Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum  

Go Back   Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum > Discussion > Allied and Soviet Air Forces

Allied and Soviet Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the Air Forces of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 24th January 2018, 13:41
PMoz99 PMoz99 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 623
PMoz99 is on a distinguished road
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
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 24th January 2018, 18:26
RSwank RSwank is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bloomington, IN USA
Posts: 2,010
RSwank is on a distinguished road
Re: B-17E Suzy Q photo issue

This article may explain it.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16820645/suzyq/
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 25th January 2018, 03:08
PMoz99 PMoz99 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 623
PMoz99 is on a distinguished road
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
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 25th January 2018, 03:47
RSwank RSwank is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bloomington, IN USA
Posts: 2,010
RSwank is on a distinguished road
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.

Last edited by RSwank; 25th January 2018 at 20:04.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 25th January 2018, 04:43
PMoz99 PMoz99 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 623
PMoz99 is on a distinguished road
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
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 25th January 2018, 15:34
RSwank RSwank is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bloomington, IN USA
Posts: 2,010
RSwank is on a distinguished road
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/

Last edited by RSwank; 25th January 2018 at 20:02.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 25th January 2018, 20:34
knusel's Avatar
knusel knusel is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 1,853
knusel is on a distinguished road
Re: B-17E Suzy Q photo issue

Good evening Peter,

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

Michael
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 26th January 2018, 00:28
RSwank RSwank is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bloomington, IN USA
Posts: 2,010
RSwank is on a distinguished road
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/
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 26th January 2018, 03:10
PMoz99 PMoz99 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 623
PMoz99 is on a distinguished road
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
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 26th January 2018, 04:31
RSwank RSwank is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bloomington, IN USA
Posts: 2,010
RSwank is on a distinguished road
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
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
The Eagles Over Europe Project Larry Hickey Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 395 13th May 2019 22:28
Who is in the photo? Teresa Maria Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 2 26th September 2017 17:33
The "Luftwaffe" Photo Collection at the BA, formerly in the US Larry Hickey Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 2 20th July 2015 13:53
Wartime colour (Kodachrome) photo of a VVS Yak-9 Kari Lumppio Allied and Soviet Air Forces 3 26th July 2010 16:16
Hans-Joachim Marseille by James H. Kitchens,III & John R. Beaman, Jr PhilippeDM Books and Magazines 2 20th July 2008 21:50


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 05:13.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net