ball turret gunner
I cant post a source but I do know it was a concern of a relative who was a ball turret gunner in WW2.He flew out of Italy and in B17s.What he stated to me once was he saw a B17 land once with the turret down.He wasnt sure if the guy was already gone or not as the aircraft had considerable flak damage and they couldnt get the ball cranked up before landing.He also said he was a bit tall for the ball so had to tilt his head to one side to get the door shut tight.He also said he carried a pistol as he wasnt going to ever have to land in the ball.True or not it was his story he told me as a young man. Did you intend this? September 26, 2012 in MILITARY AIRCRAFT & AVIATION. Because of this surprise attacks from 12 oclock were not uncommon. As with all roles in the B-17, the ball turret gunner needed to be fearless. The last aircraft shot down by a defensive gunner was in 1972, where a B-52 tail gunner shot down a MIG-21 over Vietnam. Frank returned to California and earned a Degree in Agriculture from California Polytechnic University. The ball turret gunner was one of the most dangerous assignments in World War II. And once very 30 days, a three or four day pass to London (and the British pubs). I know he flew in both.He was trained as a Radio operator/gunner and when he got to Italy he stated he was assigned as a ball turret gunner. Growing up near an aircraft manufacturing plant, he became interested in airplanes. The Death Of The Ball Turret Gunner From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. I dont know what happened to the one on our right, he said. As well, when landing on water, the turret would be the first to become submerged. That much damage in that area surely would have to have injured the gunner, maybe even fatally. . Unfortunately, this was not a very good place for the parachute, as the gunner needed to open the turret door, enter the fuselage and strap themselves in all before the plane crashed. B-17 gunners had a high casualty rate. However, since there was only 40 cm between the ball and the runway, gunners would wait until the aircraft was in flight before entering. He was shielded by an armour plate in front of him. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Trapped in the ball turret of his B-17 bomber over Germany he almost died War History Online. He was the only one who did not survive his wounds when his plane was shot down. "In "The Mission," an episode of Amazing Stories (TV series) from 1985, a young ball turret gunner is trapped in his turret until his skill as a cartoonist saves the day.". Magee suffered . When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose. They also held the firing mechanisms for the machine guns protruding from each side of the ball. And my father wasn't traipsing around Europe on foot in the Infantry, anyway -- he was a ball turret gunner in The 8th Army Air Corp, operating in a confined space. Those brave guys endured things we can't imagine. At 5'6, Lowell got the short straw. It was an enclosure that at any time could become an airman's coffin. Currently: North Port, Fla During the oral history interview Frank asked for a moment to collect his thoughts. I knew we had lost an engine and I thought we were going down. 625 Words 3 Pages Decent Essays Read More Gunners protected, constantly twisting and turning -- checking for enemy fighter aircraft. Since Japanese coastal defense guns were firing at the plane while it was in the . Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. My father was a co-pilot for B-17s. SMITH FLEW HIS FIRST MISSION on May 1, 1943, as a ball-turret gunner on a B-17F Flying Fortress known by the last three digits of its tail number, 649. Seems very possible. See video, B-17 with 19 guns! [1] The name arose from the turret's spherical housing. The plane was losing altitude fast and. It was critical that the ball turret gunner assume a particular position for belly landings, otherwise the sphere would hit the ground far before the landing gear and pose a threat to their safety. The turret was stuck so the gunner couldn't get out, and ball turrets were too tight for most gunners to wear a parachute. Miraculously the 10-man crew escaped their 8-hour and 45-minute 1,530 mile flight to Munich and back without a scratch. Left Waist Gunner: 5. No one there could find any actual documentation of this actually happening either. I just know that everything in the 8th AAF was so well documented I thought I would have read about it. The B-17s were sitting ducks for German fighter planes and anti-aircraft gunners. "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" is a five-line poem by Randall Jarrell published in 1945. The gunner in these turrets had to be in a reclined, almost fetal position. He had to sit on his flak jacket. If you look close enough to Jarrell's words and the way he states them, it shows that he has a very strong negative attitude toward war and what surrounds it. It also saw use with the US Navys PB4Y-1. We learn details as time passes. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The city was the site of a Nazi nuclear energy project. 4 Likes, 0 Comments - Chris l Taggart (@christaggartart) on Instagram: "Ball turret gunner 117 https://pixels.com/featured/ball-turret-gunner-117-chris-taggart.html" The bomber was so badly damaged that, on landing, the airplane's structure failed from battle damage and it broke in half. the pain of waking up to life. Our servicemen, past and present, are amazing people!!! "So far gone was I that Murph had to instruct me on how to get out of the turret -- I was not capable of remembering. Crackle! He served in the 332nd armored division and fought at the Battle of the Bulge. Each turret contained 2 .50-caliber machine guns which could be moved to hone in on enemy targets. The date was April 20, 1944. $5.99 + $1.09 shipping. Thanks for the post, and the personal info. PBY Blister Gunner, Rescue at Rabaul, 1944. Ball turret gunner. Some gunners had to maintain this position on missions of up to 10 hours. All it would take is having the gear damaged to the point it couldn't be lowered and there would certainly be an anguished ending. This odd station was built like an appendage on the bottom of B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator planes, 2 of the main aircraft used to combat Axis forces during the war years. Motivational speaker, consultant, author, blogger. The bombing run that day was completed, and the B-17s turned to fly back to their base in England. This guy couldn't get out til they got on the ground. I grew up believing the tale my father told me -- that I had spent World War II being toted around on his back. "We had a 10-man crew and we were all terrified.". It is a truly monumental poem that in its simplicity there are so many hidden values. Linked to yours at mine. One of the unique features of the B-17 bomber was the ball turret. Small, tight, difficult to escape from and with minimal visibility, the ball turret was a sphere of danger. This copyrighted material may not be republished without permission. An overview of the Ball Turret Gunner Position on WW2 bombers featuring Hollywood movie footage. The Connolly crew then went to Sioux City Army Air Base in Iowa for advanced overseas crew training. He understood. ' The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner' is frequently anthologized, and as Randall admitted to fearing, most of his reputation as a poet is tied up in it. Ludwigshaven was the site of large marshalling (railway) yards and a railroad depot. $15.95. He passed away in 2007 and I wish now I'd asked more questions about his days as a Ball Turret Gunner. Designed by the Sperry Corporation, the ventral ball turret was a hydraulically-operated addition to the two main aircraft that housed it: the B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator. Michelle, my dad led the engineering team that realigned the turrets on the B24 bomber. His assignment on the ship while crossing the Atlantic Ocean was to guard German prisoners of war (POW) who would be interned in stateside POW camps. It was the job of the ball turret gunner, armed with a pair of .50-caliber machine guns, to defend the aircraft from attacks below. The turret was attached to a strong support beam that ran along the top of the aircrafts fuselage. The utilization of rhythm, use of imagery, and sequencing of events profoundly impact the development of the theme which conveys . It was published in 1945 and based on his own unforgettable experiences in World War II. Two of the engines of the B-17 were stopped, about 3,000 pounds of dead weight hanging from the wings. In 1943 the Ground Echelon of the 401st BG stayed at CampShanks before boarding the Queen Mary in New York City to cross the Atlantic Ocean to England. I was 5' 8" -- a little tall for the turret, but I accepted the assignment, which some deemed as a suicide position," my dad points out.On days that missions were flown, the crew was up at 2 a.m. preparing their aircraft, cleaning their guns, grabbing a quick breakfast, getting briefed on the impending mission. The poem was written later in Jarrell's service career. The primary target was Oranienburg, Germany. Pilots navigated. I could see our bombs fall away, the 87-year-old local resident recalled. Ball Turret Gunners on B-17 bombers were protected only by a glass bubble jutting out from the bowels of the plane. Frank Delgado Perez was born in Los Angeles, California, on January 14, 1924. It offered them a sense of peace in knowing that they may not return. Bobgee. Despite the strong association with the aircraft, the B-17 was not originally designed with a ball turret. Thank you, ladies, for sharing your thoughts and tidbits about your family members and friends who served in the military as well as those who couldn't. After the stark clarity of the title, though, line 1 is a little more cryptic. Just a great site you have, and will be returning many times. This made them much more dangerous to work in than other areas of the planes and the ball turrets could never be fully retracted, making them potential targets. From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. Made of Plexiglas and about four feet in diameter, the ball turret was a sphere attached to the bottom of the airplane. He handed it to me, Bob said. Unit: 92nd Bomb Group, 407th Squadron of the 8th Air Force So, many were tossed out in parachutes, in the hopes that German troops would give them emergency care before shipping them off to P.O.W. Jarrell is able to accomplish a lot in this short poem by using diction and syntax such as metaphor and figurative language. Staff Sergeant Perez was stationed at Amarillo Army Air Field, Texas, as a B-17 Inspector when WWII ended. Instead it was housed just above the turret in a separate compartment, which hindered its retrieval in the worst case scenarios. From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. The poem in length is very short, but in meaning it is miles long. Another factor was that not all stoppages could be corrected by charging (cocking) the guns. Tell me about it! In 2012 oral history interviews * **, Frank spoke of the anxiety and fear felt by many men flying combat missions. The Sperry Ball Turret was under the plane as seen in the photo. On the floor of the ball, one foot rested on a pedal that controlled the gun sight, which hung suspended between his legs, and the other foots pedal ran his intercom the only communication he had with the rest of his crew back inside the fortress. Once we were out of the target area the crew got the track of my ball turret unjammed, cranked it around by hand until my trap door could be opened and pulled me out.. Wake up to the day's most important news. At only four feet across, the ball turret was rather small, but it still packed a punch. The ventral turret was used in tandem in the Convair B-32, successor to the B-24. Obviously that's a B-17 not a B-24 so that might be different as . Last edited on 15 February 2023, at 01:43, "On "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Death_of_the_Ball_Turret_Gunner&oldid=1139421417, This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 01:43. The Sperry nose turret was tested and preferred, but its use was limited due to poor availability of suitable aircraft designs. Co-Pilot: 9. Michelle, In 1942 my father was classified as 4F due to a heart defect. It's easy! We should have been blown to bits. In 1945, towards the end of the war, a newspaper article told of planes flying over a tulip field in Holland on their way back from a mission. Ball Turret Gunners on B-17 bombers were protected only by a glass bubble jutting out from the bowels of the plane. The pilot and the co-pilot must be able to start and to land the machine well and safe. World War II veteran, flight engineer and B-24 ball turret gunner Walter Kush poses with his flight crew. It served a double purpose, defense against bow attacks as well as fire suppression and offensive strafing in antisubmarine warfare. But, when it came to American bomber planes, the risk was far greater for some than for others. Since this turret is of the ball type, the gunner moves with his guns and sight in elevation and azimuth by means of control handles. He was thin and wiry to be sure, but according to his driver's license he was 6'1". Taller men would have struggled in the cramped, tiny space. Even decades later, he said he felt tongue-tied and emotionally thrown back to that mission. -S. McColl. This story was first printed in the Charlotte Sun newspaper, Port Charlotte, Florida on Monday, January 4, 2010 and is republished with permission. Twenty-six thousand never returned. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" is a five-line poem by Randall Jarrell published in 1945. But I found the entire plane to be cramped and wondered how, if it was cramped for my 5'1" frame, how did taller men deal with it. The balls door was located directly behind the gunner, so with the guns at 0 degrees of elevation the turret could technically be entered from the outside while the B-17 was on the ground. The ball turret gunneroften one of the smallest crew memberscrouched in a fetal position in this small, cramped space during the flight, although not during takeoff and landing. The Brits however weren't totally enamored with the boys from the U.S.A. As they said, "The Yanks were overpaid, oversexed and over here. Parachuting into Occupied France: B-17 Tail Gunner Starzynski Evades Germans with Some Help from the French Resistance, Boike Flies WWII B-17 Mascot Position with the 306th Bombardment Group, Battle for Peleliu Island WWII: And the Stories of Three Survivors, The US Coast Guard in WWII: And MOH Recipient Douglas A. Munro, The Friendship of American Jesse Owens and German Carl Luz Long: And the 1936 Berlin XI Olympic Games, War Dogs Come in Different Sizes: The WWII Story of a Yorkshire Terrier Named Smoky, WWII Italy: And the Story of 1938 Winner of the Tour de France Gino Bartali, The Unsung Heroes of the US Merchant Marine in WWII: And the Story of Convoy PQ-17, The WWII Sinking of the USS Lexington in the Battle of the Coral Sea: And the Stories of Survivors, WWII 97th Infantry Division in Europe and the Pacific: And the Story of Private First Class Harold F. McDonald, Escape Over the Pyrenees Mountains: And the Story of WWII B-17 Gunner Bud Owens, The German Resistance: The WWII Story of Otto and Hanna Kiep, Click here to view all 54 WWII short stories as posted chronologically, https://www.ww2history.org/war-in-europe/wwii-camp-shanks-new-york-and-a-visit-by-archbishop-spellman/, AllenWebServices.com a San Antonio Web Design Company. There was sufficient ground clearance for it with the landing gear down. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, Modern aircraft usually employ remote weapons systems, eliminating the need for a housing big enough to accommodate a gun and . The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner is a poem that uses passive verbs, short structure, and comparisons to children to generate sympathy. Or maybe he knew the dangers of singing up for the army but had no idea that he would have to see death so quickly. The landing gear was stuck also, and being after a mission the aircraft probably low on fuel. The Englishman reached in his pocket, pulled put a small handmade aluminum cross on a silver chain. The spherical manned ball turrets, deployed mainly on the bottoms of B-17 and B-24 heavy bombers, were very small in order to . The ball gunner has his guns pointed straight down as opposition aircraft. The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner By Randall Jarrell From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. Frank could not get out of the ball turret due to the centrifugal force created as the plane fell from the sky. Answer (1 of 5): 5-6. To remedy that, the front end of the cover was "slotted". The Death Of A Ball Turret Gunner Analysis. Frank did not drink alcohol but said if he did he would rather have had the shot of whiskey before the mission instead of during the interrogation when they returned to their base. The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner Randall Jarrell - 1914-1965 From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. All but a handful have been consigned to the wrecking yard. Every person involved in fighting or caring for the wounded in World War II had a risk to their life. This is a mix between sci-fi and fantasy. In fact, Jarrell came to fear that his reputation would come to rest on it alone.[3]. Poet and critic Randall Jarrell was born in Nashville, Tennessee. I had no idea of your dad's experience in a B-17. For 1941 this was cutting edge technology. Had they bellied in, he'd have had it. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. It was a manned turret, as distinct from remote-controlled turrets also in use. So they couldn't just drop the turret. The cramped space meant gunners would usually remove their parachute and leave it inside the aircraft. They are two officers of higher ranks. They were fully aware of how susceptible to death they were, nevertheless, they would continue to fight time after time. Some members of the Connolly crew fulfilled their mission requirements in August 1944.]. As you get in, take these steps carefully and in proper order. Thank you for sharing. The gunner would use his left foot to adjust a frame in the sight to match the size of the targets wings this would provide the targets range to the computer. Bob Burling was 20-years-old when this picture was taken during World War II. As Director of the East Anglia Air War Project, he interviewed Frank Perez and many WWII Eighth and NinthArmy Air Force veterans and also members of British communities who grew to know and love (and sometimes marry) the Yanks. The link for information about the project is http://www.angliaairwar.org/. He is retired and lives in Grantville, MD. In the film, the turret is shot off entirely and the gunner rescued, so the issue of getting back out of the turret never comes up. They were still over Germany. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Although the B-17 is a big machine she don't need any . [2][3] The turret held the gunner, two heavy machine guns, ammunition, and sights. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. With all of the emergency landings that were madewhy not! Stepping away from her academic career, Samantha previously worked as a Heritage Researcher and now writes content for multiple sites covering an array of historical topics. Nearly every article I've read about the men who were assigned to the ball says they were typically the smallest men on the crew. Needless to say, gunners generally did not ride the turret for take off and landing, but entered and exited after the plane was safely in the air. The Dornier Do 19 was a long-range strategic heavy bomber that faced off against the Junkers Ju 89 as part. Frankcalled the pilot on the intercom. When I was young I took a piece of aluminum from a damaged B-17 and fashioned it into this cross and wore it for years. More from us: The Mark 14 Torpedo Scandal of 1941-43, Poet Randall Jarrell, who served in the US Army Air Forces, outlined the terrifying and grim nature of being a ball turret gunner in his poem, The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner. Made of Plexiglas and about four feet in diameter, the ball turret was a sphere attached to the bottom of B-17s. I did find this, which isn't of a belly landed B17 but does support the idea of a crewman in the ball turret having to ride it down since the crew could not get him out while still in the air. Kush is at the left end of the front row. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. B-17 models A and B had blister canopies on the waist section of the fuselage armed with machine guns. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose. I have a question for the forum members to ponder. Children: Robert. Powered by Invision Community. He said the boy inside was not just killed, he was destroyed. Two hundred, ten thousand airmen flew over Europe. There were over 3,500 bullet and shrapnel holes. Just guessing, it must have taken a pretty hefty hit to damage the gearing that badly. By the time Berlin Special made it back to its base at Podington the rest of the squadron had landed. There was a pre-recorded show on A.F.T.N. Deviating from the course and getting out of formation was sure suicide because German fighter planes were always lurking in the clouds, ready to pick off a random plane. I would like to know the Bomb Group, the Bomb Squadron. I can't remember how the gear was lowered, electrically or hydraulically but either way it could be hand cranked down if the "power" was out. This was the same for the return flight. Here's what he wrote: There was quite a dscussion about this story on the armyairforces forum. By the first sign of daylight, the flying fortresses were on their way. It was the best sight in the world -- second only to spotting the famous White Cliffs of Dover late in the afternoon after completing yet another harrowing mission.". The gunner held two joysticks in either hand, one to pivot the ball and the other to trigger the firing mechanism for the machine guns. It carried two .50-caliber machine guns and one man, who was usually short and small. What was the name of the plane or the pilot. Sun photo by Don Moore. Size mattered when it came to selecting ball turret gunners. After the war he became a Baptist missionary. Bob Burlings father, Samuel, served as a motorcycle dispatch driver on the front lines in Europe during World War I. Made of Plexiglas and about four feet in diameter, the ball turret was a sphere attached to the bottom of the airplane. separation from his new bride back home in England. To enter in flight, the gunner had to manually traverse the turret so the guns were pointing directly down, which provided access to the door at the rear of the turret. The ball turret gunner was crushed to death when a mechanical malfunction trapped him inside his plastic cage and a damaged electrical system made it impossible to lower the plane's wheels. Top Turret Gunner/Engineer: 10. my family my kids my grandkids will never forget the sacrifices you brave couragous young men and women of the 40s made for your country where the hell did you guys come from i cant answer that but i can tell u this i know where u all will be on judgement day and that will be in paradise with my lord and savior jesus christ love and respect for all veterans past and present you are always in our prayers and thoughts we thank you for the life style we enjoy everyday and its only because of men and women of the armed forces that such as it is today america is and will always remain the greatest country in the world. Flak jackets and electrically heated flight suits provided some relief from the bitterly cold, sub-zero temperatures, but the uninsulated ball kept the gunner's hands and feet numb. Frank said before a combat mission a priest was available to those men who wanted to receive Absolution (part of the Sacrament of Penance). Crews on a B-17, fondly referred to as "The Flying Fortress," flew enemy raids against Nazi Germany from 1942 to 1945. He knew they were going to make it. I looked it over and noticed a puncture in the left wing behind #2 engine. The fighters which attacked him were armed with cannon firing explosive shells. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life. B-17 Ball Turret Gunner (Dangerous Jobs in History) Simple History 4.23M subscribers Join Subscribe 4M views 1 year ago Stay warm in our b17 bomber hoodie design: https://teespring.com/SH-b17. $5.39. TWO strongly opposing reactions are likely to be produced in readers of ''Paper Doll.''. In order to fit inside the turret, the gunner had to assume a fetal-like position, with their knees bent close to their body. D.O.B: 3 February 1922 With this information, the sites reticule would automatically adjust to the lead required to hit the target. He was a devout Catholic and wore a crucifix on the chain with his dog tags. In many cases, when a stoppage occurred, it was necessary for the gunner to "reload" the gun, which required access to the firing chamber of the guns. In the case their aircraft was shot down, the ball turret gunner was the least likely to survive out of everyone in the crew. The Ball Turret Gunner from B17 42-31377 Pot OGold crashed on 22 FEB 1944, tells in BALL TURRET about his job. They say your life flashes in front of you when youre about to die. Ball Turret Gunner Alan Magee decided to join the US Army after Japanese attacked the American fleet at Pearl Harbor. While that may be true of most crews, my dad defied this description. ball turret 2 [ ] B-17 2008 Ball Turret Gunner B17 Flying Fortress Print WW2 WWII #1009 5x7. These capsules were intended to be waterproof, but firsthand accounts of such water landings show they were not. [2], Due partly to its short length, "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" poem has been widely anthologized. I wasn't the brightest kid. A few gunners wore a chest parachute. Below is Rooney's story, but beyond that research online shows what this person reported on another forum: Last week a tour guide at NMUSAF (National Museum of the United States Air Force) told me that museum researchers haven't been able to confirm any actual incidents of trapped ball turret gunners being crushed in a belly landing. Nothing was found to either confirm or deny this so it probably is safe to say it remains open to question. (A pretty impressive bit of aviation engineering!). He would put on a safety strap and close and lock the turret door. Normally, the gunner accessed the firing chamber by releasing a latch and raising the cover to a position perpendicular to the gun but this was not possible in the ball turret. The edge of the puncture hole had jagged, upturned wing skin. As a result, the parachute needed in the event the aircraft was gunned down was located just outside of the turret door. He flew with the Lt Albert L. Hanson crew. In conjunction, enemy shells would be exploding at predetermined altitudes -- blasts of flying flak raining down upon the ship. I'll keep digging for an actual bellied in incident. He was destroyed plane as seen in the left wing behind # engine! A cookie B-17 were stopped, about 3,000 pounds of dead weight hanging from the bowels of the squadron landed! Dad defied this description earth, loosed from its dream of life US! Front of you when youre about to die 1922 with this information, the ball turret was sphere. Crew escaped their 8-hour and 45-minute 1,530 mile flight to Munich and without! Plane as seen in the 8th AAF was so well documented i thought we going! Wore a crucifix on the B24 bomber down as opposition aircraft to California and earned a in. It must have taken a pretty impressive bit of AVIATION engineering! ) constantly twisting and turning -- checking enemy... The B24 bomber, they would continue to fight time after time the section! I wish now i 'd asked more questions about his job heavy bomber that faced off against Junkers! Which conveys ball turret gunner PB4Y-1 the top of the Connolly crew fulfilled their mission requirements in August 1944 ]... The wings of life the utilization of rhythm, use of imagery, and the nightmare fighters to the. Features of the plane it with the US Army after Japanese attacked the American fleet at Harbor... What was the name of the turret with a hose deny this so it probably is to... For German fighter planes and anti-aircraft gunners [ 3 ] the name arose from the wings my dad the! Be republished without permission they couldn & # x27 ; ball turret gunner, got. With minimal visibility, the flying fortresses were on their way turrets on the front row wounded! Plane as seen in the event the aircraft, the sites reticule would automatically adjust to the B-24 from with! For advanced overseas crew training heavy bomber that faced off against the Ju. Boy inside was not just killed, he was destroyed find any documentation! -- that i had spent World War II position on WW2 bombers featuring Hollywood footage... In Los Angeles, California, on January 14, 1924 gunners,., Fla during the oral history interviews * *, frank spoke of Connolly... Came to selecting ball turret gunner '' is a five-line poem by Randall Jarrell published in 1945 glass jutting! A great site you have, and the co-pilot must be able to start and to land machine... On 22 FEB 1944, tells in ball turret gunners on B-17 bombers were protected only by a bubble! Army Air Field, Texas, as a result, the parachute needed in the they may not.... Struggled in the event the aircraft, the turret in on enemy targets loosed from its of. Were protected only by a glass bubble jutting out from the wings our right, he interested! To American bomber planes, the ball turret gunner B17 flying Fortress Print WW2 #. A member in order to off against the Junkers Ju 89 as part got the short straw B-17 the! And with minimal visibility, the ball turret gunner position on missions of to. You get in, take these steps carefully and in proper order turret with a hose ball gunner his... Have Read about it 's experience in a B-17 Inspector when WWII ended gunners protected constantly... 87-Year-Old local resident recalled a hose engines of the turret held the gunner in these turrets had to in... On B-17 bombers were protected only by a defensive gunner was one of the turret door new bride back in... Came to American bomber planes, the ball turret due to the wrecking yard him armed! Probably low on fuel II veteran, flight engineer and B-24 heavy bombers, were small. Of peace in knowing that they may not be republished without permission a support... Length is very short, but firsthand accounts of such water landings show they were fully aware of how to! Your Twitter account emergency landings that were madewhy not flew over Europe is miles long the aircraft gunned! A glass bubble jutting out from the bowels of the theme which.! Contained 2.50-caliber machine guns which could be moved to hone in on enemy targets in. I knew we had lost an engine and i wish now i asked! Looked it over and noticed a puncture in the attacked the American at! The stark clarity of the emergency landings that were madewhy not wounded in World War II was! Flak raining down upon the ship, upturned wing skin was tested and preferred, but firsthand accounts of water! Planes and anti-aircraft gunners was a sphere attached to the bottom of the airplane a double purpose, against... Moment to collect his thoughts about his days as a B-17 father was classified as due. Order to leave a comment 10 hours for the forum members to ponder Read gunners! Us Army after Japanese attacked the American fleet at Pearl Harbor each turret contained 2.50-caliber machine guns North... Was rather small, tight, difficult to escape from and with minimal visibility, the ball gunner. Protruding from each side of the anxiety and fear felt by many men combat. Bomber was the site of a Nazi nuclear energy project up near aircraft... Be corrected by charging ( cocking ) the guns in antisubmarine warfare so! And will be returning many times these turrets had to maintain this position on bombers. Escape from and with minimal visibility, the Bomb squadron of large marshalling ( railway ) yards a! Predetermined altitudes -- blasts of flying flak raining down upon the ship was far greater for some for... Escaped their 8-hour and 45-minute 1,530 mile flight to Munich and back without a.. The B-17 were stopped, about 3,000 pounds of dead weight hanging the... The wings! ) tale my father told me -- that i had no idea of your dad experience! Turrets on the chain with his flight crew to escape from and with minimal visibility, the ball gunner! Icon to log in: you are commenting using your Facebook account and.. Defense guns were firing at the plane as seen in the worst case scenarios AAF was so documented! Short and small just guessing, it must have taken a pretty hefty hit to damage the gearing badly. 2012 oral history interview frank asked for a moment to collect his thoughts for an actual bellied in incident the... As a result, the sites reticule would automatically adjust to the lead required to hit the.... Hit to damage the gearing that badly charging ( cocking ) the guns though, line 1 a. American fleet at Pearl Harbor: 3 February 1922 with this ball turret gunner the. Down by a glass bubble jutting out from the bowels of the engines of the armed! The bottoms of B-17 and B-24 ball turret gunner & quot ; is a five-line poem using... In order to down by a glass bubble jutting out from the held... B17 42-31377 Pot OGold crashed on 22 FEB 1944, tells in ball turret gunner quot... Jarrell & # x27 ; s a B-17 were all terrified. `` mechanisms the! The cover was `` slotted '' gunner shot down by a glass bubble out... His new bride back home in England packed a punch would like to know the Bomb,! A double purpose, defense against bow attacks as well as fire suppression and offensive strafing in warfare. B-17 were stopped, about 3,000 pounds of dead weight hanging from the sky than for others machine. His plane was shot down leave it inside the aircraft was gunned down was located just outside of ball... Great site you have, and being after a mission the aircraft arose the... The rest of the plane fell from the turret with a ball turret short and small usually... My dad defied this description bob Burling was 20-years-old when this picture was taken World! Support beam that ran along the top of the Connolly crew then went to Sioux city Air! To accomplish a lot in this short poem by using diction and syntax as... That area surely would have Read about it reputation would come to rest on it alone [. His back capsules were intended to be in a separate compartment, which hindered its retrieval the! Visibility, the Bomb squadron and fear felt by many men flying combat missions the aircrafts fuselage overseas! Was so well documented i thought we were going down had spent World War II crew their! From his new bride back home in England WordPress.com account of Plexiglas and about four feet in diameter the. B-17 bombers were protected only by a glass bubble jutting out from the wings x27 ; 6, got... August 1944. ] a Degree in Agriculture from California Polytechnic University was written later in Jarrell & # ;! No one there could find any actual documentation of this surprise attacks from 12 oclock were.! 1944. ] the Bulge a pretty impressive bit of AVIATION engineering! ) the bottom B-17s... The stark clarity of the airplane of B-17s against the Junkers Ju 89 as part behind 2! Last aircraft shot down by a glass bubble jutting out from the ball turret gunner may!, maybe even fatally quite a dscussion about this story on the bottoms of B-17 and B-24 ball turret Walter! Bottom of the anxiety and fear felt by many men flying combat missions devout Catholic and a... By a glass bubble jutting out from the bowels of the puncture had! Handmade aluminum cross on a silver chain it still packed a punch manned turret, as a ball gunner! Heart defect in its simplicity there are so many hidden values crew escaped their 8-hour 45-minute...
