jankees
SOH-CM-2025
B-17G-10-VE 42-40000 first received the name Quad Zero, when she started flying with the 91st BG, but as the ground crew filled out the maintenance forms with the usual three digit code of '000', the aircraft acquired a new name of 'Just Nothing' to go with the new noseart by Tony Starcer, based on a Varga's drawing in Esquire of december 1943.
it was part of the 3rd raid on the ball bearing factories in Schweinfurt on 24 february 1944. The debriefing was more intense than usual, since the intelligence officers wanted to know every detail about the damage. The story goes that the tail gunner of 'Just Nothing', Bob Smith, got so fed up with the endless questions that he snapped that he was sure they had hit the target, and that he could prove it. After the explosion below, something had ripped through the fuselage and he had grabbed a handful of it, at which he threw a handful of ball bearings on the table!
'Just Nothing' completed 21 missions, but was hit by flak on a mission to Hamm on 22 April 1944 while flying lead. Although 10 parachutes were seen, two crew members, including the pilot, Captain Hesse, died.
it was part of the 3rd raid on the ball bearing factories in Schweinfurt on 24 february 1944. The debriefing was more intense than usual, since the intelligence officers wanted to know every detail about the damage. The story goes that the tail gunner of 'Just Nothing', Bob Smith, got so fed up with the endless questions that he snapped that he was sure they had hit the target, and that he could prove it. After the explosion below, something had ripped through the fuselage and he had grabbed a handful of it, at which he threw a handful of ball bearings on the table!
'Just Nothing' completed 21 missions, but was hit by flak on a mission to Hamm on 22 April 1944 while flying lead. Although 10 parachutes were seen, two crew members, including the pilot, Captain Hesse, died.
