And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
I'm 5'4 so I would've been assigned that job. In earlier models the ball did not retract and you were locked inside on the ground. There were times when the landing gear was damaged and the ball gunner was crushed. There is a gruesome ww2 poem about the unlucky ball gunner needing to be hosed out.
I saw a picture of a 303rd Bomb Group crew next to their B-17 and in the back row was one of the officers standing next to what must have been the belly gunner. The gunner didn't come up to the officer's chin. The officer had his arm around the gunner's shoulders. There was obviously a lot of love and respect there.
Anyone know what the maximum height a guy could be to fit in that ball turret? At 6'4", I don't think I could get small enough to fit in there.
ReplyDeleteYeah it was a small guys job.
DeleteI'm 5'8" 135 # and saw one of these up close at NAS Pensacola this past summer (must see museum if ya never been) and it looks tight, even for me.
DeleteThe breech of each .50 was beside the gunners ears.
ReplyDeleteI can think of a better office to work in.
ReplyDeleteAt 6'1 I could hardly sit in the pilots seat................
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised the balls of the guy who was assigned to that job would fit in there...
ReplyDeleteI'm 5'4 so I would've been assigned that job. In earlier models the ball did not retract and you were locked inside on the ground. There were times when the landing gear was damaged and the ball gunner was crushed. There is a gruesome ww2 poem about the unlucky ball gunner needing to be hosed out.
ReplyDeleteThat or they woulda crammed you in a submarine. :) Me? I'll take the ball turret over the sub, everytime.
DeleteI saw a picture of a 303rd Bomb Group crew next to their B-17 and in the back row was one of the officers standing next to what must have been the belly gunner. The gunner didn't come up to the officer's chin.
ReplyDeleteThe officer had his arm around the gunner's shoulders. There was obviously a lot of love and respect there.