Old 666

The B-17 flew for its country high in the sky. It was on a solo mapping run over the island of Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. It was just them alone in the empty sweet skies and soothing winds. Their eyes twinkled with delight as the idyllic Pacific waters until something shook them to the bone and made their hearts pound wildly. An intimidating dozen A6M Zeros soared up from the airfield below to intercept and shoot them down. The atrocious group blew grisly smoke into the sky.

Their crew flock to positions in the heavily modified B-17 to take down the Zeros with no hesitation. The plane is heavily armed with over 15 guns making it a ghastly beast. The pilots’ eyes widened as the Zeros form and come into more proximate range of the massive machine guns. They fire away at them aggressively. One Zero closes in at over 700 miles per hour. The captain screams before hailing his 50 calibre machine gun into the Zero taking it down. 

Less than a fraction of a second later the cannon fire of another Zero smashes into the nose and cockpit severely injuring the gunmen. One of them, who was fatally injured, depleted and vulnerable, limped up from sheer will and crawled back to his gun. He shot down another Zero with his last breath. 

The Zeros come pouring in whilst the captain’s legs are bleeding profusely and the rudder pedals are broken. Panic slowly comes while the gunmen in the middle fire away. Then a Zero gets a critical hit on the B-17 crippling the instrumentals and the oxygen system.

Dazed and breathless, they escape to15000 feet below where they can breathe. Eventually after over an hour of battle, pilots make a last ditch attempt in blood sweat and tears. 

After one last attempt from the Zeros they call the attack off, flying away. Despite the severely injuries, obliterated plane with gaping holes and ripped off parts,  they still managed to land back at New Guinea. Ground crew leap into action. 

Inside is a terrible and rough scene. 6 of the 9 crew members succumbed to deathly injuries. Two of the survivors are rewarded with the medal of honour and the other is rewarded with the distinguished service cross.

Old 666 is known to this day as a courageous movement of blood, sweat and tears. The survivors lived their lives well while the beast rested in a New Mexico scrap yard.