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By Joe Baugher

The Boeing Model 299

The B-17 Flying Fortress was perhaps the most well-known American heavy bomber of the Second World War. It achieved a fame far beyond that of its more-numerous stable mate, the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. A total of 12,677 Fortresses was built before production came to an end. In August of 1944, the B-17 equipped no less than 33 overseas combat groups. The B-17 was to achieve lasting fame in the daylight precision-bombing campaign over Germany in 1943, 1944, and 1945. It achieved a reputation as being capable of absorbing a tremendous amount of battle damage and still continuing to fly. In later variants, it had an exceptionally-heavy defensive armament. It had an excellent high-altitude performance. It was able to win the affection of the crews who flew in it, since it was often able to bring them home safely when other aircraft would have fallen. However, the B-17 generally had a performance inferior to that of its B-24 stable mate and it could not carry nearly as large a bomb load. In typical missions over Europe, B-17s usually carried a bomb load only as large as that which a twin-engine Mosquito could carry.

B-17s dropped 640,036 tons of bombs on European targets during the war, as compared to 452,508 tons dropped by the Liberator and 463,544 tons dropped by all other US aircraft. Boeing records claim that the Fortress destroyed 23 enemy aircraft per thousand sorties as compared to 22 for Liberators, eleven by US fighters, and 3 by all US light and medium bombers. However, the "kill" claims by both Fortress and Liberator gunner crews are probably greatly exaggerated, largely because the same enemy aircraft was being fired at by many different people. Approximately 4750 B-17s were lost on combat missions, which is about one out of three of all B-17s built.

The origin of the Boeing Fortress can be traced to a February 1934 Army Air Corps requirement for a bomber with a range of 5000 miles at 200 mph while carrying a bomb load of 2000 pounds. This became known as "Project A", and was more of a feasibility study than it was a serious proposal for a production bomber. However, there was always a possibility that production examples would be ordered if the design proved successful. Both Martin and Boeing submitted preliminary designs in response to the "Project A" requirement. The Martin project was cancelled before anything could be built, but the Boeing design (assigned the company designation of Model 294) was awarded a contract for a single example under the designation XBLR-1. The XBLR-1 was later re-designated XB-15.

In May of 1934, the Army announced another bomber competition. This time, it was for a multi-engine bomber capable of carrying a ton of bombs at more than 200 mph over a distance of 2000 miles. As opposed to the "Project A" requirement, this Army requirement envisaged from the start that the winning design would have a production run of as many as 220 planes. Several manufacturers (including Boeing) were invited to submit bids, with the entries being flown at Wright Field in a final competition to select the winner. Preliminary work by Boeing on the design began on June 18, 1934. Boeing engineers came up with what was basically a scaled-down version of the Model 294. Like the Model 294, it was to be powered by four engines. Four-engine bombers were a novelty at the time, most contemporary bomber designs having only two engines. Construction began on August 16, 1934 under the company designation Model 299.

The Model 299 was based heavily on the company's experience with the all-metal Model 247 commercial airliner. It was basically a marriage between the aerodynamic and structural features used by the Model 247 and the basic four-engine format used by the Model 294 bomber. The aircraft was to be powered by four 750 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1690-E Hornet nine-cylinder air-cooled radials, each driving a three-bladed propeller. The large, thick-section wing was to be mounted low on the cylindrical-section fuselage. The main landing gear was to retract forward into the inner engine nacelles, with the lower edge of the wheel protruding into the air stream.

The Model 299 aircraft was painted with the civilian registration X-13372, since it was a company-owned aircraft. It carried a crew of 8, a pilot, copilot, bombardier, navigator/radio operator, and four gunners. There were four blister-type flexible machine gun stations, each of which could accommodate a 0.3-inch or 0.5-inch machine gun. One was in a dorsal position in the fuselage just above the wing trailing edge, a second was in a ventral fuselage position just behind the wing trailing edge, and a blister was mounted on each side of the rear fuselage in a waist position. There was an additional station for a machine gun in the nose. All of the guns were manually swung. Up to eight 600-pound bombs could be carried internally. Loaded weight was 43,000 pounds.

In order to prevent damage by wind to the tail surfaces while the plane was on the ground, the elevators were locked in position. Before takeoff, the pilot would unlock the tail surfaces by releasing a spring lock in the cockpit.

First flight of the Model 299 took place on July 28, 1935 at Seattle with Boeing test pilot Leslie R. Tower at the controls. According to legend, a reporter having seen the 299 for the first time remarked, "Why, it's a flying fortress!". The name stuck.

After a short period of factory testing, the Model 299 was flown by Boeing test pilot Leslie Tower and three other crewmen out to Wright Field on August 20 for Air Corps evaluation. During this flight, it flew the 2100 miles nonstop at an average speed of 232 mph at an average altitude of 12,000 feet, breaking all records for the distance.

The prototype was submitted to the Army as Model X-299, but the Army objected to the designation as being too similar to its experimental military project numbers, so it was officially changed to B-299.

The competitors of the B-299 were the Martin 146 and the Douglas DB-1, which were both twin-engine designs. The Model 299 was clearly superior to both the Martin and Douglas designs, surpassing all the Army requirements for speed, climb, range and bomb load. The Army decided to purchase 65 service test examples under the designation YB-17.

On October 30, 1935, the Model 299 crashed during takeoff at Wright Field and burned. Three of the crewmen managed to crawl out of the wreckage with only minor injuries, but pilot Ployer P. Hill (chief of Wright Field's Flight Testing Section) and Boeing test pilot Leslie Tower (who was riding as an observer) both died later of their injuries after being dragged from the burning aircraft. An investigation later showed that the crash was caused by the crew forgetting to unlock the tail surfaces before takeoff, the aircraft losing control immediately after leaving the ground.

Although the aircraft itself was blameless in the crash, the Air Corps got cold feet about the wisdom of acquiring so many YB-17s with the limited funds that were then available, and cut their order back to only 13 examples on January 17, 1936. The designation was changed to Y1B-17 on November 20, 1936, the "Y1" designation indicating that they were purchased from "F-1" funds rather than from regular appropriations.

As insurance, the Army decided at the same time to order 133 examples of the competing twin-engine Douglas DB-1 under the designation B-18. The B-18 was substantially slower than the Flying Fortress, had a shorter range, carried fewer bombs, and had a poorer defensive armament. However, it was only half as expensive as the B-17 and since the B-18 was based on a proven design (the DC-2 commercial airliner), the amount of risk was deemed to be smaller.

The wreckage of the B-299 was salvaged and a section of the fuselage containing the side blisters was used at Wright Field for the evaluation of new types of gun mounts.

The Model 299 never carried a US Army serial number.

Specification of Model 299:

Engines: Four Pratt & Whitney R-1690E S1EG Hornet radials rated at 750 hp at 2250 rpm at 7000 feet. Performance: Maximum speed 236 mph at 10,000 feet. Cruising speed 204 mph. Service ceiling 24,620 feet. Range 2040 miles with 2573 pounds of bombs. Maximum range 3101 miles. Dimensions: Wingspan 103 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 68 feet 9 inches, height 14 feet 11 15/16 inches, wing area 1420 square feet. Weights: 21,657 pounds empty, 32,432 pounds normal loaded, 38,053 pounds maximum. Armament: Armed with five 0.30-inch machine guns, with one gun in each of nose, dorsal, ventral, and two waist positions. A maximum of eight 600 pound bombs could be carried in an internal bomb bay.

The Boeing 299

 

 

The Boeing Y1B-17

The Y1B-17 was the initial service test version of the B-17, thirteen of which had been ordered on January 17, 1936. It was assigned the company designation of Model 299B. It had initially been designated YB-17, but this was changed to Y1B-17 on November 20, 1936, indicating procurement from "F-1" funds rather than from regular appropriations. This change was the source of much confusion for historians, since references were made to both YB-17 and Y1B-17 in the documentation of the day, giving the erroneous perception that there were two series of service-test Boeing Fortresses rather than just one.

The Y1B-17 was basically similar to the Model 299, but had four Wright GR-1830-39 (G2) Cyclone radials in place of the Pratt & Whitney Hornet radials of the Model 299 prototype. The Cyclone was to remain the standard power plant all throughout the long production run of the Fortress. The crew was reduced to six, and minor changes were made in armament details and in the undercarriage. Perhaps the most readily-noticeable difference was in the the main landing gear, which now had only one leg rather than two. A long carburetor intake on top of the engine nacelles distinguished the Y1B-17 from later models.

The first Y1B-17 (36-149) flew on December 2, 1936. Five days later, the brakes of this aircraft fused and seized up during a landing, and the aircraft nosed over. Although the damage to the aircraft was not severe, the episode was very embarrassing to the Air Corps and a Congressional inquiry was ordered, with angry Congressmen threatening to have the whole program shut down. However, nothing came of this threat except perhaps the fear that if another incident should occur, the entire Army Air Corps heavy bomber program would be cancelled.

All Y1B-17s were delivered between January 11 and August 4, 1937. Twelve of the Y1B-17s were delivered to the 2nd Bombardment Group based at Langley Field, Virginia for evaluation. A thirteenth Y1B-17 was delivered to Wright Field for experimental tests. At this time, the dozen Y1B-17s of the 2nd Bombardment Group comprised the entire heavy bombardment strength of the United States.

The 2nd Bombardment Group spent its time working out the bugs in the B-17. One of the recommendations that they came up with at an early stage was the use of a check list that the pilot and copilot would go through together before takeoff, hopefully preventing accidents such as the one which resulted in the loss of the Model 299.

In early 1938, Colonel Robert C. Olds, commander of the 2nd Bombardment Group flew a Y1B-17 to set a new east-to-west transcontinental record of 12 hours 50 minutes. He immediately turned around and broke the west-to-east record, averaging 245 mph in 10 hours 46 minutes.

Six planes of the 2nd Bombardment group took part in a good will flight from Langley to Buenos Aires, Argentina, taking off from Langley on February 15, 1938 and returning on February 27. They covered a total of 12,000 miles without serious incident.

In May of 1938, planes of the Langley-based 2nd Bombardment Group took part in a demonstration in which they "intercepted" the Italian liner *Rex* while it was still 700 miles out to sea. This was meant not only as a demonstration of the Y1B-17's superior range and navigational capabilities, but was also meant to show how useful the plane could be in attacking an enemy invasion force before it came close enough to American shores to do any damage. The Navy was not at all amused by this particular demonstration, and was furious about what it perceived to be an Army intrusion into the Navy's particular mission. Shortly thereafter, a War Department order came down restricting the activities of the Army Air Corps to within a 100-mile range of the US shoreline.

Y1B-17 serial number 36-157 inadvertently demonstrated just how strong the basic aircraft structure really was. In the summer of 1938, it accidentally flew into a thunderhead during a storm. The violent winds inside the thunderhead flipped the plane over on its back, and by the time the plane had been brought under control, it had spun down through the overcast. Upon landing, the aircraft was found to have bent its wings and had popped some of its rivets, but had remained essentially intact.

The Y1B-17s flew for three years without a serious accident, and were transferred to the 19th Bomb Group at March Field in October 1940.

Serials of Y1B-17:

Boeing Y1B-17 Fortress 		36-149/161.  

Specification of Y1B-17:

Engines: four Wright R-1820-39 Cyclone radials rated at 930 hp for takeoff, 850 hp at 5000 feet, 775 hp at 14,000 feet. Performance: Maximum speed 256 mph at 14,000 feet. Landing speed 70 mph. Cruising speed 217 mph at 70 percent power. Service ceiling 30,600 feet. An altitude of 10,000 feet could be attained in 6.5 minutes. Normal range 1377 miles. Range with 4000 pounds of bombs was 2400 miles and 3320 miles with no bombs. Dimensions: Wingspan 103 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 68 feet 4 inches, height 18 feet 4 inches, wing area 1420 square feet. Weights: 24,465 pounds empty, 34,880 pounds normal loaded, 42,600 pounds maximum. Armament: Armed with five 0.30-inch machine guns with 1000 rpg. One gun was mounted in each of nose, dorsal, ventral, and two waist positions. A maximum bomb load of 8000 pounds could be carried in an internal bomb bay.

The Boeing Y1B-17

 

 

Boeing Y1B-17  A/B-17A

A single Y1B-17 airframe (without military serial number) had been ordered as a non-flying article for use in static testing. It was to be delivered without military installations and tested to destruction to see how much punishment the airframe could take before it disintegrated.

However, the fact that Y1B-17 36-151 had survived an inadvertent spin led the Air Corps to conclude that the basic aircraft structure was exceptionally robust, so much so, in fact, that the static test was deemed unnecessary. On May 12, 1937, the Army decided to convert the static test Y1B-17 into a special flight test aircraft under the designation Y1B-17A. The plane was to be fitted with Moss/General Electric turbo-superchargers for its Wright GR-1820-51 (G5) Cyclone engines.

The Y1B-17A was designated Model 299F by the company, and the USAAC serial number 37-369 was assigned to the aircraft. The Y1B-17A flew for the first time on April 29, 1938. The turbo-superchargers were fed by a set of intercooler air intakes installed in the wing leading edges. Initially, the turbo-superchargers were mounted flat on top of the nacelles, but this arrangement proved to be unworkable. They were moved to the bottom of the nacelles, and the reworked aircraft flew again on November 20, 1938. This time, everything worked well. The turbo-supercharged engines delivered 800 hp at 25,000 feet, whereas the R-1820-39s of the Y1B-17 could only deliver 775 hp at 14,000 feet. The increased high altitude power raised the operational ceiling of the aircraft to well above 30,000 feet and the maximum speed to 311 mph (as compared to 256 mph for the Y1B-17). The turbo-superchargers worked so well that they became standard equipment on the B-17B and on all future B-17 models.

The Y1B-17A was delivered to the Army on January 31, 1939. After completion of the service test period, the aircraft was redesignated B-17A.

Serial of Y1B-17A/B-17A

37-369 		Boeing Y1B-17A Fortress -- later redesignated B-17A 

Specification of Boeing Y1B-17A :

Engines: Four supercharged Wright R-1820-51 radial engines rated at 800 hp at 25,000 feet, and 1000 hp for takeoff. Performance: Maximum speed 271 mph at sea level, 295 mph at 25,000 feet. Cruising speed 230 mph. Service ceiling 38,000 feet. Range 2400 miles with 4000 pounds of bombs, 3600 miles maximum range. Dimensions: Wingspan 103 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 68 feet 9 inches, height 14 feet 11 15/16 inches, wing area 1420 square feet. Weights: 26,520 pounds empty, 37,000 pounds gross, 45,650 pounds maximum. Armament: Armed with five 0.30-inch machine guns, with one gun in each of nose, dorsal, ventral, and two waist positions. A maximum of eight 600 pound bombs could be carried in an internal bomb bay.

 

 

The Boeing B-17B

The B-17B (Model 299M) was the first production version of the B-17 series. Originally, it was designated Model 299E by Boeing, but changes in Air Corps specifications were considered sufficient to justify a new factory designation.

Outwardly, the B-17B differed from the Y1B-17 only in having a revised rudder with larger area, larger wing flaps, and a revised nose that eliminated the greenhouse gun turret in the upper nose and the belly bomb-aiming window in the lower nose. The upper nose turret was replaced by a simple socket for a 30-inch flexible machine gun in the extreme tip of the nose. The bomb-aiming window was replaced by an optical flat in the lower part of the Plexiglas nose fairing. The revised nose resulted in a decrease in overall length of 7 inches. A small plastic dome was added to the cabin roof. More-powerful R-1820-51 engines were fitted which delivered a maximum power of 1200 hp for takeoff and 900 hp at 25,000 feet. Internally, many systems were changed and crew members were relocated. The brakes were changed from pneumatic to hydraulic.

The famous Norden bombsight was mounted above the bomb-aiming window. The Norden bombsight was a gyro-stabilized bomb sight originally developed by Carl L. Norden and Capt. Frederick I. Entwistle. It was capable of quickly calculating the plane's forward velocity and drift and making corrections in order to achieve a hit. In later versions, the Norden bombsight was connected with the autopilot, and actually flew the plane during the final run in to the target. In the press releases of the day, the bombsight was claimed to be so accurate that it could "put bombs in a pickle barrel". The Norden bombsight was considered so secret that it was installed, carefully covered, in the aircraft only immediately before takeoff and was taken out immediately after landing, always under the supervision of an armed guard.

The first B-17B (38-211) flew for the first time at Seattle on June 27, 1939. 39 B-17Bs were built in a single run at Boeing. However, the USAAC serial numbers were scattered over several batches, indicating how difficult it was at the time for the Air Corps to obtain funding--it could only order B-17Bs a few at a time.

All 39 of the B-17Bs were delivered to the USAAC between July 29, 1939 and March 30, 1940. The B-17Bs were issued to the 2nd, 7th, and 19th Bombardment Groups, except for the first example which was retained at Wright Field for tests.

In November of 1939, seven Fortresses flew from Langley Field to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on a good-will mission. All planes returned safely with no major incidents, once again demonstrating the safety and reliability of the B-17 design.

Many B-17Bs were modernized in 1940-41 to use such such features as the flush-type side openings for 0.50-inch machine guns that had been introduced on the B-17C.

A B-17B serving with the 41st Reconnaissance Squadron of the 2nd Bomb Group based in Newfoundland attacked a U-boat on October 27, 1941. Although the U-boat was undamaged in the attack, this incident was the first in which bombs were dropped in anger by the Army Air Forces in action against German forces. Since the United States was officially not at war with Germany at the time, the incident was not reported in the press.

Serials of Boeing B-17B:

38-211/223 	Boeing B-17B 
38-258/270 	Boeing B-17B 
38-583/584 	Boeing B-17B 
38-610 		Boeing B-17B 
39-1/10 	Boeing B-17B 

Specification of Boeing B-17B:

Engines: four Wright R-1820-51 Cyclone radial engines rated at 1200 hp for takeoff. Performance: Maximum speed 292 mph at 25,000 feet. Service ceiling 24,620 feet. Maximum range 3101 miles. Dimensions: Wingspan 103 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 67 feet 10.2 inches, height 15 feet 5 inches, wing area 1420 square feet. Weights: 27,652 pounds empty, 37,997 pounds gross, 46,178 pounds maximum. Armed with five 0.30-inch machine guns, with one gun in each of nose, dorsal, ventral, and two waist positions. A maximum of eight 600 pound bombs could be carried in an internal bomb bay.

 

 

The Boeing B-17C

A further 38 Fortresses were ordered by the Army in 1939. This new order was for the improved Model 299H version, which was designated B-17C by the Army.

The B-17C differed from the earlier B-17 versions in having the gun blisters removed from the sides of the rear fuselage and replaced by flush, oval-shaped windows. Each of the oval windows had a port for a single 0.50-inch machine gun cut into its edge. The belly gun blister was replaced by a larger metal "bathtub" housing carrying a single 0.50-inch machine gun. The dorsal blister located at the radio operator's position behind the pilot's compartment was replaced by a flush panel into which a single socket for a 0.50-inch machine gun was cut. The nose gun mounting was changed from a single socket in the forward window to six sockets mounted in side windows. The nose 0.30-inch machine gun could be fired from any one of these sockets. Self-sealing fuel tanks and armor protection for the crew were introduced. The engines were four supercharged 1200 hp Wright GR-1820-65 (G-205A) Cyclones. Maximum weight was increased to 49,650 pounds.

The first B-17C flew on July 21, 1940. It was retained by the company for test purposes. First delivery of the B-17C to the USAAC was completed by November 29.

Twenty B-17Cs were taken off the production line and transferred to Britain under Lend-Lease as the Fortress I. The rest entered service with the USAAC. However, all USAAC machines were returned to Boeing in January of 1941 to be upgraded to B-17D standards.

Serials:

Boeing B-17C Fortress 		40-2042/2079 

Specification of B-17C:

Engines: four Wright GR-1820-65 (G-205A) Cyclone radials rated at 1200 hp for takeoff, 100 hp at 25,000 feet. Performance: Maximum speed 323 mph at 25,000 feet. Cruising speed 250 mph. Landing speed 84 mph Service ceiling 37,000 feet. Climb to 10,000 feet in 7.5 minutes. Range 2400 miles with 4000-pound bomb load. Maximum range 3400 miles. Dimensions: wingspan 103 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 67 feet 10.6 inches, height 15 feet 5 inches, wing area 1420 square feet. Weights: 29,021 pounds empty, 39,320 pounds gross, 49,650 pounds maximum. Armament: Armed with four 0.50-inch machine guns and one 0.30-inch machine gun. One each of 0.50-inch guns were carried in dorsal, ventral, and two waist positions, and there was one 0.30-inch machine gun which could be fired from any one of six sockets in the nose. A maximum of 4800 pounds of bombs could be carried in an internal bomb bay.

 

 

The Fortress I For The RAF

Under the terms of the Lend-Lease law, which was passed on March 11, 1941, the War Department was empowered to sell, lend or lease war material to "the government of any country whose defense the President deems vital for the defense of the United States".

Almost immediately, the Royal Air Force (RAF) requested the delivery of a number of B-17s. Although the USAAC was chronically short of B-17s itself, the service reluctantly agreed to divert twenty aircraft out of the order for 38 new B-17Cs and deliver them to England. The twenty B-17C Fortresses allocated to Britain under Lend-Lease were taken off the B-17C production line at Boeing. These aircraft were essentially similar to USAAC B-17Cs, but they had all but the single nose gun replaced by 0.5-inch Browning machine guns, and self-sealing fuel tanks were installed at Wright Field before the Fortress Is were flown to Britain. They were known as Model 299T by the manufacturer, and as Fortress I by the RAF. RAF serials AN-518 through AN-537 were assigned to these planes, although they were initially painted with the incorrect series letters AM rather than AN.

Although the Army did not consider the B-17C as being combat ready (the E-version was already under procurement as the result of combat reports from Europe), the RAF was sufficiently desperate that these planes were immediately pressed into front-line service.

The Fortress I was to be used by No. 90 Squadron, based at West Raynham. Things got off to a bad start right from the beginning. On its delivery flight to Britain, the first Fortress I ran off the runway when landing at West Raynham, wiping off its undercarriage. It was fated never to fly again, sitting forlornly by the side of the runway, slowly being scavenged for spare parts.

The RAF planned to use the Fortress I on unescorted daylight bombing raids against targets in Europe, relying on the vaunted defensive firepower of the Fortress to fend off fighter attacks. The first sortie with Fortress Is was flown from Polebrook on July 8, 1941 against Wilhelmshaven. Three planes took part. Engine trouble forced one of the planes to divert to a second target, but the other two went on to attack the naval barracks at Wilhelmshaven from an altitude of 30,000 feet. Unfortunately, the planes were not able to hit anything from such extreme altitudes. In addition, their crews found that the temperatures at this altitude were so cold that their defensive machine guns froze up when they tried to fire them. However, all planes returned safely to base.

On July 24, a group of Fortresses attacked the French naval installation at Brest. They were equipped with the Sperry rather than the famous Norden bombsight. The Fortresses attacked from 30,000 feet and managed to miss their target completely. German fighters pounced on the formation, but all bombers returned to England. However, one of the raiding Fortresses was so badly shot up by the German fighters that it disintegrated upon landing.

A third Fortress I was lost in an accidental fire on the ground.

An operational sortie was made by three Fortresses against Oslo, Norway, but all three planes were destroyed by Luftwaffe fighters. One of the Fortresses apparently fell more or less intact into enemy hands, probably giving the Germans their first look at the American bombsight.

A seventh Fortress was lost during a high-altitude test flight. This plane was testing equipment at high altitude when something went wrong.

An eighth Fortress suddenly appeared in a vertical dive from out of a cloud and went straight into the ground. It was never determined what went wrong.

By September of 1941, RAF Fortresses had flown 22 attacks against targets such as Bremen, Brest, Emden, Kiel, Oslo, and Rotterdam. A total of 39 planes had been dispatched, out of which eighteen planes had aborted and two had been forced to bomb secondary targets because of mechanical problems. Eight Fortresses had been destroyed in combat or lost in accidents. Discouraged by these losses, the RAF decided to abandon daylight bombing raids over Europe.

Four Fortress Is were later sent to the Middle East, where, until May 1942, they undertook night attacks against enemy positions at Benghazi and Tobruk. In February to April of 1942, 5 of the remaining Fortress Is in Europe were transferred to RAF Coastal Command. No 220 Squadron operated two of them on convoy escort duties in advance of the arrival of the new Fortress IIA. No. 206 Squadron used Fortress Is briefly for crew training in advance of receiving its first Fortress IIAs. No 59 Squadron is recorded as having one Fortress I for the same purposes.

One Fortress I found its way to India in July of 1942, and was taken over by the USAAF.

On the balance, the combat debut of the Fortress was a resounding failure. The Fortress Is encountered numerous mechanical failures during flight, their guns had an annoying tendency to freeze up at high altitude, and their defensive armament was completely inadequate to fend off determined enemy fighter attacks. In addition, it was found that it was much more difficult than expected to hit anything when trying to bomb from very high altitudes. As a result of RAF experience with the Fortress, it was determined that there was a need for vast improvements in defensive gunnery, a need for operating the Fortresses in greater numbers in tighter formations for better defensive firepower, and a need for better and more intensive crew training. Nevertheless, their British crews generally were quite pleased with the Fortress I, regarding it as easy to fly, very maneuverable, and aerodynamically stable in the bomb run.

Serial numbers of the Fortress I

USAAC 		RAF 

40-2043 	AN518 
40-2044 	AN519 
40-2051 	AN520 
40-2052 	AN521 
40-2053 	AN522 
40-2055 	AN523 
40-2056 	AN524 
40-2057 	AN525 
40-2060 	AN526 
40-2061 	AN527 
40-2064 	AN528 
40-2065 	AN529 
40-2066 	AN530 
40-2068 	AN531 
40-2069 	AN532 
40-2071 	AN533 
40-2073 	AN534 
40-2075 	AN535 
40-2076 	AN536 
40-2079 	AN537 

 

The Boeing B-17D FORTRESS

Forty-two more B-17Cs were ordered on April 17, 1940. However, these planes were sufficiently different from the original batch of B-17Cs that the Army decided on September 6, 1940 to give them a new designation of B-17D. In reality, the B-17D was only slightly different from the B-17C and bore the same company model number (299H). Externally, the B-17D differed from the C in having a set of engine cowling flaps to improve the cooling. Internal changes included electrical system revisions and the addition of a tenth crew member. The B-17D had paired guns in the belly and top positions, bringing the total armament to one 0.30-inch and six 0.50-inch machine guns. The external bomb racks were deleted.

The first B-17D flew on February 3, 1941. The B-17Ds were delivered to the Army from February to April of 1941. First priority was given to overseas units, with most of the B-17Ds going to units based in Hawaii or in the Philippines. The batch of B-17Cs which did not get sent to Britain were later modified to B-17D standards and redesignated B-17D.

Starting in March of 1941, the Army began to paint its B-17s in olive drab and grey camouflage paint. By the time of Pearl Harbor, virtually all B-17Cs and Ds were in warpaint.

The only "shark-fin" B-17 known to still remain in existence is B-17D 40-3097 (known as *Swoose*). It is currently in storage at the Paul Garber facility at Silver Hill, Maryland.

Serials:

Boeing B-17D Fortress 		40-3059/3100 

Specification of B-17D:

Four Wright GR-1820-65 (G-205A) Cyclone radials rated at 1200 hp for takeoff, 1000 hp at 25,000 feet. Performance: Maximum speed 318 mph at 25,000 feet. Service ceiling 37,000 feet. Dimensions: wingspan 103 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 67 feet 10.6 inches, height 15 feet 5 inches, wing area 1420 square feet. Weights: 30,963 pounds empty, 39,319 pounds gross. Armament: Armed with six 0.50-inch machine guns and one 0.30-inch machine gun. A single 0.50-inch gun was carried in each of the two waist positions, and a pair of 0.50-inch machine guns were mounted in each of the dorsal and ventral positions. There was one 0.30-inch machine gun which could be fired from any one of six sockets in the nose. A maximum of 4800 pounds of bombs could be carried in an internal bomb bay.

The Vega XB-38

As part of its participation in the Boeing-Vega-Douglas manufacturing pool for the Fortress, the Vega division of Lockheed had been requested by the USAAF to explore the feasibility of adapting the basic B-17E airframe to the 1425 hp Allison V-1710-89 liquid-cooled V-12 engine.

Negotiations for development of the new design, known as Vega Model V-134-1, began in March of 1942 and a contract was signed on July 10. The project was considered sufficiently different from the stock B-17E that a new series number was assigned--XB-38. The ninth production B-17E (serial number 41-2401) had been turned over to Vega for study during the initial formation of the B.V.D. manufacturing pool, and this plane was selected for the first XB-38 conversion.

The basic airframe of the XB-38 was essentially that of the B-17E, with a few revisions necessitated by the installation of the new power plants. For example, the oil coolers of the B-17E were mounted in the leading edges of the wings, but they were moved to positions underneath the propellers in the XB-38. Also, the coolant radiators for the Allisons were mounted in the wing leading edges between each pair of engine nacelles.

The XB-38 made its first flight on May 19, 1943. As a result of the increased power of the Allison engines, the XB-38 was slightly faster than its radial-powered B-17E counterpart. However, the XB-38 prototype was destroyed on June 16, 1943 as a result of an engine fire which could not be extinguished, and a full comparison with the Wright-powered B-17E could never be made. In any case, the performance improvement offered by the XB-38 was only marginal, and since the liquid-cooled Allisons were in great demand for the P-38 Lightning and P-40 Warhawk fighters, the USAAF decided to abandon further work on the XB-38, and plans for two additional XB-38 conversions were cancelled.

Specification of Boeing XB-38:

Engines: four Allison V-1710-89 liquid-cooled V-12 engines, rated at 1425 hp at 25,000 feet. Performance: Maximum speed 327 mph at 25,000 feet. Cruising speed 226 mph. Service ceiling 29,700 feet. Range 2400 miles with 3000 pounds of bombs, 1900 miles with 6000 pounds of bombs. Maximum range 3600 miles. Dimensions: Wingspan 103 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 74 feet 0 inches, height 19 feet 2 inches, wing area 1420 square feet. Weights: 34,748 pounds empty, 56,00 pounds gross, 64,000 pounds maximum. Armament: Armament was the same as that of the standard B-17E, namely one 0.30-inch machine gun which could be mounted on any one of six ball-and-socket mounts in the extreme nose, one Sperry No. 645473E power turret in the dorsal position with two 0.50 Browning M2 machine guns with 500 rounds per gun, a remotely-controlled power turret in ventral position with two 0.50-inch Browning machine guns with 500 rounds per gun, one 0.50-inch Browning M2 machine gun is each of the two waist windows, 400 rounds per gun, and two 0.50-inch M2 Browning machine guns in the tail position, with 500 rounds per gun.

 

 

The Fortress IIA For The RAF

In mid-1942, 45 B-17Es were turned over to the RAF as Fortress IIA. RAF serials were FK184/213, FL449/460, and FL462/464. The were called Fortress IIA because they were existing types transferred from the USAAF, whereas the Fortress IIs were allocated from new construction.

Probably because of its unhappy experience with the Fortress I, the RAF did not attempt to use their Fortress IIAs in the daylight high-altitude bombing role. Instead, they were turned over to Coastal Command for use in antisubmarine patrol work in the war in the Atlantic. The Fortress IIA entered service with No 220 Squadron on July 24, 1942. It is often reported that No 59 Squadron based at Thorney Island was the first to operate the Fortress IIA, but No 59 Squadron did not start operating the type until January 23, 1943. The third Coastal Command squadron to operate the Fortress IIA was No 206, which flew its first operational mission on September 19, 1942. Fortress IIAs also served with 251, 519 and 521 Squadrons

One Coastal Command Fortress IIA (FK185) was fitted with an experimental Bristol B.16 nose turret in place of the normal transparent fairing. This turret housed a 40-mm Vickers "S" gun which was remotely-controlled from a position just underneath the turret. The gun had a traverse of 30 degrees in azimuth and 40 degrees in elevation. It was intended for use against surfaced submarines. The modified IIA FK185 underwent firing trials but did not go into service. It was converted back to standard configuration and served with 251 Squadron

A few Fortress IIAs were issued to RAF Bomber Command, although I am unaware of their service history.

 

 

The Boeing B-17 F FORTRESS

The B-17F (Model 299P) immediately followed the E-model off the production line. Early operational experiences with the B-17D in the Pacific theatre had led to a further series of design improvements that were worked out in early 1942 and introduced on the B-17F.

The B-17F was externally almost identical to the earlier B-17E. Externally, the F could be distinguished from the E only by the use of a single piece plastic blown transparent nose. Apart from the optically-flat bomb aiming panel, the nose transparency was frameless. However, there were over 400 internal changes, designed to make the bomber a more effective fighting machine. A new ball turret was fitted, external bomb racks were provided, wider paddle-bladed propellers were fitted, an improved oxygen system, carburetor air intake dust filters, dual brake system, more photographic equipment, an electronic link between the autopilot, and additional ball-and-socket machine gun mounts in the nose. The engines were the newer Wright R-1820-97 Cyclones, which could offer a war emergency power of 1380 hp for brief intervals. Revisions to the engine cowlings were required to make it possible to feather the wider propeller blades. A stronger undercarriage was installed which allowed the maximum weight to increase to 65,000 pounds, and later to 72,000 pounds.

The first B-17F (41-24340) flew on May 30, 1942. Because of the great number of relatively small changes constantly being introduced on the B-17F production line, the production block designation scheme had to be introduced to make it possible for field maintenance units to keep track of the multitudinous numbers of different varieties of B-17Fs that were in service. The first 50 were B-17F-1-BO, the second 50 were -5, and the third 50 were -10, but the numbers in each block varied from this point on. A total of 2300 B-17Fs were built by Boeing, the last production block being -130-BO.

After receiving a B-17E pattern aircraft and all necessary blueprints from Boeing, the Vega division of Lockheed began production of the B-17F in its new A-1 plant at the edge of the Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank, California. The first B-17F-1-VE (42-5705) flew on May 4, 1942. A total of 500 B-17Fs were built by Lockheed-Vega (with the production block numbers reaching -50) before production switched to the G-model. The Lockheed-built B-17Fs were essentially identical to the Boeing-built version, and the planes could only be distinguished from each other by an examination of their serial numbers.

The Douglas plant at Long Beach, California also began production of the B-17F. Douglas manufactured a total of 605 B-17Fs (B-17F-1-DL thru -85-DL). The Douglas-built B-17Fs were externally identical to the Boeing- and Lockheed-built models, and could only be distinguished by an examination of their serial numbers.

Only the first three Douglas-built B-17Fs and the first five Vega-built B-17Fs were block number 1. The details of similar B-17F block numbers as built by the three companies did not correspond, so it was necessary to include the manufacturer's code (BO for Boeing, DL for Douglas, VE for Vega) for complete determination of details for service publications.

The B-17F went into action with the 8th Air Force in Europe, and was used for the first American bombing raid against the German homeland on January 27, 1943 in a raid on Wilhelmshaven. Combat by the B-17F over Europe soon revealed that it was vulnerable to attack from the front by enemy fighters. It turned out that most of the factory-installed pieces of heavy armor plate and flak curtains were not well-positioned to protect the crew against frontal attacks. When hit from the front by machine gun or cannon fire, the crew of the B-17 was relatively unprotected. Hasty modifications were made in the field in an attempt to beef up the armor protection, but were not entirely successful. Another option that was explored was an increase in the number of forward-firing machine guns. In order to beef up the forward defensive firepower, various installations were made in the field to increase the armament in the nose. Additional flexible machine gun installations were fitted in the nose, firing from extra sockets cut into the nose cone or from windows cut into the side of the nose. The famous "Memphis Belle", a B-17F-10-BO (41-24485) of the 324th Bombardment Squadron, 91st Bombardment Group had no less than four guns sticking out of its nose, two in sockets cut into the Plexiglas nose and two firing from windows cut into the left and right sides of the nose.

Later models of the B-17F could be fitted with extra cells (called "Tokyo tanks") to the fuel tanks in the wings.

The B-17Fs built by the three companies differed slightly in internal details, particularly in armament. The most commonly used initial arrangement was a 0.30-inch gun in the nose with 500 rounds, two 0.50-inch with 300 rpg in the waist, two 0.50-inch with 400 rpg in the wait, two 0.50-inch guns with 400 rpg in the dorsal turret, two 0.50-inch guns with 500 rpg in the ball, and two 0.50-inch guns with 565 rpg in the tail.

The maximum bomb load of the first B-17Fs was 9600 pounds, but the range over which such loads could be carried was quite short. On typical missions the load was 4000-5000 pounds over operating ranges of 1400 miles. Beyond these distances, the bomb load fell off quite rapidly

Many modifications were introduced at modification centers before the planes reached the field. These changes were largely dictated by experience in Europe, and were mostly concerned with armor, armament, and fuel capacity.

Beginning with the B-17F-30-BO, another gun was added at the opening on the top of the radio compartment, firing upward from the transparent hatch just above the wing trailing edge.

Beginning with B-17F-30-BO, B-17F-20-DL, and B-17F-20-VE, external bomb racks were fitted under the inner wings for the carriage of two 4000-pounds bombs. This brought the maximum short-range bomb load to 17,600 pounds. Under certain conditions, eight 1600-pound bombs could be carried internally and two 4000-pound bombs externally, raising the total load to 20,800 pounds. However, with such a load the effective range was quite small and all maneuvers were severely restricted. Consequently, external bombs were only rarely carried by the B-17F. Although all subsequent models had lugs and controls for their attachment, the underwing racks were not installed at the factory.

The fuel capacity of the B-17F was increased from 2550 to 3630 US gallons in later modifications .

A total of 3405 B-17Fs were built--2300 by Boeing, 605 by Douglas, and 500 by Lockheed-Vega.

One B-17F (Serial number 42-3521) was transferred to the US Navy. It was given the Navy serial number of 34106, but was operated under its Army designation. It was later modified to B-17G standard and redesignated PB-1. It was later stripped of all armament and used as a flying aeronautical laboratory.

B-17F 41-24613 was turned over to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) for extensive performance testing under the designation XB-17F. Despite its designation, it was not a prototype.

 

Only three B-17Fs remain in existence today.

 

• B-17F-10-BO 41-24485

  The famous Memphis Belle, a B-17F-10-BO (41-24485) of the 324th Bombardment Squadron, 91st Bombardment Group was the first American bomber to complete 25 missions over Europe and survive. This 25th mission was flown on May 17, 1943. Following this mission, the plane returned to the USA to take part in a war bond tour. Upon completion of the tour, the Memphis Belle was turned over to a training group at McDill Field in Florida. In 1945, it was re-designated TB-17F. In August of 1945, it was consigned to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation for disposal. It was about to be scrapped when a citizen of Memphis happened to note that it was the famous Memphis Belle and should be saved. The plane was rescued from the scrap heap and was flown to Memphis, Tennessee where it was put on display outdoors on a pedestal. Over the succeeding years, Memphis Belle began to show signs of wear and tear as the inevitable effects of weather and vandals took their toll. Public outcry at the sorry state of Memphis Belle led to a major restoration effort. Finally, in 1987, a fully-restored Memphis Belle, now sporting a more-accurate paint scheme, was put on permanent display underneath a protective dome.

  
  
   

• B-17F-50-DL 42-3374

  B-17F-50-DL serial number 42-3374 is currently in storage at Offutt AFB, Nebraska awaiting restoration and display. It was a Douglas-built machine which never went overseas. Following the war, it was transferred to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) film studio to be used in making the movie *Footprints in the Sky". In the event, this film never got made and 42-3374 sat in storage at MGM until the 1960s. At that time, it was transferred to Ed Maloney's "Planes of Fame" air museum at Chino Airport in California. Ed Maloney traded the plane to the Beale AFB museum in 1981. In 1989, 42-3374 was trucked to Offut AFB to be displayed as a gate guardian. It is currently in storage awaiting further plans.

  
   

• B-17F-70-BO 42-29782

  There is only one flyable B-17F currently in existence. It is B-17F-70-B0 serial number 42-29782, which spent the war stateside with training units. It was surplused in November 1945. In 1946, it was given to Stuttgart, Arkansas for display. However, Stuttgart city government tired of the display and turned the plane over to civilian operators. The civil registration N17W was assigned. It operated for a number of years as a pesticide sprayer and as an aerial tanker. It appeared in the films *1000 Plane Raid*, *Tora, Tora, Tora*, and the 1989 remake of "The Memphis Belle". In *The Memphis Belle*, it appears as *Kathleen*, and was the only genuine B-17F used in the making of the film.

Specification of B-17F:

Engines: four Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone radials rated at 1200 hp for takeoff and 1000 hp at 25,000 feet. For brief intervals, a war emergency power of 1380 hp could be delivered. Performance: Maximum speed 299 mph at 25,000 feet, 325 mph at 25,000 feet (war emergency). Cruising speed 200 mph. Landing speed 90 mph An altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 25.7 minutes. Service ceiling 37,500 feet. Range 1300 miles with 6000 pounds of bombs, maximum range 2880 miles. A range of 4420 miles at 5000 feet could be attained with 3612 gallons of fuel. Dimensions: Wingspan 103 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 74 feet 9 inches, height 19 feet 1 inches, wing area 1420 square feet. Weights: 34,000 pounds empty, 40,437 pounds loaded, 56,500 pounds maximum. Fuel: Normal fuel load was 2520 US gallons, but extra fuel tanks could be installed which raised total fuel capacity to 3612 US gallons. Armament: Specified defensive armament was as follows: six ball-and-socket mounts in the nose and front windows. One 0.30-inch M2 machine gun with boxes for 5100 rounds of ammunition. One Sperry No. 645473E power turret in dorsal position with two 0.50 Browning M2 machine guns with 500 rounds per gun. One Sperry No. 654849-J power turret in ventral position with two 0.50-inch Browning machine guns with 500 rounds per gun. One 0.50-inch Browning M2 machine gun is each of the two waist windows, 400 rounds per gun. One ball and socket mount was fitted to the roof of the radio operator's compartment for a 0.50-inch Browning M2 machine gun. Two 0.50-inch M2 Browning machine guns were installed in the tail position, with 500 rounds per gun. Later production batches (B-17F-70 to 130-BO, B-17F-35 to 65-DL, and B-17F-35 to 50-VE) had a single 0.50-inch machine gun installed in a cheek mount on each side of the nose. Additional flexible machine guns installations were often mounted in the nose in the field, firing from sockets cut into the side or from windows cut into the side of the nose.

 

 

The Boeing YB-40

The YB-40 was the bomber escort variant of the Flying Fortress, where the Y stood for "service test". This aircraft was produced in an attempt to provide better defenses for B-17 daylight bomber forces which were suffering appalling losses in their raids against German targets on the European continent. The YB-40 was produced by converting existing B-17Fs in an attempt to provide additional firepower for the defense of bomber formations when they ventured into areas beyond the range of contemporary fighters.

The first XB-40 prototype was produced in November of 1942 by the Vega division of Lockheed. They converted a standard Boeing-built B-17F (serial number 41-24341) to escort configuration by adding a dorsal turret in the radio compartment position carring a pair of 0.50-cal machine guns, a chin turret underneath the nose equipped with a pair of 0.50 cal machine guns, and twin gun mounts instead of the usual single gun mounts at each waist position. The regular top, belly, and tail turrets were retained, bringing total defensive armament to fourteen 0.50-inch machine guns. Additional protective armor was fitted for better crew protection. The bomb bays were replaced by storage areas which carried additional ammunition for the guns. The normal ammunition load was 11,135 rounds, which could be increased to 17,265 rounds if the fuel load was reduced.

Twenty more Vega-built B-17Fs were converted to YB-40 configuration, plus four TB-40 trainers. Although they bore the Vega model number of V-139-3, they were actually modified by Douglas at Tulsa, Oklahoma from Vega-built B-17F airframes. A variety of different armament configurations was tried. Some YB-40s were fitted with four-gun nose and tail turrets. Some carried cannon of up to 40-mm in caliber, and a few carried up to as many as 30 guns of various calibers in multiple hand-held positions in the waist as well as in additional power turrets above and below the fuselage! Oddly enough, there don't seem to have been any photographs ever published of these 30-gun YB-40s (insofar as I am aware), although I have seen some drawings.

The first operational YB-40 sortie took place on May 29, 1943 against St. Nazaire. Eight other missions were later flown, the last one taking place on July 4, 1943. Five kills and two probables were claimed during these missions, with the loss of one YB-40. Very early on, it was found that the net effect of the additional drag of the turrets and the extra weight of the guns, armor, and additional ammunition was to reduce the speed of the YB-40 to a point where it could not maintain formation with the standard B-17s on the way home from the target once they had released their bombs. The YB-40 could protect itself fairly well, but not the bombers it was supposed to defend. Consequently, it was recognized that the YB-40 project was an operational failure, and the surviving YB-40s were converted back to standard B-17F configuration or used as gunnery trainers back in the States. However, the YB-40 was to have one lasting impact--the chin turret originally introduced on the YB-40 was later adopted as standard for the B-17G series.

Serials:

XB-40: Conversion of B-17F-1-BO 41-24342 


YB-40: Conversions of B-17F-10-VE 42-5732/5744, B-17F-30-VE 42-5871, 
and B-17F-35-VEs 42-5920, 5921, 5923, 5924, 5925, and 5927.  


TB-40: Conversions of B-17F-25-VEs 42-5833 and 5834, B-17F-30-VE 
42-5872, and B-17F-35-VE 42-5926.  

 

 

The Fortress II For The RAF

Nineteen Boeing-built B-17Fs were transferred to the RAF under Lend-Lease as Fortress II. They were assigned the RAF serial numbers FA695 to FA713. FA700 and FA711 were ex-USAAF 41-24599 and 42-5238, but I am unaware of the other USAAF serials.

Most Fortress IIs were issued to RAF Coastal Command for use in patrolling the area around the British Isles in search of German submarines. The Fortress II served with the following RAF Coastal Command squadrons:

No. 59 Squadron 
No. 206 Squadron 
No. 220 Squadron 
No. 251 Squadron (Met.) 
No. 519 Squadron (Met.) 
No. 521 Squadron (Met.) 

The Fortress II also served in small numbers with the following RAF Bomber Command Squadrons:

No. 214 Squadron 
No. 223 Squadron 

 

 

The BQ-7

Approximately 25 high-time Fortresses (mainly B-17Fs) were converted into radio-controlled flying bombs under the designation BQ-7. They were designed to be used against German V-1 missile sites, submarine pens, or deep fortifications that had resisted conventional bombing.

The name of the USAAF officer who first thought of the idea of using war-weary B-17s as flying bombs has been lost to history, but the plan was proposed to Maj Gen James Doolittle under the code name Operation Aphrodite, and he approved it on June 26, 1944. Responsibility for preparing and flying the drone aircraft was given to the 3rd Bombardment Division, which passed the job down to the 388th Bombardment Group, which in turn passed responsibility down to the 562nd Squadron based at Honington in Suffolk.

The B-17s selected for the project were stripped of their normal military equipment and packed with up to 9 tons of explosives. Each pilot-less bomber was fitted with a radio-controlled flight system known as Double-Azon. A television camera was placed on the flight deck so that an image of the main instrument panel could be sent back to a controlling aircraft. A second TV camera was installed inside the Plexiglas nose which gave a television monitor in the controlling aircraft a view of the ground so that the robot machine could be directed onto the target. It was planned that a volunteer two-man crew would get the ship off the ground and fly it up to an operational altitude of 2000 feet, point the aircraft in the general direction of the target, arm the explosives for an on-impact detonation, hand over control to the director aircraft that was flying above at 20,000 feet, and then parachute to safety while still over England. The canopy was removed from each aircraft, creating an open cockpit so that the two-man crew could exit the plane with minimum delay once they had completed their tasks. The controlling B-17 would then direct the BQ-7 to the target area over the Continent and lock its controls into a crash course into the target before turning to escape.

Upon completion of the training program, the squadron with its 10 drones and four command ships moved to an airfield at Woodbridge, which was a few miles from the Suffolk coast northeast of London. They then moved to a small satellite airfield at Fersfield, 25 miles from Woodbridge, in a very isolated area that was well away from any civilian areas.

The first mission took place on August 4. The target was a V-1 site in Pas-de-Calais. In the first phase of the mission, two mother-ships and two drones took off. Unfortunately, one of the drones went out of control shortly after the first crewman had bailed out. It crashed near the coastal village of Orford, destroying two acres of trees and digging an enormous crater. The body of the other crewman was never found. The second drone was successfully dispatched toward the Pas-de-Calais. Unfortunately, clouds obscured the television view from the nose just as the drone approached the target site, and the plane missed the target by 500 feet. The second phase of the mission fared little better. One robot BQ-7 had a control malfunction before it could dive onto its target and was shot down by German flak. The other one missed its target by 500 yards.

On August 6, another task force of two robots and four command ships was sent out against V-1 targets in France. The crews parachuted clear of the aircraft without incident, but within minutes one of the drones went out of control and crashed into the sea. The other drone decided to develop a mind of its own and the explosives-packed aircraft began to circle the industrial area of Ipswich before flying out to sea, where it was harmlessly ditched.

After these early failures, General Doolittle decided that it might be a good idea to suspend further missions until it could be determined what was going wrong. Most of the advisers pointed the finger at the Double-Azon radio control system and recommended conversion to a new system known as Castor.

The first *Castor* raid was an attack on targets at Heligoland. Again, it started badly--the parachute of the pilot of one of the drones failed to open when he bailed out, and he was killed. Nevertheless, the drone made it all the way to Heligoland, but it crashed some 100 yards short of the target, probably a victim of flak. The next mission was against targets on Heide/Hemmingstedt. The first robot crashed short of its target because of director disorientation caused by image distortion in the television monitor, whereas the second robot malfunctioned and had to be ditched at sea.

Further sorties against Heligoland took place in October, but yielded little success. One drone was shot down by flak, whereas another went out of control and ended up over the North Sea where it finally ran out of fuel and crashed into the water. A third drone failed to locate its target due to low visibility. The exasperated director crew pointed the BQ-7 in the general direction of Berlin and let it go. The fourth drone actually crashed near its target and caused some serious damage and fairly heavy casualties.

On October 27, the headquarters of the US Strategic Air Forces in Europe concluded that these attacks by BQ-7s against hard targets were not yielding much success, and decided that further targets for the BQ-7s would be industrial targets in large German cities. The first of these sorties was on December 5, the target being a group of railroad marshaling yards west of Hannover. Because of bad weather, the first robot could not find the primary target, and was shot down by flak while approaching the secondary target. The second robot failed to explode when it crashed, leaving the Germans with a relatively undamaged aircraft with a complete set of remote controls that they could examine. The last Aphrodite mission was on January 20, 1945, against a power station at Oldenberg. Both drones missed their targets by several miles. After this last effort, the *Aphrodite* concept was abandoned as being unfeasible.

In retrospect, the Aphrodite concept was a costly failure, and was often more dangerous to the crews which operated the drones than it was to the Germans. It turned out that the hardware available in 1944 was simply not good enough to do the kind of job that was required.

Incidentally, the BQ-7 was NOT the plane responsible for the death of Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. The plane that killed JFK's older brother was a converted Consolidated PB4Y-1, a Navy version of the B-24 Liberator.

 

 

The Boeing C-108

The designation XC-108 was assigned to a B-17E (serial number 41-2593) that was converted as a special transport for General Douglas MacArthur in 1943. All armor an armament except the nose and tail guns were deleted. Extra windows were installed, and the interior was fitted out as a flying office for the General, complete with living and cooking facilities. A drop-down entry door with built-in steps was cut into the rear fuselage.

The designation YC-108 was assigned to B-17F-40-VE serial number 42-6036 which was converted into VIP transport aircraft similar to General MacArthur's XC-108.

The XC-108A was B-17E 41-2595 converted in March 1944 at Patterson Field as a cargo aircraft. It was part of an experimental program to test the feasibility of converting obsolescent bombers into cargo transports. All armament and military equipment was removed, and a large cargo door was cut into the rear fuselage. The interior arrangement was reworked, and the radio operator and navigator were moved to a position behind the pilot's where the top turret had originally been located. The nose compartment was rebuilt to provide space for cargo or personnel, with access being gained by the crawlway underneath the cockpit or by a solid, hinged nose piece that replaced the transparent nose of the standard B-17E. The bomb bay doors were sealed shut and the bulkhead between the bomb bay and what had been the radio compartment was opened up. The bulkhead between the radio compartment and the waist area was removed. Provision for cargo or troop-transport was installed in both the former bomb bay and the aft fuselage.

The XC-108A was based in India and was used for transportation of materials into China over the Hump. It was not a success as a transport, being subject to continual engine problems, and there were no further cargo transport conversions of the Fortress. The XC-108A returned to the States in October of 1944, and after the war ended up in bits and pieces in a junkyard near Dow Field in Maine. In 1985, a vintage airplane buff moved the pieces of the XC-108A to Galt Airport in Illinois, and current plans are to restore the plane to B-17E configuration for display in a museum. This will make it the only surviving B-17E.

The XC-108B was B-17F serial number 42-30190 converted as a fuel transport aircraft. It was a test of the feasibility of converting bombers into tankers for use in ferrying fuel over the Hump from Burma to China. All armor and armament was removed, and extra fuel tanks were installed in the fuselage.

Many other B-17s were converted to VIP transport configuration under the designation CB-17, the C indicating their status as converted bombers.

 

 

The Boeing B-17 G Fortress

The B-17G was introduced onto the Fortress production line in July of 1943, and was destined to be produced in larger numbers than any other Fortress variant. The most readily-noticeable innovation introduced by the B-17G was the power-operated Bendix turret mounted in a chin-type installation underneath the nose. This turret was equipped with two 0.50-inch machine guns. This installation had first been tested in combat by the YB-40 and was found to be the only viable innovation introduced by the unsuccessful escort Fortress. Originally, the Bendix turret was to be introduced on the Boeing production line with F-135, but the changes were sufficient to justify a new series letter, and the F-135s became G-1.

Another feature introduced by the G was having the waist guns being permanently enclosed behind windows instead of being mounted behind removable hatches. This made the rear fuselage somewhat less drafty.

The cheek nose guns introduced on the late B-17F were retained, but were staggered so that the left gun was in the forward side window and the right gun was in the middle side window, which reversed the positions used on the late Fs. The cheek gun mounts bulged somewhat outward into the air stream, which helped to improve the forward view from the cheek gun positions. The forward chin installation and the associated cheek guns were first tested out on B-17F-115-BO 42-30631.

The B-17G now had the defensive firepower of no less than thirteen 0.50-inch machine guns--two chin guns, two "cheek" guns, two guns in the dorsal turret, two guns in the ventral turret, two guns in the waist, two guns in the tail, and one gun in the roof of the radio operator's position.

B-17Gs were built by all three members of the "BVD" production pool, with the Boeing lots ranging from production blocks G-1 to G-110, the Douglas blocks ranging from 5 to 95, and the Lockheed-Vega blocks ranging from 1 to 110.

The B-17G entered service with the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces in late 1943.

Camouflage paint was deleted from production B-17Gs starting in January of 1944. B-17Gs were delivered in natural metal finish starting in (but not at the beginning) of production blocks G-35-BO (Boeing), G-20-VE (Lockheed-Vega), and G-35-DL (Douglas-Long Beach).

The so-called "Cheyenne" tail gun mounting modifications were incorporated in the B-17G-80-BO, -45-DL, -35-VE and subsequent batches. These tail gun mountings also had a reflector gun sight instead of the previous ring and bead. With this installation, these B-17Gs were five inches shorter than the earlier versions.

On later production versions, it was found necessary to stagger the waist gun positions so that the two gunners would not get in each other's way.

On the last production batches (B-17G-105 and -110-BO, B-17G-75 to -85-DL, and B-17G-85 to -110-VE), the radio compartment gun was not installed. The ammunition capacity of the waist guns was increased to 600 rpg.

When production finally terminated in 1945, a total of 4035 B-17Gs had been built by Boeing, 2395 by Douglas, and 2250 by Lockheed-Vega. The last Boeing-built B-17G was delivered on April 13, 1945.

B-17G-1-VE 42-38940 was re-designated XB-17G when assigned to test work. It was not a prototype.

B-17G serial numbers:

42-31032/31131	Boeing B-17G-1-BO Fortress
				c/n 6146/6245
42-31132/31231	Boeing B-17G-5-BO Fortress
				c/n 6246/6345
42-31232/31331	Boeing B-17G-10-BO Fortress
				c/n 6346/6445
42-31332/31431	Boeing B-17G-15-BO Fortress
				c/n 6446/6545
42-31432/31631	Boeing B-17G-20-BO Fortress
				c/n 6546/6745
42-31632/31731	Boeing B-17G-25-BO Fortress
				c/n 6746/6845
42-31732/31931	Boeing B-17G-30-BO Fortress
				c/n 6846/7045
42-31932/32116	Boeing B-17G-35-BO Fortress
				c/n 7046/7230
42-37716		Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-10-DL Fortress
				c/n 8502
42-37721/37803	Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-10-DL Fortress
				c/n 8507/8589
42-37804/37893	Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-15-DL Fortress
				c/n 8590/8679
42-37894/37988	Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-20-DL Fortress
				c/n 8680/8774
42-37989/38083	Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-25-DL Fortress
				c/n 8775/8869
42-38084/38213	Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-30-DL Fortress
				c/n 8870/8999
42-39758/39857  	Lockheed/Vega B-17G-1-VE Fortress
				c/n 6501/6600
42-39858/39957  	Lockheed/Vega B-17G-5-VE Fortress
				c/n 6601/6700
42-39958/40057  	Lockheed/Vega B-17G-10-VE Fortress
				c/n 6701/6800
				39974 captured by Luftwaffe
42-97058/97172	Boeing B-17G-40-BO Fortress
				c/n 7531/7645
42-97173/97407	Boeing B-17G-45-BO Fortress
				c/n 7646/7880
42-97436/97535	Lockheed/Vega B-17G-15-VE Fortress
				c/n 6801/6900
42-97536/97635	Lockheed/Vega B-17G-20-VE Fortress
				c/n 6901/7000
42-97636/97735	Lockheed/Vega B-17G-25-VE Fortress
				c/n 7001/7100
42-97736/97835	Lockheed/Vega B-17G-30-VE Fortress
				c/n 7101/7200
				97825 converted to SB-17G.
42-97836/97935	Lockheed/Vega B-17G-35-VE Fortress
				c/n 7201/7300
42-97936/98035	Lockheed/Vega B-17G-40-VE Fortress
				c/n 7301/7400
42-102379/102543	Boeing B-17G-50-BO Fortress
				c/n 7881/8045
42-102544/102743	Boeing B-17G-55-BO Fortress
				c/n 8046/8245
42-102744/102978	Boeing B-17G-60-BO Fortress
				c/n 8246/8480
42-106984/107233	Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-35-DL Fortress
				c/n 21899/22148
43-37509/37673	Boeing B-17G-65-BO Fortress
				c/n 8487/8651
43-37674/37873	Boeing B-17G-70-BO Fortress
				c/n 8652/8851
43-37874/38073	Boeing B-17G-75-BO Fortress
				c/n 8852/9051
43-38074/38273	Boeing B-17G-80-BO Fortress
				c/n 9052/9251
43-38274/38473	Boeing B-17G-85-BO Fortress
				c/n 9252/9451
43-38474/38673	Boeing B-17G-90-BO Fortress
				c/n 9452/9651
43-38674/38873	Boeing B-17G-95-BO Fortress
				c/n 9652/9851
43-38874/39073	Boeing B-17G-100-BO Fortress
				c/n 9852/10051
43-39074/39273	Boeing B-17G-105-BO Fortress
				c/n 10052/10251
43-39274/39508	Boeing B-17G-110-BO Fortress
				c/n 10252/10486
44-6001/6125		Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-40-DL Fortress
				c/n 22224/22348
44-6126/6250		Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-45-DL Fortress
				c/n 22349/22473
44-6251/6500		Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-50-DL Fortress
				c/n 22474/22723
44-6501/6625		Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-55-DL Fortress
				c/n 22724/22848
44-6626/6750		Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-60-DL Fortress
				c/n 22849/22973
44-6751/6875		Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-65-DL Fortress
				c/n 22974/23098
44-6876/7000		Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-70-DL Fortress
				c/n 23099/23223
44-8001/8100		Lockheed/Vega B-17G-45-VE Fortress
				c/n 7401/7500
44-8101/8200		Lockheed/Vega B-17G-50-VE Fortress
				c/n 7501/7600
44-8201/8300		Lockheed/Vega B-17G-55-VE Fortress
				c/n 7601/7700
44-8301/8400		Lockheed/Vega B-17G-60-VE Fortress
				c/n 7701/7800
44-8401/8500		Lockheed/Vega B-17G-65-VE Fortress
				c/n 7801/7900
44-8501/8600		Lockheed/Vega B-17G-70-VE Fortress
				c/n 7901/8000
44-8601/8700		Lockheed/Vega B-17G-75-VE Fortress
				c/n 8001/8100
44-8701/8800		Lockheed/Vega B-17G-80-VE Fortress
				c/n 8101/8200
44-8801/8900		Lockheed/Vega B-17G-85-VE Fortress
				c/n 8201/8300
44-8901/9000		Lockheed/Vega B-17G-90-VE Fortress
				c/n 8301/8400
44-83236/83360	Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-75-DL Fortress
				c/n 31877/32001
44-83361/83485	Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-80-DL Fortress
				c/n 32002/32126
44-83486/83585	Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-85-DL Fortress
				c/n 32127/32226
44-83586/83685	Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-90-DL Fortress
				c/n 32227/32326
44-83686/83863	Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-95-DL Fortress
				c/n 32327/32504
44-83864/83885	Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-95-DL Fortress
				c/n 32505/32526
44-85492/85591	Lockheed/Vega B-17G-95-VE Fortress
				c/n 8401/8500
44-85592/85691	Lockheed/Vega B-17G-100-VE Fortress
				c/n 8501/8600
44-85692/85791	Lockheed/Vega B-17G-105-VE Fortress
				c/n 8601/8700
44-85792/85841	Lockheed/Vega B-17G-110-VE Fortress
				c/n 8701/8750

Specification of B-17G:

Engines: Four Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone radials with General Electric B-22 turbo-superchargers, each rated at 1200 hp for takeoff and 1000 hp at 25,000 feet, with a war emergency power of 1380 hp at 26,700 feet. Performance: Maximum speed 263 mph at 25,000 feet, 300 mph at 30,000 feet (war emergency). Cruising speed 150 mph at 25,000 feet. Landing speed 90 mph Initial climb rate 900 feet per minute. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 37 minutes. Service ceiling 35,000 feet. Range 1850 miles with 4000 pounds of bombs at 25,000 feet with 2810 gallons of fuel. Dimensions: Wingspan 103 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 74 feet 9 inches, height 19 feet 1 inches, wing area 1420 square feet. Weights: 32,720 pounds empty, 55,000 pounds normal loaded, 72,000 pounds maximum. Fuel: Normal fuel load was 2520 US gallons, but extra fuel tanks could be installed which raised total fuel capacity to 3612 US gallons. Armament: Specified defensive armament was as follows: Thirteen 0.5-inch Browning machine guns in chin, nose, dorsal, center- fuselage, ventral, waist, and tail positions. Maximum short-range bomb load was 17,600 pounds.

 

 

The Fortress III For The RAF

Eighty-five USAAF B-17Gs were transferred to the Royal Air Force as the Fortress III. The first 30 of these planes were built by Boeing, and the remainder were built by Lockheed-Vega. RAF serials were HB 761/790 for the Boeing-built models and HB791/793, 795, 796, 799/803, 805, 815/820, KH998, KH999, and KJ100/127, KL830/837 for the Vega-built models. However, HB794,797,798,804, 806/814 were diverted to the USAAF before they could be delivered to the RAF.

Three of these Fortress IIIs (HB786, HB791, and HB792) were operated by RAF Coastal Command. They all served with 220 Squadron in the Azores and were subsequently allocated to two met squadrons (HB786 to 521 Sqdn and HB791 and HB792  to 251 Sqdn). They usually carried twelve 400-pound S.C.I. bombs or sixteen 250-pound depth charges. They had the cheek-mounted machine guns removed, and radar was fitted in place of the ball turret.

In February 1944, the first Fortress IIIs were assigned to No. 214 Squadron of Bomber Command based at Sculthorpe. These operated with with No. 100 group on special electronics countermeasures missions to confuse and jam enemy radar. With No. 233 Squadron, the first Fortress III unit of Bomber Command, they took part in clandestine operations until the unit was disbanded in July of 1945. Fortress IIIs also took part in mass night attacks, being employed as decoys to confuse enemy night fighters and to drop "window".

 

 

The F-9 Photographic Reconnaissance

The designation F-9 (F for "Foto") was assigned to photographic reconnaissance conversions of existing B-17 bombers. This should not be confused with the F-for-Fighter designation scheme, which was not introduced until 1948.

Sixteen B-17Fs were converted to long range photographic reconnaissance configuration by having their bombing equipment deleted and replaced by photographic equipment. Some cameras were installed in the nose and in the aft fuselage as well. These aircraft were redesignated F-9. Some defensive armament was retained.

The designation F-9A was assigned to an unspecified number of B-17Fs that were converted to photographic configuration in a manner similar to that of the F-9 but differing in some camera details. All of these planes were redesignated F-9B after further camera changes.

The designation F-9B was assigned to 25 photographic Fortresses obtained by adapting some existing F-9As and by converting other B-17Fs.

The designation F-9C was assigned to ten B-17Gs converted for photographic reconnaissance in a manner similar to the F-9, F-9A, and F-9B conversions of the B-17F. I have one photograph of a F-9C in which the chin turret of the B-17G has been replaced by a housing for tri-metrogen cameras. In 1948, the few surviving F-9Cs were re-designated RB-17G, the R standing for "Reconnaissance".

 

Serials of F-9:

Conversions of B-17F 42-3324, 42-5753, 42-29676, 42-29719, 42-29753, 42-29783, 42-29801, 42-29805, 42-30083, 42030220, 42-30232, 42-30252, 42-30253, 42-30256, 42-30268, 42-30299.

 

Serials of F-9B:

Conversions of B-17F 42-2984, 42-6129, 42-6134, 42-6135, 42-6138, 42-6140, 42-6159, 42-6164, 42-6183/6187, 42-6200, 42-6201, 42-29873, 42-29899, 42-29902, 42-29904, 42-29911, 42-19913, 42-19917, 42-29922, 42-30469, 42-30486.

 

Serials of F-9C:

Conversions of B-17G 43-37689, 43-37711, 43-37914, 43-38155, 43-38162, 43-38168, 43-39649, 43-38651, 43-38653, 44-83626.

 

 

The PB-1 Naval Fortress

During the last year of the war and shortly thereafter, the US Navy acquired 48 ex-USAAF B-17s for patrol and air-sea rescue work. At first, these planes operated under their original USAAF designations, but on July 31, 1945 they were assigned the designation PB-1, a designation which had originally been used in 1925 for an experimental flying boat. Since most of the Fortresses involved were actually built by Douglas or Lockheed and not by Boeing, a more logical designation would have been P4D-1W or P3V-1G respectively.

The Navy Bureau of Aeronautics assigned the sequence of serial numbers between 77225 and 77258 to these aircraft. Later, two additional sequences were set aside--82855/82857 and 83992/84027.

Twenty-four B-17Gs (including one B-17F that had been modified to G standards) were used by the Navy under the designation PB-1W. The W stood torpedo anti-submarine warfare. A large radome for an ASP-20 search radar was fitted underneath the fuselage, and additional internal fuel tanks were added for longer range. These planes were painted dark blue, a standard Navy paint scheme which had been adopted in late 1944. Most of these planes were Douglas-built aircraft, flown directly from the Long Beach factory to the Naval Aircraft Modification Unit in Pennsylvania during the summer of 1945, where the APS-20 search radar was fitted. However, the war ended before any PB-1Ws could be deployed, and the defensive armament was subsequently deleted.

The first few PB-1Ws went to VBP-101 in April of 1946. The PB-1W eventually evolved into an early-warning aircraft by virtue of its APS-20 search radar. By 1947, PB-1Ws had been deployed to units operating with both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets. VPB-101 on the East Coast was re-designated VX-4 and assigned to NAS Quonset Point in Rhode Island. VX-4 became VW-2 in 1952 and transferred to NAS Patuxent River in Maryland. VW-2 had the primary mission of early warning, with a secondary mission of antisubmarine warfare and hurricane reconnaissance. VW-1 was established in 1952 with four PB-1Ws at NAS Barbers Point in Hawaii. Elements of VW-1 were drawn from VC-11 at NAS Miramar and VP-51 at NAS San Diego. VW-1 had a mission similar to that of VW-2.

PB-1Ws continued in service until 1955, gradually being phased out in favor of the Lockheed WV-2, a military version of the Lockheed 1049 Constellation commercial airliner. PB-1Ws were retired to the Naval Aircraft Storage Center at Litchfield Park, Arizona. They were stricken from inventory in mid-1956 and many were sold as surplus and ended up on the civil register. 13 of them were sold as scrap.

Two ex-USAAAF B-17s were obtained by the Navy under the designation XPB-1 for various development programs. The first was transferred to the Navy in June of 1945, and the second was transferred in August of 1946. The second plane was used by the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory in a jet engine test program. It was finally stricken off charge in 1955.

In May of 1947, six B-17Gs of unknown serial numbers were transferred to the Navy and assigned BuNos 83993 to 83998. They were stored at Corpus Christi until August 31, 1947, when they were stricken from charge. They were apparently never actually used by the Navy, and their ultimate fate is uncertain.

Two additional PB-1s were transferred to the Navy in 1950, these planes coming from the Air Force which had modified two EB-17Gs to PB-1W configuration for test programs. After the completion of these tests, these planes were transferred to the Navy and assigned the serials 77137, and 77138, which was sort of unusual in that these numbers had originally been set aside as part of a block of PB4Y aircraft.

It appears that the serials 83999 and 84001/84027 that had been been reserved for PB-1 aircraft were never actually used.

In 1949-1950, twenty B-17Gs were transferred to the Navy. The exact role that these planes were to fulfill is unclear. Their Navy designations and serials, if any, are unknown, and their ultimate fate is uncertain. None of these planes ever showed up on later civil registers.

Seventeen ex-USAAF Vega-built B-17Gs were used by the US Coast Guard under the designation PB-1G. In July 1945, 18 B-17s were set aside by the USAAF for transfer to the Coast Guard via the Navy. They were assigned Navy serial numbers. During wartime, the Coast Guard is part of the Navy and is under War Department jurisdiction, but on January 1, 1946, the Coast Guard returned to the Treasury Department. Nevertheless, the Navy continued to rework the B-17s and transferred them to the Coast Guard, where they served under their original Navy serial numbers.

The first PB-1Gs were delivered to the Coast Guard beginning in July of 1946. In the event, only 15 PB-1Gs were actually transferred to the Coast Guard, and they carried the Navy serial numbers between 77246 and 77257, plus 82855 and 82856 from the second serial block. The USCG obtained one more aircraft directly from the USAAF in 1947. It never received a BuAer number, and served with a truncated version of its USAAF serial (85832).

The PB-1Gs were stationed throughout the hemisphere, with five at the Coast Guard station at Elizabeth City, North Carolina, two at San Francisco, two in Newfoundland, one in Alaska, and one in Washington state. They were used primarily for air-sea rescue, but were also used for iceberg patrol duties and for photo mapping. Air-sea rescue PB-1Gs usually carried a droppable lifeboat underneath the fuselage and were painted in yellow and black air-rescue markings. The chin turret was often replaced by a radome. In postwar years, PB-1Gs would often carry the national insignia on their vertical tails rather than on the fuselage. The Coast Guard PB-1Gs served for a long time, the last example (44-85828, BuNo 77254) not being withdrawn from service until October 14, 1959. This airplane was sold as surplus, operated as an air tanker for many years, and is now on display in Arizona.

The BuAer serials of the Navy PB-1Gs and PB-1Ws were as follows:

34106		Douglas-Long Beach PB-1W Fortress - B-17F-75-DL 
			44-3521 from USAAF delivered to US Navy
34114		Douglas-Long Beach PB-1W Fortress - B-17G-85-DL 
			44-83538 from USAAF delivered to US Navy
77137		Douglas-Long Beach PB-1W Fortress - B-17G-85-DL
			44-83463 from USAAF delivered to US Navy
77138		Lockheed-Vega PB-1W Fortress - B-17G-105-VE 44-85679
			from USAAF delivered to US Navy.
77225 		Douglas-Long Beach PB-1W Fortress - former Army
			B-17G-97-DL 44-83855 used by US Navy
77226/77228	Douglas-Long Beach PB-1W Fortress - former Army
			B-17G-97-DL 44-83857/83859 used by US Navy
77229/77232	Douglas-Long Beach PB-1W Fortress - former Army
			B-17G-97-DL 44-83857/83859 used by US Navy
77233/77234	Douglas-Long Beach PB-1W Fortress - former Army
			B-17G-97-DL 44-83868/83869 used by US Navy
77235/77242	Douglas-Long Beach PB-1W Fortress - former Army
			B-17G-97-DL 44-83872/83879 used by US Navy
77243		Douglas-Long Beach PB-1W Fortress - former Army
			B-17G-97-DL 44-83883 used by US Navy
77244		Douglas-Long Beach PB-1W Fortress - former Army
			B-17G-97-DL 44-83884 used by US Navy
77245		Douglas-Long Beach PB-1G Fortress - Former Army 
			B-17G-95-DL 44-85806 used by US Coast Guard
77246		Lockheed-Vega PB-1G Fortress - Former Army 
			B-17G-110-VE 44-85812 used by US Coast Guard
77247/77257	Lockheed-Vega PB-1G Fortress - Former Army
			B-17G-110-VE 44-85821/85831 used by US Coast Guard.
			77248 may have been returned to the Navy in 1949 and
			reserialed 84000.
77258		Lockheed-Vega XPB-1 Fortress - former Army
			B-17G-100-VE 44-85683 obtained by US Navy in June
			1945 for experimental tests.
82855/82857	General Motors XF2M-1 - Order cancelled before any could
	   		be built.
			These serials later reassigned to ex-USAAF 
  			Lockheed-Vega B-17G-110-VEs
			44-85837,44-85834, and 44-85838 used
			by US Coast Guard as PB-1G.
			82856 transferred from USCG to Navy in 1948 and
			may have received a new serial number. 
83992		Lockheed-Vega XPB-1 Fortress - B-17G-110-VE 44-85571 obtained 
			from War Assets Administration in August 1946 for use 
			by Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory for jet engine tests.
			Striken off record in 1955.
83993/83998	Boeing PB-1 Fortress - unknown B-17Gs from USAAF
			transferred to US Navy in May of 1947 and stored at
			Corpus Christi until August 31, 1947 when striken from
			charge.  Fate unknown.
83999		It would appear that this serial number was reserved for
			PB-1 aircraft, but never actually assigned.
84000		Navy records for 77248 and 84000 suggest that they were
		the same aircraft.  Apparently 77248 was returned by the
		Coast Guard to the Navy in 1949 and was reserialed
		84000.  It was B-17G-110-VE 44-85822.
84001/84027	It appears that these serial numbers were reserved
			for PB-1s, but never actually assigned.
85832		Lockheed-Vega PB-1G Fortress - Ex-USAAF
			B-17G-110-VE 44-85832 transferred directly from
			USAAF inventory to USCG.  Never assigned a Navy serial 
			number and carried the truncated USAAAF serial
			85832 while on Coast Guard duty.

In 1949-1950, the following B-17s were transferred to the Navy. Apparently, they were never assigned Navy serial numbers or Navy designations.

44-83404  Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-95-DL
44-81408  Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-95-DL
44-83433  Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-95-DL
44-83435  Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-95-DL
44-83422  Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-95-DL
44-83505  Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-95-DL
44-83563  Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-95-DL
44-83726  Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-95-DL
44-83749  Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-95-DL
44-83765  Douglas-Long Beach B-17G-95-DL
44-85495  Lockheed-Vega B-17G-95-VE
44-85514  Lockheed-Vega B-17G-95-VE
44-85537  Lockheed-Vega B-17G-95-VE
44-85542  Lockheed-Vega B-17G-95-VE
44-85574  Lockheed-Vega B-17G-95-VE
44-85628  Lockheed-Vega B-17G-100-VE
44-85657  Lockheed-Vega B-17G-100-VE
44-85661  Lockheed-Vega B-17G-100-VE
44-85665  Lockheed-Vega B-17G-100-VE
44-85681  Lockheed-Vega B-17G-100-VE

 

 

The B-17 In The Pacific Theatre

The following is an account of the B-17's service in the Pacific theatre of operations.

In early December of 1941 immediately prior to Pearl Harbor, there were 13 USAAC heavy bomber groups, but most of them were far below the 32-plane strength that had been authorized. Many of the groups were equipped with Douglas B-18s, a military version of the DC-2 commercial transport which even before the war had been recognized as being thoroughly obsolescent. Only some 150 B-17s were on hand, most of them being small-tailed B-17C and D versions, although a very few B-17Es were available as well.

In response to the growing crisis in the Pacific, most B-17s had been deployed overseas. The 6th Bombardment Group based in the Canal Zone had eight B-17Bs and received eight new B-17Es in the first week in December. The 42nd Reconnaissance Squadron based in Newfoundland had six B-17Bs. The 7th Bombardment Group based at Salt Lake City, Utah had 35 new-model B-17Es, but preparations were under way for this outfit to be shipped out to the Far East. Six B-17Cs and 29 B-17Ds were serving with the 19th Bombardment Group based in the Philippines. The 14th Squadron of the 19th Bombardment Group had been transferred to the Philippines in September of 1941 in a spectacular trans-Pacific flight to Clark Field, and two more squadrons had flown to the Philippines in October. The 5th Bombardment Group based at Hickam Field, Hawaii had 12 B-17Ds. The other six heavy bomber groups in the USAAC were equipped with a total of 12 YB-17s, 22 B-17Bs, and five B-17Cs.

The B-17 was to achieve its first taste of combat in American hands at Pearl Harbor. On December 7, The 38th Reconnaissance Squadron with four B-17Cs and two new B-17Es was inbound from Hamilton Field, California to Pearl Harbor on their way to the Philippines to reinforce the American force there. None were armed. They arrived at Pearl Harbor at the height of the attack (radar operators mistakenly thought that the Japanese attack force was this flight arriving from California). Some of the planes managed to land at a short fighter strip at Haleiwa, one set down on a golf course, and the remainder landed at Hickam under the strafing of Japanese planes.

Twelve B-17Ds of the 5th Bombardment Group were parked on the ground at Hickam Field during the attack. Five of these B-17s were destroyed, and eight were damaged.

The B-17Es of the 7th Bombardment Group based at Salt Lake City, Utah left Utah on December 5 for deployment to the Far East. Six of them arrived in Hawaii just after the Pearl Harbor attack, but the rest of them were ordered to remain in the USA to defend California against the Japanese threat, since in the hysteria of the moment the Japanese fleet was expected to show up off Santa Barbara at any time. Only 19 B-17Bs could be spared to be sent to Spokane to help defend the Northwest, and two B-17Bs were sent to Alaska.

News of the Pearl Harbor attack was received at about 3 AM on Dec 8 in the Philippines. According to the previously-agreed upon plan, if hostilities were to break out, an attack on Japanese bases in Formosa was to be immediately carried out by the 19th Bombardment Group's Fortresses. On Dec 8, there were 35 USAAC B-17s in the Philippines, with two squadrons at Clark Field on Luzon with a total of 19 planes, and two squadrons at Del Monte on Mindanao 500 miles to the south with the other 16 B-17s.

For reasons which are still unclear even today, the planned raid on Formosa was delayed. Instead, in order to prevent them from being destroyed on the ground by a Japanese air attack, all flyable B-17s based at Clark Field had been ordered into the air and to patrol the waters around Luzon. In the meantime, General Lewis H. Brereton, General MacArthur's air commander, finally got approval to carry out the strike against Japanese bases on Formosa, and the B-17s were recalled to Clark. When the Fortresses returned to Clark, three of them were equipped with cameras for reconnaissance and the remainder were loaded up with 100-lb and 300-lb bombs in preparation for the planned mission to Formosa.

The three reconnaissance B-17s were taxiing out for the initial photographic mission to Formosa when about 200 Japanese aircraft struck. Unfortunately, all the P-40 fighters had been recalled for refueling and were on the ground. The attack was devastating. All except one of the B-17s were destroyed or damaged on the ground. The sole survivor had not taken off on the morning alert, and had been taken up in the air while the rest were being prepared for the Formosa raid. The Fortresses at Del Monte 500 miles to the south were out of range of the Zeros from Formosa and were left untouched.

At Clark Field, three or four of the damaged B-17s were put back into service. They were joined by the B-17s from Del Monte. By December 9, reconnaissance missions were being undertaken by the 19th Bombardment Group in search of the Japanese fleet.

On December 10, a Japanese convoy was spotted, and five B-17s were dispatched. This was the first American bombardment mission of World War II. No fighter opposition was encountered, and some hits were recorded on the transports.

That same day, a B-17C piloted by Captain Colin P. Kelly dropped bombs from high altitude on what the crew thought to be a Japanese battleship. Hits were recorded, and a tremendous explosion was observed. Kelly's plane was immediately pounced upon by Zeros, one of which was flown by Saburo Sakai, who was later to become a famous ace. Kelly guided his heavily-damaged plane back towards Clark Field. He ordered the crew to parachute to safety, but before Kelly himself could leave, the aircraft exploded and Kelly was killed.

When the surviving crew was questioned, the report was flashed out that they had sunk the battleship Haruna, and the mission was hailed as a great victory. Captain Kelly was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by President Franklin Roosevelt for his heroism, and was written up in glowing press reports. However, information revealed in the immediate postwar years revealed that the Haruna was nowhere near the area at that time and that the ship most likely struck was the cruiser Ashigari, and it was only fairly lightly damaged by the attack.

By December 14, out of the original 35 B-17s in the Philippines, only 14 remained. They were all stationed at Del Monte, hopefully out of range of Japanese aircraft. Beginning on December 17, the surviving B-17s based there began to be evacuated to Batchelor Field near Darwin, Australia.

The first mission out of Australia took place on December 22, with 9 B-17s taking part. It was an attack on Japanese shipping at Davao. They landed at Del Monte on Mindanao, which was still in American hands.

On that same day, Japanese forces landed on Luzon, and quickly advanced on Manila, driving MacArthur's forces onto Bataan and then to Corregidor.

It seemed at the time that the Japanese were advancing just about everywhere. The 19th Bombardment Group based in Australia moved up to Java in an attempt to stop the Japanese advance. They were joined in January by the B-17Es and LB-30s of the 7th Bombardment Group. The small force of B-17s could do very little to stem the tide of the Japanese advance, launching valiant but futile attacks against the masses of Japanese shipping. The 7th Bombardment Group was withdrawn to India in March of 1942, leaving the 19th to carry on as the only Fortress-equipped group in the South Pacific.

The Japanese regarded the B-17 as a tough and well-armed opponent, one that was particularly difficult to shoot down. It could absorb an incredible amount of battle damage and still remain flying. It was the most feared and respected American aircraft during the early stage of the war in the Pacific. However, the early B-17s were insufficiently protected against attacks from the immediate rear, a deficiency that the Japanese were quickly to learn to exploit. Fortress pilots were able to compensate somewhat for this weakness by jinking their planes back and forth when attacked from the rear, giving the left and right waist gunners alternatively a shot at the approaching aircraft.

The newer large-tailed B-17Es began to join the depleted force of earlier-model B-17s in the Pacific. The tail gunner of the B-17E was an unpleasant surprise for the Japanese, who had become accustomed to attacking the Fortress from the rear. The crews of pre-B-17E Fortresses often adopted the expediency of rigging sticks in the rear of their planes, hoping to convince the Japanese attackers that tail guns were actually fitted to these planes as well. However, it soon became clear that the remotely-controlled belly turret of the B-17E did not work very well, the complicated system of mirrors being so confusing to the gunner that he could not see anything at all. It was soon replaced on the production line by the famous ball turret.

In March of 1942, A B-17E flew General MacArthur out of Del Monte airfield in the Philippines and evacuated him to Australia. The Philippines fell to the Japanese shortly thereafter.

In Hawaii, the B-17E-equipped 5th and 11th Bombardment Groups were used in the Battle of Midway to attack Japanese surface fleets. High-altitude bombing attacks against moving ships capable of evasive action proved to be completely unsuccessful at Midway. Although several attacks were made by the B-17s, none of their bombs actually hit a single Japanese ship. An attack against naval vessels at sea was found to be a job best done by low-altitude medium bombers or by dive bombers.

By August of 1942, the 43rd Bombardment Group in Australia had become the fifth B-17E group to be deployed against Japan. The 5th Bombardment Group carried out air search duties from bases in Hawaii, and was transferred to the South West Pacific in time to participate in the drive from the Solomons back to the Philippines. The 11th and 43rd Bombardment group retrained on B-24s early in 1943.

By mid-1943, most Fortresses had been withdrawn from the Pacific in favor of the longer-ranged B-24 Liberator. The B-24 was better suited for operations in the Pacific, having a higher speed and a larger bomb load at medium altitudes. In addition, the losses in Europe were reaching such magnitudes that the entire B-17 production was urgently needed for replacements and training in that theatre. Shortly after the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, it was decided that no more B-17s would be sent to the Pacific. It was to be in the European theatre of operations that the B-17 was to gain its reputation. In fact, the B-17 flew 98 percent of its combat sorties in Europe.

The only Clark Field B-17 to survive the war was *Swoose* (40-3097). It was basically a B-17D but was equipped with parts scavenged from several other B-17s, hence its name, which stood for a cross between a swan and a goose. As newer, more capable B-17s became available, 40-3097 was used as a personal transport by LtGen George H. Brett, the deputy commander of Allied forces in Australia. During its career, it ferried around a lot of VIPs, including a young Congressman from Texas named Lyndon Johnson, who was then on active duty as a Navy lieutenant commander. *Swoose* is now with the Smithsonian Institution and is in storage somewhere at the Paul Garber restoration facility in Suitland, Maryland awaiting restoration.

 

 

The B-17 In The European Theatre

It was to be in the European theatre of operation that the B-17 Flying Fortress would acquire its reputation.

The Eighth Air Force was formed in Britain to carry out daylight bombing raids against German targets in Europe. These raids were to be carried out by unescorted Fortresses flying at high altitude in tight formations for protection against enemy fighters. The defensive firepower of the B-17 was thought to be sufficient to fend off Luftwaffe attacks. At the same time that the USAAF carried out its daylight attacks, the Royal Air Force was to fly coordinated nighttime raids.

The first Eighth Air Force units arrived in Britain on May 12, 1942. The first USAAF Flying Fortress (B-17E serial number 41-9085) arrived at Prestwick in Scotland on July 1, 1942. The first Flying Fortress raid over Europe was launched on August 17, 1942 by 18 B-17Es of the 97th Bombardment Group against railroad marshaling yards at Rouen-Sotteville in France. Twelve planes made the actual attack and the remaining six flew a diversionary sweep up the coast. Brig Gen Ira Eaker flew along on this raid in B-17E 41-9023 "Yankee Doodle". The formation was escorted by Spitfires. No opposition was encountered from the Luftwaffe.

On August 19, twenty four Fortresses took part in an attack on the German airfield at Abbeville in support of the disastrous raid at Dieppe. All planes returned safely to base, but the landing force at Dieppe was decimated.

The next ten raids went fairly well, with only two planes being lost.

Deteriorating weather and the needs of the North African front caused a change in plans, and most of the Eighth Air Force B-17s had to be diverted to the fight against Rommel. The two most experienced bomber groups, the 97th and 301st were committed to *Operation Torch* as the nucleus of the newly-formed Twelfth Air Force. On September 20, 1942, General James Doolittle formed the nucleus of the 12th Air Force in England, and early in October the 97th, 99th, 301st, and 2nd Bombardment Groups were transferred to the new formation. The air war against the Germans in Europe had to be given a lower priority.

In October 1942, attention of the depleted 8th Bomber Command was concentrated against German submarine pens situated along the French coast. These pens were constructed of thick concrete and were highly resistant to bomb damage. The attacks against these pens were largely ineffectual. Many raids against the sub pens had to be scrubbed on account of bad weather, and those raids which were carried out were often inaccurate because of poor visibility over the target. The bombing campaign against the submarine pens was extremely costly in terms of lost airplanes and crews and had no real effect upon the German submarine campaign. It turned out that the submarine threat was best met at sea.

On January 3, 1943 the new bombing-on-the-leader technique was introduced. Instead of each plane dropping its bombs individually, all bombardiers released their bombs when the saw the bombs leave the bay of the lead aircraft. This technique usually resulted in better accuracy, since the most skilled bombardier was generally in the lead plane.

The successful completion of the North African campaign resulted in the resumption of the bomber offensive against the Germans in northern Europe. The first USAAF mission over Germany was a raid on January 27, 1943 against the U-boat construction yards at the port of Wilhelmshaven. It was carried out by a force of B-17Fs drawn from the 92st, 303rd, 305th, and 306th Bomb Groups.

March 18 saw first use of Automatic Flight Control Equipment (AFCE) in a raid on the Bremer Vulkan shipbuilding yards at Vegesack. AFCE was a system in which the Norden bombsight controlled the aircraft during the final bomb run via a link with the autopilot. Luftwaffe fighters put up strong opposition that day, but their attacks were relatively uncoordinated.

On April 17, 1943, the Focke-Wulf plant at Bremen was attacked by a force of 115 Fortresses. The Luftwaffe came out in full strength that day, and 16 B-17s did not return, the heaviest loss rate to date. After that date, German fighter attacks began to become increasingly more effective and better coordinated, and bomber losses frequently were over ten percent of the attacking force, especially whenever the Fortresses went beyond the limited radius of their fighter escorts. The German fighters began to attack the Fortress formations from the "twelve o'clock high" spot directly head-on. This innovation was supposedly introduced by Luftwaffe Oberleutnant Egon Mayer, who had noticed that the firepower from the B-17 was weak in the nose area, with there being significant blind spots that neither the nose guns nor the top-turret gunner could adequately cover from the front. Additional guns were hastily added to the nose in an attempt to beef up the forward firepower. However, the much-publicized vulnerability to frontal attacks was due more to the lack of armor that was properly positioned to protect the crew against gunfire coming from the front than it was due to the lack of enough front-firing guns. Another problem was the unfortunate tendency of the B-17 to catch fire when hit by flak or cannon fire, which was never really cured.

In June of 1943, the famous "Memphis Belle" (B-17F-10-BO serial number 41-24485 of the 324th Bombardment Squadron of the 91st Bombardment Group) became the first B-17 to complete its crew's quota of 25 missions. A film crew had gone along on the *Memphis Belle's* mission to Wilhelmshaven and this film was widely shown throughout the war. After the last mission, the *Memphis Belle* returned to the United States and carried out a morale-building tour selling US War Bonds.

The next phase of the air war against Germany was to be the destruction of its aviation industry. A critical part of the strategy was to be the elimination of the German ball-bearing industry, since just about any machine which had moving parts required ball-bearings. On July 24-31, 1943, the 8th Air Force attacked 16 major industrial targets in the greatest sustained air offensive to date. On August 17, 1943, a simultaneous attack was carried out on the ball-bearing factories at Schweinfurt and the Messerschmitt factories at Regensburg. It was the deepest penetration into Germany to that date and was the largest force of B-17s yet dispatched. The losses were catastrophic--the 8th AF lost 60 aircraft out of a force of 376 bombers. The crews claimed 288 German fighters shot down, which was undoubtedly grossly exaggerated.

The Regensburg force went on to North Africa, and returned to England via the Focke Wulf works at Bordeaux. The total losses for the week were over hundred B-17s. Losses like this could clearly not be sustained--a couple of more weeks like this, and the 8th Air Force would be gone.

During August and September of 1943, the new B-17G began to arrive in England. The new chin turret helped meet the head-on attacks by the German fighters.

On September 6, a force of over 400 bombers hit the VKF ball-bearing works at Stuttgart. Weather prevented the attacking force from seeing the target, and bombs were released over the city in a haphazard fashion. A total of 45 bombers were lost to fighters and to accurate flak.

On October 14, 1943, Schweinfurt was visited again, and 60 Fortresses were lost out of a force of 291.

In late 1943, the appalling losses and the meager results that had been obtained led USAAF commanders to rethink the wisdom of continuing with the daylight bombing offensive. Winston Churchill was never a believer in precision daylight bombing and wanted the USAAF to go over to nighttime raids, as the RAF had done from the start. In spite of the attacks on the German aircraft industry, it seemed that the numbers of German fighters rising to meet the attacking Fortresses actually increased rather than decreased. The German aircraft industry was amazingly recuperative. An efficient German labor force, plus the forced labor of captives, was able quickly to repair the damage and to get the damaged facilities back in operation within a few days. In addition, a very effective decentralization program was carried out under the direction of Minister of Armaments Albert Speer.

It soon became apparent that without fighter escort, deep penetrations into Germany would have to be seriously curtailed, if not abandoned altogether. However, in spite of extreme losses, the B-17Fs were never turned back from a raid by enemy fighters or flak, although bad weather caused frequent mission cancellations and callbacks. During the latter weeks of 1943, the 8th Air Force restricted its missions to targets that were within the range of the escort fighters that were beginning to become available, and there were no penetrations into Germany.

In spite of the high losses, the decision was made to continue with the attacks on German industry. In late 1943, the US Strategic Air Forces were organized in Europe under the command of LtGen Carl Spaatz to carry out heavy bomber attacks from England and Italy and to coordinate their efforts with the night attacks of the RAF.

Effective fighter escort did not appear until late 1943 with the arrival of large numbers of Republic P-47 Thunderbolts and Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. These aircraft were able to escort the B-17 considerable distances into Germany. The North American P-51D Mustang was the most effective of all the escort fighters, and began to appear in the spring of 1944. It was able to escort the bombers all the way to Berlin.

During the winter in Europe, the weather is generally atrocious. In order to permit bombing during inclement or overcast conditions, a number of Fortresses were fitted with a British-devised radar installation known as H2S which scanned the grounds under the clouds and which could be read by a trained operator like a map. The American version of this device was known as H2X "Bombing Through Overcast" radar, and was installed in the fuselage belly in place of the ball turret. These planes acted as pathfinders, the remaining aircraft in the formation releasing their bombs on visual signals from the radar-equipped Fortresses. This equipment was used for the first time in a raid on the port at Emden.

On January 11, 1944, a 600-plane force of bombers were sent against German aircraft industry targets. Because of the weather, only 238 B-17s actually succeeding in reaching the target. Sixty B-17s were lost.

On February 20, 1944, five days of coordinated USAAF/RAF assaults on the German aircraft industry began, that historians later named "The Big Week". On that day, the first thousand-plane raid took place, with fighter plane factories at Brunswick, Oschersleben, Bernberg, and Leipzig being attacked. The cost of the "Big Week" was heavy, with 244 heavy bombers and 33 fighter planes being lost. However, these raids played an important role in helping to reduce the strength of the Luftwaffe, paving the way for the D-Day landings. The onset of bad weather brought an end to the "Big Week", which was merciful since crews were exhausted and losses had been high. Nevertheless, during this offensive, the back of the Luftwaffe was broken. After this date, the Luftwaffe was never able to throw up the same amount of strength that it had before, and was generally effective only on sporadic occasions or when targets of critical importance were being attacked.

The first B-17 raid on Berlin took place on March 4, 1944. P-51 Mustang fighters escorted the bombers all the way to Berlin and back. On March 6, 600 B-17s returned to Berlin. The Luftwaffe was out in force, and accounted for 69 B-17s and 11 fighter escorts.

In May of 1944, the priority shifted to oil. On May 12, 1944, attacks were begun on German oil-production facilities and synthetic oil-production centers. These attacks caused a sudden and catastrophic drop in German fuel and lubricant supplies. In only two months of attacks, German oil production was cut in half. Especially successful were the attacks on the stubborn oil production facility of Ploesti in Rumania, which had been so resistant to previous attacks. By the time that Ploesti was taken by the Russians, 90 percent of this Rumanian oil production facility had been destroyed. Destruction of the synthetic oil centers had the additional beneficial side effect of cutting the supplies of nitrogen and methanol, which essential in the manufacture of explosives. The postwar Strategic Bombing Survey judged that the oil offensive was the most effective of all the strategic bombing attacks in helping to shorten the war.

The B-17 was less widely used in the Mediterranean theatre. The brunt of the air war in the Mediterranean was borne by the B-24 Liberator, although a few B-17s groups were also involved. The four Bombardment Groups that had been diverted from the 8th Air Force to Africa participated in the Bizerta and Kasserine Pass battles in North Africa. 12th AF B-17s took part in the June 28 raid on Messina, the Sept 5 and 8 raids on Naples, and against the Wermacht counterattack at Salerno between Sept 13 and 18.

Advances up the Italian boot brought German targets within the range of B-17s based in the Mediterranean theatre. In November of 1943, the 15th Air Force was organized to carry out raids on Germany from bases in Italy. It resulted from a reorganization of Doolittle's 12th Air Force into the 15th Air Force with Doolittle in command, and the 9th Air Force with Lewis H. Brereton in command. It was hoped that the 15th AF stationed in the Mediterranean would be able to operate when the 8th was socked in by bad English weather. The 9th AF would later move to England to serve as a tactical unit to take part in the invasion of Europe. Once bases around Foggia in Italy became available, the 15th was able to reach targets in southern France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and the Balkans, some of which were difficult to reach from England.

The 15th Air Force began its operations on November 2, 1943, attacking the Messerschmitt factory at Weiner-Neustadt in Austria. One of the important achievements of the 15th Air Force was the reduction of the oil fields at Ploesti in July-August 1944.

By early 1945, the Wermacht and the Luftwaffe had been reduced to near impotence by the lack of fuel and supplies, due in no small part to the strategic bombing offensive against Germany carried out by the Lancaster, Halifax, and Stirling bombers of the RAF and the B-24 and B-17 bombers of the USAAF. Due credit must be given to their crews who bravely went out day after day even in spite of appalling losses.

 

 

B-17 Squadron Assignments

The Seventh Air Force

5th Bombardment Group

• 31st, 23rd, 72nd, and 394th Bomb Squadrons
• Initially based in Hawaii at time of Pearl Harbor attack. Flew patrol missions for 11 months, then moved to Espritu Santo in the Solomons, and with a mix of B-17s and B-24s fought in the Solomons and Philippines campaigns as part of the 13th Air Force
  
   

11th Bombardment Group

• 26th, 42nd, 98th, and 431st Bomb Squadrons
• Operated at Midway and then to New Hebrides. Returned to USA in March of 1943 for conversion to B-24s.

 

 

The Tenth Air Force  China- Burma-India

• 7th Bombardment Group

  • 9th, 436th, 492nd, 493rd Bomb Squadrons , plus 24th Combat Mapping Squadron.
  • Operated in Philippines, Java, Netherlands East Indies at beginning of the war, then moved to India as part of the 10th Air Force. Converted to B-24s at end of 1942.

 

The First, Second, Third, & Fourth Air Forces

 

These groups served exclusively in the continental United States either as training units or on coastal patrol.
 

• First Photo Group

• First Search Attack Group

• 39th Bombardment Group

• 88th Bombardment Group

• 304th Bombardment Group

• 331st Bombardment Group

• 333rd Bombardment Group

• 346th Bombardment Group

• 383rd Bombardment Group

• 393rd Bombardment Group

• 393rd Bombardment Group

• 395th Bombardment Group

• 396th Bombardment Group

• 444th Bombardment Group

• 469th Bombardment Group

• 488th Bombardment Group

• 504th Bombardment Group

• 505th Bombardment Group

 

The Sixth Air Force - Panama Canal Zone

• 6th Bombardment Group

• 9th Bombardment Group

• 40th Bombardment Group

 

 

The B-17 With The Enemy

Since so many B-17s were lost over Europe, it comes as no surprise that not a few Fortresses fell into Axis hands, either by being forced to land on German airfields or by the Germans piecing together flyable examples from the bits and pieces of crashed aircraft. By various means, the Germans were able to put about forty Fortresses back into the air, which is a rather sizable force, so much so that the Luftwaffe can be counted as a major B-17 user!

Most captured B-17s were given high-visibility German national markings and were used for the training of fighter pilots in the development of tactics that would be effective against USAAF-operated Fortresses. However, some were flown in their original USAAF markings for various clandestine purposes such as sneak penetrations of Allied territory, the dropping of agents, or the supplying of secret bases. The most well-known Luftwaffe unit to operate the captured B-17 in such a fashion was the notorious I/K.G.200. The exploits of I/K.G.200 are sort of shadowy and not much is written about this outfit in most histories of World War 2. One of their better-known exploits took place in the spring of 1944 in the Western desert (long after Rommel had been run out of Africa) and involved the use of captured B-17s and other Allied aircraft for the construction and maintenance of a series of secret airstrips and fuel dumps. A captured Fortress was used to parachute agents into Jordan in October of 1944. In Luftwaffe service, the B-17 was assigned the cover designation of "Dornier Do 200".

There are reports that at least one captured B-17 was used by the Luftwaffe as a decoy. It would follow returning USAAF B-17 formations, pretending to be a crippled straggler and hoping to draw a B-17 out of the formation to cover it against fighter attack during the flight home. Once the protective B-17 closed in, the decoy would fire at it with its own guns or would call in German fighters to finish it off. This practice was enough of a threat that USAAF bomber formations would often fire upon an approaching straggler that could not be positively identified.

In the Pacific theatre, most USAAC B-17s were destroyed on the ground during the first few days of the war. However, the Japanese advance in the Pacific was so rapid that Allied forces were often forced to leave some of their aircraft behind as they retreated. As a result, the Japanese forces managed to obtain a collection of different types of Allied aircraft that they were able to put back into the air with fairly little effort. The Japanese obtained at least three Fortresses--two B-17Ds and one early B-17E--which were flown to Japan for use in a public display of captured enemy aircraft. These captured B-17s were used for careful evaluation of their capabilities and the development of fighter tactics that would be useful against them.

Listing of B-17s in Luftwaffe hands (incomplete):

41-24585
42-30048
42-30146
42-30336
42-38017
42-30713
42-39974

 

The Boeing B-17H

In 1945, plans were made for the conversion of approximately 130 USAAF B-17Gs into search and rescue aircraft. They were to be modified to carry a lifeboat under the fuselage, and were to be re-designated B-17H.

My sources disagree on the number of search-and-rescue Fortress conversions that were actually carried out. Some say that only twelve such conversions were actually carried out, all of the planes being re-designated B-17H upon completion, with five of the B-17Hs being later re-designated TB-17H. The serial numbers of these B-17Hs are given at the end of this article. Other sources claim that all 130 of these conversions were eventually carried out, but that only the 12 aircraft indicated above were redesignated B-17H, with the remainder retaining their original B-17G designations. Still other sources maintain that all 130 of these planes became B-17H. Ah, the joys of research!

The droppable lifeboat was a self-righting, self-bailing type of boat that was equipped with full emergency provisions. It was carried underneath the belly of the aircraft and was dropped at sea by means of three parachutes. The boat extended from just aft of the chin turret fairing to the ball turret and was contoured to mold smoothly into the fuselage of the belly.

Some of the earlier B-17H conversions were intended for operations in combat areas and retained their defensive armament. Others deleted the defensive armament entirely and replaced the chin turret with a search radar. The aircraft did not become operational until the war was nearly over. Nevertheless, the B-17H was instrumental in saving the lives of several B-29 crews during the last stages of the bomber offensive against Japan.

Following the creation of the US Air Force, the aircraft designation scheme was revised in 1948. At that time, the B-17Hs were re-designated SB-17G, the S prefix indicating the primary search-and- rescue mission.

Some of these SB-17Gs were still in service at the time of the Korean War, and those planes operating in Korean waters were refitted with cheek, waist, and tail guns for defensive purposes. They were administratively assigned to the world-wide Air Rescue Service, which was a part of MATS. They provided air-sea rescue services for the far-reaching world-wide operations of the USAF.

All SB-17G conversions were retired by the mid-1950s, some being assigned to provide range control service at missile test sites. At least two SB-17Gs survive in the USA today. 44-83575 is in storage awaiting restoration. 44-83722 was later deployed on the ground during a nuclear test and was heavily damaged, but its bits and pieces are currently in storage awaiting incorporation into other restored Fortresses.

B-17G air-sea rescue conversions re-designated as B-17H:

44-83573 (or 5?), 44-83700, 44-83705, 44-83710, 44-83714, 44-83718, 44-83719, 44-83722, 44-83791, 44-83793, 44-83794, 44-83799.

Here some other numbers from Marshall Cram:

43-39457, 44-83575, 44-83802, 43-37652, 44-83511, 43-39266, 43-39502, 44-83713, 44-83474, 43-38882, 44-83707, 42-97825, 44-83700, 44-83539.

The question mark is there because a much-reproduced post-1947 photo of a lifeboat-carrying Fortress shows the plane with the number 44-83575 painted on it. This may mean that there is a typo in the first entry in the list of serials given above. But it could also mean that there were more than the above listed number of lifeboat-carrying Fortresses conversions that were actually carried out.

B-17H conversions to TB-17H:

44-83700, 44-83714, 44-83718, 44-83791, 44-83793.

 

 

The B-17 Drones

Many surplus B-17s ended their lives as remotely-controlled drones. During the war, a few war-weary B-17s (mainly Fs) were used as remotely-controlled bombs for attacks against heavily-defended German targets. The designation BQ-7 was applied to these conversions.

The first peacetime use of drone Fortresses was as unmanned aircraft that would fly near or even through mushroom clouds during atomic tests. In May of 1946, sixteen B-17s were withdrawn from stores for conversion into drones with the addition of radio, radar, television, and other equipment. Six other Fortresses were converted as drone controllers. Most of the work was performed by the San Antonio Air Depot at Kelly Field in Texas. The first of these nuclear tests took place in the South Pacific under the code name *Operation Crossroads*. When the USAF was established in 1947, the director aircraft became DB-17Gs, while the drones became QB-17Gs. Further nuclear tests occurred through 1952. The drones were operated primarily by the 3205th Drone Group out of Eglin AFB, Florida.

The designation QB-17L was assigned to surplus B-17Gs that were modified during the postwar years for use as radio-controlled drones for various tests, usually as targets for missiles. They were sometimes equipped with television cameras to provide a target's view of the approaching missile. They were usually painted in red-orange Day-Glo paint with black diagonal stripes for increased visibility. Their serial numbers were prefixed by an O, indicative of their obsolete status. Sources for QB-17 conversions were new B-17s that had went directly to storage upon delivery from the factory, B-17s that had been retired from other duties, and DB-17 drone directors that were now surplus to requirements.

Most of the QB-17Ls met their end as flying targets for the early Nike Ajax surface-to-air missile or for the Hughes Falcon air-to-air missile. Often, the QB-17L would be the subject of intentional near misses to preserve the drone for as many missions as possible. Other QB-17Ls were used for various unmanned but destructive tests such as the ditching tests carried out by NACA in San Francisco Bay. The last DB-17/QB-17 mission was flown on August 6, 1959, with 44-83727 being blown out of the sky by a Falcon missile fired by a F-101 Voodoo. The last QB-17L was destroyed by an IM-99 Bomarc missile in 1960.

The QB-17N was a drone conversion similar to the QB-17L but with a different guidance system and not fitted with television cameras. The optical tracking equipment was installed in detachable wingtip pods equipped with explosive bolts and parachutes for recovery of test data in the event of the loss of the drone.

The designation DB-17P was given to obsolete B-17Gs converted as drone director aircraft. They would often be used to guide the QB-17L and N target drones during the missile tests. When they were worn out or the need was diminished, the DB-17Ps would more often than not be converted to QB drone configuration and would then be expended themselves.

The last active USAF Fortress, a drone director with the serial of 44-83684, arrived at Davis-Monthan AFB for storage in August of 1959. The few DB-17P drone controllers remaining on Air Force rolls in 1960 were transferred to various museums such as the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio and the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, California.

 

 

The EB-17 Conversions

In 1946, two B-17Gs were modified as flying test beds for experimental turboprop engines. The Boeing company number Model 299-Z was assigned to these planes. The military equipment was removed, the pilot's cockpit was moved farther back, and the nose was completely modified to accommodate the experimental engine.

The first conversion was of B-17G-110-VE serial number 44-85813. It was turned over to the Wright Aeronautical Company under a bailment contract as EB-17G, the E prefix meaning that the aircraft was exempt from all but the most urgent technical orders issued for the type. The aircraft was fitted with a 5500 hp Wright XT35 Typhoon turboprop in the nose. This engine was more powerful than all four of the standard Wright Cyclone piston engines operating together. However, the Wright Typhoon was ultimately unsuccessful, and did not go into production. The aircraft was later used to test the Wright XJ65 turbojet, the engine being slung below a streamlined nose structure and the intake being covered with a cap for protection during ferrying.

The designation of this plane was changed to JB-17G in October of 1956, the J prefix having been introduced in 1955 to designate aircraft temporarily assigned to test work. In 1957, the plane was sold to Wright, which continued to use it as a five-engine test bed under the civil registration of N6694C. That year, it was used to test the R-3350 turbo-compound engine. The plane was later sold to an air tanker operator, and the missing nose was replaced by a hemispheric cap. N6694C crashed on takeoff in 1980 during a tanker mission and was damaged beyond repair. Its remains were purchased by war bird restorer Tom Reilly of Kissimmee, Florida for use in restorations of other B-17s.

The second conversion was of surplus B-17G-105-VE serial number 44-85734, which was sold to Pratt and Whitney for use in engine test bed work. It was converted at Seattle and was fitted with a dummy nose prior to delivery. It was assigned the civilian registry of NX-5111N. Following delivery to Pratt & Whitney at Hartford, Connecticut, an experimental XT-34 turboprop was fitted in the nose. The XT34 turboprop eventually went into production and ended up powering the Douglas C-133 Cargomaster long-range transport aircraft. A Pratt & Whitney T64 turboprop was installed briefly to test different engine and propeller combinations.

Following the completion of the tests in 1967, NX-5111N was donated to the Connecticut Aeronautical Historic Association based at Bradley International Airport. In 1979, it was heavily damaged in a tornado. In 1987, the damaged hulk was traded to Tom Reilly of Kissimmee, Florida, who plans to restore the aircraft to flying status in its original military configuration.

A third conversion was in the form of B-17G-110-VE serial number 44-85747, which was employed by Allison for use as a five-engine testbed. Unlike the first two, this conversion did not require that the cockpit be moved aft. It was retired prior to the establishment of JB-17 designation.

Other EB-17s included a number of SB-17Gs diverted to the Air Force Missile Test Center at Patrick AFB in Florida beginning in 1952. These planes were equipped with loudspeakers and VHF radios to warn boats and aircraft away from the area prior to missile test shots. They remained on duty at Patrick AFB until 1958. The EB-17 s became JB-17s in 1955, when the E prefix was replaced by the J and N prefix. The E prefix was reassigned to designate aircraft intended for the early-warning role.

 

 

The B-17 Commercial Transport

There were a few B-17s that were converted for use as commercial transports during the immediate postwar years. The B-17 was not well-suited as a commercial transport, and none of these transport conversions were very successful.

Following the end of the war, a surplus B-17G-105-VE serial number 44-85728 was purchased by Trans World Airlines for conversion as an executive transport. Following TWA's purchase of the surplus B-17G, it was ferried to Boeing's Seattle plant for the conversion work. All of the military equipment was removed and the fuselage was fitted with additional seating, and additional windows were cut into the sides of the fuselage. Since Boeing had by now used up all the letters of the alphabet for sub-variants of the Model 299 series, the company had to start through the alphabet all over again in designating later versions, and the conversion was assigned the company designation of Model 299AB.

The first civil registration assigned to the Model 299AB was NX-4600, but this was soon changed to NL-1B, the L being a new symbol introduced in the immediate postwar years to designate former military aircraft that had been converted to commercial uses. These sorts of conversions were given a limited type certificate of LTC-1, since they could not qualify for the standard licenses that purely commercial types were given. One restriction of the LTC-1 type certificate was that these conversions were not allowed to fly paying passengers.

TWA used the Model 299AB for survey and liaison work in setting up its routes in the Middle East. So far as I am aware, it never flew paying passengers. At the end of 1947, the machine was given to the Shah of Iran, and the Iranian registration was EP-HIM, where the HIM stood for "His Imperial Majesty". The Shah's B-17 was scrapped for spares at Creil, France in 1970.

Bolivia used a total of 26 B-17s in their civil aviation fleet by several different operators. Most of them were acquired from the civilian market, but eight B-17s were transferred to Bolivia directly from USAF surplus stocks in 1956. These planes were assigned Bolivian civil registrations between CP-620 and CP-627. Hamilton Aircraft of Tucson was contracted to prepare the aircraft for delivery to the Bolivian government. An additional seven B-17 airframes were supplied to Hamilton Aircraft for scavenging for spare parts to keep the remainder flying.

Here is a list of Bolivian B-17 transports.

USAF serial    Bolivian serial	Disposition

41-9210		CP-753		ex N9720F.  Returned to US as N8WJ for
				restoration.
41-24434	CB-79-->CP-579  ex N60475.  Destroyed Dec 1958.
42-3360		CB-70-->CP-570	ex N67974.  Destroyed Sept 1955.	
42-3470		CP-633		ex Nicaraguan AN-AMI.  Sold to Colombia
				as HK-580.  Ultimate fate unknown.
42-6073		CP-686		ex-N7942A.  Destroyed Nov 1968.
42-30921	CB-71-->CP-571	Destroyed Jan 1962.
43-37650	CB-97-->CP-597  ex-N66570 - Destroyed Sept 1955.
43-38322	CB-80-->CP-580-->CP936  Destroyed Feb 1972.
43-39307	CP-625		Transferred to Bolivia from USAF in 1956.
				Destroyed Nov 1957.
44-6332		CB-88-->CP-588 	Destroyed May 1963.
44-6393		CP-627-->CP-891 Returned to USA in 1981 for display
44-6556		CP-624		Transferred to Bolivia from USAF in 1956.
				Destroyed Feb 1963.
44-83750	CP-623		Transferred to Bolivia from USAF in 1956.
				Destroyed 1958.
44-83809	CP-626		Transferred to Bolivia from USAF in 1956.
				Destroyed 1959.
44-83858	CP-742		ex-N5226V.  Destroyed Feb 1965.
44-83859	CP-767		ex-Peruvian OB-R-623.  Destroyed April 1967.
44-83861	CP-741		ex-N5227V.  Destroyed Oct 1965.
44-83875	CP-640   	ex-N5231V.  Destroyed August 1967.
44-85774	CP-621		Transferred to Bolivia from USAF in 1956.
				Returned to USA in 1968.  Destroyed 1973.
44-85806	CP-762		ex-N117W.  Scrapped Dec 1964.
44-85817	CP-622		Transferred to Bolivia from USAF in 1956.
				Destroyed Feb 1957.
44-85824	CP-694		Ex-N9347R.  Destroyed Dec 1963.
44-85840	CP-620		Transferred to Bolivia from USAF in 1956.
				Returned to USA in 1968 as N620L.  Destroyed 
				July 1973.

There was one place where the B-17 did fly paying passengers--Sweden. During the war, sixty-eight B-17s flying over Germany had been forced to divert to Sweden when their crews found that they were unable to return to England. Since Sweden was neutral, these planes had to be interned and their crews sent to camps. A program was worked out in late 1944, in which the crews and other interned Americans were allowed to return to England. In exchange, the US government agreed to let Sweden "purchase" nine of the interned Fortresses for $1.00.

Swedish authorities converted seven of these planes into commercial transports for the SAAB airline, stripping them of their military equipment and installing airline-type seating. The nose windows were removed and the length of the nose was increased in order to make room for more passengers. These B-17 airliners were operated for several postwar years before being replaced by more conventional airliners.

The following is a list of interned B-17s converted as commercial transports in Sweden:

Swedish registrations 	Designation 		Ex-USAAF Serials 

SE-BAH 			B-17F-75-DL 		42-3543 
SE-BAK 			B-17F-115-BO 		42-30661 
SE-BAM 			B-17G-5-BO 		42-31163 
SE-BAN 			B-17F-70-DL 		42-3490 
SE-BAO 			B-17G-40-BO 		42-97115 
SE-BAP 			B-17G-35-BO 		42-32076 
SE-BAR 			B-17G-35-DL 		42-107067 

SE-BAR and SE-BAP were sold to the Danish air line DDL in late 1945 as OY-DFE and OY-DFA respectively. In 1948, OY-DFA was sold to the Danish Army Air Corps under the serial number 67-672. In 1949, it was transferred to the Royal Danish Navy, and in 1952 it was transferred to the Royal Danish Air Force. It operated with the RDAF under the serial number ESK-721 and was used for transport, mapping, and communication. It was placed in storage in late 1953. In 1955, the Danish Air force finally sold the aircraft to the French Institut Geographique National (IGN), which added the plane to its fleet of B-17s that flew world-wide photographic and geophysical survey missions. Its French civil registration number was F-BGSP. It eventually ended up derelict, sitting out in the open as it was slowly scavenged for spare parts. In 1972, the USAF Museum purchased it and returned it to the US. It was restored in its original markings (with the nose art "Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby") and put on display at the Wright-Patterson AFB museum at Dayton, Ohio. I saw it there in 1992.

 

 

The B-17 With Foreign AIR Forces

The number of foreign air forces that operated the B-17 in the immediate postwar years was relatively few.

 

BRAZIL:

In 1951, Brazil was supplied with thirteen B-17s under the provisions of the 1947 Rio Pact. Six were transferred in 1951, five of which were SB-17Gs and the sixth was an RB-17G. Seven more were transferred in 1954-55. They were issued to the 1o and 2o Esquadraos of 6o Grupo de Aviacao based at Recife. All of these planes were used for search and rescue duties or for photographic reconnaissance. In 1955, the survivors were assigned Forca Aerea Brasiliera serial numbers between 5400 and 5411. These planes were all withdrawn from service in the mid- to late-1960s. Three of these planes have survived, two of them on display in museums and a third in storage.

The serials of these planes were as follows:

FAB serial	USAAF serial	Disposition

5400		44-83663	Returned to US in 1968.  Now on
				display at Hill AFB.
5401		44-85567	Withdrawn from service in 1967
5402		44-85583	Withdrawn from service in 1968.
				Currently on display at Recife.
5403		44-85602	Withdrawn from service in 1966.
5404		44-85836	Crashed 1959
5405		43-39246	Crashed 1962
5406		43-39335	Withdrawn from service in 1966.
5407		44-8891		Withdrawn from service in 1967.
5408		44-83718	Withdrawn from service in 1968 
				under restoration at Brazilian AF Museum.
5409		440-83764	Crashed in 1964.
5410		44-83378	Withdrawn from service in 1965.
5411		44-85494	Withdrawn from service in 1968.
 - 		44-85579	Crashed in 1952.

ISRAEL:

Shortly after the new nation of Israel was formed, the new Israeli government surreptitiously acquired four B-17s by purchasing them on the commercial market via intermediaries. They were ferried across the Atlantic, one step ahead of the customs officials. One was interned by the Portuguese when it landed in the Azores for refueling, but the other three made it to Czechoslovakia whey they were fitted with hand-held machine guns and loaded with bombs. On their way to Israel, they passed over Egyptian targets and unloaded their bombs. Once they had landed in Israel, the three B-17s served in the 1948 war of independence and again in the 1956 war with Egypt over Suez. They were withdrawn from service in the late 1950s, and all were scrapped in 1961.

Israeli B-17s:

USAAF serials	Civil registry

44-83753  	N5024N
44-83811	N5014N
44-83842	N7712M, interned in Portugal
44-83851	N1098M

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:

The Fuerza Aerea Dominica acquired two B-17Gs in February of 1947. They served until July of 1954, and the sold airworthy example was offered for sale in 1958. The other example had been cannibalized for spare parts to keep the other one flying.

 

PORTUGAL:

Between 1947 and 1960, the Forca Aerea Portuguesa operated five SB-17Gs from Lajes in the Azores for search and rescue duties.

 

FRANCE:

B-17F 42-30177 had been given to the Free French by General Eisenhower for use as an executive transport by Free French General M. P. Koening. It was used postwar by the French High Commissioner at Wahn, Germany. It was eventually turned over to the Institut Geographique National as F-GBSG and used for spares to keep its remaining fleet of B-17s flying. It was scrapped in 1973.

 

 

Civilian And Surviving B-17s

Even though the B-17 was ineligible for a FAA license to carry revenue-paying passengers, several were converted as business or executive transports and used for a while by American corporations. These conversions were essentially similar to the wartime CB-17/XC-108 cargo transport conversions. A few surplus B-17s were even converted into cargo transports with XC-108A-type cargo doors installed.

Several ex-military B-17s were fitted with extra tanks and were used for spraying operations.

In 1960, the first of 23 ex-military B-17Fs and Gs were converted into fire-fighting aircraft. The bomb bay was reconfigured to accept a 2000-gallon tank which carried a water-borate mixture to be dropped on forest fires. The tank was divided into four compartments, each with a quick-opening bottom which allowed the water to be dropped. These planes were operated under contract to the US Forest Service, and a few were still flying as late as 1984.

By the early 1980s, most B-17 water bombers had been grounded, mainly due to the lack of Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines. One water-bomber operator solved this problem by installing Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines in place of the Cyclones. This was done for B-17G Air Tanker N134ON. N1340N crashed in October of 1970, when fire smoke caused engine failure in the Dart turboprops.

The Institut Geographique National of France operated thirteen B-17s during the post-war years to perform worldwide survey and geophysical research missions.

USAAF Serial 	French civil	Disposition

42-30177	F-GBSG		used for spares, scrapped 1973
42-32076	F-BGSH		currently on display at WPAFB 
				Museum
43-39304	F-BDAT		Destroyed in 1950.
44-8846		F-BGSP		Still flying in France
44-8889		F-BGSO		on display at Musee de l'Air
44-83728	F-BGOE		scrapped in 1970.
44-83729	F-BEED		scrapped in 1962.
44-83735	F-BDRS		with Imperial War Museum.
44-83757	F-BDRR		scrapped
44-85594	F-BGSO		scrapped in 1972.
44-85643	F-BEEA		destroyed in 1989.
44-85718	F-BEEC		with Lone Star Flight Museum
44-85733	F-BEEB		destroyed 1949.
44-85784	F-BGSR		with B-17 Preservation Ltd. 

In 1999, there were 43 B-17s that still survive. Only about fourteen of them are flyable or capable of being made so. Another twenty-three are on static display in various museums. Four B-17s are currently undergoing some sort of restoration. Four are abandoned hulks that consist of little more than bits and pieces of aircraft that are being held in reserve to support future restorations. Two are in storage at the National Air and Space Museum.

Another 17 B-17 airframes are believed to be in known locations at crash sites throughout the world, and may be recovered in the future.

Today, the only B-17s still flying are those that are used by such organizations as the Experimental Aircraft Association, the Collings Foundation, and the Confederate Air Force as "flying museums".

By Joe Baugher

Sources:

1. Flying Fortress, Edward Jablonski, Doubleday, 1965.
    
2. Famous Bombers of the Second World War, Volume One, William Green, Doubleday, 1959.
    
3. Boeing Aircraft Since 1916, Peter M. Bowers, Naval Institute Press, 1989.
    
4. United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.
    
5. Lockheed Aircraft Since 1913, Rene J. Francillon, Naval Institute Press, 1987.
    
6. Boeing B-17E and F Flying Fortress, Charles D. Thompson, Profile Publications, 1966.
    
7. American Combat Planes, Ray Wagner, Third Edition, Doubleday, 1982.
    
8. Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Military Press, 1989.
    
9. Final Cut: The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress: The Survivors, Scott A. Thompson, Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1990.
    
10. Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress: Queen of the Skies, Wings of Fame, Aerospace Publishing Ltd, Volume 6, 1997.

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