B17 engines found in North Sea near WILHELMSHAVEN

[Frank Walther]

Hi, I am new here at the forum and I am looking for information about my two B17 engines which have been recovered from the North Sea near WILHELMSHAVEN some years ago.

Due to about 70 years in the sea this two engines are heavyly corroded:

No data plates are available any more.

I would like to identify this engines, their plane(s) and their crew(s) they belonged to. My questions:
1.) Are there any markings /stamps on the crankcase (or somewhere else) to identify this engines ?
2.) Are there any references of engine numbers and "their" B17's they were used on?
3.) From web research I found out that on last mission of B17 "Hunga-Dunga" the plane crushed on the flats of Jade Bright (JADEBUSEN) near Wilhelmshaven. Are there any further B17 that are recorded to have been crushed into this erea, too ?

Any advice is appreciated: thanks a lot !

Frank

 

[Kingscoy]

Hi Frank,
Sure looks like two Wright Cyclone R-1820's. It would help immensly if you could get to know the date range when this aircraft crashed. It would help you a lot once you do your research. I know that many Missing Air Crew Reports(MACR) have engine numbers mentioned but as the photo's show it will be difficult to find any. I think the best lead for you would be to try to find out when this aircraftt crashed on go on from there.
Cheers Sander

 

[Frank Walther]

Hi Frank,
Sure looks like two Wright Cyclone R-1820's. It would help immensly if you could get to know the date range when this aircraft crashed. It would help you a lot once you do your research. I know that many Missing Air Crew Reports(MACR) have engine numbers mentioned but as the photo's show it will be difficult to find any. I think the best lead for you would be to try to find out when this aircraftt crashed on go on from there.
Cheers Sander

Dear Sander !

THANKS for your answer but until now I do not have any date range about this crash. I think the first step will be the engine numbers to get access to more detailed information. But this will very difficult...
I will keep my fingers crossed to get some help from this forum.

Bye for now

Frank

 

[Frank Walther]

Dear all !
I expected some more feedback and help...
Recently I checked at ameriacan airmuseum website and found some information about some B17 crushed into North sea ("Jade*") near Wilhelmshaven.
As written by Sander there also is the possibility is to check at Missing Air Crew reports, this was an investigative document that the USAAF pulled together after a plane went down. Often the serial number of the engines were listed on this, so it may be that I can match them up this way?
I found some numbers at the cylinders bases but I think, this was not recorded anywhere...

My main questions:

1. Are there any numbers stamped on the crancase (production number of the crankcases) anywhere ?
2. Is there a cross reference of crankcase numbers / serial numbers ?

I really would like to find the planes my engines belonged to...

Thanks for attention and help !!!

Frank

 

[fubar57]

This is a list of all B-17s with short history including where they were lost, 739 pages

https://www.91stbombardmentgroup.com/Aircraft ID/FORTLOG.pdf

 

[Kingscoy]

Hi Frank,
Your quest to identify your a/c with what you have found is very difficult. Individual part numbers will not help you with that. You'll have to find the engine ID plate and looking at your engines they have not survived. There are a lot of very knowledgable guys on this forum...but it will be extremely difficult.
kind regards Sander

 

[Crimea_River]

You might try posting your query at this site:

Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum - Powered by vBulletin

There is a large contingent of researchers and authors on this site who might be able to identify possible candidates.

 

[at6]

You not be able to identify the aircraft from the engines. Even if you do find numbers it must be taken into account that engines were changed at different times and no engine serial number was ever assigned to a certain plane.