# B-17 strafed by P38.



## CharlesBronson (Jul 5, 2010)

Rare guncam of P-38 Lightning attacking B17 in the ground.


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## timshatz (Jul 5, 2010)

Great find Charles. 

Looks like it was damaged, crash landed or landed with the gear down and they finished it off (or found and destroyed it). It appears somebody was trying to fix it. #4 engine seemed short a prop.


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## spitfiremk21 (Jul 5, 2010)

My thoughts too.Not like the Axis had very many 4 engine bombers doncha know.


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## vikingBerserker (Jul 5, 2010)

My first thought was the bomber pilot's ex-wife, but I'm a tad cynical.

I wonder if the P-38 pilot got credit for it?


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## evangilder (Jul 5, 2010)

I think that is a likely explanation, Tim, or they took a war weary B-17 and put it out in a field for strafing training.


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## beaupower32 (Jul 6, 2010)

evangilder said:


> or they took a war weary B-17 and put it out in a field for strafing training.



Thats intresting. Is there any record of them doing that to war weary planes?


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## timshatz (Jul 6, 2010)

evangilder said:


> I think that is a likely explanation, Tim, or they took a war weary B-17 and put it out in a field for strafing training.



Possible. Impossible to see what condition it was in from the films but it's possible. Didn't see any skid marks or anything like that. Just seemed like it was dropped there.


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## beaupower32 (Jul 6, 2010)

Been doing some research and here is what I found. May be this info can help figure out what the B-17 is doing there. This first set of info came off of littlefriends.co.uk and has the pilot listed as a Lt. Col instead of a captain. As you can see there is no listing of a P-38, only P-47's and P-51's. There isnt much info on Lt. James Hurley (if that is the same one) only that he flew a P-51. 


Serial# plane Sqd Pilot Markings comments
42-8439 P-47D 328 PE-T Halton Lt.Col. William T Slender, Tender and Tall Bugs Bunny on left Cowl 

42-106717 P-51B 328 PE-T Halton Lt.Col. William T Slender, Tender and Tall Lost 5 June 44 - Lt. William W Furr POW 

44-13996 P-51D 328 PE-T Halton Lt.Col. William T Slender, Tender and Tall Lost 23 Sept 44 - Maj. Jack D Blanchard - Evaded

44-13557 P-51D 487 HO-T Halton Lt.Col. William T Slender, Tender and Tall (L&R) 

44-14327 P-51D 487 HO-T Halton Lt.Col. William T Slender, Tender and Tall 

44-15111 P-51D 328 PE-D Hurley Lt. James 

In the first video by F/O J.C Hurley , the B-17 is pretty much beat to hell and back and in the end the right gear has collapsed. In the second on by Capt Halton, the plane is in much better condition so the videos must be reversed in order of time. Now either they were straffing at about the same time, or Capt Halton found the plane first, ran out of ammo, and called apon F/O J.C Hurley to finish the B-17 off. 



If anyone can please add to this please do. Hopefully this can get the ball rolling, and we can figure out the fate of the B-17 and why it is there.


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## CharlesBronson (Jul 6, 2010)

The images are taken over Northern Germany so is not a drill.

Thanks for the input Beaupower, is likely to be an P.51 then, I put P-38 because in the same reel a P-38 is seen crossing the line of fire when they are strafing trucks over a bridge.


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## Micdrow (Jul 14, 2010)

It was common practise to strafe crashed aircraft that could have valuble info to the enemy both from an information stand point and a technical aspect. It usually was very dangerous for German personal that tried to salvage enemy aircraft


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