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One of the first aircraft to operate a fully enclosed tail gun turret was the British Armstrong Whitworth Whitley. Performing its first flight during 1936, the Whitley entered service with the RAF, remaining in service until the closing months of the Second World War.
- How many tail gunners died in WW2?
- What was the life expectancy of a tail gunner in WW2?
- What is a tail gunner in WW2?
- Does the B 52 have guns?
- What did a ball turret gunner do?
- How many B 17 Crews died?
- How many missions did B 17 crews fly?
- Was the Lancaster bomber any good?
- Did the Wellington bomber have a rear gunner?
- What was the life expectancy of a ball turret gunner?
- What is a tail gunner slang?
- How many planes did B 17 Gunners shoot down?
- How many guns did a b17 have?
How many tail gunners died in WW2?
Through the entire operation, the Rear Gunner knew that the Luftwaffe fighter pilots preferred to attack from the rear and under the belly of the bomber, so he was often 1st in line for elimination. During World War II - 20,000 air gunners were killed while serving with Bomber Command."
What was the life expectancy of a tail gunner in WW2?
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.
What is a tail gunner in WW2?
The tail gunner protected the rear of an aircraft. As the only rear-facing crewmember, he was also responsible for passing along information about things behind the aircraft, such as enemy fighters or the condition of the flying formation, to the rest of the crew. ...
Does the B 52 have guns?
The fact that B-52s once featured guns as a defensive armament is evidence of how long they have been in service. ... 50-caliber machine guns, and H models employed a single M61 20 mm rotary cannon. The gunners who manned these weapons were enlisted personnel. They were the only enlisted airmen in a B-52 crew.
What did a ball turret gunner do?
Armed with two 50-caliber machine guns and capable of rotating 360 degrees, the ball turret gunner was responsible for protecting the otherwise-exposed underbelly of the flying fortress.
How many B 17 Crews died?
Of the 3,885 crewmen aboard B-‐17 Flying Fortresses that went down, 2,114 (54.4 %) did not survive; 866 of the 1,228 on B-‐24 Liberators (71.3%) died; 190 of the 236 (80.0%) fighter pilots who went down perished.
How many missions did B 17 crews fly?
On May 13, 1943, the 303rd BG B-17F Hell's Angels became the first heavy bomber to complete 25 combat missions over Europe, four days before the Memphis Belle's crew. After flying 48 combat missions, it returned to the US for a war bond tour, but not until 1944.
Was the Lancaster bomber any good?
A: It was a phenomenal plane. Firstly it had an amazing carrying capacity. It could carry up to 10 tonnes, which was far more than any other Allied bomber in the European theatre. The Grand Slam bomb used at the end of the conflict and carried by the Lancaster weighed 22,000lb.
Did the Wellington bomber have a rear gunner?
'The rear gunner in his position in a Vickers Wellington bomber'. Probably of Nº 149 Squadron at RAF Mildenhall in 1941. ... Through the entire operation, the Rear Gunner knew that the Luftwaffe fighter pilots preferred to attack from the rear and under the belly of the bomber, so he was often 1st in line for elimination.
What was the life expectancy of a ball turret gunner?
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 a tail gunner slang?
Tail-gunner meaning
(colloquial) One whose function in an organization is to defend it from attackers, for example, in public relations or public affairs. noun. One who operates the gun or guns in in the tail of a military aircraft, usually a bomber.
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. German records show that 66 fighters were lost. The Luftwaffe claimed that they shot down 108 bombers and 20 fighters.
How many guns did a b17 have?
The B-17's armament consisted of five . 30 caliber (7.62 mm) machine guns, with a payload up to 4,800 lb (2,200 kg) of bombs on two racks in the bomb bay behind the cockpit.
