Maschinen vom Typ B-17 mit dem „großen Heck““ kamen in England im Juli 1942 an, um die 8th Air Force auszurüsten. Sie waren mit größeren Seitenfenstern und 0,50-Kaliber-MGs auf beiden Seiten des Bugs ausgestattet. Nach ihren ersten Einsätzen wurden weitere Veränderungen an der Funkanlage, der Bombenaufhängung, am Beleuchtungs-, Sauerstoff-, Lösch sowie am Rettungssystem vorgenommen. Als die ersten B-17E über den Atlantik geschifft wurden, verließen bereits neuere Modelle die Fertigungsstraßen von Boeing. Vor Eintreffen der B-17F befand sich die B-17E ganze zwei Wochen in voller Gefechtsbereitschaft. Die B-17E wurde nie in großer Zahl im Gefecht eingesetzt, denn die Leistungsunterschiede zu den neuen F-Modell waren so groß, dass sie gemeinsame Operationen beider Typen unwahrscheinlich machten. Die B-17E trat in den Hintergrund und wurde schließlich nur noch als Trainer, Transporter oder Zielschlepper eingesetzt. Ohne Bewaffnung war sie leichter zu handhaben und erreichte höhere Geschwindigkeiten.
Assigned 340BS/97BG Polebrook 15/4/42; transferred 390BG Framlingham 29/6/42; 407BS/92BG [PY-N] Bovingdon /9/42; 401BS/91BG [LL-X] Bassingbourn 22/7/43; 613BS/401BG [IN-P], then 612BS [SC-X] Deenethorpe, Nth. 6/11/43; /390BG Framlingham, 6/11/43; 600BS/398BG Nuthampstead 29/8/44; not used operationally with group and transferred 435 ASGp 3/6/45; Salvaged 2/8/45. AGONY WAGON aka GRAVY TRAIN.
Delivered Minneapolis 7/3/42; Assigned 435BS then 28BS/19BG Hawaii 5/5/42; damaged by flak, ditched 50 yards offshore south Buna followed by explosion 14/9/42 with Gilbert E. Erb*, Navigator: John Twilley* (wia), Bombardier: Rich Tennant, Assigned Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Sherland Pixley, (4 bailed Returned to Duty); Co-pilot: Chas Watson, ;ettg-Francis Hewitt, Radio Operator: Rich Howell,Tail gunner: Rich Tennant (4 Killed in Action); Ed Schneider,Tail gunner: Billy May (2 Prisoner of War); two bailed* and made it to shore, four bailed, two made POW and two picked up by natives and taken to Aussies, +wg remains were found and later recovered. Written off 31/10/44.
Assigned 7BG Panama 17/12/41, with John Taylor force landed Rio Hato, CZ 27/12/41; with Scott crash landed south of Rio Hato, 1/6/42, when on re-supply mission to FEAF; Guatemala 7/7/42; with Dave Tyler force landed Alamagordo 6/10/42; Returned to the USA Tinker 8/7/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 24/8/45. Parts used to restore B-17G 44-83812 at Grass Valley, Cal 1969. AZTEC’S CURSE.
Delivered Salt Lake with Herbert Felton SAD 30/11/41; Assigned 88RS/7BG [aircraft 22], flew in to Pearl Harbor during Japanese attack 7/12/41 with Lt Robert E. Thacker, Co-pilot: Lt Don Surles, Navigator: Lt Red Stewart, Bombardier: Avn Cdt Albt Hobday, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: S/Sgt Cal Russell, Radio Operator: Sgt Howard Beck, Waist gunner: Sgt Cyril LaLancet,Tail gunner: Pfc Edwin Rhodes; transferred 40RS-28BS/7BG; 19BG; 63BS/43BG; 443TCG/54TCW 8/12/43; Written off Brisbane 12/1/45. THE LAST STRAW.
Delivered 97BG MacDill 12/3/42; Assigned 7BG Asanol, India with Lt Col Bob Tate 1/4/42; with Norman Llewellynn crash landed base 2/4/42; Glen 5/4/43; Written off 20/1/45. (?Baugher records as Assigned 68BG [Recon Group] lost in Mediterranean on Peni mountains between Rosas Bay and Creus Cape, NE Spain, due to poor weather and probable navigation error. All 12 Killed in Service . Missing Air Crew Report 1414 gives serial as 41-9106, but probably incorrect as ‘106 was assigned 11AF in Aleutians an Written off in May 45.?)
Delivered Pendleton 5/2/42; with Don Appert force landed SE of base 24/4/42; repaired and transferred Alamogordo 3/8/42; crashed on take off base with Joe Downing 10/8/42. Salvaged.
Delivered Pendleton 34BG 11/5/42; Muroc 16/5/42; Alamogordo 19/6/42; Biggs 9/8/42; Alamogordo 2/10/42; with John Pratt crashed and burned out six miles on mountain SE Magdalena, NM 15/10/42; Salvaged 18/12/43. Missing Air Crew Report 16138.
Delivered Cheyenne 2/6/42; Wayne 25/6/42; Houlton 11/7/42; Gander-Prestwick 12/8/42 with George Oberdorf to RAF [FL449]; 220 Sq (NR-O) Benbecula, Scot. 26/8/43; Azores 24/10/43; then 519 Sq (Z9-F) Wick, Scot. 18/12/44; (attch 51 MU 1/10/45;) Struck Off Charge 31/7/47.
Delivered Geiger 301BG 29/4/42; Lowry 31/5/42; Assigned 431BS/11BG Hickam Fd 7/6/42; transferred 23BS/5BG Espirito Santo 22/7/42; t/o Carney Fd and shot down by Japanese J1N1 Irving n/f over Kahili, Solomon Is 19/7/43 with Rex Eckles, Co-pilot: Dave Jones, Navigator: Bill Fox, Bombardier: Rich Knop, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Herb Kelly, Radio Operator: Chas Savedge, Waist gunner: Ray Greene, Waist gunner: Bill Davis, pass-Paul Hensley,Tail gunner: Edmund Hill (10 Killed in Action). Missing Air Crew Report 87. TOKYO TAXI.
Delivered Geiger 301st Bomb Group 5/4/42; Muroc 30/5/42; Alamogordo 19/6/42; Biggs 19/8/42; Boise 15/9/42; Assigned 43BS/29BG Gowen, with Erskine Dollarhide force landed base 29/12/42; Hendricks 23/3/43; with Bob Skerry force landed 19 miles south of base 3/4/43; rep. force landed again with Tom Lee at base 11/7/43; 3017 BU Hobbs 21/1/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Albuquerque 25/6/45.
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