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Frank Stevens painted the artwork for this B17G onto canvas which was then glued onto the side of the plane producing one of the largest examples of applique seen in airplane nose art. Once again, Stevens used his considerable skill to produce a fine study of the female form dressed in the thinnest of swimsuits to avoid a confrontation with the censors. The title had been based on the popular movie starring Rita Hayworth -- one of the many GI pin-up stars of the era.

Arriving in January 1944, its first combat raid was on 3rd February. It went on to complete more missions than any other Fort flown out of Thorpe Abbotts -- 135. More than 500 crew men served in this plane before it was returned to the USA and ultimate scrapping at Kingman, AZ.

If you can add any further detail to this mission listing I would be pleased to hear from you.

My sincere thanks for Jack O'Leary and Mike Faley for their most welcome assistance and additions.

Service Record

  1. First mission on record 31 January 1944 (Frankfurt)
  2. 164 missions flown
  3. Survived the war; scrapped at RFC Kingman, Arizona 8 November 1945
Fate
Survived the war; scrapped at RFC Kingman, Arizona
Date
8 November 1945

Location

Known mission list

DateCrewTargetNotes
31 Jan 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) (Frankfurt)
Scrubbed
Non sortie - mission scrubbed
2 Feb 1944 ??? A/c 1st mission?????(B0201-2244) c/chf: M/Sgt Wildrick
3 Feb 1944 ? (Pilot) Wilhelmshaven 351 sqn diary notes this a/c's 1st mission as 2nd Feb 44 but no mission was flown that day, it is assumed the date should have been 3rd Feb.
4 Feb 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Frankfurt Flew #2, 2nd element high sqn
6 Feb 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Evreux Flew #3, 2nd element low sqn
9 Feb 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) (Halberstadt)
Scrubbed
Non sortie - mission scrubbed
10 Feb 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Brunswick Flew #3, lead element high sqn
13 Feb 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Hesdin / Bois Rempres V weapon site - flew #7 lead sqn
13 Feb 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Hesdin / Bois Rempres (V-site) No 7 lead sqn
21 Feb 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Vecht airfield Flew #2, 2nd element high sqn
21 Feb 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Vechte Airfield No2, 2nd element high sqn
22 Feb 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) (Schweinfurt)
Aborted
Flew #3, 2nd element high sqn
24 Feb 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Rostock Flew #2, 2nd element low sqn
25 Feb 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Regensburg Flew #3, lead element lead sqn
29 Feb 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Brunswick
Aborted
Non sortie - returned early
2 Mar 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Chartres airfield No3, 2nd element lead sqn
3 Mar 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Berlin
Aborted
Flew #2, 2nd element high sqn
4 Mar 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Berlin
Aborted
Non sortie - returned early, lost oxygen
6 Mar 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Berlin Cat A damage - flak hit inner right wing & fin. (TT) 1 e/a
15 Mar 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Brunswick Flew #3, lead element high sqn
16 Mar 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Augsburg Non sortie -- airborne spare
18 Mar 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Lechfeld Flew #2, lead element high sqn
19 Mar 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Mimoyecques V weapon site -- flew #2, lead element low sqn
19 Mar 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) NoBall Mimoyecques No2, lead element low sqn
22 Mar 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Berlin Flew #1, 2nd element low sqn
23 Mar 1944 S D Eichen (Pilot) Brunswick
27 Mar 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Bordeaux-Merignac airfield Flew #1, 2nd element high sqn
27 Mar 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Bordeaux-Merignac Lead a/c, 2nd element high sqn
28 Mar 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Chateaudun Flew #1, 2nd element lead sqn
11 Apr 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Rostock Flak damage to left wing, #2 engine hit, right outer wing
22 Apr 1944 G W Rake (Pilot) Hamm
25 Apr 1944 J Hunter (Pilot) Dijon / Longvic airfield
25 Apr 1944 J Hunter (Pilot) Dijon/Longvic
27 Apr 1944 E J Simmons (Pilot) Flottmanville Non sortie - airborne spare
27 Apr 1944 E J Simmons (Pilot) LeCulot airfield
27 Apr 1944 E J Simmons (Pilot) am Flottmanville Noball
Aborted
R/E (NS) - spare
27 Apr 1944 E J Simmons (Pilot) pm Le Culot A/D
1 May 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) Wizernes
Aborted
Flew #1, lead element low sqn
1 May 1944 R J Shoens (Pilot) am (Wizernes - Wx)
Aborted
Lead a/c, lead element low sqn
7 May 1944 E J Simmons (Pilot), ; (Co-Pilot) Berlin Category A damage
9 May 1944 E J Simmons (Pilot) Laon-Couvron / Athies
11 May 1944 E J Simmons (Pilot) Liege rail yards
11 May 1944 E J Simmons (Pilot) Liege MYs
12 May 1944 S D Eichen (Pilot) Brux
Aborted
Returned early -- sortie credited
19 May 1944 E Zapf (Pilot), W Lawson (Co-Pilot) Berlin (B) unconscious in b/bay - 20mm hit forward of cockpit
20 May 1944 E J Simmons (Pilot) Brussels
Aborted
23 May 1944 E J Siewert (Pilot) Troyes
Aborted
Non sortie - airborne spare
24 May 1944 E J Simmons (Pilot) Berlin Category AC damage - 20mm in left wing, right fuselage, radio room
14 Jun 1944 R Cumming (Pilot) LeCulot
Aborted
21 Jun 1944 L G Bennett (Pilot) Basdorf
22 Jun 1944 H W Woodall (Pilot) Paris
29 Jun 1944 B L Scott (Pilot) Bohlen
4 Jul 1944 W T Greiner (Pilot) Gien
Aborted
6 Jul 1944 D L Darby (Pilot), F B Musser (Co-Pilot) Crepieul V weapon site -- bombs hung up, did not drop
6 Jul 1944 D L Darby (Pilot), F B Musser (Co-Pilot) Crepieul NoBall Bombs hung up and didn't drop on target
7 Jul 1944 R Cumming (Pilot) Bohlen
8 Jul 1944 W B Kennedy (Pilot) Clamcy-Joigny RR bridges Bombs hung up - brought back
11 Jul 1944 D L Darby (Pilot), F B Musser (Co-Pilot) Munich
12 Jul 1944 R Cumming (Pilot) Munich
13 Jul 1944 R Cumming (Pilot) Munich Recorded as "50 missions" to date
19 Jul 1944 R Cumming (Pilot) Schweinfurt Non sortie - airborne spare
20 Jul 1944 R Cumming (Pilot) Merseburg Merseburg : Blood, Flak & Oil.
21 Jul 1944 R Cumming (Pilot) Ludwigshaven Bombed with 379BG
28 Jul 1944 R L Stevenson (Pilot) Merseburg Merseburg : Blood, Flak & Oil.
29 Jul 1944 R Cumming (Pilot) Merseburg Merseburg : Blood, Flak & Oil.
2 Aug 1944 T H Kemp (Pilot) Torgnier / LaFiere
3 Aug 1944 R Cumming (Pilot) Troyes
4 Aug 1944 R Cumming (Pilot) Hamburg
5 Aug 1944 W B Kennedy (Pilot) Magdeburg
8 Aug 1944 G Brown (Pilot) St Sylvain (N) R Bayer WIA - 38 flak holes in a/c
11 Aug 1944 R Cumming (Pilot) Villacoublay airfield
14 Aug 1944 D N Ellison (Pilot) Ludwigshaven
15 Aug 1944 D L Thompson (Pilot) Venlo airfield
24 Aug 1944 C J Hedin (Pilot) Ruhland
3 Sep 1944 P A Kramp (Pilot) Brest
5 Sep 1944 R Cumming (Pilot) Stuttgart
11 Sep 1944 R Cumming (Pilot), J J Williamson (Co-Pilot) Ruhland
Aborted
Returned early (sortie ??) - jettisoned load
12 Sep 1944 C J Hedin (Pilot) Magdeburg
25 Sep 1944 O E Hopkins (Pilot), F Read (Co-Pilot) Ludwigshafen 12x500lbs
26 Sep 1944 O E Hopkins (Pilot), F Read (Co-Pilot) Bremen
17 Oct 1944 W B Kennedy (Pilot) Cologne
5 Nov 1944 Ludwigshaven Cat A flak BD. #1 supercharger hit, hole left side fuselage
2 Dec 1944 R L Dovel (Pilot) Koblenz
5 Dec 1944 H F Streich (Pilot) Berlin Brought back one bomb, #2 engine feathered
11 Dec 1944 R L Dovel (Pilot) Giessen rail yards Cat A damage
11 Dec 1944 R L Dovel (Pilot) Giessen Cat A BD
12 Dec 1944 R L Dovel (Pilot) Darmstadt #2 eng rough, #1 & #2 engines changed
24 Dec 1944 R L Dovel (Pilot) Biblis
25 Dec 1944 R L Dovel (Pilot) Kaiserlautern
27 Dec 1944 R L Dovel (Pilot) Fulda
28 Dec 1944 R L Dovel (Pilot) Koblenz
30 Dec 1944 J W Knowles (Pilot) Kassel
5 Jan 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Frankfurt rail yards
Aborted
Returned early (sortie) - #3 engine, jettisoned 20 miles from target
5 Jan 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Frankfurt my
Aborted
R/E (S) - No.3 engine problem, jettisoned 20 miles from target
6 Jan 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Germersheim
7 Jan 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Cologne
7 Jan 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Cologne my
10 Jan 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Cologne
10 Jan 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Cologne (Duisberg)
13 Jan 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Mainz
14 Jan 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Derben
17 Jan 1945 M L Kodas (Pilot) Hamburg Cat A damage + #1 eng oil temp high
20 Jan 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Mannheim
20 Jan 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Heilbronn
21 Jan 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Mannheim br
28 Jan 1945 J L Wofford (Pilot) Duisberg
Aborted
Returned early (sortie ??) - #1 engine oil loss, jettisoned load
6 Feb 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Chemnitz
6 Feb 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Chemnitz & T/Opps
9 Feb 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Bohlen
9 Feb 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Weimar
15 Feb 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Bohlen/Cottbus #4 engine changed
15 Feb 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Cottbus
19 Feb 1945 E T Jensen (Pilot) Munster Cat AC damage, #3 eng oil leak
19 Feb 1945 Osnabruck / Munster Cat AC BD
21 Feb 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Nurnberg
22 Feb 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Donaueschingen
23 Feb 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Treuchtlingen
23 Feb 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Treuchtlingen my
25 Feb 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Munich
26 Feb 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Berlin
2 Mar 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Dresden Flew in C sqn, 2nd element
2 Mar 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Ruhland / Dresden C-sqn, 2nd element lead
4 Mar 1945 R L Dovel (Pilot) Ulm
7 Mar 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Siegen #1 supercharger changed
8 Mar 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Giessen Flew in C sqn, lead flight 2nd element
9 Mar 1945 ??? (Pilot) Frankfurt
No Sortie
Non sortie - spare a/c
10 Mar 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Dortmund Flew in B sqn, lead flight 2nd element
11 Mar 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Hamburg
12 Mar 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Swinemunde Flew in C sqn as "tail end charlie"
15 Mar 1945 L L Bazin (Pilot) Wittenburg
17 Mar 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Plauen
18 Mar 1945 L L Bazin (Pilot) Berlin - Falkenburg Flew in B sqn, lead flight 1st element
23 Mar 1945 A Munoz (Pilot) Unna / Marburg Cat A damage, #1 & #2 engs ran hot, #4 prop governor leaked
24 Mar 1945 J W Johnson (Pilot) Steenwijk airfield Flew in B sqn, 1st element
28 Mar 1945 L L Bazin (Pilot) Hanover Flew in C sqn, 2nd element
30 Mar 1945 ??? (from another sqn) (Pilot) Hamburg
31 Mar 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Zeitz Flew "tail end charlie" in B sqn
3 Apr 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Kiel Fluxgate flutters
4 Apr 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Kiel Flew in C sqn, 3rd element
6 Apr 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Leipzig #3 eng feathered
7 Apr 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Buchen
8 Apr 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Eger rail yards
8 Apr 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Eger MY C sqn, 3rd element
9 Apr 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Munich Reim Airfield Flew in D sqn, 1st element
9 Apr 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Munich. Reim Airfield D sqn, 1st element
10 Apr 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Burg-bei-Magdeburg Cat A flak damage (unconfirmed)
11 Apr 1945 W C Shaddix (Pilot) Landshut Flew in A sqn, 1st element
13 Apr 1945 R N Grover (Pilot) Practice
No Sortie
Non sortie - practice mission
14 Apr 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Royan Flew in C sqn, 2nd element
15 Apr 1945 C F Dixon (Pilot) Royan Flew in D sqn, 1st element
16 Apr 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Royan
19 Apr 1945 Coles (Pilot) Practice
No Sortie
(NS) - A sqn, 3rd element
20 Apr 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Oranienburg #2 engine changed
6 May 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Schipol Chowhound Food drop to Dutch civilians
6 May 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Schiphol Chowhound
7 May 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Schipol Chowhound Food drop to Dutch civilians - Flew in C sqn, 2nd element
7 May 1945 D J Wallish (Pilot) Schiphol Chowhound C sqn, 2nd element
15 May 1945 B Brown (Pilot) Horsching Collecting POWs from Austria
16 May 1945 P W Schmidt (Pilot) ? Ferrying POWs
16 May 1945 P W Schmidt (Pilot) POW ferry
20 May 1945 ? (Pilot) ? Transferred to 482BG at Alconbury
31 May 1945 ? (Pilot) ? Returned to USA, Bradley Field (121 Base Unit)
3 Jun 1945 ? (Pilot) ? To South Plains (4168 Base Unit)
8 Nov 1945 ? (Pilot) ? Scrapped at RFC Kingman, Az

Additional pictures