Why were B-17 bombers being stationed in Hawaii (the ones that led to the infamous incident of the approaching Japanese aircraft being mistaken for them)? Was it with the intention of bombing any approaching Japanese ships?
shareRecon mostly. Searching the ocean for any approaching enemy force.
I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!
B-17s were used to attack ships on many occasions in the forthcoming Pacific war, and the expectation at the time was that they would be very effective due to their Norden bombsight and relatively large bombload. Turned out they were mostly ineffective, hitting only one Japanese ship at sea that I know of, and that one was not underway.
Live long and prosper.
When the B-17 was first designed, its purpose was as a defensive aircraft that had long range for recon and a bomb bay for dropping bombs on what it found, hence the name Flying Fortress. As it turned out, the B-17 sucked at bombing moving ships at sea. The early B-17s (up to the D model) had light machine gun armament. The E model of the B-17 was an almost complete revamp with a huge rudder and a large number of .50-caliber guns, and the nickname Flying Fortress was now assumed to mean the plane could defend itself from enemy fighters. That didn't work out too well, either.
The other answers below are all correct. The squadron flying in on 7 Dec had not been sent for any specific mission related to the Pearl Harbor attack. They were just part of a general buildup in the Pacific.
shareIn reply to several comments above: the B-17 was in no way a defensive weapon. It was the US Army Air Corps primary tool to prove the value of strategic bombing....a strictly offensive role. This was their quest to prove the value of the bomber and hence the need for a separate Air Force (ie. separate from the US Army). The bomb squadron arriving at Hickam Field on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941 was commanded by Maj. Truman Landon. This was
a ferry mission to Clark Field in the Philippines as part of the US buildup in the Pacific
to demonstrate our intent to Japan and to deter any action by them. Both Hawaii and the Philippines were attacked by Japan. Many B-17s were destroyed ON THE GROUND in both locations. Yes, the B-17 had several versions. The best examples of the early B-17A can be seen in the movies AIR FORCE and I WANTED WINGS. The distinctive tail has no supporting structure and suffered failures of the tail assembly. Later models show the fairing of the fuselage into the tail for better support & aerodynamics. The movie AIR FORCE portrays that same B-17 ferry mission from Hamilton Field, Calif. to Clark Field in the P.I. It was a case of bad timing which brought them to Hawaii during the attack and, as Landon said in the movie "unarmed & out of gas, what a way to enter a war!"
The B-17 was also an excellent reconaissance platform due to the long range.
[deleted]
In reply to several comments above: the B-17 was in no way a defensive weapon. It was the US Army Air Corps primary tool to prove the value of strategic bombing....a strictly offensive role. This was their quest to prove the value of the bomber and hence the need for a separate Air Force (ie. separate from the US Army). The bomb squadron arriving at Hickam Field on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941 was commanded by Maj. Truman Landon. This was
a ferry mission to Clark Field in the Philippines as part of the US buildup in the Pacific
to demonstrate our intent to Japan and to deter any action by them. Both Hawaii and the Philippines were attacked by Japan. Many B-17s were destroyed ON THE GROUND in both locations. Yes, the B-17 had several versions. The best examples of the early B-17A can be seen in the movies AIR FORCE and I WANTED WINGS. The distinctive tail has no supporting structure and suffered failures of the tail assembly. Later models show the fairing of the fuselage into the tail for better support & aerodynamics. The movie AIR FORCE portrays that same B-17 ferry mission from Hamilton Field, Calif. to Clark Field in the P.I. The B-17 was also an excellent reconaissance platform due to the long range.