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.
Thursday, October 24, 2024
Sperry Ball Turret. Imagine fighting off the Luftwaffe from inside that, with the .50 calibers roaring in both ears.
From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner By Randal Jarrel
From what I have read on the subject, the B-17 ball turret gunner had a higher survival rate than the rest of the crew. That there was a peculiar failure situation that got people's attention made them think that the turret was a death trap.
Zemke’s Wolfpack in the 56th fighter group. A friends father was a prominent member and an ACE. David Carl Schilling. Thunderbolt Wolfpack. BAs all around
I think flying fighter jets would be cool, but I’m too tall for it, I’d think (6’2”). Were I a man at the time such turrets were still in use, I’d thank God I’m way too tall to fit into one.
Baby Brother is 6'6½". Recruiters told him (after he'd already signed up for that) he was too tall for helicopter flight school. ('struth, he was.) So, using military intelligence, the Army put him into those nice roomy tanks. /sarc. Most guys had to strain to see over the hatch while driving unbuttoned. He had to duck to keep from hitting his head on the main gun barrel when they hit a bump, looked like a man driving a kid's go cart with the hatch coaming around his elbows.
i can only assume your standard answer to a question for the rest of your life would be 'what?'.
ReplyDeleteBack then 5'7-8" was likely the normal height of a male American.
ReplyDeleteFORD thinks they can confirm that, Chevy of course took issue with it.
DeleteMet an an airshow long ago, a veteran who was a ball turret gunner and he was much shorter than the person in this picture.
ReplyDeleteBall turret gunners were more like 5'4".
ReplyDeleteMy dad was 5-4. Always mad that he was taller than the tail gunner.
DeleteThose short-statured guys had some incredibly large testicles.
ReplyDeleteFrom my mother's sleep I fell into the State,
ReplyDeleteAnd I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner
By Randal Jarrel
From what I have read on the subject, the B-17 ball turret gunner had a higher survival rate than the rest of the crew. That there was a peculiar failure situation that got people's attention made them think that the turret was a death trap.
DeleteThe greatest generation had balls of steel and class . Thank you dad (fought in the Pacific)and mom…
ReplyDeleteZemke’s Wolfpack in the 56th fighter group. A friends father was a prominent member and an ACE. David Carl Schilling. Thunderbolt Wolfpack. BAs all around
ReplyDeleteThose guys had Balls that go clank when they walked and no shit about it.
ReplyDeleteHow many of those did they make and how many are still around?
ReplyDeleteI think flying fighter jets would be cool, but I’m too tall for it, I’d think (6’2”). Were I a man at the time such turrets were still in use, I’d thank God I’m way too tall to fit into one.
ReplyDeleteAs if that matters to the military.
DeleteBaby Brother is 6'6½".
Recruiters told him (after he'd already signed up for that) he was too tall for helicopter flight school. ('struth, he was.)
So, using military intelligence, the Army put him into those nice roomy tanks. /sarc.
Most guys had to strain to see over the hatch while driving unbuttoned.
He had to duck to keep from hitting his head on the main gun barrel when they hit a bump, looked like a man driving a kid's go cart with the hatch coaming around his elbows.