Aero Vintage Books

I would like to correct my error about the 19th Bomb Group B-17F ”Blitz Buggy”. The incorrect information appears in my books Claims To Fame: The B-17 Flying Fortress and Pride of Seattle. Gene Salecker repeated the error in his Fortress Against The Sun.

On October 5, 1942 six 30th Bomb Squadron B-17s attacked the Vunakanau airstrip at Rabaul. Major John Rouse, the 30th Squadron commander, led the attack in 41-24403, ”Blitz Buggy”. Over the target the B-17s met determined fighter resistance. On the first pass they hit ”Blitz Buggy’s” nose area and bombardier Lt Ritchie B. Gooch was wounded by glass fragments. On the second pass the left inboard engine was knocked out. On the third pass an explosive shell hit the Australian navigator, Pilot Officer Allen J. Davenport, nearly blowing his right leg off. Gooch applied a tourniquet, administered morphine and covered Davenport in warm clothing while the wounded man, in shock, joked about how he might look with a wooden leg. Davenport survived the long flight back to Port Moresby in the damaged B-17 but died in hospital soon after.

I had always believed (and written) that Lt Frederick Wesche and his crew were flying ”Blitz Buggy” that day, but I was wrong. They were in another B-17F, 41-24425.

• Cross-posted at www.pacificwrecks.com

More than six years later, a bit more of the story emerges . . . turns out 41-24425 was named Flagship Oregon. It was one of at least two 19th Bomb Group planes that adopted the American Airlines “flagship” theme – the other one was 41-9207, Flagship Texas No. VI.



A recently-arrived 30th Bomb Squadron plane, it was being flown by a 28th Bomb Squadron crew when this photo was taken after a fruitless search for Japanese warships in the Milne Bay area on 30 August 1942.

Pilot 1/Lt Walter Schmid is second from the right as you look at the photo, and next to him with the moustache is co-pilot 1/Lt Mabry Simmons.

I don’t know if it continued to display this name during its time with the 43rd Bomb Group.