B-17E Suzy Q photo issue
 

Suzy Q was a B-17E 412489 with dorsal turret immediately behind the cockpit. Can anyone explain this photo of her without the turret?
Is the photo taken at a maintenance station? Censored?
Also, it appears the ball turret is also absent, but the inconsiderate bystanders are blocking so much of the shot it's hard for me to say ........
Thanks
Peter

Re: B-17E Suzy Q photo issue
 

This article may explain it.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16820645/suzyq/

Re: B-17E Suzy Q photo issue
 

Thank you Roland. Post-War photo, then. I think there is a typo in the story. Towards the end of the article it says she started the trip home late in 1942. So her service life was less than a year and the article says she exceeded the normal active life span by many months. So what was the expected active life span? 6 months seems very short to me.
Peter

Re: B-17E Suzy Q photo issue
 

The plane's combat history was only in 1942. It returned to the US in October 1942 and was supposedly doing a war bond tour by November of 1942. Actually, such planes usually got a complete overhaul and the crews got a leave of at least 30-60 days before starting these tours. I can find newspaper articles starting in early 1943 of the plane at various stops around the country but none in 1942.

Here is a history:

https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircra...7/41-2489.html

And another version here:
https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/41-2489-suzy-q/

I think the plane made it to San Bernardino earlier than the "histories" indicate.

Note the newspaper article was written in Oct 44 and the plane was already then at San Bernardino and was stripped of her turrets. It was then being used for training mechanics.

I think the photo you have of the plane without the turrets was taken anytime from Oct 1944 on, (not necessarily post war).

As a side-note, the wife of the pilot wrote a book in 1943 about the plane and crew. "The Suzy-Q", by Prisicilla Hardison.

Here are a couple of reviews:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-r...on/the-suzy-q/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11392540-the-suzy-q

The book can be found on the web, e.g. Amazon, abebooks, etc.

Re: B-17E Suzy Q photo issue
 

Thanks Roland.
Is there anywhere I can find out how many combat missions she flew? I've read many stories about her, including a long one in LIFE magazine, but none mention this.
Thanks again
Peter

Re: B-17E Suzy Q photo issue
 

Peter, here is an article from September 1943. (I missed it first time around because they have the name spelled as Susy-Q not Suzy-Q). A couple of points. The article mentions more than 50 missions flown. The plane is also getting a complete overhaul so perhaps a "complete" one was not done in the fall of 42 Also, looking at the photo is the top turret already off?.


https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1684...l_field_ogden/

Re: B-17E Suzy Q photo issue
 

Good evening Peter,

very interesting issue.
I wish you a good success with this thread.

Michael

Re: B-17E Suzy Q photo issue
 

Peter, another article with a photo, from July, 1943. It appears the plane may have been at Hill Field for several months.

Here is part 1 of the article. Note the photo seems to show both turrets already removed.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1685...y_1943_part_1/

part 2 of the article.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1685...l_fieldpart_2/

Re: B-17E Suzy Q photo issue
 

Thanks again for the links Roland.
I agree both turrets are already gone in July 1943.
A pity none of the articles nor any of the other meagre references I have give a mission count. The Hill Top Times article says she was in almost daily combat action for nine months, so "more than 50" combat missions might be a very conservative guess.
Cheers
Peter

Re: B-17E Suzy Q photo issue
 

Peter,

Here is a link to a direct pdf download of articles originally published in 1943 in Skyways magazine. It says the plane flew 55 missions. (See page 10).

http://www.legendsintheirowntime.com...4303_SuzyQ.pdf