Was the ball turret gunner effective?

While the pilots were given the best position on the aircraft, the gunners had to hold some precarious positions in order to effectively defend the aircraft. The worst position by far was held by the ball turret gunners. Many of the US planes were equipped with an invention of the 1930s: the ball turret.

How many planes did B-17 Gunners shoot down?

The USAAF claimed they shot down 179 Luftwaffe fighters, broken-down as follows: B-17 gunners claimed 97 and their fighter escort claimed 82.

What was the life expectancy of a ball turret gunner?

When the gunner tracked a fighter plane attacking from below, he revolved with the turret. The fighters who attacked him were armed with cannons firing explosive shells. “I later learned that the life expectancy of a ball turret gunner was just a mere 37 seconds.

What is the Ball Turret Gunner compared to?

“The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” uses intense metaphors of wombs, dreams, and awakenings to evoke the speaker’s innocence—and his terrible death. Right from the start, the poem metaphorically connects the speaker’s experience as a ball turret gunner to the experience of being inside a womb.

How did rear gunners not shoot the tail?

There was a feeler arm (that looked as if it might have been borrowed from a Dalek) below each gun and when these came in contact with the fairing they inhibited depression of the gun barrels to prevent the gunner shooting at the airframe; there were also interrupter cut outs to stop him shooting at the fins as the …

What was the life expectancy of a tail gunner?

The Rear-Turret Gunners were in the most vulnerable position on the Plane. The life expectancy of a WW2 Rear-gunner varied but was never high, mostly about just 5 Sorties.

How many bombers completed 25 missions?

The B-17 Hell’s Angels (41-24577) of the 303rd Bomb Group completed 25 combat missions on 13 May 1943, becoming the first to complete the feat, one week before the Memphis Belle.

What does the title The Death of a ball turret gunner mean?

Metaphor. “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” uses intense metaphors of wombs, dreams, and awakenings to evoke the speaker’s innocence—and his terrible death. Right from the start, the poem metaphorically connects the speaker’s experience as a ball turret gunner to the experience of being inside a womb.

Who shot down the most planes in ww2?

While serving in Germany’s Luftwaffe in World War II, Erich Hartmann flew more than 1,400 missions in the Messerschmitt Bf 109, enabling him to score an astonishing 352 kills. How did Hartmann get so good at dominating the skies over the Eastern Front?

Who shot down the most German planes in WW2?

A new book examines the life of the WWII German ace. Luftwaffe fighter pilot Erich Hartmann was exceedingly good at aerial combat. While serving in Germany’s Luftwaffe in World War II, Erich Hartmann flew more than 1,400 missions in the Messerschmitt Bf 109, enabling him to score an astonishing 352 kills.

What was the safest position in a B-17?

The safest crew member was the ball turret gunner (5.5 percent), the pilot (7.7 percent), and co-pilot (6.6 percent), who together accounted for 19.8 percent of casualties). They were most likely to be hit in the legs (44 percent of the time), followed by the arms (31 percent).

Why was the B 24 called the flying coffin?

During Harry’s two months at Davis-Monthan in Arizona, five B-24 planes and complete crews were lost during takeoff and landing practice. The B-24 nickname was justly earned as the so called “flying coffin” by the crews who flew it. Harry and his crew were shipped to Europe in late December 1944.

Which was better B-24 or B-17?

The B17 could be operated at speeds as slow as 135 mph, whereas the B24 became dangerous below 160 mph. Both aircraft could take a beating and still fly. Still, the design of the B24 did place limits on its ability to safely perform emergency landings.

Are there any B24’s still flying?

The world’s only fully restored and flying consolidated B-24J Liberator is back in the skies after an absence of twenty years. The B-24 fought for our freedom in the skies of Europe and the Pacific through the use of strategic bombing during the Second World War.