It's called "Prepare for Combat-Hendricks Field, Sebring, Florida" published in October 1942.
I really like this opening image
More of the 17Es to follow. I remember as a kid reading somewhere that they removed the de-icer boots because they shredded easy in combat. I guess they must have done it for other reasons as these Es seem to have them gone for the most part.
Beautiful!!!
This gives us very likely most of the B-17E formation from Air Force!
BTW, did you know that at least ONE B-17B DID see Action? 38-215 was assigned to Ladd Field, Alaska 1941-1942 for cold weather testing, saw action during the Dutch Harbor Operation with bomb strikes against the Japanese fleet, was in an air battle over Unmak Pass on June 4, 1942, and, unfortunately, crashed en route home (Kiska) from a weather reconnaissance flight on July 18, 1942.
pokryshkin wrote:Beautiful!!!
This gives us very likely most of the B-17E formation from Air Force!
BTW, did you know that at least ONE B-17B DID see Action? 38-215 was assigned to Ladd Field, Alaska 1941-1942 for cold weather testing, saw action during the Dutch Harbor Operation with bomb strikes against the Japanese fleet, was in an air battle over Unmak Pass on June 4, 1942, and, unfortunately, crashed en route home (Kiska) from a weather reconnaissance flight on July 18, 1942.
Thought you'd want to know!
Regards,
Dan K.
I don't think any of the Hendrick's E models were in the film. It all looks like stock footage. No numbers on tail of fuselage. This screenshot shows striped tails on the Es that have remote turrets and on the D model. Also note the red ball in the star on the E at the rear of the flight.
And this E from the take off scenes at the end has no numbers on it while the formation of E models that do the wingover to the right also look like stock footage.
You're absolutely right! They did prefer to use stock footage for this, not being willing to give axis spies a look at the then-still-new B-17E aircraft with their tail turrets; in silhouette or in stock footage less would be noticeable. That shot with the tail stripes might just have been out of Hickam in early 1942!
