Another B-17 in Greenland?

[JohnB]

As a kid, I remember reading about this but had no details. Recently, I happened across a copy of the book I read as a kid which provided more details.

On Dec 7, 1948 a C-47 with engine problems landed on the Ice Cap somewhere near Bluie West One.
The next day an SB-17 (from Goose bay?) dropped supplies but the weather closed in and return trips couldn't be made for several day.
A few days later, a SB-17 returned to the site and, perhaps frustration overtaking caution, it attempted to land near the C-47.
Predictably, it sank in the snow and nosed over.

Next, they tried a pickup with a CG-4 glider. Before it could be snatched by a SC-47, it was wrecked by high winds.. Lacking a capable rescue helicopter, (this is years before the H-19 and H-21) they tried another CG-4. This time, the SC-47 did tug it off, but the tow rope broke.
Apparently, they even considered using a bosun's chair attached to a pick-up line and the C-47 would snatch the survivors off one man at a time, rather similar to what would become the Fulton rescue system. The Navy brought a carrier as close as they could, but for some reason (probably range and capacity) they didn't use their helicopters (probably HO3S/H-5/S-51).
In the end, a JATO-equipped C-47 got all the men off the ice. They were rescued on Dec. 28.

If the B-17 did in fact, nose over, it probably was too damaged to recover. The original C-47 could have been repaired and flown out.

So, anyone know if the SB-17 is still there...if so, wonder what kind of shape it's in?

[Shay]

This one? http://www.baaa-acro.com/1948/archives/crash-of-a-boeing-sb-17g-95-dl-flying-fortress-in-greenland/

I wonder what she looks like these days.



Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

[lucky52]

Any other shots of the nose or maybe an enlargement?

[gregv]

for some reason I thought this one had been recovered in the 80's or early 90's??

As always, I could be wrong.

cheers

greg v.

edit: also mentioned in this thread from 2013:

viewtopic.php?p=507732

[Shay]

Well according to this Air & Space article about the event, it states: "... the four aircraft remain in Greenland"

http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/stranded-41277479/

Shay
_______________
Semper Fortis

[JohnB]

If that is the case, anyone doing a B-17 project would do well to ask if anyone in Greenland knows anything about it. Perhaps the Danish aviation authorities might help.

It might be buried under a glacier like the "Lost Squadron", (indeed, are the two locations close?), then again, it might be sitting on or near the surface.

At 125 miles north of BW1, I wouldn't think it's been salvaged or vandalized.

[DoraNineFan]

I'm struggling to remember if there was also a photo of this B-17 now flipped and broken by the strong winds.

[Left Seat]

DoraNineFan,

I think you are thinking of B-17E 41-9032 "My Gal Sal".

Its a shame the '“My Gal Sal” and the Ultimate Sacrifice Memorial Foundation' website isn't up anymore. It chronicled the recovery and restoration.

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=465621

http://www.nationalww2museum.org/us-freedom-pavilion-the-boeing-center/boeing-b-17-flying-fortress.html?gclid=CMf1ve3QqM8CFU9qfgod2QoEEg

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=46587

Last edited by Left Seat on Sat Sep 24, 2016 2:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Left Seat]

There is an interesting "tid bit" on Boeing B-17G-95-DL s/n 44-83724 (c/n 32365) here:

http://impdb.org/index.php?title=Seven_Were_Saved


http://impdb.org/index.php?title=File:7WS_SB-17_483724.jpg
(impdb.org)

"Seven were Saved" is on YouTube... saw it the other day.

SB-17 ground taxiing shots are of 44-83724. Air to air shots are of 2102588.

If you want to see a "Dumbo" lifeboat drop, fast forward to 58:25.

[Chris Brame]

Note: the shot of 44-83724 is reversed in the movie - corrected here. 42-102588 appears to have had a stateside (MacDill?) training code on the tail at one time - looks like F1 or C1.

[Shay]

Additional pic I came across of the C-47... I look forward to one day hearing more about these wrecksites either through surveys or even dare i say it a recovery.....atleast the SB-17

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

[Taigh Ramey]

When my Dad and I flew through Sondrestrom in February of 1980 in the B-29 Hawg Wild, the Air Force treated us wonderfully.
Lots of fond memories there for sure and the coldest I have ever been. I hadn't been back to Sondre since my ferry trips took me through Narsarsuaq until 2010, when we stopped there in a Beech 18. It was nice to check it out after all those years.

The Air Force pulled out in 1992 and there is a museum there which I was told was the base commander's office. The story goes that when they closed the base he just got up and left everything in his office behind. Is is still there just as he left it. Cool to see.

Also in the museum was a map of Greenland with all of the military and civil forced landings and crashes pinpointed. I took photos of it which are below. Legends for the map are for the military locations only. Sorry for the large format images but I thought full resolution might be best for your reading pleasure.

Last edited by Taigh Ramey on Mon Sep 26, 2016 8:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Shay]

Taigh the pics aren't coming through......at least for me. I wonder if you're are hitting a size limitation?


So multiple articles list the location as being "about 125 mi north of Bluie West 1" .... I did find another account of the event on a Air Rescue Service page that listed the crash location as "230 mi South East of Bluie West 8 (Sondre Stromf jord)" When you plug that information in Google Earth the 2 general locations don't exactly line up. There is roughly 95 miles vertical separation of the 2 locations.

It would seem to me that there has to be report or two somewhere that lists the Long Lat of the crash site, especially as there were multiple flights to drop supplies. Perhaps even show on Taigh's map pics.

[Taigh Ramey]

They are showing up on my browser and I didn't have any size messages show up when I made the post. I can make them smaller if anyone else is having the same trouble.

According to the list above it looks like a total of 9 B-17's went down on and around Greenland.

[DH82EH]

I can see them. (granted, they are still loading )

Andy