 | Most dangerous position in a B-17| Aviation Discuss Most dangerous position in a B-17 in the World War II - Aviation forums; I know there was a thread on this but I had trouble finding it.
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04-14-2005, 07:41 AM
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#1 | | Banned
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 795
| Most dangerous position in a B-17
I know there was a thread on this but I had trouble finding it.
Scroll down to see the numbers for the B-17 casualties of the 95th BG(H). http://www.taphilo.com/history/8thaf/8aflosses.shtml | 
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04-14-2005, 08:55 AM
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#2 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Lancaster, UK
Posts: 283
| Waost Gunner was the most exposed, and would therefore have the highest casualties, but Id hate to be in the front. Id be *insert adjective here* myself when the fighters came in head-on!
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04-14-2005, 09:24 AM
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#3 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 13,235
Country:  | Think about being a wounded waist gunner, exposed to 50 degree below zero temps in a shot apart B-17! [-o< | 
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04-14-2005, 09:44 AM
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#4 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Adelaide
Posts: 3,504
Country:  | I'd have though every position was dangerous! | |
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04-14-2005, 09:47 AM
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#5 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 13,235
Country: | Like one guy said on the old thread - What's the most dangerous position in a B-17? INSIDE  | |
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04-14-2005, 10:05 AM
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#6 | | Konfused with a 'K'
Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Turin, Italy
Posts: 20,412
Country:  | Yes but did the figures for the waist gunner take into account for the fact there was two waist gunners, on on each side, thus making the chance of one being KIA effectivly doubled?
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04-15-2005, 03:08 AM
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#7 | | | I think most KIA's involve the loss of the entire crew.
There are approx. twice as many waste gunners lost because there were two waiste gunners, no other catagory has two crewmen.
=S=
Lunatic | |
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04-15-2005, 01:03 PM
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#8 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Canada
Posts: 2,024
Country:  | Personnally, if I had to choose a position in a B-17, it would definately be the upper turret or the tail gunner.
I think the ventral turret is the worst position. (Because if your plane got shot down, you were trapped in there !) | |
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04-15-2005, 01:10 PM
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#9 | | Banned
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Posts: 795
| Quote: |
Originally Posted by RG_Lunatic I think most KIA's involve the loss of the entire crew.
There are approx. twice as many waste gunners lost because there were two waiste gunners, no other catagory has two crewmen.
=S=
Lunatic | What about the cockpit? | |
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04-15-2005, 01:17 PM
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#10 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
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Originally Posted by Maestro Personnally, if I had to choose a position in a B-17, it would definately be the upper turret or the tail gunner.
I think the ventral turret is the worst position. (Because if your plane got shot down, you were trapped in there !) | In 1978 I worked for a company called Aviation Warehouse outside of Los Angeles - a salvage company that also did a lot of movie stuff. We got a hold of several Sperry ball turrets and even set one up on improvised scaffolding. If you crashed with one of these extended, you would probably break the bomber it was in in 2 and I even think you might survive. The plexi on this thing was several inches thick and the actual structure was a big forging, again several inches thick. We got the thing running and it was like a carnival ride until we burnt the motor out (boy was the boss pissed!). Anyway, from what you may read about the ball turret:
1. You had to be small. I'm 5'9" and could not fully fit in it.
2. You could egress from it, the lower half would fall away.
3. You had to be nuts to want to go in that thing!  | |
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04-15-2005, 02:12 PM
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#11 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,959
Country:  | my word that's one hell of an aviatar..........
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04-15-2005, 02:15 PM
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#12 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
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Originally Posted by the lancaster kicks ass my word that's one hell of an aviatar.......... | Got it fixed, it scared the hell out of me when I realized what I did 
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04-15-2005, 02:29 PM
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#13 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,959
Country: | me too............
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"Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." | |
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04-15-2005, 02:29 PM
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#14 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
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Originally Posted by the lancaster kicks ass me too............ | Sorry 
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04-15-2005, 02:31 PM
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#15 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
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i mean, what if a young child came on here and saw that..............
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