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Aircraft History Built by Boeing at Seattle completed as the 36th model D manufactured. Constructor Number 2123. During April 1941 delivered to the the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) as B-17D Flying Fortress serial number 40-3095. On June 20, 1941 became part of the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF). Assigned to the 7th Bombardment Group (7th BG), 14th Bombardment Squadron (14th BS). Tail code 61 / 11B. No known nickname or nose art. Assigned to pilot Captain Colin P. Kelly, Jr. Flown from Hamilton Field to Hickam Field on Oahu in Hawaii. In early September 1941 departs Hickam Field as part of a B-17 formation across the Pacific bound for the Philippines. On September 5, 1941 lands at Midway Airfield to refuel. On September 9, 1941 lands at 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby in New Guinea to refuel. On September 10, 1941 lands at Batchelor Field near Darwin to refuel and were the first B-17 Flying Fortress bombers in Australia then departs on the last leg of the flight to the Philippines. At the time, this was the longest mass flight of land based aircraft in the world. On December 2, 1941 attached to the 19th Bombardment Group (19th BG), part of the Far East Air Force (FEAF). Wartime History On December 8, 1941 at noon while parked at Clark Field damaged during a Japanese bombing raid. Afterwards, stripped for usable parts and abandoned. Wreckage On December 26, 1941 when American personnel withdrew from Clark Field this B-17 was not destroyed. Soon afterwards, the largely intact wreckage was captured by the advancing Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The abandoned aircraft were inspected by Japanese technicians from Giken (Army Aviation Technical Research Institute) and began collecting usable parts for technical evaluation and with the aim of restoring this B-17 to flying condition. This B-17 was photographed with both wings and the engines removed and was likely restored using parts from other wrecks including B-17D 40-3069. Once repaired, stripped to an aluminum finish or painted light gray with a white vertical stripe on the rear fuselage and Japanese Hinomaru "rising sun" markings on the upper and lower sides of both wings and both sides of the fuselage. Restored to flying condition, photographed while making a test flight. Afterwards, flown by a special Japanese air crew from Clark Field to Japan. During July 1942 displayed at Haneda Airfield as a war prize with six captured Allied planes. This B-17 was used in training films and news reels for the public. Details and photographed of all three B-17s were published in aviation magazines including Koku-Asahi and published books. For one film, this B-17 was repainted in U.S. markings and used to demonstrate tactics by Ki-43 Oscars to intercept American heavy bombers. By late 1943, this B-17D plus two captured B-17Es from Java including B-17E 41-2471 were based at Tachikawa Airfield for flight testing and experiments by the Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF). All three were photographed flying in formation near Mount Fuji. During June 1944 or July 1944 two B-17s were flown to Hamamatsu Airfield. The precise fate of each of the captured B-17s is unknown. Likely, all three were scrapped or otherwise disappeared before the arrival of American occupation forces in September 1945. Possibly, this B-17D was displayed in a hangar with foreign aircraft at Tokorazawa Airfield and destroyed in a hangar fire caused by U.S. bombing during 1945. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-17D Flying Fortress 40-3095 "3095 wrecked at Clark Field Dec 8, 1941 and restored to flyable status by Japanese" Koku-Asahi article by Hisanojo Ozawa with photos of B-17D and B-17E May 1942 Anatomy of the Enemy’s Aircraft February 1943 Koku-Asahi article with photos of B-17D and B-17E May 1943 Air Classics "Japan's Mystery Fleet of American Bombers" by Robert Mikesh Vol 9, No 5, May 1973 Fortress Against The Sun (2001) pages 152 (capture Clark Field), 383 (SN list), 398 (footnote 92) December 8, 1941 MacArthur's Pearl Harbor (2003) by William Bartsch pages 137 (photo), 442 Aviation History "The Surprising Story of Japan's B-17 Fleet" by Robert C. Mikesh July 2010 Thanks to Robert C. Mikesh and William Bartsch for additional information Contribute
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