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OUTHOUSE
MOUSE
42-31636
B-17G
91/323
OR-N
 One
of
the
91st
Group's
most
well
known
planes,
Outhouse
Mouse,
was
originally
assigned
to
the
457th
Bomb
Group
at
Wendover
in
December
1943.
Three
months
later
the
unnamed
plane
was
transferred
in
England
to
the
91st
on
12th
March
1944.
Apart
from
the
plane's
superbly
executed
nose
art,
another
by
the
talented
Tony
Starcer,
Outhouse
Mouse's
greatest
claim
to
fame
was
that
of
being
the
first
heavy
bomber
to
receive
an
attack
by
a
German
jet.
The
incident
occurred
during
16th
August
mission
to
the
Siebel
aircraft
factory
at
Halle.
Lt.
Walker
Mullen’s
crew
had
borrowed
the
ship
for
the
mission
because
their
usual
plane,
Ramblin'Rebel,
was
in
for
repairs.
Initially
knocked
from
the
formation
in
a
determined
attack
by
an
FW
190
and
an
ME
109,
which
had
also
wounded
two
crew
members,
Outhouse
Mouse
then
came
under
attack
from
the
rear.
The
incoming
fire
from
the
rocket
plane,
an
ME
l63
Komet,
was
successfully
avoided
by
quick
action
by
the
pilots
who
rocked
their
plane
up
and
down
and
jiggled
from
side
to
side.
A
second
ME
163
slid
up
beside
Outhouse
Mouse
for
a
full
two
minutes
---
but
carefully
kept
just
out
of
range.
Its
audacity
was
short-lived
because
two
Mustangs
pounced
on
the
strange-looking
jet
and
shot
it
down
without
further
ado.
Outhouse
Mouse
went
on
to
complete
a
stunning
9
missions,
including
12
trips
to
Berlin,
before
rally
returning
to
the
USA
on
25th
May
1945.
Eventually
it
was
scrapped
at
Kingman,
Arizona
not
apparently
until
1963.
Tony
Starcer
based
his
famous
nose
art
on
Outhouse
Mouse
from
the
popular
'Tom
and
Jerry'
cartoon
shorts.
The
brown
and
white
mouse,
leaning
against
the
yellow
and
red
latrine
hut
on
a
light
blue
background
circle,
had
to
be
repainted
at
least
once
due
to
battle
damage.
George
Odenwaller
recalled
"A
large
metal
patch
had
to
be
fitted
which
removed
a
section
of
Starcer's
design
at
the
top
of
the
hut.
An
explosive
shell
had
penetrated
the
nose
causing
considerable
damage
and
removing
part
the
coveralls
from
the
navigator.
The
incident
left
Lt.
Katz
distinctly
exposed
in
the
rear
but
without
even
a
scratch!"
Several
crews
completed
their
tours
in
this
long-serving
ship,
including
that
of
Lt.
Joe
Harvey.
Members
of
his
crew
painted
the
names
of
their
loved
ones
at
various
positions
around
the
plane.
Walter
Limberger's
wife-to-be
was
'Irma'
and
her
name
was
painted
near
the
tail
guns
in
red
letters
with
a
yellow
outline.
George
Odenwaher's
girl
at
the
time
was
'Clare'
and
her
name
received
similar
treatment
by
the
ball
turret.
George
had
borrowed
the
paint
from
Tony
Starcer
and
also
used
it
to
paint
his
A-2
jacket,
and
that
of
his
tail
gunner
Walter
Limberger.
The
resourceful
sergeant
also
fleece-lined
his
turret
with
sheepskins
for
a
little
added
comfort.
George
Odenwaller
flew
his
first
mission
in
Outhouse
Mouse,
to
Dresden
on
14th
February
1945.
In
his
diary
he
recorded,
"My
first
mission!
Scared
stiff.
Had
trouble
with
my
guns
while
installing
them.
Had
to
abort
after
reaching
the
IP.
No.1
engine
gave
out
due
to
flak
hit.
Flew
home
on
three
engines
without
fighter
escort
protection,
alone!!"
Many
years
later
George
remembered
a
further
incident
that
occurred
on
his
first
mission.
"About
the
IP,
a
silver
P-51
with
German
markings
came
right
up
into
our
formation
-
the
pilot
waved,
pulled
up
and
was
gone
-
everyone
was
so
surprised
that
not
a
shot
was
fired!"
Several
more
missions
followed
in
Outhouse
Mouse
that
George
described
as
'Milk
Runs'
but
on
22nd
March
he
and
his
crew
were
recorded
as
MIA.
Having
bombed
Stendal,
the
group
encountered
10/1
0
cloud
and
flew
through
a
follow-up
formation
causing
chaos
and
some
losses.
The
pilots
decided
to
let
down
into
friendly
territory
and
in
doing
so
almost
hit
the
Eiffel
Tower
and
an
L-3
liaison
plane
in
dense
fog.
Whilst
grounded
for
repairs
some
of
the
crew
headed
for
Paris
-
still
in
full
flight
gear!
Fortunately
they
avoided
the
MPs
but
on
their
return
to
Bassingbourn
found
that
their
lockers
had
been
cleared
out
because
they
had
been
listed
as
missing.
The
91st
Bomb
Group's
very
last
combat
mission
of
the
war
was
to
Pilsen
on
25th
April
and
Outhouse
Mouse
was
there.
George
recorded
his
thoughts
after
the
mission
in
his
diary.
"A
rough
one
today
-
heavy
flak,
missed
the
target
-
made
a
360
left
and
made
the
run
again
thru
flak.
Three
B-
17s
went
down
nearby
-
one
a
direct
bomb
bay
hit
explosion.
The
other
two
rolled
over
in
flames
-
saw
only
five
chutes
from
those
aircraft.
Our
No.3
engine
was
knocked
out
during
bomb
run
then
our
elevator
cables
were
cut
by
flak
-
only
two
of
seven
held.
Jorgenson
(engineer)
spliced
both
cables
together
and
saved
all
our
asses
-
Lindy
(Limberger)
stayed
in
the
tail
position
to
operate
rudder
yoke
upon
landing,
by
hand
-
no
easy
task!
Very
tired."
Outhouse
Mouse
had
made
it
by
a
whisker!
Now
it
was
over
and
it
would
fly
no
more
combat
missions
because
the
war
in
Europe
was
almost
at
an
end.
"Story
taken
from
Plane
Names
&
Fancy
Noses,
by
Ray
Bowden"
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