Back to English Soil by Keith Woodcock
A Boeing B17G of the 91st BG USA 8th Airforce returns to English soil
on three engines after a fraught daylight mission over Germany. Signatory: Brigadier General James H
McPartlin, AFRes Commander, 442d
Troop Carrier Wing, Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri. . A Green Hill Far Away by
Robert Tomlin On the morning of October 14th 1943 along with 15 others
from the 305th Bomb Group, Lazy Baby set off from Chelveston in England on
Mission 115, the second Schweinfurt raid, later to become known as Black
Thursday. By the time they reached Aachen on the outward leg only
Lazy Baby and two others of the 305th were left flying. They were
then seriously damaged and three crew severely injured whilst two bailed
out. Diving from 23,000 ft to only 3,000 ft, pilot Ed Dienhart
managed to escape the attacking fighters. With the ball turret
gunner trapped and navigator seriously injured they proceeded at 30 to 50
feet, hedge-hopping all the way, to Switzerland and safety. Guided
by the navigator Don Rowley who, despite having both arms virtually
severed, managed to steer them from memory for over an hour to Switzerland
where they made a dramatic crash landing only four miles from the German
border. The navigator died the following day from his injuries.
Whilst the pilot drew upon every ounce of his flying skills, the rest of
the crew exhibited untold valour in the face of terrible adversity and
selfless devotion to their stricken comrades.This print is autographed by pilot Ed
Dienhart, Brunson
Bolin, Co - Pilot Christy Zullo, Waist Gunner, Raymond Baus,
Ball Turret Gunner, Robert Cinibulk, Waist Gunner crew
members and Swiss Schoolmaster Leo Thüring who helped to rescue the
mortally wounded navigator
Safe Pastures by Mark
Postlethwaite B-17G 42-37755 NV-A 325th Bomb Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group
from Poddington crash landing in Switzerland on 25th February 1944 after
sustaining damage over enemy territory after a raid on Augsburg and
Stuttgart.
An Interesting Dog Fight by Stan Stokes.
October 23,
1942 was a typical day for American troops at Esprito Santo, but for the
crew of a B-17 Flying Fortress it would become a most memorable day.
Early that morning the Japanese began shelling the field. Lt. Ed Loberg,
a former farm boy from Wisconsin, was ordered to take his B-17 up for a
reconnaissance mission to determine where the Japanese guns may be
located. Not finding anything they returned to the field. The brakes
failed on the B-17 upon landing, and they hit several parked Navy
aircraft. Fortunately for Lobergs crew a 100 pound bomb dislodged in the
crash did not explode. Later that day the crew boarded another B-17 and
went hunting out to sea. Around mid-day the crew noticed a PBY being
attacked by a Kawanishi H6K Mavis flying boat. Diving the B-17 straight
down, the Mavis and the Flying Fortress soon entered a rain squall. The
windows were black with clouds and rain, and the plane was buffeted by
strong winds. Emerging from the squall at low altitude into blinding
sunlight the B-17 emerged only fifty feet from their adversary.
Immediately every gun on both aircraft began firing in a broadside
exchange reminiscent of age old sailing ship battles. Thousands of
bullets criss-crossed the narrow spread of air, and the Fortress
shuddered from the impact. Tracer bullets from the B-17 pelted the Mavis
like darts with many ricocheting off its armor. The Mavis made a tight
turn, and Loberg turned inside him to avoid the mortal sting from the
Mavis tail guns. In and out of rain squalls this interesting dogfight
continued for 45 minutes. The Mavis kept very close to the wave tops to
protect is vulnerable under belly. Several times during the fight the
Mavis disappeared for three or four minutes into clouds, but each time
as it reemerged Lobergs B-17 resumed the attack. Twice the B-17 passed
over the H6K so close that the jagged bullet holes in the Mavis and the
round glasses on its two pilots could be seen clearly. Finally, the
Mavis began smoking, and the Japanese plane dropped into the sea and
exploded in a large ball of flame. In the words of Ira Wolfert, a war
correspondent, who was on the flight; During the duel, the Fort that I
was on, with a bullet in one of its motors, and two holes as big as
Derby hats in its wings, made tight turns with half-rolls and banks past
vertical. That is, it frequently stood against the sea on one wing like
a ballet dancer balancing on one point, and occasionally it went over
even farther than that and started lifting its belly toward the sky in
desperate effort to keep the Jap from turning inside it… Throughout
the entire forty-four minutes, the plane, one of the oldest being used
in the war, ran at top speed, shaking and rippling all over like a skirt
in a gale, so many inches of mercury being blown into its motors by the
superchargers that the pilot and co-pilot, in addition to their other
worries, had to keep an eye on the cowlings to watch for cylinder heads
popping up through them. Others on Lobergs crew that day were B.
Thurston the co-pilot, R Spitzer the navigator,
R. Mitchell the bombadier and
E. Gustafson , E. Jung, G. Holbert , E. Smith, and P. Butterbaugh
who manned the guns during this unusual dogfight. Both Mitchell and
Spitzer were wounded during the battle.
Birth of a Legend by Stan Stokes.
Colin P. Kelly, Americas first hero of WW II, was born
in Florida in 1915. He was accepted to the U.S. Military Academy at West
Point, and following graduation Kelly married the former Marian Wick.
Kelly received his primary flight instruction at Randolph Field in San
Antonio, and after earning his wings he moved across town to Kelly Field
for advanced pilot training. Unlike many would-be fighter pilots, Kelly
was not disappointed with being assigned as a bomber pilot. Kelly
received a letter of commendation from The Secretary of War when he
crash landed a Northrop A-17A he was ferrying to Mitchel field in a
vacant street in Brooklyn. In September of 1940 Kelly was promoted to
Captain, and was assigned to the 42nd Bomb Squadron as commander of a
B-17. Kelly trained in Hawaii, and was later made Operations Officer for
the 14th Bomb Squadron. In September of 1941 Kelly and his crew flew
from Hawaii to Clark Field in the Philippines. The B-17s were an
important addition to the woefully inadequate and obsolete air forces
which America had in the Philippines. The Japanese Imperial forces
attacked the Philippines only hours following the attack on Pearl
Harbor. Mitsubishi Zero fighters, flying to maximize their range, were
able to accompany Japanese bombers from bases in Formosa. The initial
attack on Clark Field damaged or destroyed many American aircraft.
Kellys squadron had been moved south to another field and had escaped
damage. On December 10, Kellys squadron was ordered to fly north to
Clark Field where they would refuel and arm their aircraft for attacks
on the Japanese invasion fleet. Kellys regular B-17D was out of service,
so his crew was assigned a B-17C. At Clark Field three 600-pound armor
piercing bombs were loaded on Kellys B-17 when an air raid hastened
their departure. Kelly flew northward to the northern most tip of the
island of Luzon. Kelly spotted a number of Japanese ships which were
supporting an amphibious landing. The young Captain dropped his three
bombs hoping to destroy the largest of the Japanese ships. One bomb
struck the vessel, igniting a tremendous blaze. On returning to Clark
Field, the B-17 was attacked by a number of Japanese fighters, including
a Zero flown by Saburo Sakai. Sakai would become the highest scoring
Japanese ace to survive the War with 64 victories. Amazed by the speed
of the Flying Fortress, the Zeros needed full throttle to make passes at
the B-17. Kellys B-17 was
eventually hit and set afire. Captain Kelly ordered his crew to abandon
ship. Kelly remained with the aircraft, and he did not survive the crash
landing. With America desperate for any good news on the war front, and
with Army brass in the Philippines anxious to claim some positive
results, Colin Kellys exploits became exaggerated in many news accounts.
By the time the story was publicized stateside, many believed he had
dived his B-17 down the funnel of a Japanese battleship. While Kelly was
indeed an American hero, the
unfortunate gross exaggeration of his exploits, should not tarnish the
fact that Kelly, like many that would follow him in the years ahead, had
made the ultimate sacrifice for his country in the line of duty.
Fortress Under Siege by Stan Stokes.
In
the mid-1930s engineers at Boeing suggested the possibility of designing
a modern long-range monoplane bomber to the U.S. Army Air Corps. In 1934
the USAAC issued Circular 35-26 that outlined specifications for a new
bomber that was to have a minimum payload of 2000 pounds, a cruising
speed in excess of 200-MPH, and a range of at least 2000 miles. Boeing
produced a prototype at its own expense, the model 299, which first flew
in July of 1935. The 299 was a long-range bomber based largely on the
Model 247 airliner. The Model 299 had several advanced features
including an all-metal wing, an enclosed cockpit, retractable landing
gear, a fully enclosed bomb bay with electrically operated doors, and
cowled engines. With gun blisters glistening everywhere, a newsman
covering the unveiling coined the term Flying Fortress to describe the
new aircraft. After a few initial test flights the 299 flew off to
Wright Field setting a speed record with an average speed of 232-mph. At
Wright Field the 299 bettered its competition in almost all respects.
However, an unfortunate crash of the prototype in October of 1935
resulted in the Army awarding its primary production contract to Douglas
Aircraft for its DB-1 (B-18.) The Army did order 13 test models of the
299 in January 1936, and designated the new plane the Y1B-17. Early work
on the B-17 was plagued by many difficulties, including the crash of the
first Y1B-17 on its third flight, and nearly bankrupted the Company.
Minor quantities of the B-17B, B-17C, and B-17D variants were built, and
about 100 of these aircraft were in service at the time Pearl Harbor was
attacked. In fact a number of unarmed B-17s flew into the War at the
time of the Japanese attack. The German Blitzkrieg in Europe resulted in
accelerated aircraft production in America.
The B-17E was the first truly heavily armed variant and made its
initial flight in September of 1941. B-17Es cost $298,000 each and more
than 500 were delivered. The B-17F and B-17G were the truly
mass-produced wartime versions of the Flying Fortress. More than 3,400
B-17Fs and more than 8,600 B-17Gs would be produced. The American
daylight strategic bombing campaign against Germany was a major factor
in the Allies winning the War in Europe. This campaign was largely flown
by B-17 Flying Fortresses (12,677 built) and B-24 Liberators (18,188
built.) The B-17 bases were closer to London than those of the B-24, so
B-17s received a disproportionate share of wartime publicity. The first
mission in Europe with the B-17 was an Eighth Air Force flight of 12
B-17Es on August 12, 1942. Thousands more missions, with as many as 1000
aircraft on a single mission would follow over the next 2 ½ years,
virtually decimating all German war making facilities and plants. The
B-17 could take a lot of damage and keep on flying, and it was loved by
the crews for bringing them home despite extensive battle damage.
Following WW II, B-17s would see some action in Korea, and in the 1948
Israel War. There are only 14 flyable B-17s in operation today and a
total of 43 complete airframes.
Portrait of a Queen by Stan Stokes.
The Boeing
B-17 Flying Fortress is the subject of Stans painting. B-17s were
produced in large numbers and along with the B-24 Liberator carried out
the brunt of the Eighth Air Forces long range strategic daylight bombing
campaign. These missions were very dangerous, especially early in the
War when long range fighter escort was unavailable. The sacrifice made
by these bomber crews hastened the end of the War.
Rubys Fortress by Stan Stokes. The
B-17 Flying Fortress, was one of the most acclaimed aircraft of WW II.
It is also one of those uniquely popular warbirds which has attracted
more than its fair share of romance and nostalgia over the years. Nearly
13,000 of these aircraft were produced. The origins of the B-17 dates to
1934 when the Boeing company was authorized to build a prototype of a
long-range, metal, monoplane, medium bomber which was designated Model
299. During the first public exposure of the prototype a reporter from
the Seattle Daily Times coined the term flying fortress in his
description of the new sleek, heavily armed aircraft. Boeings public
relations department liked this reference, and shortly thereafter the
aircraft became known as the Flying Fortress. Boeing received an initial
order for 13 aircraft, designated the YB-17, and these aircraft were
delivered in 1937. Later that year Boeing obtained orders for several
enhanced models, which were designated B-17Bs. These aircraft had
supercharged engines permitting higher ceilings, redesigned nose
sections, hydraulic brakes, and larger rudders. With the outbreak of
WWII the first Flying Fortresses were used by the RAF. Early experience
by the RAF underscored the need for increased defensive firepower.
Boeing responded by redesigning the entire rear fuselage on the
aircraft, and incorporating a rear gun and a remotely controlled under
belly turret gun. The resulting B-17E was only slightly slower than its
predecessor at 317 MPH, and in mid-1942 the USAAF began moving B-17
units to the United Kingdom.
These were primarily B-17Fs. Flying Fortresses had the ability to
take a lot of punishment. The aircrafts flying characteristics were
excellent, and it was not unusual for
B-17s to return to base with large sections of wing surface or
tail fin missing. The first B-17G
models began to see action late in 1943, and were, along with the
B-24 Liberators, carried the brunt of the USAAF daylight bombing
campaign against targets of strategic significance. Such missions were
exceedingly dangerous until only very late in the War. Luftwaffe pilots
learned to attack B-17s head-on from the 12 oclock position, as this was
the most vulnerable area to attack, and one in which crew injury was the
most likely. Aviation artist Stan Stokes, in his painting entitled Rubys
Fortress, shows a B-17G of the 8th Air Forces 385th Bomber Group over
Germany in 1945. The aircraft in the foreground was named for Cpl. Ruby
Newell of Long Beach, California. Ms. Newell was voted the most
attractive WAC in England in 1944. The nose art painted by Cpl. Ploss
was a fitting tribute, and such nose art was a great morale booster for
bomber crews and ground support staff. Many B-17s were named after
women, appropriate considering the fact that during wartime the majority
of the people which built these planes were women.
Flying Into a War by Stan Stokes.
John
Davy Crockett was trained as a navigator by Pan Am in mid-1941 because
the USAAF did not have its navigator school in operation. Davy was
assigned to the 36th Bomb Squadron of the 19th
Bomb Group flying the new B-17C Flying Fortress. Davy found that most
Air Corps pilots were used to doing their own navigating, so his job
would be easy. Davy experienced a crash in a B-17 while training, but
the crew walked away from the wreck. In late 1941 his crew was informed
that they would be flying to Clark Field in the Philippines. On December
they left Albuquerque and flew to Hamilton Field in California. They
received a briefing on expected weather and left on the evening of
December 6 for their first stop at Hickham Field, Oahu Hawaii. Flying
into the darkness over the vast Pacific, the pilot for the first time in
Crocketts career turned the navigation over to Davy. Realizing that the
Hawaiian Islands were only small dots on the charts of the vast Pacific,
and that his aircraft would have little fuel reserves left when it
arrived, sent chills up Crocketts spine. As dawn broke Davy saw lots of
islands where there were not suppose to be any. His panic subsided when
he realized that they were only clouds. The pilot, Earl Cooper, came on
the intercom at that moment to ask for an ETA. As Davy responded, the
gunners in the back came on the intercom to report a large formation of
aircraft about ten miles north of their position. They must be Navy
aircraft. Minutes later they had descended to about 1200 feet when eight
fighter aircraft came straight at them with their guns blazing. As the
aircraft flew bye the flight engineer, Jesse Broyls, yelled out, Rising
Sun ! The zeros reformed behind the unarmed B-17, and as Cooper dove the
lumbering giant towards the wave tops, Crockett could hear the thump of
bullets hitting his plane. The No. 2 engine was hit and Cooper shut it
down. Rounding Diamond Head at about 300-feet the crew saw smoke and
fire everywhere, and Japanese planes all over the sky. They passed over
Hickham Field at about 1000-feet, realizing that this was no time and
place for a landing. They turned towards Ford Island and passed directly
over the USS Arizona minutes after the ship had exploded. Crocketts B-17
now became a target for nervous anti-aircraft gunners on the ground, and
the B-17 had its No. 4 engine shot out. Cooper prepared the crew to bail
out, but he then saw an opportunity to bring the big bird into Wheeler
Field. He came straight in and belly-landed the B-17 with almost no fuel
left. The plane slid to a stop on the turf just short of a group of
P-40s. The entire crew got out of the B-17 and ran for cover in a patch
of nearby woods. The B-17s on the flight from the mainland were
scattered all over the island, with most of them seriously damaged.
Fortunately, there were only two casualties, a flight surgeon who was
killed and a bombardier who was injured when they were strafed while
running from their plane. Crockett would survive a third crash in
another B-17 on December 25th when he would spend six days in
a life raft.
Nine-o-Nine by Stan Stokes.
One of only
fourteen B-17s that still fly, the Collings Foundation is the proud
owner and operator of B-17G serial no. 44-83575. This aircraft was built
on April 7, 1945 in Long Beach, CA by Douglas Aircraft under license
from Boeing. She served as part of the Air/Sea 1st Rescue
Squadron and in the Air Transport Service. She was subject to three
separate nuclear explosions. After a thirteen-year cool down period the
aircraft was sold for scrap. The Aircraft Specialties Company began a
restoration of the aircraft. Named Yucca Lady the aircrafts skin was
fabricated and replaced on site; engines and props were stripped,
cleaned, repaired and tested. For the next twenty years 44-83575 served
without incident as a fire bomber dropping water and borate on wild
fires throughout the West. In 1986 the Collings Foundation of Stow
Massachusetts purchased the aircraft and had her restored to her wartime
configuration by Tom Reilly Vintage Aircraft. She was considered one of
the finest B-17 restorations and has received numerous awards. In 1987
at an airshow at Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, the aircraft was struck by
a severe cross wind while landing. This resulted in a severe
non-fatality accident, that necessitated another substantial
restoration. With the support of many individuals and corporations, and
support from many folks from Beaver Falls 44-83575 rose again like a
Phoenix. The aircraft is named in honor of Nine-O-Nine, a B-17 that flew
140 successful combat missions with the 323rd Squadron of the
91st Bomb Group. The original Nine-O-Nine did not lose a
crewman, and did not have to abort a single mission. This amazing record
was attained between February 1944 and April 1945. During this time the
Nine-O-Nine participated in eighteen raids on Berlin and flew an amazing
1129 combat hours. She underwent 21 different engine changes, 4 wing
replacements, and fifteen main gas tank replacements due largely to
heavy damage from flak. The Nine-O-Nine had six hundred patches in her
fuselage and wings when the War ended in Europe. She was flown home, but
later succumbed to the scrappers guillotine. In Stan Stokes highly
detailed painting, that is a tribute to both the original Nine-O-Nine,
and her present namesake flown by the Collings Foundation, the original
Nine-O-Nine is readied for another mission to Berlin at its airfield in
England in 1945.
Those Golden Moments by Philip
West. As the
sun slowly begins to rise this wintry morning over Thorpe Abbots,
Norfolk, ground crew prepare B-17G The All American Girl in an almost
surreal setting, for her 99th dangerous mission over enemy territory. On
10th January 1945, 19-year-old pilot, 1st Lt. John Dodrill and his crew
went missing on a combat sortie to Cologne. Like many other crews, they
made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight for freedom, with the Bloody
Hundredth Bombardment Group playing its full part with courage and
honour.
Thunderheads Over Ridgewell by
Robert Taylor Robert's emotive painting shows 381st Bomb Group B-17
Fortresses returning to Ridgewell on a summer afternoon in 1944 during a
period when the Group reached the peak of its effectiveness - for
several months it was top ranked outfit in the Eighth. Between June 1943
and the end of hostilities the 381st completed 297 combat missions, hit
almost every important target in German hands, and was credited with the
destruction of 223 enemy aircraft. One aircraft more than any other came
to symbolise the great daylight bombing campaign of the USAAF in Europe
during World War Two, the B-17 Flying Fortress.
Out of Fuel and Safely Home by Robert Taylor
Damaged by flak and enemy fighters, and almost out of fuel, after a
gruelling eight hour mission the pilot of this B-17 Fortress makes a
forced landing in the safety of an English cornfield. A pair of P-51
Mustangs have escorted the damaged aircraft back across the North Sea,
and peel off as they see their charge safely back on friendly sight Signatories: Jim Barker, Richard
Headrick, Bill Lawley, D Litsinger,
LA Mitchell
Legend of Colin Kelly by Robert Taylor December 10th 1941, Just three days after the Japanese attack on
Pearl harbor, captain Colin Kelly's 19th BG B-17C is heavily outnumbered
by Zeros as it returns to Clark Field after completing a successful
bombing attack. With his aircraft on fire. Kelly remained at the controls
whilst his crew bailed out. Seconds later the B-17 exploded. Colin Kelly
gave his life and was posthumously awarded the DFC. A legend was born.
Signed by Robert Altman, James Halkyard
