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| USAAF 5th AF 54th TCW Former Assignments 19th BG 28th BS 43rd BG 63rd BS |
Aircraft History Built by Boeing at Seattle. Constructors Number 3043. On June 11, 1942 delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-17F-1-BO Flying Fortress serial number 41-24358. On June 28, 1942 flown to Cheyenne, WY. Ferried overseas by Captain Franklyn Green via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to Australia. Wartime History On August 14, 1942 assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 19th Bombardment Group (19th BG), 28th Bombardment Squadron (28th BS). On September 10, 1942 assigned to the 43rd Bombardment Group (43rd BG), 63rd Bombardment Squadron (63rd BS). Nicknamed "Lulu Belle" in yellow with the nose art of a figure smoking a cigar, giving a thumbs up and wearing a white sweater. Below the pilot's window on the left side of the nose was a scoreboard with yellow bomb markings indicating combat missions flown, white aircraft silhouettes for enemy aircraft claimed and ship icons for ships claimed and white twin engines aircraft claimed. Painted overall olive drab. During 1943, this bomber flew extensive combat missions over New Guinea, operating from Mareeba Airfield in northern Queensland and 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby. Assigned to pilot Captain Folmer J. Sogaard and later Captain William M. Thompson, Jr. with crew chief Kiley. On March 3, 1943 during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea took off from Mareeba Airfield with B-17F "Ka Puhio Wela / Double Trouble" 41-24356 and another bomber on a bombing mission to attack a Japanese convoy of transports and destroyers bound for Lae. On March 16, 1943 took off from 7 Mile Drome piloted by Captain William M. Thompson, Jr. on an armed reconnaissance mission over the north coast of New Guinea. During the mission, encountered a twin-engine Japanese plane over Talasea. In fact, the plane was a Ki-46 Dinah from Tokusetsu Kogekitai (Special Establishment Attack Unit) piloted by MSgt Miyawaki that made two ineffective frontal attacks from 11 o'clock. During a third pass, the Dinah was hit by defensive gunfire from the nose guns and top turret manned by TSgt Robert I. Greenfield that caused it to crash into the sea and blew up and sank on impact. Afterwards, the B-17 flew low over the crash to strafe the bodies of the crew in retribution for Japanese planes observed strafing the crew of B-17F "Ka Puhio Wela / Double Trouble" 41-24356 after they bailed out, thirteen days earlier during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. On March 26, 1943 took off from 7 Mile Drome piloted by Denault on a night bombing mission against enemy shipping in Wewak Harbor. Over the target, nothing was sighted and harbor installations were bombed instead. On April 12, 1943 in the early morning hours took off from 7 Mile Drome piloted by Captain Harry A. Staley with two bomb bay fuel tanks as a weather and reconassiance mission to investigate the build up of Japanese planes at Rabaul, aboard as a passenger was Lt. Col. John Roberts, the new Commanding Officer (C.O.) of the 43rd BG. Take off was delayed due to the crash of McCullar with the bombers delayed and arrived over Rabaul at daybreak, the first time the group returned to the target since January 5, 1943 and returned safely. Later in the afternoon, took off from 7 Mile Drome piloted by Lt. Denault on a low level bombing mission against Hansa Bay and bombed a 8,000 ton cargo ship from 200' but his bombs failed to release. Turning for a second run, encountered intense anti-aircraft fire and machine gun fire that caused minor damage and wounded navigator 2nd Lt. Robert E. Vargas in the right leg and face. Instead of making a third run, salvoed the bombs and returned home. During the return flight, discovered damage to the tail and cut the throttle cables to the no. 3 and no. 4 engines and encountered severe weather over the Owen Stanley Range including an updraft that lifted the bomber from 17,000' to 22,000'. With the severe weather, opted to fly the longer route around New Guinea back to Port Moresby and landed safely. On June 9, 1943 around 11:30pm took off from 7 Mile Drome piloted by Lt. Stanford A. Ensberg as one of seven B-17s from the 63rd BS on a night mission to bomb Lakunai Airfield near Rabaul. The formation also included four B-17s from the 64th Bombardment Squadron (64th BS) plus a single B-17 and four B-24 Liberators from the 403rd Bombardment Squadron (403rd BS). On June 10, 1943 around 3:30am the bombers reached the target area and saw search lights on the ground and anti-aircraft fire. At 3:42am while flying around 7,000', fired on from below by a Japanese Navy J1N1 Irving night fighter piloted by W/O Satoru Ono that scored hits on the left wing and fuselage while other tracers were observed just missing the nose. Aboard, TSgt Clair L. Wrights, 13031761 wounded by 20mm cannon shell fragments of in his leg and groin. Afterwards, he was hospitalized for four months. On October 17, 1943 this B-17 flew its last combat mission in New Guinea and was retired from combat. During November 1943, converted to a staff transport at the 4th Air Depot at Garbutt Field near Townsville. During the modification, the bomber was stripped to bare metal finish and the gun turrets and armament was removed. On December 8, 1943 assigned to the 54th Troop Carrier Wing (54th TCW) and used as staff transport aircraft for Headquarters, 5th Air Force (5th AF) based at Nadzab Airfield and later Hollandia Airfield. During late 1944 and 1945 operated from the Philippines. Fate On September 13, 1945 scrapped in the Philippines. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-17F-1-BO Flying Fortress 41-24358 "24358 ("Lulu Belle") delivered to Cheyenne June 28, 1942; assigned to the 43rd BG, 63rd BS at Hickham, Hawaii July 31, 1942; became a hack at Nadzab, New Guinea, when war weary. Salvaged September 13, 1945." NARA U.S. Hospital Admission Card Files, Clair L. Wrights (June 1943 [sic July 1943?] released August 1943) NARA U.S. Hospital Admission Card Files, Clair L. Wrights (June 1943 [sic July 1943?] released August 1943) Pride of Seattle (1998) page 7-8 Mark Styling - Aircraft Illustration B-17 Flying Fortresses of the Pacific, page 3 by Mark Styling Diary of the 63rd Bomb Squadron, 43rd Bomb Group "26 March 1943 – Departed Jackson at 0130. Target: shipping Wewak Harbor. Bomb load; 4 ships with 8 X 500# inst demo, 3 with 4X 100# inst demo. 554 Murphy didn't take off on account of engine trouble. Nothing was sighted by the remaining crews. 358, Denault, 537 O'Brien, 574 Derr dropped their bombs on harbor installations. 455 Diffenderfer, 543 Staley, 417 Trigg dropped theirs on the town and runway. 543 Staley landed at Dobodura on the way back because of lack of gas. Search party consisting of Lt Murphy and Capt Thompson's crew were organized and were about to take off when 543 landed. Squadron on readiness at 1500." Ken's Men Against The Empire Volume I (2016) pages 201-203 (July 9-10, 1943) 202 (photos wing damage), 324 (Appendix III: 41-24358, 63rd BS) Ken's Men Against The Empire Volume I (2020) pages 55, 56, 62, 72, 73, 86, 95, 113, 140, 145, 161-162 (March 16, 1943), 175 (April 12, 1943 morning mision Rabaul), 178-179 (April 12, 1943 afternoon mission Hansa Bay), 218 (profile no. 13), 223 (profile no. 13 detail), 225-227 (June 10, 1943), 314 (October 18, 1943), 323 (March 3, 1943 crew), 333 (63rd BS, 41-24358), 346 (63rd BS nicknames), 347 (photo), 371-372 (profile no. 13 description), 406 (index Lulu Belle) Contribute
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