 | Most dangerous position in a B-17| Aviation Discuss Most dangerous position in a B-17 in the World War II - Aviation forums; If I were too choose a positon in the B17, it would be the top gunner.
If he was being ... |
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06-29-2005, 09:01 AM
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#31 | | Senior Member
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Country:  | If I were too choose a positon in the B17, it would be the top gunner.
If he was being shot at by a german fighter he could easily duck down.
Then if a fighter flew above the bomber he would have a nice clean shot! 
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06-29-2005, 11:13 AM
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#32 | | "Shooter"
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Originally Posted by P38 Pilot If I were too choose a positon in the B17, it would be the top gunner.
If he was being shot at by a german fighter he could easily duck down. | That still wouldn't offer him much protection. The aluminum top skin doesn't offer much more protection that the plexiglas in the turret.
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06-29-2005, 11:35 AM
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#33 | | Senior Member
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Country: | Ok lets sum this up!!!!!! All positions in a B-17 were deadly!!! No matter what the position you would still get killed! German fighter tactics they were training with after the B-17 bombers became a wide threat to the germans was that they would fly in fornt of the planes and shoot the pilots.
Nobody was safe once the pilots were dead!
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06-29-2005, 12:27 PM
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#34 | | Senior Member
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Country:  | You'd probably find going head on was a bit silly, especially when the jets came into play. The closing speed was just too fast to get a decent shot. The tactic was to knock out the tail gunner, then the plane would be easy pickings.
Plus, in a B-17 there's three people that can fly the plane - the pilot, co-pilot and bombardier, and I reckon maybe even the engineer could do enough to get it down on the ground.
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06-29-2005, 12:30 PM
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#35 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
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Originally Posted by plan_D I reckon maybe even the engineer could do enough to get it down on the ground. | Many times the FE was trained to land the aircraft. Early in the war a sergent got the Medal of Honor for doing this.
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06-29-2005, 12:33 PM
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#36 | | Senior Member
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Country: | Well, there you go then; there's four people who can fly a B-17 in one B-17 crew. Knocking out the pilot would be a pointless exercise.
__________________ "When you go home tomorrow, don't expect anyone to know what you have been through. Even if they did know, most people probably wouldn't care anyway. Some of you may get the medals you deserve, many more of you will not. But remember this, all of you are now members of the front-line club, and that is the most exclusive club in the world." - Lt. Col. Matthew Maer CO 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment. Camp Abu Naji, Oct. 2004 To those in that club. | |
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06-29-2005, 12:41 PM
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#37 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
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Country: | did some research, actually I was wrong about the FE getting the medal of honor for landing the plane, but I know FEs did land crippled -17s on occasions.
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06-29-2005, 12:59 PM
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#38 | | Senior Member
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Country:  | I think the arse end position on any bomber has to be the worst nearly all the combat videos showing bombers under attack the arse is what the fighter go's for and didnt they pump some **** into them once the tail gunners had it the bomber is a real sitting duck.
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06-29-2005, 01:01 PM
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#39 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
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Country: | Especially if you were "Tail End Charlie."
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06-29-2005, 01:06 PM
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#40 | | Master of Ewes
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Originally Posted by p-38 Wow, that guy was pretty lucky | i know this is a late reply, but it'd be even luckier if he hadn't been hit at all 
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06-29-2005, 01:12 PM
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#41 | | Senior Member
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Originally Posted by FLYBOYJ Especially if you were "Tail End Charlie." | Very true FB some of those clips on this site are real tear jerkers those poor young sods didnt have a chance i think some people tend to look at a machine being shot down and forget the unlucky bastards inside. A tank exploding into flames looks spectacular but inside its boiled flesh and screaming .
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06-29-2005, 01:15 PM
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#42 | | Senior Member
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Country: | You knock out the tail-gunner then go for the vital parts of the wing e.g fuel lines, engines, control surfaces etc.
__________________ "When you go home tomorrow, don't expect anyone to know what you have been through. Even if they did know, most people probably wouldn't care anyway. Some of you may get the medals you deserve, many more of you will not. But remember this, all of you are now members of the front-line club, and that is the most exclusive club in the world." - Lt. Col. Matthew Maer CO 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment. Camp Abu Naji, Oct. 2004 To those in that club. | |
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06-29-2005, 01:52 PM
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#43 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
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Country: | He might have help from the Ball if the attack came from the bottom 
Another thing to think about in the tail - when making adverse maneuvers or flying in turbulence, it has the most movement. Basically a "puke pit" 
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