Next addition of Pacific B-17s.
There were 5 B-17 groups in the Pacific between 1933 and 1943. The Far Eastern Air Force HQ (FEAR) was located in the Phillipines and had 35 B-17s in 1941. FEAR was made up of the 19th BG, 38th BG (C models), and the 88th Recon Sqdrn (E models). In Sept 42 the nummber of all B-17s in theater reached a maximum of 168. All units were converted to other planes by the summer of 1943. C, D and E models were present at the major battles of teh Pacific: Pearl Harbour, Midway, Coral Sea, Bismark Sea, Phillipines, Wake Island, Gilbert islands, Marshall Islands, mariana, Tarawa, Solomon Rabul and Guadalcanal.
After the attack on Pearl Harbour, a dispute bettwen General Brereton and McAurthur resulted in the airstrike aginst the airbases at Formosa being delayed. As the B-17 and P-40s were preparing for the strike, the Japanses 11th Air Fleet struck the american airfileds resulting in the loss of half of the aircraft assigned to FEAR. Within days the remaining aircraft were also destoried. Some B-17 escape to India and Australia to be lost during latter missions.
Units with B-17s: 5th AF, &th AF and FEAR, 19BG, 11 BG, 5 BG, 64 BG(?), 30th BS, 38 recon Sqdrn, 98 BS, 42 BS, 50 Recon Sqdrn, 26th BS, 98th BS, 88 Recon Sqdrn
DBII