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.
Looks like an earlier model with the waist gun positions opposite. It was found that the gunners tended to get in each other's way. Later models had the positions staggered--the gunner on the left in the photo (starboard side of plane) moved forward a bit, the other side moved back a bit.
Yeah. Until Big Week, the odds of completing 25 missions and going home were not exactly good. I cannot imagine the guts it took to do it, over and over again.
Read somewhere, the waist gunners only had 20 seconds of ammo belts. (Ma Deuce; near 500 - 650 rounds a minute), must of had to do like feather those thumb triggers, let off 2-3 rd bursts.
They carried 5,970 rounds for 13 guns, or about 600 rounds each on average.. Some like the cheek guns and the radio operator's position had only a case or two. Others had proportionately more.
If there was a sliding cover it was not for crew comfort but for aerodynamics. Every gallon weight (6.8lb) not needed to the target and back could be dropped as bombs or more ammo. Later models had fully faired waist positions with plexiglass. Aero all the time.
I got to go up in the "909" before it crashed, this was a long time ago in Plymouth MA. There was an old man on that flight and spent the whole trip in front of the waist gun position. I noticed he reached out and grabbed his support without looking first. There was a look on his face unlike the rest of us, not excited and wondering but familiar and sad. I never got a chance to talk to him but I've always thought he used to crew a ship like that when it was new. Can't upload photos here, but here's the link to my page with the image. https://onthenorthriver.com/2011/09/22/for-an-on-line-friend/
Looks like an earlier model with the waist gun positions opposite. It was found that the gunners tended to get in each other's way. Later models had the positions staggered--the gunner on the left in the photo (starboard side of plane) moved forward a bit, the other side moved back a bit.
ReplyDeleteThose Men, had fucking big balls.
ReplyDelete(please pardon the cuss word, but its the only expletive suitable for how brave they were)
Yeah. Until Big Week, the odds of completing 25 missions and going home were not exactly good. I cannot imagine the guts it took to do it, over and over again.
DeleteRead somewhere, the waist gunners only had 20 seconds of ammo belts.
ReplyDelete(Ma Deuce; near 500 - 650 rounds a minute), must of had to do like feather those thumb triggers, let off 2-3 rd bursts.
They carried 5,970 rounds for 13 guns, or about 600 rounds each on average.. Some like the cheek guns and the radio operator's position had only a case or two. Others had proportionately more.
Deletemust be early...no feed belts...just the side can. I read somewhere Howard Hughes designed those feedbelts....wonder if that is true
ReplyDeleteDid they have any heat back there? They surely would keep the gun ports closed when not in hostile territory.
ReplyDeleteThey did not. It got pretty nippy.
DeleteIDK, looks like there is a sliding panel
DeleteIf there was a sliding cover it was not for crew comfort but for aerodynamics. Every gallon weight (6.8lb) not needed to the target and back could be dropped as bombs or more ammo. Later models had fully faired waist positions with plexiglass. Aero all the time.
DeleteSpin Drift
Thick sheepskin flying suits with electrical heating elements built in.
DeleteLook up Flying Backward in 44 fir a frame of reference
ReplyDeletehttps://flies-talesoftheblue.blogspot.com/2011/05/flying-backwards-in-44.html?m=1
I had a high school teacher who did that in the war, got shot down & into a POW camp.
ReplyDeleteNever realized how small it was. 7 feet in diameter? And the sound of two 500mm in a metal can!
ReplyDelete50 mm
ReplyDeleteHate to be "that guy" ...
ReplyDeleteBut it's .50 cal.= 1/2 inch= 12.5 mm.
50mm=2 inches.
I got to go up in the "909" before it crashed, this was a long time ago in Plymouth MA.
ReplyDeleteThere was an old man on that flight and spent the whole trip in front of the waist gun position. I noticed he reached out and grabbed his support without looking first. There was a look on his face unlike the rest of us, not excited and wondering but familiar and sad.
I never got a chance to talk to him but I've always thought he used to crew a ship like that when it was new.
Can't upload photos here, but here's the link to my page with the image.
https://onthenorthriver.com/2011/09/22/for-an-on-line-friend/