39-5 The Blue Goose

Delivered March Field 6-Mar-41;

Modified at Cheyenne United Airlines Modification Center into a photo recon aircraft. See B-17B 38-223 for modification details.

Delivered MacDill 3-Mar-42;

Conducted aerial photographic reconnaissance staging out of Accra in the Gold Coast (later Ghana).

Conducted all the recon flights for Operation Rusty.

"Almost had to come down in the desert the last day. One engine nearly dropped off 850 miles from base over the desert but it froze and hung by hair & and after landing Elliott said the plane practically fell apart."

Officially listed (cryptically) as crashed out of limits of continental USA;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Rusty



Written off 6-Aug-42. Never used in combat, never served in the UK.



Given the nickname "the Blue Goose" (not known if painted on aircraft)

Connections

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People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 325th Photographic Reconnaissance Wing 25th Bomb Group 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group
  • Service Numbers: O-348475
  • Highest Rank: Brigadier General
  • Role/Job: Commanding Officer Photographic Wing

Places

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added an Association to “March Airfield” as listed in the A/C description section.

Date
ContributorJason Garver
Changes
Sources

Added details of Operation Rusty.

Date
ContributorJason Garver
Changes
Sources

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Rusty has this aircraft as being part of the mapping mission named Operation Rusty.

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Removed block number from serial number

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 24-Jan-2015. Added Block Number, appended Block Number to name, Manufacturer, converted dates to military-style significations per "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story" Roger A. Freeman with David Osborne.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log