Jungle Junk

Steve Birdsall · Post by **Steve Birdsall** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 2:38 pm

This photo shows the aircraft graveyard on Biak. It appeared in The Milwaukee Journal on Sunday, April 11, 1948. The title: "Jungle Junk".

You can pick out B-24 Liberators from the 22nd, 43rd and 90th Bomb Groups, but the thing that has always intrigued me is the single B-17. It can only be one of the handful of armed transports and VIP aircraft. Could it be General Walter Krueger's Billy, 41-2462 (originally Tojo's Jinx with the 19th Bomb Group)?

It was photos like these that got me interested in this stuff in the first place.

jkendal · Post by **jkendal** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 1:09 am

Steve,

You would know better than most of us, but; doesn't the nose on that bird look too "pointy" to be from an "E"?

Of course that doesn't mean it wasn't changed......

Joe

Steve Birdsall · Post by **Steve Birdsall** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 2:22 pm

jkendal wrote:Steve,

You would know better than most of us, but; doesn't the nose on that bird look too "pointy" to be from an "E"?

Of course that doesn't mean it wasn't changed......

Joe

Joe, I agree that the nose just doesn't look "right", but don't know why. Wish I could get a look at the original photograph.

ww2John · Post by **ww2John** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 12:18 pm

I am not sure the nose of the B17 is so pointy - believe a poorly reproduced photo with high contrast (direct sun on top and dark shadows on the sides) makes it look that way.
I would like to see the original photo as well.