Subject: Bomber Series--Boeing B-17 Fortress (17 of 27)

From: [email-masked] (joseph.f.baugher)
Date: 29 Aug 94 00:30:00 GMT

Eighty-five USAAF B-17Gs were transferred to the Royal Air Force as the 
Fortress III.  The first 30 of these planes were built by Boeing, and 
the remainder were built by Lockheed-Vega.  RAF serials were HB 
761/790 for the Boeing-built models and HB791/793, 795, 796, 799/803, 
805, 815/820, KH998, KH999, and KJ100/127, KL830/837 for the 
Vega-built models.  HB794,797,798,804, 806/814 were diverted to the 
USAAF before they could be delivered to the RAF.  

Some of these Fortress IIIs were operated by RAF Coastal Command.  
They usually carried twelve 400-pound S.C.I. bombs or sixteen 
250-pound depth charges.  They had the cheek-mounted machine guns 
removed, and radar was fitted in place of the ball turret.  

In February 1944, the first Fortress IIIs were assigned to No. 214 
Squadron of Bomber Command based at Sculthorpe.  These operated with 
with No. 100 group on special electronics countermeasures missions to 
confuse and jam enemy radar.  With No. 233 Squadron, the first 
Fortress III unit of Bomber Command, they took part in clandestine 
operations until the unit was disbanded in July of 1945.  Fortress 
IIIs also took part in mass night attacks, being employed as decoys to 
confuse enemy night fighters and to drop "window".  

Sources:

  Flying Fortress, Edward Jablonski, Doubleday, 1965.

  Famous Bombers of the Second World War, Volume One, William
  Green, Doubleday, 1959.

  Boeing Aircraft Since 1916, Peter M. Bowers, Naval Institute
  Press, 1989.

  United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough
  and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.

  Lockheed Aircraft Since 1913, Rene J. Francillon, Naval
  Institute Press, 1987.

  Boeing B-17E and F Flying Fortress, Charles D. Thompson,
  Profile Publications, 1966.

  American Combat Planes, Ray Wagner, Third Edition, Doubleday, 1982.

  Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Military Press, 1989.

  British Military Aircraft Serials, Bruce Robertson, Ian Allen, 1969.

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