43-38524

Blonde Bomber II

Rare color photograph, taken at Rattlesden in the summer of 1945
by 3rd Air Division staff photographer, Mark Brown

B-17G-90-BO 43-37869 was completed in the Seattle plant on August 12, 1944, and was assigned to the 710th Bomb Squadron, 447th Bomb Group, on September 17.  After the loss of 43-37869 Blonde Bomber, this aircraft assumed the name Blonde Bomber II.

Combat Missions:

Blonde Bomber II is generally credited with 75 combat missions, and her post-war photo (above) shows 77 mission tallies.  From available records, we've been able to identify the following 73 missions.

No DATE TARGET PILOT
1 10/02/44 Kassel Henningsen
2 10/03/44 Gilberstadt Wunderling
3 10/07/44 Merseburg McDermott
4 10/09/44 Gustavsburg Dean
5 10/12/44 Bremen Henningsen
6 10/14/44 Cologne Johnson
7 10/15/44 Cologne Henningsen
8 10/19/44 Mannheim King
9 10/25/44 Harburg McDermott
10 10/30/44 Merseburg McDermott
11 11/02/44 Merseburg McDermott
12 11/16/44 Duren Area Hight
13 11/21/44 Koblenz Hight
14 11/26/44 Hamm Lovett
15 11/27/44 Bingen Jepson
16 11/30/44 Lutzkendorf Myers
17 12/04/44 Mainz Pearsall
18 12/06/44 Merseburg Pearsall
19 12/11/44 Koblenz/Giessen Armstrong
20 12/12/44 Dormstadt Pearsall
21 12/18/44 Mainz Pearsall
22 12/24/44 Babenhausen Pearsall
23 12/28/44 Koblenz Pearsall
24 12/30/44 Mannheim Pearsall
25 12/31/44 Wenzendorf - Stade Pearsall
26 01/01/45 Dollbergen Pearsall
27 01/02/45 Nalbach-Neunkirchen Chandler
28 01/03/45 Koblenz Minker
29 01/05/45 Waxweiler Pearsall
30 01/06/45 Worms Pearsall
31 01/08/45 Frankfurt Baird
32 01/10/45 Karlsruhe Baird
33 01/13/45 Mainz McClanahan
34 01/14/45 Madgeburg Jessen
35 01/16/45 Dessau Dewey
36 01/20/45 Heilbronn Baird
37 01/29/45 Kassel Blecha
38 02/03/45 Berlin Shepard
39 02/16/45 Wesel & Rheine Hampton
40 02/18/45 Wesel Wagner
41 02/20/45 Nurnburg Beighley
42 02/22/45 Aalen Johnson
43 02/24/45 Bremen Russell
44 02/25/45 Neuberg Baird
45 02/26/45 Berlin Reck
46 02/27/45 Leipzig Baird
47 03/07/45 Datteln Baird
48 03/08/45 Frankfurt Blecha
49 03/09/45 Frankfurt Shepard
50 03/11/45 Hamburg Baird
51 03/12/45 Marburg Baird
52 03/13/45 Hanover Baird
53 03/15/45 Oranienburg  Shepard
54 03/17/45 Ruhland Baird
55 03/18/45 Berlin Beighley
56 03/19/45 Zwickau Beighley
57 03/20/45 Hamburg Beighley
58 03/21/45 Wittmundhaven Haynes
59 03/23/45 Holzwickede Wolf
60 03/24/45 Varrelbusch Beighley
61 03/28/45 Hanover Hayes
62 04/04/45 Kiel Russell
63 04/05/45 Nurnburg Shepard
64 04/07/45 Schwerin Coleman
65 04/09/45 Newburg A/F Lustig
66 04/10/45 Brandenburg Lustig
67 04/11/45 Inglostadt A/F Montague
68 04/14/45 Royan Area Lustig
69 04/15/45 Royan Area Lustig
70 04/16/45 Royan Area Lustig
71 04/17/45 Dresden Lustig
72 04/20/45 Neuruppin Lustig
73 04/21/45 Inglostadt  Lustig

Blonde Bomber II completed her tour and returned to the US in July 1945.  She was scrapped at Kingman in 1946.