What is the most dangerous position on a bomber? (cont.)

[Gnomey]

Originally Posted by wmaxt

From my point of view inside the plane is the worst place. Seriously though using the actual casualities of the 95th BG for positions of aircrew of aircraft shot down.

1. Plot and Radio lost 58 men
2. Tail Gunner lost 57 men
3 Co-Pilot, Navigator, and Ball turret 56 men
4. Top Turret lost 51 men Waist lost 102 men
5. Bombardier lost 47 men

This and related info including bomber and fighter losses by the 8th AF can be found at this site. 8th Air Force Combat Losses in World War II ETO Against the AXIS Powers

wmaxt

Good stuff wmaxt, the waist would be roughly double because there was two of them? Looking at that data it looks like they were all almost equally endanger.

[reddragon]

Looks to me like the ball turret would be extremely dangerous. After all, he was locked in there and couldn't get out without help. I couldn't be the gunner in one of them. I saw a post that said the ball turret position was the safest with that of the pilot being the most dangerous. Guess wmaxt was right.

[Aggie08]

Just think though, for a downed bomber there is less distinction between "safe" and "unsafe." I tend to think of safe and unsafe on bombers that made it back, who was more likely to get killed or come back unscathed. I've heard that the tail gunners, or "Tail End Charlies" as the Lanc rear gunners were called, had the most dangerous positions. You knock out the tail gunner and a huge avenue for attack opens up. I think it would be awful to be the belly gunner as flak is coming straight at you. At least the men in other places had some armor or something more than plexiglass to shield them.

[the lancaster kicks ass]

yes it is beyond doubt that the rear gunner was the worst position in a lanc, the best being the bomb aimer partly because the main escape hatch was right under him, partly because attach always came from the rear and he was furthest from the rear.........