German Luftwaffe B-17

Yes, it's a disconcerting sight--an American B-17 Flying Fortress painted in the livery of the Third Reich. There were several during the war, and occcasionally these captured B-17s would fly near formations. Usually they were used to train the German Luftwaffe in the flight characteristics of the enemy.

This particular B-17 went missing in action on December 12, 1942, very early in the war. Originally, this B-17F had the serial number#41-24585, and flew with the 303rd Bomb Group. The plane landed in a hay field near Melun, France, damaging the ball turret. The Germans were able to transport it to Netherlands, repair it, and fly it to Germany. The damaged ball turret was never replaced.

The plane was re-painted with German insignia and given serial number DL+XC. The underside was painted yellow. After careful examination at the Luftwaffe Test and Evaluation Center at Rechlin, the plane, newly named . "Wulfe Hound" made its maiden voyage with the Luftwaffe on March 17, 1943. It was later transferred to the Luftwaffe "Kampfgeschwader" KG200 Squadron at Rangesdforf, Germany on and took part in training and secret missions between May and June 1944.

Source, 303rd Bomb Group website. Link at http://www.303rdbg.com/pp-wulfehound.html