Can someone explain this early B17 photo from LIFE?

[Dan Johnson]

Taken in India in 1943. What sharkfin B17 might that have been?

[Second Air Force]

Dan,

I just happened to have my copy of Roger Freeman's B-17 Fortress At War on the desk. That is either Fortress I/B-17C AN518 or AN532. These two were returned to the USAAF in India in '42. That is a great find, my friend!

Scott

[pokryshkin]

Dan, Scott,
AN518 was originanlly 40-2043, although it was returned to USAAF Service as "40-2066"
, and AN532 was originally 40-2069, although it was returned to USAAF Service, also in India, as "40-2079" which was the final B-17C USAAF Serial Number.

Thought you'd like to know

Regards,

Dan Katz

[Second Air Force]

Thanks for the serial numbers, Dan.

I remembered there being a discrepancy on one of the airplanes getting a "new" Air Corps identity when it was returned to U.S. custody but I didn't realize they did it with both aircraft. I'll have to see if I can find my info source--it's somewhere in the "library" (my piles of books in the spare room!)

Scott

[robstitt]

Dan,

I came to the same conclusion re these two B-17Cs.

A question though: How do we know the usually-quoted USAAC/RAF serial tie-ups were correctly recorded in the first place? Is it possible they were incorrectly recorded and this was only corrected when the 10th AF received them from the RAF and reported taking them on strength to the USAAF?

Robert