B-17E Yankee Doodle Serial Number 41-2463 USAAF 13th AF 5th BG Former Assignments 13th AF 5th BG 394th BS 11th BG 431st BS Pilot History Pilot Gene Roddenberry was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal during his wartime service. He became famous as the creator of Star Trek and passed away on October 24, 1991. Aircraft History Built by Boeing at Seattle. Delivered to the U. S. Army. Wartime History Assigned to the 11th Bombardment Group, 431st Bomb Squadron as a replacement aircraft on October 20, 1942. Nicknamed Yankee Doodle. During the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942 this bomber was one of nine B-17s that took off from Midway Airfield at 4:05am flying in three plane elements to search for the Japanese aircraft carriers. This B-17, piloted by Captain Payne as part of the second element with B-17E 41-2404 and piloted by Captain Tokarz and B-17 piloted by Captain Sullivan. This bomber spotted the enemy aircraft carriers and notified Captain Tokarz and bombed the nearest aircraft carrier. During the bomb run, the formation met intense anti-aircraft fire. Captain Tokarz was hit in the No. 4 engine, and ordered the element to circle around for another bomb run while attempting to restart their No. 4 engine. During the afternoon this B-17 took off from Midway Airfield piloted by Captain Payne, with observer Col. Sweeney with three other B-17s on a mission against a Japanese convoy reported southwest of Midway. During the flight, the formation received a message to attack an aircraft carrier 180 miles off Midway. Arriving over the target area, they located the burning Hiryu, and searched the area for the reported undamaged aircraft carrier, but failed to find it. During early January 1943 it was one of a dozen B-17s that operated briefly from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby before returning to Guadalcanal. During the middle of 1943, this B-17 was assigned to the 5th Bomb Group, 394th Bomb Squadron. On July 11, 1943 piloted by Lt. Eugene Gene Roddenberry flew this B-17 on a successful night mission to harass targets around Kahili dropping fragmentation cluster bombs. On August 2, 1943, piloted by Lt. Roddenberry, this B-17 attempted to take off from Guadalcanal (other sources state Espiritu Santo). Suffered an aborted take off (or mechanical failure) and crashed at the end of the runway. Two of the crew were killed in the crash: bombardier Sgt John P. Krueger and navigator Lt. Talbert H. Wollam. Fellow B-17 pilot Leon Rockwell wrote in his diary on August 2, 1943: Approx 6:00 AM while at the Canal heard an explosion and ran from my tent to end of the Bomber Strip to see B-17 burning. It was piloted by Lt Gene Roddenberry. . . said he couldnt get takeoff air speed thus aborted the takeoff ran off the end of the runway into coconut palm tree stumps - Wiped out the undercarriage & nose of B-17 - Everyone got out except Sgt Krueger Bombardier and Lt. Wollam Navigator. Wollam was a good friend of mine. He had a wife and family in the States, had orders to go home but volunteered to replace Roddenberrys navigator who for some reason couldnt make the mission. The Individual Aircraft Record Card for this B-17 notes the aircraft was condemned on August 13, 1943, but apparently the B-17 was indeed repaired and flown, probably one of at least three SOPAC B-17Es modified as transports along with B-17E 41-2487 when the 5th Bomb Group transitional entirely to B-24 Liberators. Finally, during November 1944 (?) this B-17 was destroyed on the ground at Morotai (probably Pitu Airfield) by Japanese bombs. A photograph in the 307th Bombardment Group archives shows the burned-out wreckage of this B-17 on Morotai in November 1944, a victim of a Japanese bombing raid.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Nov 2014 22:33:14 +0000
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