An interesting B17E. Looking for insight

[Steve Birdsall]

Only one point I'd like to make - 41-2666 was named Lucy while in the 65th Bomb Squadron, and probably not long before the June 1943 Medal of Honor mission.

[Steve Birdsall]

This truly IS an interesting airplane.

The object above the port on the fuselage sure looks like a vacuum venturi to me. This has me wondering what gyro instruments might have been added (if any).......

That's what it looks like to me too. I dug through John Stanaway's book on the 8th PRS from the 5th AF and there are a number of photos of RFD Tojo. None show the venturi or the open hatch below it so I think we can rule that one out. There is another image in that book of another recce 17E named "Blanch" with an eight ball on the left side of the nose. It has the same nose gun set up as RFD Tojo and this bird. Apparently RFD Tojo and the other 17 were hand me downs from the 43rd BG.

So It seems a fair assumption that the photo shows a 5th AF 17E. Wouldn't it be a kick if it was actually 666?

Ah well, it's always fun to try and solve mysteries!

Thanks to all of you for the insight.

It is 41-2666, a photograph taken at Garbutt in October 1943 confirms it. I can't share that photo at this time because it's featured in a forthcoming book (not by me) but I'll post details when it is available.

[Dan Johnson]

Very cool to know this Steve. Thanks for the heads up! Funny how little diamonds in the rough can appear at times and nothing but, luck, curiosity and perseverance can prove their worth history wise

[OldBillB17F]

Steve,

Any insight to when the book will be released? I've followed this Zeamer/Sornaski story since I first read Jablonski's "Flying Fortress" as a kid.

[Steve Birdsall]

Not really, and in these times I'm reluctant to even try a guesstimate.

However, it's not a book about Zeamer/Sarnoski. It's just that the rear end of 41-2666 turned up in the background of an October 1943 photo of another aircraft. There are details visible in that photo which perfectly match the rear end of the B-17E in the photo that Dan found.

For coverage of the Zeamer crew I highly recommend Clint Hayes' "Zeamer's Eager Beavers" page on Facebook. He's recently added some details from navigator Ruby Johnston's diary, which seems to again and finally confirm the total of 16 guns on the June 16 mission - four in the nose area, two in the top turret, two radio room, two ball turret, four waist and two in the tail.