Early days in the ETO

[Steve Birdsall]

The other day somebody posted a sideview on Facebook of what a particular early 306th Bomb Group B-17F – 41-24501 – might have looked like. Apparently there are no photos of the plane, which was shot down in January 1943. The artist had portrayed the aircraft with a yellow surround to the fuselage cocarde, which prompted a number of comments like “the markings are for Operation Torch”, but it’s not that simple.

Over the weekend I was looking at an old Roger Freeman booklet from 1971 . . . Camouflage & Markings: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress U.S.A.A.C. & A.A.F., 1937-1945. He noted that "Two changes were made to the National Insignia on some early B-17Fs in the UK and may seem somewhat contradictory in nature, as one was intended to make the cocardes more distinct . . . In October 1942 a concentric 2 inch yellow band was ordered to be painted round fuselage cocardes. Most 97th and 301st B-17s sported this adornment although in many instances the encircling band was a good 3 inches wide. Fewer B-17Fs of the other early groups were thus decorated before the practice was discontinued on heavy bombers. No dated order is known to the author but most group paintshops had stopped applying the yellow outline by December 1942."

In my experience the only "other" B-17 group to display those yellow outlined cocardes was the 306th Bomb Group, for example on 41-24491 in the photo above. I've not seen them in the 91st, 303rd or 305th groups. Has anyone here?

[aerovin2]

Steve, as always an interesting and thought-provoking post. I would have said Operation Torch too...I was not aware of what Roger documented and have not seen any photos.

[suzyQ194]

I have seen a photo of 124359 with the yellow surround of the national insignia.

FB_IMG_1702011052958.jpg

[suzyQ194]

Here the page from camouflage and markings B 17 13

[terveurn]

A lot of the much older books while interesting should often be apporached with trepadation and caution; much of this material has been superseeded with much newer material.

Robert Archer's book on aircraft markings indicates that the yellow ring was more of a MTO marking (as indicated for Torch).

I know from the official Alphodite records the aircraft were supposed to be yellow not white (as is often cited)

Torch ring.JPG

[Steve Birdsall]

I agree that some earlier published information has since been clarified or corrected, but I believe Roger was refering to the Spaatz October 1942 order that you also quoted.

So far I’ve identified at least ten early 306th Bomb Group B-17Fs that had the yellow fuselage rings, with examples from all four squadrons. Here’s 41-24486 Man O’War from the 367th Bomb Squadron in a photo from the Freeman Collection.



I find it really odd that there are no examples from the 91st, 303rd or 305th (41-24359 Turd Bird in the Robert Capa photo posted by suzyQ194 did fly with the 305th but it was a late November 1942 transfer from the 301st Bomb Group).