B-17 Flying Fort'

Sun Jul 05, 2009 9:49 am

A french Flying Fort' (the only one used by the Armée de l'Air)

Sun Jul 05, 2009 10:32 am

Very rare subject- thank you

Sun Jul 05, 2009 10:49 am

The only one...

I have a question about this Fortress...

B-17G "Sweet Patootie" 381st Bomb Group

But what does "Sweet Patootie" mean exactly? a song? a movie?

Sun Jul 05, 2009 11:39 am

I don't know for sure but every time I ever heard or read the phrase "Sweet Patootie" the patootie part implied derriere......

Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:23 pm

so what is the first Forts' name? Barrack way ahead of his time or what?

Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:52 pm

her name is "Bir Hackeim" a free french victory in WWII of Gen Koenig

Sun Jul 05, 2009 4:16 pm

It was a strongpoint that held against Rommel, messing up his timetable, costing valuable troops, fuel and tanks that he could not afford to lose. A minor footnote in history perhaps, but one of the factors that eventually led to the overall North African victory. Had the troops in Bataan or Singapore held as Bir Hackeim, the Pacific war might have started off on a bit of a different note!

On Sweet Patootie, can be a term of endearment as in "You're my sweet patootie". ..girl friend, loved one.

Sun Jul 05, 2009 5:03 pm

ok thanks

Sun Jul 05, 2009 8:02 pm

When I saw your likeness of Bir Hackeim I found my copy of B-17 Fortress At War By Roger A. Freeman.

Bir Hackeim was an original B-17F of the 562nd Squadron, 388th Bombardment Group. Her original name was Charlene and she was retired from combat flying in the winter of '43/'44. At the end of the war in the ETO she was presented to General M.P. Koening by General Eisenhower. She was retired and sold to IGN in 1955, eventually broken up for spares in the sixties.

Scott

Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:35 am

more pics about B-17 Bir Hackeim and her history (in french only sorry)
http://b-17-flying-fortress.fr/F-BGSG.html
Pics about the crash of Sweet Patootie:
http://www.histavia21.net/HISTAV2/SAONELOIRE.htm (date 3rd september 1944)

all the best,

Mon Jul 06, 2009 5:28 am

why did the french have only 1 b-17 in service??? you'd think they would have some quantity if operating the type!!

Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:17 am

1 for the Armée de l'Air (army)
14 with the Institut Géographique National (civilian Corporation)

Thu Aug 12, 2010 10:56 am

The B-17 Sweet~Patootie was my fathers plane. He flew out of England from Jan 44 thru Jun 44 . He flew 30 mission as the flight engineer and top turret gunner. On the 381st BG Hvy's web site they have a section for the nose art. Sweet~Patootie's pic shows my dad shaking hands with the pilot.

Thu Aug 12, 2010 1:00 pm

tom d. friedman wrote:why did the french have only 1 b-17 in service??? you'd think they would have some quantity if operating the type!!

Wasn't there some speculation that the French didn't really mind the Germans that much ??

Thu Aug 12, 2010 1:33 pm

Holedigger wrote:It was a strongpoint that held against Rommel, messing up his timetable, costing valuable troops, fuel and tanks that he could not afford to lose. A minor footnote in history perhaps, but one of the factors that eventually led to the overall North African victory. Had the troops in Bataan or Singapore held as Bir Hackeim, the Pacific war might have started off on a bit of a different note!

On Sweet Patootie, can be a term of endearment as in "You're my sweet patootie". ..girl friend, loved
one.

ohhhh.. don't get me started on the idiot in Singapore who surrendered the British Army!! ARGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH

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