When 17 Zeros Fought The Most Heavily Armed B-17 of WW2

The Eager Beavers and the Lucky Number 666

Captain Jay Zeamer and his crew, known as the “Eager Beavers,” needed a plane for a photo-recon mission. At the back of the airfield, they found an abandoned B-17 bomber, marked with the tail number “666.”

Its reputation for bad luck stemmed from being battered and nearly inoperable, though it had always managed to limp back to base for repairs.

Rebuilding “Lucy”

Zeamer and his crew got to work, stripping the plane of unnecessary components and replacing its four engines with new ones, aiming for better speed.

They also upgraded its firepower, adding more .50 caliber machine guns, bringing the total to 19.

The Final Mission

Their mission was to map the coast of Bougainville Island—solo. The lone B-17 soon attracted 17 Japanese Zeros, which quickly surrounded it.

One Zero, flying directly in front of the bomber, was shot down by its nose gun, while another fell to the bombardier’s guns. In total, the crew reportedly downed five Zeros.

Though the bomber was heavily damaged, it survived the onslaught and safely landed at a friendly airfield.

Aftermath

The B-17 returned with five 20mm cannon hits and 187 bullet holes. Sadly, bombardier Joseph Sarnoski died from a shrapnel wound.

For their heroism, the crew received the Distinguished Service Cross, while Sarnoski and Zeamer were awarded the Medal of Honor.