Lucky 666

[Masherbrum]

I have just finished reading an advanced readers copy of "Lucky 666".   This book was an incredible read and I often thought of Toad's father.  It will be out in Late October.  If you pre-order this book, you will not regret it.   They might possibly be the most decorated flight crew in USAAF and USAF History.   Regardless, I highly recommend this read and wanted to inform those who did not know of this title.

https://www.amazon.com/Lucky-666-Impossible-Bob-Drury/dp/1476774854

[Hajo]

I have just finished reading an advanced readers copy of "Lucky 666".   This book was an incredible read and I often thought of Toad's father.  It will be out in Late October.  If you pre-order this book, you will not regret it.   They might possibly be the most decorated flight crew in USAAF and USAF History.   Regardless, I highly recommend this read and wanted to inform those who did not know of this title.

https://www.amazon.com/Lucky-666-Impossible-Bob-Drury/dp/1476774854

Jay, I just pre ordered it.  It is scheduled to ship Oct. 25th.  Thanks for the heads up.

[Masherbrum]

Jay, I just pre ordered it.  It is scheduled to ship Oct. 25th.  Thanks for the heads up.

Wayne, you will enjoy this book and it is an easy 300 pager.   Unfortunately, you will get the pictures, wheras I only have the maps.        Such a good read, right up there with Given Up For Dead by Bill Sloan.

[USCH]

I as well. Thanks.

[Masherbrum]

I as well. Thanks.

You're welcome and you will not regret it.   

[Guppy35]

I hope they straightened out the story of that 17. It was not in the bone yard. It was flown in having been returned to the 63rd after flying recce missions with the 8th PRG, one of three modified B-17s to do so.

A while back I obtained a photo of a 17 that caught my attention due to some obvious modifications. Talking to some 17 guys and with Steve Birdsell who is a well known historian, we reached the conclusion that the photo is 666 in flight after the Zeamer mission. It flew it's last combat flight not quite 6 months after the June Zeamer mission.  That crew only flew it twice including the MoH mission.

The bravery of the crew and what they went through isn't in dispute.  The myth of the rebuilt boneyard B-17 is however 😀
Believed to be 666 after the Zeamer mission.  You can see darker paint on the nose, a possible indication of repairs to the damage.  The camera port and the Venturi for the camera instruments can be seen behind and below the waist window

[Guppy35]

Close up of the nose. Note the darker paint suggesting repair and replacement of the nose glass



The camera port.  The other 2 modified 17s had very noticeable nose art. This one does not. The white band to the star and bar is specific to later in 43. The short lived red outline to the star and bar was not applied to PTO 17s. The large nose Windows and nose armament is specific to 43rd BG 17s. The 43rd did tone maintenance of the recce 17s and was the parent unit.  666 had returned to the 43rd when Zeamer and crew got her.  Not from the boneyard.

Image showing the camera port.  I ended up sending the original image to Mr. Birdsell but got some good scans in first.

[Masherbrum]

The book covers some of that clarity as well Dan.  Such a fascinating bird.  Unbeknownst to me, either Zeamer's or Sornoski's CMoH is in Dayton on display.   We have a German Foreign Exchange student flying in on Wednesday and staying with us for the next 10 months.   Dayton is on our list.  As well as the U-505 tour.

Thanks for the pics man.   

[Ripsnort]

Wait, Toad's father was on this crew? Toad in Kansas?

[Ack-Ack]

Does the book cover Zeamer's love of using his pilot operated gun to strafe Japanese gun positions?

[Hajo]

Wait, Toad's father was on this crew? Toad in Kansas?

Rip..........I think so but I don't know for sure.  Jay will know.  BTW Rip, Rude and Toad are in our squad.  AHIII coming live  this week.  Get in here!

If I see Toad online I will ask him.

[Guppy35]

Does the book cover Zeamer's love of using his pilot operated gun to strafe Japanese gun positions?

I think that's more of the myth as they only flew 666 in combat a couple times.  And again regarding her being such a wreck.  She flew a combat sortie with the 8th PRG four days before Zeamer flew her for the first time with the 65th BS.

I sometimes wonder of the wartime film "Air Force" drifted into some reporters mind and got tied to 666.  In that film the crew cannibalized wrecks and through sheer willpower rebuilds the "Mary Ann" to flight and leads the attack on a Japanese invasion fleet.  As for strafing, as the job with the cameras was exacting work requiring steady straight and level flying, the opportunity for strafing was little 😀

[Masherbrum]

Wait, Toad's father was on this crew? Toad in Kansas?

No, but I believe he was in one of the BG's in the Pacific. 

Ack, it does.   Although he only used it on the MoH mission.

[Guppy35]

Wait, Toad's father was on this crew? Toad in Kansas?

Toad's Dad was a B-25 pilot with the 345th BG in the PTO.  His B-25 is skinned in game, named "Quitch".  He survived a harrowing crash in that bird after a mid air over a target.  Toad's Dad's last combat flight as told in "Warpath across the Pacific" By Larry Hickey.  It's a 345th BG history.  I scanned it to save having to type it out.  Clearly a helluva pilot.

[Ripsnort]

Toad's Dad was a B-25 pilot with the 345th BG in the PTO.  His B-25 is skinned in game, named "Quitch".  He survived a harrowing crash in that bird after a mid air over a target.  Toad's Dad's last combat flight as told in "Warpath across the Pacific" By Larry Hickey.  It's a 345th BG history.  I scanned it to save having to type it out.  Clearly a helluva pilot.

Most excellent! Thank you!