https://b17navigator.com/the-crew/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/crewlilsatan.jpgDadsCrewDad's Crew. Front row (L-R): Oliver, Dodson, Rung holding "Queenie", Lawrence. Back row (L-R): Drissell, Bickel, Hennings, Moody, Lewis2020-02-08T21:45:42+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-three-august-4-1944/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/wp-wingandaprayer.jpgWP WingandaPrayer<H5 align="center"><b>"Wing and a Prayer"</b></H5> Artwork by <a href="www.actionart.ca">Len Krenzler</a>. Used with permission. Ever wonder what it was like to fly into a flak barrage? This artist's rendition of an air raid over Frankfurt, Germany shows just how heavy the flak barrage could be. I found this image online while searching for a nice flak barrage photo and, while there are many out there from the War, this one caught my eye for 2 reasons: it is nice and the plane depicted is a Triangle K! This is "Little Lovely", piloted by Robert Cardwell, 379th BG, 525th Squadron. You can read more about this image <a href="http://actionart.ca/index1l.htm">here</a>. 2019-11-23T02:56:31+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/itinerary/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/b17bomber.jpgB17 Against the SkyA B17 "Flying Fortress" against a clouded sky. Dad says they also called these planes "Big Ass Birds" because of their large tails. Photo by James E. Rung.2022-11-28T13:54:03+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/aboutjer/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/img_0159.jpgDad_July_2007James E. Rung2022-09-21T02:39:30+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/about-the-379th-bomber-group/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/379th-triangle-small-lr1.jpg379th Triangle small lrThe 379th Triangle K (used with permission, 379th Bomb Group Association)https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/379th-triangle-small-lr.jpg379th Triangle small lrThe 379th Triangle K (used with permission; 379th Bomb Group Association)https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/300px-kimbolton-10-aug-19451.png300px-Kimbolton-10-aug-1945Kimbolton Airfield, August 1945https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/300px-kimbolton-10-aug-1945.png300px-Kimbolton-10-aug-19452020-08-19T22:17:00+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-thirty-five-december-24-1944/2023-07-02T11:05:06+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-thirty-four-december-19-1944/2014-01-13T03:19:42+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-aborted-december-18-1944/2014-01-13T03:11:04+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-thirty-three-december-9-1944/2014-01-13T01:59:26+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-thirty-two-november-30-1944/2014-01-13T01:54:28+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-thirty-one-november-29-1944/2014-01-13T01:48:56+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-thirty-november-25-1944/2014-01-13T01:43:07+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-twenty-nine-november-20-1944/2014-01-13T01:37:10+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-twenty-eight-november-10-1944/2014-01-13T01:28:47+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-twenty-seven-november-9-1944/2014-01-13T01:23:21+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-twenty-five-november-2-1944/2014-01-13T01:17:12+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-twenty-six-november-5-1944/2014-01-13T01:16:15+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-twenty-four-november-1-1944/2014-01-11T04:05:52+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-twenty-three-october-26-1944/2014-01-11T03:57:11+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-twenty-two-october-25-1944/2014-09-28T09:51:00+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-twenty-one-october-22-1944/2014-06-22T19:58:49+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-twenty-october-18-1944/2014-01-11T03:27:00+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-nineteen-october-17-1944/2014-01-11T03:18:24+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-eighteen-october-5-1944/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/fw_0254a_fordwerke.jpgFW_0254a_FordWerke<H5 align="center"><b> Aerial View of Ford-Werke Plant with Rhine River, Cologne, 1947</b></H5> So, I was trying to find a reference to Cologne Motor Transport Works online just to learn more about its history. Interestingly enough, all of my searches kept coming back to Ford-Werke in Cologne. From what I understand, US auto manufacturer Ford had expanded into Germany by the mid-1900's. In 1939, the name was changed to Ford-Werke and by 1940 it was seized by the Nazi government. As the war dragged on, forced labor was used at this plant. Photo Credit: Originally pulled from media.ford.com but original URL no longer exists.2014-01-10T04:35:48+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-seventeen-september-28-1944/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/castle.jpgKimbolton Castle<H5 align="center"><b> Kimbolton Castle</b></H5> Kimbolton Castle was always a welcome sight for the men as it reminded them that they were over friendly territory and so they could let their guard down a bit. The castle is best known as the final home of King Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon. It now houses Kimbolton School, a private school for boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 18. Photo credit: James E. Rung.2014-01-10T04:33:29+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-sixteen-september-27-1944/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/cologne_1945.jpgCologne_1945<H5 align="center"><b> Cologne, Germany - April, 1945</b></H5> This mission was the first of 5 to Cologne that Dad did during the War. Cologne was a military area command HQ during WWII and it endured 262 air raids. This photo shows the devastation. In the upper left you can see the "Miracle of Cologne," the Cologne Cathedral that suffered minimal damage compared to the rest of the city. Source: National Archives.2017-02-25T03:18:41+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-fourteen-september-21-1944/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/unknown_marshalling_yard_damaged.jpgunknown_marshalling_yard_damaged<H5 align="center"><b> War-damaged Marshalling Yard (Railyard) near Koblenz-Lutzel, Germany</b></H5> Note all of the craters! At the time, this was precision bombing. Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21734563@N04/2108951715/">David C. Foster</a> 2014-01-10T04:23:07+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-six-august-13-1944/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/150px-air_medal_front.jpg150px-Air_Medal_front<H5 align="center"><b> Air Medal</b></H5> The Air Medal is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Armed Forces of the United States, shall have distinguished himself/herself by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. When Dad served, airmen were awarded the medal after 5 missions. Photo credit: American Heroes Museum. 2014-01-10T04:14:14+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-one-july-29-1944/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/swampfire.jpgswampfire<H5 align="center"><b>Swampfire</b></H5> Swampfire, tail #42-32024, was built January 1944 and sent overseas in February 1944. It flew 117 missions and was declared war weary in December 1944. She was the first heavy bomber to reach 100 missions without an abort. After she was declared war weary, she was sent to Kingman, AZ and eventually sold as scrap to make miniature B-17 toys. Used with permission (<a href="http://sites.google.com/site/swampfiresite/home">here</a>).2019-08-23T17:58:53+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-twelve-september-10-1944/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/bronze_oakleaf-3d.pngBronze_oakleaf-3d<H5 align="center"><b> Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster</b></H5> The Oak Leaf Cluster is a medal device used by the military to denote subsequent awards of a medal that has already been earned. They are bronze or silver with bronze denoting one subsequent award and silver used to denote 5 subsequent awards. In my dad's case, he earned Oak Leaf Clusters to denote additional Air Medals for every 5 missions successfully completed. Photo Credit: United States Government.2014-01-10T04:06:54+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-aborted-august-3-1944/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/olgappy.jpgo'lgappy<H5 align="center"><b>Ol' Gappy/Topper</b></H5>. Ol' Gappy/Topper (#24-0003) is credited with flying the most missions of all B-17's: 157. Most B-17's flew 60-80 missions, if they were not shot down or so heavily damaged that they could not be re-used. Like most Flying Fortresses, Ol' Gappy ended its days at Kingman, AZ and was scrapped.2019-11-25T17:34:53+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-4-august-7-1944/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/crowds_of_french_patriots_line_the_champs_elysees-edit2.jpgCrowds_of_French_patriots_line_the_Champs_Elysees-edit2<H5 align="center"><b> Liberation of Paris, August 26, 1944</b></H5> Part of Operation Overlord, the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the liberation of Paris was the culmination of the battle that began on June 6, 1944 (D-Day). Dad's missions on August 1, August 7, August 8 and August 13 were clearly in support of these operations. This photo shows crowds of Parisians lining the Champs Elysees to view General Leclerc's 2nd Armored Division as it passed through the Arc du Triomphe on August 26, 1944. This image was taken by Jack Downey, U.S. Office of War Information, is available through the Library of Congress and is public domain. For more information on the Liberation of Paris and this photo: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_of_Paris">click here</a>2017-04-22T02:19:44+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-fifteen-september-25-1944/2011-11-05T03:36:03+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-thirteen-september-17-1944/2011-11-05T03:19:31+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-eleven-september-8-1944/2011-11-05T03:06:09+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-ten-august-30-1944/2011-11-05T03:05:25+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-nine-august-27-1944/2011-11-05T03:04:37+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-8-august-261944/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/drisselljacket.jpgDrisselljacketThe men often painted their jackets with an image representative of their aircraft's name, possibly even similar to the aircraft's nose art. Dad thinks this was Drissell's jacket. Photo by James E. Rung.2011-11-05T02:30:47+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-seven-august-18-1944/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/judy-ii.jpgJudy II Judy II (not looking too good here). Judy II, tail #42-97462 flew 88 missions before she crash landed in France on 9.8.1944 (all of the crew were safe). She was built in November 1943 and went overseas in January 1944. She was salvaged November 1944.2011-10-04T02:47:06+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-five-august-12-1944/2011-10-04T02:46:06+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-no-credit-august-8-1944/2011-10-04T02:45:34+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-two-august-1-1944/2011-10-04T02:42:27+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/379th-bg-524th-bs-lr.jpg379th BG 524th BS lr379th Bomb Group 524th Squadron logo (used with permission, 379th Bomb Group Association)2022-06-22T01:25:10+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.com/steel-rain-rising/https://b17navigator.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/081110-da-vetsday131_t607.jpgSteel Rain RisingA great photo of "Steel Rain Rising" with B-17's above. Photo by WWII veteran Gregory Good. http://www.naplesnews.com/photos/galleries/2008/nov/10/wwii-veteran-gregory-good/58438/2015-11-04T02:24:26+00:00weekly0.6https://b17navigator.comdaily1.02023-07-02T11:05:06+00:00