"Mad Money II", a Vega-built B-17F-25-VE, Ser. No. 42-5838, with squadron codes SO+P served with the 547th Squadron, 384th Bomb Group from May 29, 1943 until it went down on the January 4th, 1944 mission to Kiel, Germany. Damaged by flak, a JU-88 nightfighter, doubling as a day fighter, finished the job. The pilot, 2nd Lt. Willam Kaczaraba, and the rest of the crew survived a crash landing in German territory, becoming POWs for the rest of the war.
Although, the Clayton crew never flew on this aircraft, it is included in this selection of photos because it shows the beauty of the Flying Fortress - American Queen of the Skies over wartime Europe.
Photo: Original Print via Jack K. Goetz
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