This is a list of United States Army Air Forces B-17 Flying Fortress units of the United States Army Air Forces, including variants and other historical information. Heavy bomber training organizations primarily under II Bomber Command in the United States and non-combat units are not included.

The B-17 Flying Fortress was perhaps the most well-known American heavy bomber of the Second World War (1939/41-1945). It achieved a fame far beyond that of its more-numerous contemporary, the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. The first pre-production Y1B-17 Fortress was delivered to the 2d Bombardment Group, Langley Field, Virginia on 11 January 1936; the first production B-17B was delivered on 29 March 1939, also to the 2nd Bombardment Group. A total of 12,677 production Fortresses was built before production came to an end. In August 1944, the Boeing B-17 equipped no less than 33 overseas combat groups.

The last Boeing-built B-17G was delivered to the USAAF on 13 April 1945. Following the end of World War II, the Flying Fortress was rapidly withdrawn from USAAF service, being replaced by the B-29 Superfortress. Literally thousands of Fortresses used in combat in Europe by Eighth or Fifteenth Air Force or in the United States by II Bomber Command training units were flown to various disposal units. A few were sold to private owners, but the vast majority were cut up for scrap

Aircraft in the final early 1945 production manufacturing block by Boeing or Lockheed-Vega (Block 110) were converted to the B-17H search and rescue model, being modified to carry a lifeboat under the fuselage. Postwar B-17s were used by the Military Air Transport Service Air Rescue Service, in 1948 being re-designated SB-17G. Some RB-17Gs were also used by the MATS Air Photographic and Charting Service (APCS). A few SB-17s were used by the Air Rescue Service in Japan during the Korean War (1950–1953), but all of the postwar B-17s were retired from MATS by the mid-1950s, becoming Air Proving Ground Command QB-17 Drones or DB-17 Drone directors. The drones were operated primarily by the 3205th Drone Group, Eglin AFB, Florida.

The last operational USAF B-17 mission was on 6 August 1959, when DB-17P 44-83684 (Originally a Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-90-DL) directed QB-17G 44-83717 which was expended as a target for an AIM-4 Falcon air-to-air missile fired from an F-101 Voodoo, near Holloman AFB, New Mexico. 44-83684 arrived at Davis-Monthan AFB for storage a few days later. The few DB-17P remaining operational drone controllers remaining on Air Force rolls afterward were transferred to various museums in 1960.

Combat Organizations

Fifth Air Force Prior to the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday, 7 December 1941, the 19th Bombardment Group had 35 B-17s in the Philippines. By 14 December, only 14 remained. Beginning on 17 December, the surviving B-17s based there began to be evacuated south to Australia, and were then sent to Singosari Airfield, Java in the Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia) on 30 December 1941.

The 7th Bomb Group was originally scheduled to reinforce the Philippines in December 1941 from Fort Douglas, Utah, and the ground echelon had already left by ship from San Francisco. The unexpected Pearl Harbor Attack led to the ground echelon being returned to United States and the air echelon remained at Hamilton Field, California, flying antisubmarine patrols over the West Coast along the Pacific Ocean. 9th Bomb Squadron deployed to the Southwest Pacific in mid-December, traveling the long way around by flying east via Florida, Brazil, across the South Atlantic Ocean to central Africa then to the Middle East. The unit continued around the northern coasts of the Indian Ocean via Arabia to Karachi, India via Singapore to Singosari Airfield on Java, joining the 19th BG on 14 January.

Both units would remain on Java until March 1942, taking part in the brave, but ultimately futile, attempts to defend the Philippines on the Bataan peninsula and the island fortress of Corregidor, along with the Netherlands colony in Southeast Asia of the Dutch East Indies. The B-17s were never present in large enough numbers to make any real difference, however, to the course of the campaign. The 19th BG withdrew to Australia with the B-17 survivors of the 9th Bomb Squadron, which was re-equipped with Liberator B-24s in India as part of the Tenth Air Force. Nine of the survivors were eventually sent to the Middle East in July to defend Egypt against the advancing German Afrika Corps in North Africa.

The 19th BG received some replacement aircraft and was joined by the 43d Bomb Group in Australia in March. The two units took part in the campaign on Papua New Guinea, before the 19th BG was moved back to the United States at the end of 1942, transferring its assets to the 43d. The 43d BG flew combat missions with B-17s until August 1943, when they were replaced by B-24s.

7th Bombardment Group Received B-17Bs, 1939 at Hamilton Field, California (USAAC) Deployed to Netherlands East Indies, Jan–Mar 1942 with 7 B-17Es 9th Bombardment Squadron operated from Java until withdrawn in Mar 1942. Squadron reassigned to Tenth Air Force in India.

19th Bombardment Group Received B-17Bs, 1939 at March Field, California (USAAC) Deployed to Clark Field, Philippines Oct 1941 with B-17Cs Operated from Philippines, Australia, Netherlands East Indies, Oct 1941 – Dec 1942 14th Bombardment Squadron (Del Monte Field)* Designated as Non-Operational, Mar 1942 28th Bombardment Squadron (Clark Field)* 30th Bombardment Squadron (Clark Field)* 93d Bombardment Squadron (Del Monte Field)* 40th Reconnaissance Squadron (Formed Mar 1942 in Australia)** Redesignated: 435th Bombardment Squadron (Apr–Dec 1942) Returned to United States as B-17 OTU, B-17s to 43d BG Dec 1942

43d Bombardment Group Received B-17Bs at Langley Field, Virginia, Jan 1941 (USAAC) Flew Coastal patrols, Jan 1941 – Feb 1942 under First Air Force (USAAC) Deployed to Australia, Mar 1942 with B-17Es Operated from Australia, New Guinea, Mar 1942 – Aug 1943 63d Bombardment Squadron 64th Bombardment Squadron 65th Bombardment Squadron 403d Bombardment Squadron Converted to B-24 Liberators, Aug 1943

Note* Personnel of squadron not required for flight operations transferred to V Interceptor Command, 24 December 1941. Fought as infantry during Battle of Bataan.

Note** Formed with 7th BG B-17E aircraft and personnel that arrived in Australia, Mar 1942 and 10 Sierra Bombardment Group B-17Es, arrived in Australia c 20 January.

Sixth Air Force About thirty B-17s (B/D/E/F) served in the Caribbean and Antilles Air Commands during World War II, the first (B-17D 40-3058) arriving in Panama Canal Zone during March 1941. However, usually less than ten were operational at any one time. They were mostly R- (Restricted from combat) RB-17Bs and Ds stationed at Río Hato Field, but some were at Albrook Field. Later E and F models no longer suitable for training were obtained as replacement aircraft. Some were based at Waller Field, Trinidad. B-17s were used for long-range antisubmarine patrols over the Caribbean, South Atlantic and Eastern Pacific approaches to the Panama Canal, and for long-distance transport flights to Ecuador, Peru, British Guiana and Brazil. In addition to the Sixth Air Force B-17s, F-9 photo-mapping Fortresses of the 1st Photographic Group were frequently in the command's AOR, as well as in South America on aerial survey and mapping missions.

6th Bombardment Group Río Hato Field, Panama, 1941 – May 1942 3d Bombardment Squadron Reassigned to Galapagos Islands, May 1942

9th Bombardment Group Waller Field, Trinidad, 1941 – May 1942 430th Bombardment Squadron Reassigned to Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics, May 1942

40th Bombardment Group Albrook Field, Canal Zone, 1941 – Jul 1943 44th Bombardment Squadron Reassigned for B-29 Transition Training, Jul 1943

Seventh/Thirteenth Air Force The B-17 was to achieve its first taste of combat during the Pearl Harbor Attack, when the 5th Bombardment Group based at Hickam Field, Hawaii had 12 B-17Ds parked on the ramp. Five of these B-17s were destroyed, and eight were damaged in the attack. On 7 December, The 38th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy), 11th Bombardment Group, with four B-17Cs and two new B-17Es was inbound from Hamilton Field, California to Hickam on their way to the Philippines to reinforce the American forces there. They arrived at Hickam at the height of the attack. One was destroyed, three others badly damaged. Remaining in Hawaii after the attack, in June 1942, B-17s from the 5th and 11th Bomb Groups were used in the Battle of Midway, but with little effectiveness.

Both the 5th and 11th Bombardment Groups joined the Thirteenth Air Force during 1942 and took part in the American campaign in the south west Pacific, fighting during the campaigns in the Solomon Islands (including the battle for Guadalcanal) and the return campaign to the Philippines. By the middle of 1943 both units had replaced their B-17s with B-24 Liberators

5th Bombardment Group Hawaii, Solomon Islands, Nov 1941 – Aug 1943 23d Bombardment Squadron 31st Bombardment Squadron 72d Bombardment Squadron 394th Bombardment Squadron Converted to B-24 Liberators, Aug 1943

11th Bombardment Group Hawaii, New Hebrides, Nov 1941 – Aug 1943 26th Bombardment Squadron 42d Bombardment Squadron 98th Bombardment Squadron 431st Bombardment Squadron Converted to B-24 Liberators, Aug 1943

Eighth Air Force See: Eighth Air Force Was primary operator of B-17 Flying Fortresses in overseas combat theaters during World War II. The B-17 may have first seen combat in American markings in the Philippines, but it would earn its enduring fame with the Eighth Air Force, based in England and fighting over Occupied Europe. The story of the B-17 would become the story of the VIII Bomber Command (later Eighth Air Force) strategic heavy bombardment campaign of the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during World War II

Initially equipped with B-17Es in 1942, the Eighth Air Force received B-17Fs in Jan 1943 and B-17Gs in Nov 1943. Flying Fortresses were employed in long-range strategic bombardment operations over Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany, August 1942 – May 1945 attacking enemy military, transportation and industrial targets as part of the United States' air offensive against Nazi Germany.

34th Bombardment Group Coastal patrol B-17s, Jan 1941 – May 1942 under First Air Force Deployed to ETO May 1944 with B-24s; transitioned to B-17s Sep 1944 RAF Mendlesham (AAF-156), Sep 1944 – Aug 1945 4th Bombardment Squadron 7th Bombardment Squadron 18th Bombardment Squadron 391st Bombardment Squadron Inactivated Aug 1945

91st Bombardment Group RAF Bassingbourn (AAF-121), Oct 1942 – Jun 1945 322d Bombardment Squadron 323d Bombardment Squadron 324th Bombardment Squadron 401st Bombardment Squadron Inactivated Nov 1945

92d Bombardment Group RAF Bovingdon (AAF-112), Aug 1942 – Jan 1943; RAF Alconbury (AAF-102), Jan–Sep 1943; RAF Podington (AAF-109), Sep 1943 – Jun 1945 325th Bombardment Squadron 326th Bombardment Squadron 327th Bombardment Squadron (May–Jul 1943 YB-40 Testing) 407th Bombardment Squadron To: Air Transport Command, Jun 1945, Absorbed into 306th BG, Feb 1946

94th Bombardment Group RAF Bury St. Edmunds (AAF-468), May 1943 – Dec 1945 331st Bombardment Squadron 332d Bombardment Squadron 333d Bombardment Squadron 410th Bombardment Squadron Inactivated Dec 1945

95th Bombardment Group RAF Horham (AAF-119), May 1943 – Jun 1945 334th Bombardment Squadron 335th Bombardment Squadron 336th Bombardment Squadron 412th Bombardment Squadron Inactivated Aug 1945

96th Bombardment Group RAF Snetterton Heath (AAF-138), Apr 1943 – Dec 1945 337th Bombardment Squadron 338th Bombardment Squadron 339th Bombardment Squadron 413th Bombardment Squadron Inactivated Dec 1945

100th Bombardment Group