On 11 January 1942, three Japanese fighters caused heavy damage
to Ole Betsy (but lost two of their own in the process)
during a running 35-minute engagement off the coast of Borneo.
Maintenance personnel in Australia replaced the damaged tail with
one from another B-17D, replaced the engines, and converted the
aircraft into an armed transport.
Boeing B-17D
The Swoose
Within hours of the Japanese attak on Pearl Harbor, Ole Betsy flew on the first U.S. combat mission in the Philippines. During the following three weeks, she struck at the Japanese forces invading the Philippines. After transferring to Java, she continued to fly combat missions.