This B-17 Has Some Scars But Still Got Her Boys Home

Snake Hips Lost Almost Everything But Her Crew

The B-17 Flying Fortress is one of the most famed World War II bomber planes and loved by aviation enthusiasts, but especially the crews that flew them. One major quality that the B-17s had was their ability to take a beating. The Flying Fortresses were usually flown through Flak infested regions and though many planes went down during those missions, it took a lot to do so.

The plane can be cut and slashed almost to pieces by enemy fire and bring its crew home.
-Wally Hoffman, B-17 Pilot, 8th Air Force

In this clip, you’ll see the B-17G-BO 42-31713, commonly called Snake Hips. She was involved in many missions with the 327th Bombing Squadron of the 92nd Bombing Group until her August 24th mission to Meseburg. On the way, a 88mm flak shell hit her directly in the belly. Luckily, the bombs on board did not go off, but she was torn up and the catwalk caught fire which the crew later put out. Barely hanging in there, two of the four engines died, and 2nd Lt John Bosko told the crew to bail. Unable to leave himself as the shred of a plane would lose control immediately upon releasing controls, he successfully landed the plane in Woodbridge, Suffolk.

Bravo to both the pilot and Snake Hips!