Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby
Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby , originally Shoo Shoo Baby, is a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in World War II, preserved and currently in storage at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, awaiting transfer to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. A B-17G-35-BO, serial number 42-32076, and manufactured by Boeing, it was named by her crew for a song of the same name made popular by The Andrews Sisters, the favorite song of its crew chief T/Sgt. Hank Cordes. Photographs of the bomber indicate that a third "Shoo" was added to the name at some point in May 1944 when the original aircraft commander completed his tour of duty and was replaced by another pilot. The nose art on the airframe was one of some 130 pieces painted by line mechanic Tony Starcer for "The Ragged Irregulars", this one based on Alberto Vargas' "Hawaii" Esquire pin up art. Service history The aircraft that would become Shoo Shoo Baby was accepted into the U.S. Army Air Forces inventory on 19 January 1944. It was flown to the Cheyenne Modification Center, Cheyenne, Wyoming, on 24 January, to Grand Island Army Air Field, Grand Island, Nebraska, on 6 February, and to Presque Isle Army Airfield, Presque Isle, Maine, on 29 February. It arrived in Great Britain on 2 March, and after further depot modifications, it was flown to RAF Bassingbourn on 23 March. Assigned to the 401st Bombardment Squadron of the 91st Bombardment Group, it began flying missions the next day. 2nd Lt. Paul C. McDuffee was the first pilot assigned to the aircraft and flew 14 of his 25 missions in it, but nine different crews flew Shoo Shoo Baby on missions. The B-17 flew 24 successful combat missions from England with the 91st BG, with three other missions aborted for mechanical problems, before being listed as missing in action on 29 May 1944. On its final mission, to the Focke Wulf aircraft component factory at Poznań, Poland, it suffered mechanical problems deep in enemy territory and Shoo Shoo Baby'''s crew was forced to land the aircraft at Malmö Airport, Sweden. Final mission The crew of Shoo Shoo Baby on the Poznań mission consisted of: 2nd Lt. Robert J. Gunther, pilot 2nd Lt. George Havrisik, co-pilot 2nd Lt. John M. Lowdermilk, navigator 2nd Lt. Leonard V. Peterson, bombardier T/Sgt. James Shoesmith, top turret gunner T/Sgt. John H. Bigham, radio operator/waist gunner S/Sgt. Nick Premenko, ball turret gunner S/Sgt. Harry J. Teems, tail gunner S/Sgt. Harold F. Nicely, waist gunner This crew had been formed 26 April 1944, from replacements, and had flown five previous missions together, all in aircraft other than Shoo Shoo Baby. The crew's navigator, 2nd Lt John M. Lowdermilk, described the circumstances of Shoo Shoo Baby's final mission: “Soon after we crossed the German border, we lost number three engine, I believe because of losing oil pressure. Bob could not get the prop feathered (rotated 90° to put the blade edge perpendicular to the airflow). It