"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
04/10/2018 at 12:00 • Filed to: planelopnik, b-17, world war ii
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"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
04/10/2018 at 12:00 • Filed to: planelopnik, b-17, world war ii | 0
| 28 |
...that had its tail section shot off, and the tail gunner rode it to the ground like a glider?
Years ago, I saw something in a magazine (I want to say that it was probably an old copy of Air Force Magazine ) and I can’t recall if it was just a cartoon, or indeed a true story. I remember seeing an illustration (not a photo) of the broken tail stuck in a tree, and the gunner hopping out onto the ground.
I tried to google it, and I stumbled upon this photo of a severely damaged Flying Fortress, which is said to have made a successful landing without losing its tail.
But the one I’m remembering was fully separated, though...
Come to think of it, the image that I’m thinking of was probably from one of Bob Stevens’ “There I Was...” cartoons. When I tried to google that, I found the top image, which -despite its relevance- is not quite the one I’m looking for.
I found this one too, also by Bob Stevens. I’m not sure if it’s another panel from the same comic strip, or its own thing. The humor suggests that it’s just a cartoon, but the image of a B-17 tail stuck in a tree is burned into my memory, along with a feeling like it was presented as a true story.
That’s as far as my memory and google-fu have managed to get. Does this sound familiar to anyone?
(Edit: solved! See !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! below, and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for the full Bob Stevens comic.)
sm70- why not Duesenberg?
> Urambo Tauro
04/10/2018 at 12:06 |
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Yes.
For Sweden
> Urambo Tauro
04/10/2018 at 12:07 |
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Reminds me of when someone told the Eight Air Force to stop armoring the areas where surviving aircraft suffered damage (duh)
K-Roll-PorscheTamer
> Urambo Tauro
04/10/2018 at 12:07 |
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K-Roll-WW2_HistoryBuff to the rescue!!
https://wbuddwentz.com/lastmission/
It was part of the Luftwaffe initiative to ram bombers with their fighters to prevent them from dropping their payloads. Largely unsuccessful attempts, this was probably the most memorable next to a B-24 story I’ll have to find sometime.
SmugAardvark
> Urambo Tauro
04/10/2018 at 12:11 |
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Are you sure you aren’t confusing it with the B-52 that landed sans vertical stabilizer on the tail?
MonkeePuzzle
> For Sweden
04/10/2018 at 12:11 |
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also heard they stopped bothering to paint them with rust protection because the life expectancy of a wartime air frame was so short rust would never be an issue.
ttyymmnn
> Urambo Tauro
04/10/2018 at 12:13 |
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Funny you should mention that, because I was just looking for this story the other day. I couldn’t find anything, but maybe because I was searching for the wrong bomber. I was reminded of it when I wrote about Nicholas Alkemade. So, you are not the only person who has some recollection of this story, but I can’t find any confirmation that it actually happened.
As for that photo of the B-17, that gash was caused by a German fighter that collided with the Fort.
Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
> Urambo Tauro
04/10/2018 at 12:16 |
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Ground Tail Check: Tales from the B-17-Bird
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MonkeePuzzle
> sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/10/2018 at 12:26 |
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e36Jeff now drives a ZHP
> Urambo Tauro
04/10/2018 at 12:33 |
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I can’t imagine that severed B-17 tail section would be aerodynamically stable enough to glide while uncontrolled. However, I could see it tumbling enough to drop sufficient velocity that if it landed in pine trees it could be a survivable event.
I did find a record of a ball turret gunner that bailed out with no parachute and lived.
Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
> Urambo Tauro
04/10/2018 at 12:34 |
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The only one I know of is the one that got rammed from behind by another B17 and lost most of it’s vertical stabilizer.
Which isn’t to say I doubt your story. Most stories have an origin and I wouldn’t bet against a B17 survival story
AfromanGTO
> Urambo Tauro
04/10/2018 at 12:42 |
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I remember that a russian jet fell apart in the sky somehow, and the tail section broke off with a flight attendant strapped to her set in the back. She was the only survivor. I think I saw that on the history channel.
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Urambo Tauro
> K-Roll-PorscheTamer
04/10/2018 at 13:17 |
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Yeah that’s a different story, but I’m glad you brought it up!
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Urambo Tauro
> SmugAardvark
04/10/2018 at 13:19 |
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Nope, that’s not it either. That’s a clever trick with the landing gear, though.
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Urambo Tauro
> ttyymmnn
04/10/2018 at 13:25 |
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I think I still have some of those magazines in a box somewhere, if they haven’t been thrown out yet. I should see if I can find it.
wkiernan
> SmugAardvark
04/10/2018 at 15:52 |
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Lieutenant Colonel Schmidt was one sharp-looking guy, wasn’t he? Looked like a movie star.
AuthiCooper1300
> AfromanGTO
04/10/2018 at 16:06 |
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You mean Vesna Vukovic. She was from Yugoslavia (Serbian) and it was a JAT flight (JAT being then the flag carrier of Yugoslavia, later of Serbia). Aeroplane was a DC-9.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesna_Vulovi%C4%87
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AuthiCooper1300
> MonkeePuzzle
04/10/2018 at 16:07 |
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That image is from a rather good Australian film!
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AuthiCooper1300
> For Sweden
04/10/2018 at 16:21 |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Wald
A similar outfit to Columbia’s
Statistical Research Group
was the US Army Air Force
Statitistical Control Group
- a prominent member of which had been a certain Robert McNamara.
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MonkeePuzzle
> AuthiCooper1300
04/10/2018 at 16:31 |
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indeed, Malcolm.
Bourbon&JellyBeans
> Urambo Tauro
04/10/2018 at 19:43 |
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I’ve never heard this story but it sounds completely impossible. The tail section of the B-17 (or any aircraft really) would not be able to glide. Even with the horizontal stabilizers and elevators acting as wings and ailerons, it would still need additional horizontal stabilizers in order to stop from tumbling. If nothing else, I can see the tail of a B-17 sort of lawn darting into the ground aft end first.
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Urambo Tauro
> Bourbon&JellyBeans
04/10/2018 at 19:55 |
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Not only that, but the open fuselage would be terrible for aerodynamics. And even if it did fly bass-ackwards, the uncontrolled flaps would probably be doing anything but “gliding” along. So maybe “glide” is the wrong word, then. If someone really did survive this, it probably happened differently from the story that I’m half-remembering.
Curly
> Urambo Tauro
04/10/2018 at 23:02 |
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Sgt. James Raley rode the tail section of B17F - tail 42-3098 to the ground. Severed in a mid-air collision with another B17 returning on a bombing mission from Cerignola, Italy to the Greek port of Piraeus in heavy clouds. 11 January, 1944. He was the only survivor from his aircraft, nicknamed “Skippy”. 301st Bomb Group, 353rd Bomb Squadron. He fluttered to earth and landed in clump of trees. A total of 7 aircraft lost with 44 men. Sgt. Raley landed near Patrai, Greece.
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Urambo Tauro
> Curly
04/10/2018 at 23:25 |
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A name and everything, that’s gotta be it! Thank you. I just found the magazine I was looking for, too. I’ll post some pics tomorrow.
camaroboy68ss
> Urambo Tauro
04/10/2018 at 23:28 |
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I think if could have glided down, depending on the pilot. Those B-17s could land with the nose shot off. A few of them had the nose guns blown off and they still limped home.
Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
> Urambo Tauro
04/10/2018 at 23:34 |
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https://www.amazon.com/Fell-Four-Miles-Lived-Unabridged-ebook/dp/B00F2WXNS2
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Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
> Curly
04/10/2018 at 23:34 |
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https://www.amazon.com/Fell-Four-Miles-Lived-Unabridged-ebook/dp/B00F2WXNS2
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ttyymmnn
> Curly
04/10/2018 at 23:48 |
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Excellent info. Thanks.
Ricksta62
> Urambo Tauro
04/11/2018 at 00:59 |
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A B-24 was hit by flak and its bomb load exploded over northern Europe. The tail emerged from the fireball and fluttered down like a mimosa leaf. It landed in pine trees and deep snow, and the gunner, srapped into his turret, was unhurt except for some burst eardrums.