Delivered Long Beach 17/9/43; Scott 3/10/43; Assigned 613BS/401BG [IN-A] Deenethoprpe 13/10/43; transferred AFSC 6/6/44 as development and test aircraft and designated XB-17G; Returned to the USA, used by US Navy from 20/11/45; 4148 BU Bedford 30/1/46; 4136 BU Tinker 24/7/46; 4104 BU Rome 30/1/47; re-assigned 31/3/47. THE LOPIN’ LOBO.
This aircraft was flown by Lt Charles F. Hess on the 1 December 1943 mission to Solingen/Leverkusen. Hit by Flak on the return trip, with motor #4 out and # 3 starting to burn, Hess gave the order to bail out. Six crew members in the back of the plane bailed out and all initially managed to evade, only one succeeding in his evasion, the others being later arrested. As Co-Pilot John Mitchell couldn't find his parachute, the three other officers decided to stay as long as possible on board. The plane ultimately made it back to England, making a forced landing at the RAF Manston air base. See website www.evasioncomete.be for the six evaders' pages (search on 42-39840.)