Aircraft History
This B-17 served in the South Pacific based in Espiritu Santo and Henderson Field on Guadalcanal.

Shootout with H6K5 Mavis
In the morning of November 21, 1942 this B-17 was flown by Lt. Robert B. Smith on a search mission south of Guadalcanal.

On patrol, they encountered a 'twin tailed four engined Jap flying boat" H5K2 Mavis piloted by Hitsuji and were involved in a prolonged air battle beginning at 08:50.

The B-17 gunner's fired 450 rounds of ammunition during six passes, and suffered damage to the left inboard engine and made an emergency landing at Henderson Field at 14:30.

Damaged, the flyingboat survived the encounter, landing at Shortland Seaplane Base. Later, Hitsuji wrote his side of the encounter: Shootout Between Mavis and B-17.

This B-17 returned to the United States on September 1, 1944. Likely

Later fate unknown, likely scrapped.

Referneces
Saigo no Hikotei by Tsuneo Hitsuji, Shootout Between Mavis and B-17
Thanks to Henry Sakaida for additional information

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Last Updated
November 8, 2009

B-17

Shootout Between H6K5 Mavis and B-17