One of the most flak-battered B-17 Flying Fortresses ever | B-17G 42-98004

B-17G-40-VE 42-98004 (no name)
508th Bomb Squadron of the 351st Bomb Group.

Heavily damaged on 27 September 1944 on mission to Cologne, Germany with Capt. Jerome H. Geiger’s Crew.

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I am not a native English speaker, so I am sorry if there are some errors.
And I apologize if I miss-pronounced some words or names

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=== Sources ===
Pictures: US NARA
MACR 9360
All documents declassified by NARA.

351st BG web site and mission report:

Google Maps

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I am interested to the history of the B-17 Flying Fortress since 2000 and doing research since 2017. It's still my hobby beside my full time job. I want to be accurate as possible with the information in my videos. However, if you find any mistakes or have additional information, please correct me and let me know :)

#b17, #b17bomber, #WarStories

[bwilliams]

The Flying Fortress' ability to absorb damage was legendary.

[aaronjohn]

Those planes were like the men that flew them. Tough, resilient and gave their all to get the mission done.

[oldgoat]

I have seen pictures like this over and over. I've studied warfare and especially, WW2, for almost my entire life. It never, ever ceases to amaze me how badly these planes, and the B24s among others, can get chewed up and still fly, much less make it back to their bases.
Well done video.

[clazy]

What an amazing story. I was so glad to learn the y operator had his chute on.

[alepaz]

😬

incredible that the control cables still worked

[Gablesman]

My father flew B-17s in WWII. He said the saying among the crews was if you can walk away from the airplane the landing was a good landing. On one occasion my father piloted an on fire B-17 all the way to the ground for one of those good landings. Only minor injuries.
The best generation. And I sure do miss him.

[kevinmurphy]

Back when Boeing knew how to build an airplane as peoples lives depended on them.

[ivanconnolly]

The B24 had a nasty habit of folding up its wings, the weakness caused by housing the undercarraige in the wing weakening the wing structure, combined with lower ceiling this resulted in a 17% loss per month compared to a 13% loss for B17 equipped units.

[wattage]

Fascinating story behind this warhorse! Thanks.

[michaeldoonan]

A very informative and detailed report. Thank you.

[sailordude]

As W.C. Fields would remark, "The resale value of this vehicle is gonna be nil." Thanks for the war story!

[scottcriswell]

Excellent video. You are very gifted at this.

[richardf.pimentel]

The picture at 6:53 Shows the waste gunner position with an enclosure which I have never seen before.

[chrishay]

What an incredibly tough aircraft that it can take that amount of punishment and get its surviving crew members home

[dannyhonn]

Ive got photos of Sweet Pea that had similar damage. Lets not forget Maj. Robert Rosenthal of the Bloody 100th, who once dead sticked a 17 onto a grass landing strip

[braveworld]

You just popped up in my feed so I don't know about your Channel yet but if you look at WWII aircraft that made it home then the following two would make excellent videos for you to create. The first one because of the damage the B-17 took and the second was more about the incredible cohesion of the crew when they didn't fit in with anyone else in the squadron. If you are interested in these as videos and you don't know about them then I am more than happy to help you find these aircraft especially the Pacific one. Just reply to this Comment and I should be notified since I shall Subscribe. If you know about them or don't want to make a video that's cool, ok. 👍

Do you know about the B-17 that was nearly lost the tail when it was hit by a German aircraft. The crew used parachutes to keep the tail attached to the rest of the fuselage. Somehow the crew managed to nurse it back to their base and land safely. Can't remember what the casualties were but from memory (and I honestly can't trust it now) the tail gunner was stuck at his station in the tail because his weight moving towards the front caused the tail to move around more so he said with his guns so the pilot could maintain control.

There was a B-17 in the Pacific that was crewed by a crew of _misfits_ and the aircraft Captain (Pilot In Command) was never able to make Captain in the squadron so he found a B-17 that was badly shot up, assembled a crew from airmen like him and got the B-17 airworthy so they could fly it. Went on _one way_ missions but always came back. The final mission the aircraft was that badly shot up that when it landed and a rear hatch was opened the rear of the fuselage broke (like a ship breaking its back).

[billhinkle]

I believe if you took a composit picture of all the damage B17's received, and flew home, you could take away the whole plane.

[samstewart]

Hi, have you thought about doing a video on Smokey Yunick? He was a famous American race car engine builder. He flew at least 25 missions as the pilot of a B17 in europe.

[michaelstark]

Seems like after the B-52 / 747 Boeing lost its touch………………… 0:06

[moistmike]

Absolutely, without a doubt, the Greatest Generation (although, methinks the Civil War Generation would give 'em a run for their money)