"Snake Hips" arrived at the USAAF’s 92nd Bombardment Group base at Podington in February 1944 and quickly benefitted from a name and nose artwork that her crew hoped would bring them luck in the air battles to come. The B-17 saw extensive action over the next few months and brought her crew through relatively unscathed, until undertaking a mission to the heavily defended synthetic oil plant at Leuna on August 24, 1944.
On the run to the target, "Snake Hips" took a direct 88mm flak hit in the bomb bay and while the explosion did not detonate the bombs, it did blow a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage and started a fire that threatened to engulf the bomber. The B-17 dropped out of formation and headed for home, but on attempting to jettison the bombs, several "hung" and members of the crew were forced to deactivate them in the midst of this airborne chaos.
With two engines out, pilot 2nd Lt John Bosko headed for the relief landing airfield at RAF Woodbridge. Upon reaching the field, he ordered his crew to parachute to safety, knowing he could not leave his station and fearing the landing may result in serious injuries his men. Fortunately, he managed to land the bomber without further incident and "Snake Hips" became one of the most heavily damaged B-17s to make it back to the U.K. during the Second World War.
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