B-17 Introduction

I think that I have known about the B-17, aka the flying fortress, at least by name, since junior high or high school. But I don’t think that I ever gave her much thought until I started writing about tankers a couple of years ago. Last year, two things happened that served to peak my interest in the B-17, the first was learning a little about the B-17’s use as a firebomber in the 60s and 70s through my wonderings online and conversations with folk in the tanker business. The second event was seeing the Collings Foundation’s  B-17 Nine O Nine when the Collings Foundation’s birds (B-24, P-51, and B-17) were in NJ for a couple of days late last summer. After I saw Nine O Nine, I was hooked.

I knew that I wanted to write about her, but before doing that I wanted to get to know the B-17 up close and personal. I took advantage of a number of books about the B-17, both through my local library and purchases. I’ll get to those books at some point during this series, perhaps at the end. I also found a number of videos of footage shot in WW II. Through my reading and these videos, I got to know both the B-17 as a WW II bomber and her crew. The difficult task is distilling all this into the articles on her use in WW II.

As I write this, I am still formulating the articles that will form this series of articles on the B-17. These articles will fall into three parts and a concluding essay or two where I will offer my own reflections. Articles on her service in WW II form the first part. A second part will focus on her service as a tanker. Finally, a third part will focus on restored B-17’s. I am still in the process of finishing up some things for the articles on her use as a firebomber and restored B-17’s, so it is possible that these articles will follow a little later.

Below is a tentative schedule for the articles focusing on her service in WW II, ending with a short article on her post WW II service. The dates are tentative and may be interrupted for news on the spring wild fire season or other related events.

March 23: B-17 in WW II - production
March 25: B-17 in WW II - the crew
March 28: B-17 in WW II - flying the B-17
March 30: B-17 in WW II - stories
April 1: B-17 in WW II - stories in pictures and video
April 4: B-17 in WW II - Memphis Belle
April 6: B-17 in WW II - maintenance
April 8: many did not come home
April 11: B-17 a look inside a B-17 bomber
April 13: B-17 - post WW II