The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry outperformed both competitors and exceeded the air corps’ performance specifications. Although Boeing lost the contract because the prototype crashed, the air corps was so impressed with Boeing’s design that it ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation. From its introduction in 1938, the B-17 Flying Fortress evolved through numerous design advances.
The B-17 was primarily employed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the daylight precision strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets. The United States Eighth Air Force, based at many airfields in central and southern England, and the Fifteenth Air Force, based in Italy, complemented the RAF Bomber Command’s nighttime area bombing in the Combined Bomber Offensive to help secure air superiority over the cities, factories and battlefields of Western Europe in preparation for the invasion of France in 1944. The B-17 also participated to a lesser extent in the War in the Pacific, early in World War II, where it conducted raids against Japanese shipping and airfields.
From its prewar inception, the USAAC (by June of 1941, the USAAF) promoted the aircraft as a strategic weapon; it was a fast, high-flying, long-range bomber that was able to defend itself, carried a very good bombload and was able to return home despite extensive battle damage. Its reputation quickly took on mythic proportions, and widely circulated stories and photos of notable numbers and examples of B-17s surviving battle damage increased its iconic status. With a service ceiling greater than any of its Allied contemporaries, the B-17 established itself as an effective weapons system, dropping more bombs than any other U.S. aircraft in World War II. Of the 1.5 million tonnes of bombs dropped on Germany and its occupied territories by U.S. aircraft, 640,000 tonnes were dropped from B-17s. In addition to its role as a bomber, the B-17 was also employed as a transport, antisubmarine warfare platform, drone controller, and search-and-rescue aircraft.
As of May 2015, ten aircraft remain airworthy. None of them are combat veterans. Additionally, a few dozen more are in storage or on static display. The oldest is a D-series combat veteran with service in the Pacific and the Caribbean.
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress USAAF 447th BG, 709th BS, 42-97976 “A Bit O’ Lace”, RAF Rattlesden, England, 1945
This famous B17G crossed to England on 18th June 1944 shortly after D-Day and began its combat flights in the afternoon of 6th July leading the 447BG to a target in the Pas de Calais region of France. It was the first of many lead roles for the Fort — at least 20 have so far been recorded including one leading the 4th ‘A’ combat wing to St Dizier airfield on 18th August. The group commander Col Wrigglesworth also took the plane on 5th September to attack Brest harbour installations.
The plane was named by Milt Caniff who responded to a request by Lt John Bauman for permission to use his popular comic strip personality “Miss Lace”.
Caniff sent a sketch entitled “A Bit o’ Lace” and Nick Fingelly used his considerable skill to apply it to the nose of the Fort. Long after the war was over and the plane melted back into ingots of aluminium, the popularity of “A Bit o’ Lace” lived on.
Known Mission List
- 6 Jul 1944 Capt E T Nance / P E Fagg Pas de Calais (abortive) Group lead
- 8 Jul 1944 M W Farson Nogent MY
- 11 Jul 1944 M W Farson Munich
- 12 Jul 1944 Maj T J Rall / Capt J C Ray Munich Led 4’A’ group
- 13 Jul 1944 Capt R P Gormley Munich
- 14 Jul 1944 Capt E T Nance S France (Maquis) Led high group
- 18 Jul 1944 Maj W C Allen / Capt J C Ray Kiel Led 2nd group
- 24 Jul 1944 Capt J C Ray St Lo (abortive) Led 3rd group
- 25 Jul 1944 Capt J C Ray St Lo Led low group
- 27 Jul 1944 Capt R P Gormly Ostend (abortive)
- 2 Aug 1944 Capt L A Kinsinger / Capt J C Ray Paris area Led low group
- 9 Aug 1944 H J Milks Aachen
- 11 Aug 1944 D E Mahl Belfort MY
- 15 Aug 1944 Capt F H Bonham / Capt J C Ray Handorf AF Led high group
- 16 Aug 1944 Capt E T Nance / Capt J C Ray Rositz Led low group
- 18 Aug 1944 Col H Harris / D E Mahl St Dizier AF Group and 4’A’ CBW lead
- 24 Aug 1944 Maj T J Rall / Capt J C Ray Brux Led high group
- 25 Aug 1944 Capt E T Nance / Capt J C Ray Rechlin Led low group
- 26 Aug 1944 Capt Lewis Brest (abortive)
- 30 Aug 1944 Capt J C Ray Bremen
- 1 Sep 1944 Capt E T Nance / Capt J C Ray (abortive) Led low group
- 5 Sep 1944 Col Wrigglesworth / Capt E T Nance Brest harbour installations led low group
- 8 Sep 1944 Capt R P Gormley Mainz
- 9 Sep 1944 Capt W B Goetz / Capt J C Ray Maquis (S France) led high group
- 11 Sep 1944 H J Milks Leipzig/Chemnitz
- 12 Sep 1944 Capt R P Gormley Bohlen
- 13 Sep 1944 Capt E T Boisson Stuttgart (abortive)
- 17 Sep 1944 Capt J C Ray Arnhem flak towers
- 19 Sep 1944 C R Gage Coblenz MY
- 25 Sep 1944 Capt W B Goetz / Capt J C Ray Ludwigshafen Led low group
- 26 Sep 1944 Maj Logan / Capt J C Ray Bremen Led low group
- 2 Oct 1944 Capt J C Ray Kassel
- 3 Oct 1944 Maj Logan / Capt J C Ray Giebelstadt AF Led low group
- 6 Oct 1944 Craig / or Milks Berlin
- 12 Oct 1944 capt L J Delle Monache Bremen
- 18 Oct 1944 D W Craig Kassel / Mittefeld
- 19 Oct 1944 capt L J Delle Monache Mannheim
- 25 Oct 1944 S J Hrabovsky Hamburg / Harburg
- 26 Oct 1944 capt L J Delle Monache Hannover
- 30 Oct 1944 H J Milks Merseburg (recall)
- 2 Nov 1944 S J Hrabovsky Merseburg Led contingent in high group 4’B’ CBW
- 4 Dec 1944 Capt L H Whitney Mainz MY
- 15 Dec 1944 Capt Gunn / L S Hatfield Hannover MY Led low group
- 24 Dec 1944 A A Krug Babenhausen
- 21 Jan 1945 T M Mustaleski Mannheim
- 29 Jan 1945 H G Kearney Kassel
- 14 Feb 1945 W F Bates / (J H Bauman) Wesel RR bridge
- 16 Feb 1945 T M Mustaleski Wesel RR bridge
- 20 Feb 1945 W F Bates / (J H Bauman) Nurnberg MY
- 22 Feb 1945 W F Bates / (J H Bauman) Aalen MY
- 23 Feb 1945 W F Bates / (J H Bauman) Crailsheim MY
- 24 Feb 1945 W F Bates / (J H Bauman) Bremen
- 25 Feb 1945 W F Bates / (J H Bauman) Neuberg
- 27 Feb 1945 W F Bates / (J H Bauman) Liepzig
- 1 Mar 1945 M S Bounds Augsburg
- 2 Mar 1945 R A Bricker Dresden
- 3 Mar 1945 Coleman Brunswick
- 7 Mar 1945 W F Bates / (J H Bauman) Datteln-Emscher Lippe
- 9 Mar 1945 W F Bates / (J H Bauman) Frankfurt AFs
- 11 Mar 1945 W F Bates / (J H Bauman) Hamburg
- 14 Mar 1945 W F Bates / (J H Bauman) Hannover – Gebruder
- 15 Mar 1945 W F Bates / (J H Bauman) Oranienburg MY
- 17 Mar 1945 C D Summers Ruhland
- 18 Mar 1945 R J Dewey Berlin
- 19 Mar 1945 A L Bland Zwickau
- 20 Mar 1945 L D Roberts Hamburg
- 22 Mar 1945 R J Dewey Military camp
- 23 Mar 1945 W F Bates / (J H Bauman) Holzwickede
- 24 Mar 1945 W F Bates / (J H Bauman) Varrelbusch AF
- 28 Mar 1945 W F Bates / (J H Bauman) Hannover MY
- 30 Mar 1945 J F Baier Jr Hamburg
- 4 Apr 1945 T M Mustaleski Kiel Severe BD — hit by flak which shot away left horiz. stab & rudder
” The Mustaleski crew was on our right wing on the mission to Kiel. I was watching them just as they got hit by an 88 on the tip of the left horizontal stabilizer. It was blown completely off, and left the vertical rudder looking like a sieve. The tail gunner was hunched down, apparently doing something with his guns, just as they were hit.
He sat up bolt upright with his head swivelling left and right for a moment, and when he saw the aircraft was still flying in formation he relaxed back in his seat and stayed there. The aircraft’s tail dropped somewhat lower when it lost half its tail, but kept on flying. The pilot (Mustaleski) had to start essing, in order to stay with the group, as (I presume) his airspeed had to be increased. He went over the target with us, dropped his bombs, and came all the way home to Rattlesden. I understand he was awarded the DFC for that piece of flying.” Lauri Rautio, a gunner on a nearby plane.
- 8 Apr 1945 J F Baier Jr Plauen MY
- 9 Apr 1945 J F Baier Jr Neuberg AF
- 10 Apr 1945 J Broughton Jr Brandenburg AF
- 11 Apr 1945 Dreyer Ingolstadt AF
- 14 Apr 1945 J F Baier Jr Royan
- 15 Apr 1945 J F Baier Jr Royan (napalm)
- 16 Apr 1945 J F Baier Jr Royan harbour
- 19 Apr 1945 J F Baier Jr Dresden RR target
- 20 Apr 1945 J F Baier Jr Neuruppin MY
- 21 Apr 1945 J F Baier Jr Ingolstadt MY a/c 81st mission — no aborts
It was back in combat four days later. In those final two months of war, the veteran B17 rarely missed a mission and finished out hostilities with a total of 83 mission markers painted on the nose above the artwork. In all of these not a single one was aborted due to any mechanical failure — a remarkable achievement for its hard worked ground crew.
Planes from upper left to lower right are; 43-38719 “A” (Blue Hen Chick), 44-8783 “X” (unnamed), 43-38768 “B” (unnamed), 42-31225 “G” (Scheherezade), 43-38230 “E” (Wolf Wagon), 43-37795 “H” (unnamed), 42-97976 “D” (A Bit O’ Lace). This was a staged flyover by the 447th Bomb Group, for the English people.
When the Fort was finally flown to the breakers yard at Kingman, Arizona, Cpl Fingelly was amongst the skeleton crew on board. It must have been a particularly sad day for him.
Airforce 1 1/72nd scale AF1-0110 Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress USAAF 447th BG, 709th BS, 42-97976 “A Bit O Lace”, RAF Rattlesden, England, 1945
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress USAAF Boeing B-17G-30-BO Flying Fortress 323rd Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group , “Nine O Nine ” RAF Bassingbourn, England, 1944.
Nine-O-Nine was a Boeing B-17G-30-BO Flying Fortress heavy bomber, of the 323rd Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, that completed 140 combat missions during World War II, believed to be the Eighth Air Force record for most missions, without loss to the crews that flew it.
The original aircraft, a block 30 B-17G manufactured by Boeing, was nicknamed after the last three digits of her serial number: 42-31909. Nine-0-Nine was added to the USAAF inventory on December 15, 1943, and flown overseas on February 5, 1944. After depot modifications, she was delivered to the 91st BG at RAF Bassingbourn, England, on February 24, 1944, as a replacement aircraft, one of the last B-17s received in factory-applied camouflage paint.
A former navigator of the 91st BG, Marion Havelaar, reported in his history of the group that Nine-O-Nine completed either 126 or 132 consecutive missions without aborting for mechanical reasons, also believed to be a record. M/Sgt. Rollin L. Davis, maintenance line chief of the bomber, received the Bronze Star for his role in achieving the record.
Her first bombing raid was on Augsburg, Germany, on February 25, 1944. She made 18 bombing raids on Berlin. In all she flew 1,129 hours and dropped 562,000 pounds of bombs. She had 21 engine changes, four wing panel changes, 15 main gas tank changes, and 18 changes of Tokyo tanks (long-range fuel tanks).
After the hostilities ceased in Europe, Nine-O-Nine was returned to the United States on June 8, 1945, and was consigned to the RFC facility at Kingman, Arizona on December 7, 1945, and eventually scrapped.
The Collings Foundation Nine-O-Nine
B-17G-85-DL, 44-83575, civil registration N93012, owned and flown by The Collings Foundation, Stow, Massachusetts, currently appears at airshows marked as the historic Nine-O-Nine.
The Collings Flying Fortress was built at Long Beach, CA by the Douglas Aircraft Company and accepted on April 7, 1945. Although she was too late for combat, #44-83575 did serve air-sea rescue duties as part of the Air/Sea 1st Rescue Squadron and later in the Military Air Transport Service.
In April 1952, #44-83575 was instrumented and subjected to the effects of three different nuclear explosions. After a thirteen-year “cool down” period, #44-83575 was sold as part of an 800-ton scrap pile and Aircraft Specialties Company began the restoration of the aircraft.
Damaged skin was fabricated and replaced on site; engines and props were stripped, cleaned, repaired, and tested; four thousand feet of new control cable was installed; all electrical wiring and instrumentation was replaced.
For twenty years, without a major problem or incident, #44-83575 served as a fire bomber dropping water and borate on forest fires. She was sold in January 1986 to the Collings Foundation. Restored back to her original wartime configuration by Tom Reilly Vintage Aircraft, she represented one of the finest B-17 restorations and won several awards.
On August 23, 1987, while performing at an airshow in the Pittsburgh suburban Beaver County Airport, N93012 (“Nine-O-Nine”) was caught by a severe crosswind moments after touchdown. The right wing lifted in the air, finally coming down too far down the runway. Despite the efforts of her crew, she rolled off the end of the runway, crashed through a chain link fence, sheared off a power pole and roared down a 100-foot ravine to a thundering stop. The landing gear sheared off, the chin turret was smashed and pushed into the nose; the Plexiglass nose was shattered; bomb bay doors, fuselage, ball turret, wing and nacelles all took a tremendous beating. Engines and propellers were also torn from their mounts. Fortunately, there were no fatalities to the crew or riders although there were injuries.
For a second time, N93012 (Nine-O-Nine) “rose from the ashes”. With nacelles from the famed B-17 “Shoo Shoo Baby”, thousands of volunteer hours at Air Heritage Aircraft Restoration Inc., support from the people of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and donations from individuals and corporations, she was made whole again to carry on the proud and rugged heritage of the B-17.
Since the crash at Beaver County Airport N93012 (Nine-O-Nine) has succeeded in visiting over 1200 tour stops.
On July 9th, 1995 N93012 (Nine-O-Nine) once again crashed, this time near Norfolk, Nebraska.
AF1-01XXB17 Airforce 1 Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress USAAF Boeing B-17G-30-BO Flying Fortress 323rd Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group RAF Bassingbourn, England, 1944.
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Well, that’s all for this week. I hope the weather is kind to us all on this August Bank Holiday weekend !
Thank you for taking time to read this week’s Newsletter .
Richard.
Flying Tigers.