A question about B-17E 41-2644, Los Lobos

[Steve Birdsall]

Los Lobos was one of the seven ex-19th Bomb Group B-17Es that were reassigned to the 394th Bomb Squadron of the 5th Bomb Group in November 1942.

The nominal pilots were Capt. Bill Ripley and his co-pilot Lt Gene Roddenberry. (I’ve got a story about the 394th in the September issue of Aviation History that covers some of their story.)

Anyway, when the 394th converted to B-24s, 41-2644 was flown to Tontouta, New Caledonia, where 13th Air Depot commander Brigadier General George McCoy selected it as his personal transport. This photo of McCoy in the cockpit reveals that something was then added to Los Lobos, but the rest of the name is a bit of a mystery – could be “The Rover Boy” or . . .?



Can anybody provide additional information about this B-17E?

I’ll post this over at WIX too.

[terveurn]

Always thought Roddenbury was a Pilot not a co-pilot (at least when he crashed on take-off killing his normal co-pilot).

[Steve Birdsall]

No, co-pilot most of his time in the 394th, qualifying to be a first pilot of a Flying Fortress in June 1943. His navigator and bombardier were killed in the takeoff crash, but co-pilot Lieutenant Frank Belosic and the rest of the crew were okay.

[OldBillB17F]

Was Los Lobos not B-17E 41-9213? Pacific Wrecks has 41-9213 listed as Los Lobos/Rover Boy.

[Steve Birdsall]

No, unfortunately there's a lot of that sort of outdated or incorrect information on PW.

[Steve Birdsall]

For anyone interested, the 394th/Roddenberry story is now available online. Only a few of the photos, but Jack Fellows' artwork and the complete text are there.

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A ... Iu-Csh0MN0

[Steve Birdsall]

What's the story on that fragment of the nickname?

[terveurn]

To avoid facebook, go right to the web sight:

https://www.historynet.com/roddenberrys-war.htm

Good article, lots of new photos, lots of aircraft serial numbers

[Steve Birdsall]

Does anybody have any more on that fragment of the Los Lobos nose art? When and where it was found?

That nose art was the work of Sgt Charles N. Petrakos.

Probably won't add much, but if possible I would really to like to see a copy of that fragment photo without the hideous Photobucket watermark.

[OldBillB17F]

Steve,

I posted the photo of the fragmented Los Lobos nose art. Send me your email over private message, and I can send you a non-watermarked version of the photo.

The picture was obtained from the Questmasters online museum, but does not appear to be there anymore.

Link: http://www.questmasters.us/

UPDATE: I contacted Questmasters, and they said this piece of nose art has resided in the Wings Remembered Museum, Nashville, TN for the past 10-15 yrs now.