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Discovering the Eye Behind the Famous Photograph
By John S. Warner
After many months of research, it has finally been established to the satisfaction of the 390th Memorial Museum Foundation Research Department that the accompanying photograph bearing the same title as this article was taken on 27 Sept 1943 during a mission to Emden, Germany. The photograph was taken by S/Sgt. Stanley M. Smith, a waist gunner on A/C #30783, The Stork Club of the 570th Squadron of the 390th Bombardment Group (H), Eighth Air Force, piloted by Lt. Keith E. Harris. The aircraft centered in the picture is B-17F A/C #23329, named Skippy.
This photograph was the most widely circulated photograph of the air war in World War II. It is believed this photograph was printed in the New York Times and the European Edition of Stars And Stripes in the early Fall of 1943. It appeared in the magazine Impact in the November 1944 issue and in the 31 June 1944 edition of Time magazine. It is also in dozens of aerial history books and also is on the dust cover of the 390th Anthology, Volume I.
The only known negative of this photograph is in the Archives of the Smithsonian Institution. (Disc 3A-19813, Negative No. 26566, Germany: AIRPLANES, VAPOR TRAILS.)
This article is based on a monograph submitted to the 390th Memorial Museum dated 20 October 1996 by Marshall B. Shore, Lt. Col., USAF (Ret), the Group navigator for the 390th in WWII. The purpose of the monograph was to authoritatively document and authenticate this famous photograph. Painstaking research was accomplished by both Robert W. Waltz and Marshall Shore using the computerized data, photographs, and microfiche of the 390th Memorial Museum Foundation records. Correspondence with the Smithsonian Institution Archives, multiple reference books, and personal interviews with 390th veterans were also utilized in Shore's research.
Some of the facts regarding this case are as follows:
As was the custom for aircraft to be given a name, this aircraft was named Skippy by the crew of 2nd Lt. George W. Harmon, either at Great Falls, MT or at Geiger Field, Spokane, WA in June of 1943. Special Order No. 180, HQ. AAF Great Falls, MT dated 23 June 1943 showed the Harmon crew was ordered to proceed overseas on this plane. The order was signed by Maj. Thomas Jeffrey, Jr., deputy Group commander.
The roster for the crew taking Skippy to England included: 2nd Lt. George W. Harmon, pilot; 2nd Lt. Eugene L. Kramer, co-pilot; 2nd Lt. Joseph F. Doyle, navigator; 2nd Lt. Kenneth J. Brown, bombardier; S/Sgt. Ralph L. Garner, engineer; Sgt. Democrat Tsouhnikas, radio operator/gunner; Sgts. Clarence G. Lonsway and Frank M. Valle, waist gunners; Sgt. Elwood W. Jones, tail gunner; passengers, 1st Lt. Marshall B. Shore, S/Sgt. Lester Gale, and Sgt. Paul C. Schierlock.
On the mission to Emden, the day the famous photograph was taken, the crew flying Skippy was the same except Hershel N. McFeely, Jr. at ball turret, William L. Simpson for Elwood W. Jones as tail gunner, and Harry E. Cooper, radio operator/gunner.
Skippy was a run-of-the-mill combat B-17F. It completed 30 combat missions. The "average" 390th aircraft completed 33 combat missions during the period 1943-45. Only one of our 35 original B-17Fs completed all of its missions and returned to the U.S. Only 15 of the original crews completed their tours of operations. The 390th had 24 B-17Gs that flew 75 or more missions and four stayed the course for over one hundred missions. B-17G #297093, named I'll Get By, survived 114 missions and was flown to the bone yard of old military aircraft at Kingman, AZ in December, 1945 to be scrapped.
On 27 Sept 1943, the Eighth Air Force dispatched 308 B-17s; 246 Flying Fortresses of the First and Third Divisions dropped their bombs over the port facilities of Emden, Germany between the hours of 0958 and 1000 Greenwich civil time. The Task Force was made up of nine groups of the First Division and seven groups from the Third Bomb Division led by the 45th Combat Wing. Brig. Gen. Gross, commanding officer of the First Wing was Task Force Commander. A total of 686.15 tons of bombs was released over the target by the Flying Fortresses. Seven B-17s were lost that day, mostly from flak damage and seven crews were reported missing in action (MIA).
The 45th Combat Wing led the Third Division following the First Division at a distance of about 5 miles. The 100th Bomb Group led the 13th Combat Wing with the 95th flying high group and the 390th flying low. The bombing altitude of the 390th Bomb Group was 23,000 feet and each Fortress carried 12,500 pound general purpose bombs fused for 1/10 second nose and 1/40 second tail. Bombs were released in wing formation on the red flare signal from the lead aircraft.
The 13th Combat Wing left England at an altitude of 18,000 feet and climbed on course over the North Sea. The subject photograph was taken prior to their reaching bombing altitude. The 390th was at about 21,000 feet just below the contrails, which started at 22,000 feet, when the photograph was taken by S/Sgt. Smith.
The fighter escort that day was composed of 262 P-47 Thunderbolt Fighters from six groups. Three of these were dispatched to cover the bomber stream on penetration to the target and the other three met the bombers for withdrawal from the target area. One fighter from the 56th Fighter Group was lost with the pilot reported MIA. Fighters from the 56th made claims on 19 enemy A/C about evenly divided between FW-190s and ME-109s. Col. Eugene P. Roberts, USAF (Ret) now of Spokane, WA was commander of the 84th Squadron of the 78th Fighter Group the day this mission took place. He told Shore that their standard procedure was to stack each squadron one above the other with an altitude separation of 300 feet. Each squadron then "S-ed" back and forth separately as top cover for the bombers. This can be seen in the photograph of Skippy.
Some bombs from the 13th Combat wing fell on the dock area, but most fell in scattered patterns in the suburbs of Emden damaging mostly residential areas. Flak reported by the 13th Combat Wing crews was sporadic barrage type and for the most part ineffective.
The following is verbatim from the Shore monograph:
Much controversy has arisen from time to time over when this photograph was taken, who the photographer was, and which aircraft occupied the center position in the picture. At least a dozen different men have made claim to having taken this photograph. Retired volunteers acting as docents at the door of the [390th Memorial] museum in Tucson have been told these stories when a visitor spots the photographs of Skippy on the walls in the museum.
These stories prompted Brig. Gen. Robert W. Waltz, USAF (Ret) and now deceased, to make a study of this mission. He was group lead pilot that day flying A/C #230677, Wild Children, and had always remembered that it was on this mission of 27 Sept 1943 to the port of Emden that the photograph had been taken. Bob had a scrapbook from his combat flying days spent with the 390th Bomb Group. In this scrapbook was a photograph developed in the 390th photographic laboratory run by Maj. Abe M. Kalaf. Bob said, "In my scrap book I have had one of the referenced photos which I marked 'Emden' on back of it." This statement is considered by this writer to be strong evidence that the photograph taken on the 27th of September 1943 of the mission to Emden was authentic.
In addition to the Emden mission, Waltz also studied aircraft positions and weather reports for several other missions. Using the microfiche records of the 390th combat missions available at the museum he determined that this mission was the only one in which the weather conditions and the formations were perfect for generating the contrails seen in the photograph. Here is his report of these studies made in 1994, as follows:
RESEARCH OF AIRCRAFT IN "TOP COVER FOR THE J GROUP"
The photo itself is the fundamental key in determining what aircraft are in the picture, what mission it was and the general altitude and location.
The fighters are pulling contrails and the 390th aircraft are not.
Another bomb group is higher than the 390th, slightly behind and well above.
No contrails in front of the P-47s indicating that they are just joining the 390th.
"S-ing" of P47s indicate they are early. (Note contrails below tail of closest B-17)
B-17 shown under turret of closest B-17 is out of formation.
A close examination of the closest B-17 indicates the letter F on the fuselage [and] the aircraft was an F model.
The Ops Order indicates that the 390th will fly as low group and the 95th as high. The 390th to be at 19,000 (which was below the contrails at 22,000) planned - thus the wing formation has departed Splasher #4 and is climbing.
The formations as planned and flown are in my attachments, 2, 3 and 4. (not shown here)
Aircraft #415 aborts on the climb between 20 and 21,000 feet. The photo indicates that the 390th is still not pulling contrails at that altitude. Aircraft #320 aborts just prior to #415 or shortly thereafter one of the two aircraft is still in formation when the photo was taken.
The meteorological interrogation report for the Sept. mission states - "dense persistent contrails above 22,000 feet." This for both the route out and the target area.
Dick Drain [a 390th Veteran and noted researcher] research states that there were only three B-17s in the 390th with the letter code F. A/C #23329 is one of those aircraft and was assigned the 570th squadron. Normally the 390th flew the group formations by individual tactical squadrons flying the squadron formations. The Emden mission of 27 Sept had the 570th Squadron fly the first two elements of the high squadron. The other two aircraft with the "F" letter code -#310 did not fly this mission, #984 flew as the lead of the low squadron.
The aircraft in the center of the photo is #23329 Skippy flown by Harmon. The aircraft from which the picture was taken is #230783 - The Stork Club flown by Harris. The mission was to Emden on 27 September 1943.
Additional proof of the research done by Waltz and Shore is contained in letters and statements to Shore by members of the Keith Harris crew. Three members of that crew, Ralph Wilson, navigator; Ray Derycke, radio operator; and Stan Smith, waist gunner, brought home 4x5 inch contact prints made from the original negatives, and all agree that Smith took the photograph. Further, Abe M. Kalaf, who ran the 390th photographic laboratory, confirmed to Shore that the photograph was a 390th picture taken on the 27th of September 1943.
Various enlargements and computer enhancements of several excellent copies of photographs were made. Key identifying characteristics included the code letter "F" on the left rear fuselage and the left gun in the nose. There were only three B-17Fs in the 390th at the time and Skippy was the only one that fits into all element positions in the photograph. The left forward gun in ground pictures is in the middle and larger of the three windows. This is consistent with the records for a Douglas series B-17F built in Long Beach. Ground pictures of #23329 also show the name Skippy on the nose below the middle window.
Shore explains the reason that the gun in middle window and the name Skippy are "not visible is that the left side of the aircraft was bathed in the shadow from the sun and there are no details within that deep shadow." Dick Drain has expressed concern that these details are not discernible and has withheld his concurrence.
It is believed the research done by Robert Waltz and Marshall Shore is valid and is confirmed by photographic and other research described above. So the story of Skippy which was the central aircraft of interest in the most published and popular photograph taken in World War II of Flying Fortress bombers over Europe lives on today as a memorial to Brig. Gen. Robert W. Waltz (retired) who titled that photograph "TOP COVER FOR THE J. GROUP."
Postscript
It seems appropriate here to record the last flight of Skippy. On 5 Feb 1944, Skippy took off for a mission to bomb an airfield at Villacoublay in occupied France. After getting into formation, the B-17 group was just departing England to cross the channel when the #2 engine exploded. Unable to feather the windmilling prop, the decision was made to attempt to return to home base. With sparks flying over a wing filled with gas and the plane shaking badly, Skippy made it about one third of the way home before the windmilling prop got everything hot enough to set the wing afire. With the bombs still in the bomb bay, but with the aircraft shaking fiercely, it was decided to abandon the ship. Just east of London over the Thames River close to Gravesend, Lt. Thomas J. Sutters, the pilot, headed the plane toward the nearby English Channel and put it on automatic pilot, hoping it would crash in the Channel. All ten crew members bailed out successfully, but Skippy finally crashed and burned about 100 yards from the Channel.
The 390th Memorial Museum
6000 East Valencia Road, Tucson, Arizona 85706 USA
Phone: 520-574-0287 Fax: 520-574-3030