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B-17F
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2016 9:00 am
by varsity07840
Over the years I've seen numerous photos of ETO an MTO B-17Fs that have cheek guns but no gun mounts of any sort in the nose piece. Can anyone explain why? Were they intended to be modified once they got in theater? Most of the pics I've seen show mission marks on the planes. Were they intended to be lead ships?
Re: B-17F
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2016 10:34 am
by terveurn
standard production B-17F before being modified for combat
Most B-17F were modified to some degree in RAF Burtonwood (for the 8th AF) or Lockheed Modification Center (8th AF). The USAAF had a modification center in Marrakesh for the MTO theater.
Best way to illustrate is to look at an unmodified B-17F used in training and you can see that the nose has not been changed from when it was built
42-5460a.jpg
42-5372 h.jpg
Square 19 a.jpg
Re: B-17F
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2016 4:35 pm
by varsity07840
I understand wat you're saying but those pics are of stateside trainers. Why were operational aircraft flown on missions without nose guns, given the fact that the AAF was in a panic about lack of foward firepower against German fighters?
On the other hand, B-17Fs, all early models, went to the PTO with .50 cal cheek guns(depot modified) and original .30 cal nose guns. I've never seen a pic of a PTO F model with field mod braced .50 cal nose mounts as
done in the ETO.