• There seems to be an uptick in Political comments in recent months. Those of us who are long time members of the site know that Political and Religious content has been banned for years. Nothing has changed. Please leave all political and religious comments out of the forums.

    If you recently joined the forums you were not presented with this restriction in the terms of service. This was due to a conversion error when we went from vBulletin to Xenforo. We have updated our terms of service to reflect these corrections.

    Please note any post refering to a politician will be considered political even if it is intended to be humor. Our experience is these topics have a way of dividing the forums and causing deep resentment among members. It is a poison to the community. We appreciate compliance with the rules.

    The Staff of SOH

  • Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.

    Post 16 Update

    Post 17 Warning

Captain Jack S. Marks, and his Boeing B-17B June 1942

casey jones

Charter Member
I came across a combat report dated from 2 June to June 6 1942
written by Captain Jack S. Marks who in that time flew a Boeing
B-17B against the Japanese carrier fleet attemping to invade
Alaska, he and his crew flew bombing and recon flights directed
a Japanese ships and what he described in this report as Japanese
fighters with "fixed" landing gear. Captain Marks tried to get his
crew the Air Medals they deserved but 11th Army Air Force did
nothing even after this report reached their command. Captain
Marks flew his B-17B painted with red wing tips, red tail in
formation with Consolidated LB-30s. Captain Marks and his
crew were all killed over Kiska. This report is found in the Archives
of Standford University with the files of Admiral Robert Theobald
who commanded the Alaskan Command at that time. This action
is the only record so far that a B-17B was in action/combat against
the Japanese.


Casey
 
That is an interesting story - a lone B-17B flying combat missions in the Aleutians. I think the fighters with fixed landing gear that Capt. Marks encountered were more likely D3A Vals from the carriers Ryujo or Junyo. They left by the second week of June. The Japanese aircraft stationed in the Aleutians (while they had air strength there) were mainly seaplanes like A6M2-N Rufe and H6K Mavis.
 
Back
Top