Most Dangerous Position on a Bomber....?

[MP-Willow]

So true, I do not want to sound like I do not respect these airman. I have been reading accounts of planes that went down in the Pacific and the men floating around then being picked up days latter hundreds of miles away. Or for a good read try F"lyboys". That wil give you some good isight on the Pacific war and Japanese treatment of POWs.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I keep one extra bullet for my 9mm for myself, cuz it would be better to shoot myself then be tortured and then killed by the insurgants here.

[lesofprimus]

Man I wish I had the time to tell u about all the Evade and Capture stuff I went through.... I actually got my ass beaten in training, kinda similar to how they showed it in the movie GI Jane....
There was also some torture methods that we were "Aquainted" with, so that we understood what we were getting into if we were to be captured... Electric shock is BAAADDDDD news....

The one thing we learned to our souls was that EVERY man has a breaking point, so escape when u can, even if it means ur life... A captured SEAL member is a hell of a political and intelligence tool........

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeah we recieve the training SERE-C we call it.

[cheddar cheese]

You know guys its great to have people who have served with the armed forces like you guys have, I find it really interesting reading what youve got to say, it gives me a better insight into how things really are. I have the greatest respect for anyone who has served their country - I salute you

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Thank you very much, I am just glad that there is so much to talk about in this forum even when it gets off topic, there are some great people in here and I have learned a lot about WW2 aviation which has always interested me and I hope I have been able to help others so far.

Ball turret!

It was a primary target for German fighters. Unlike the tail position, the ball turret gunner could not move at all to get out of the way, the tail gunner could duck if he though his position was about to get wacked. The ball turret had to be in just the right position for he gunner to get out, and if it got stuck, he was in serious trouble.

Finally, the ball turret gunner could not wear his parachute while in the turret. This meant that if the plane was shot down, he had to align his turret (impossible if the electrical system is out), open the hatch, climb out, put on his parachute, and then get to an exit. Try that in a plane that is spinning faster and faster as it goes down!

The ball turret was the most dangerous position without a doubt, and everyone knew it.

=S=

Lunatic

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Just a question where would the tail gunner go? Have you been in a B-17 There was no room for the tail gunner to just get up and run to get out of the way of a german fighter.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

But I do agree with you that the ball was the most dangerous as I said in my previous posts.

[cheddar cheese]

And im not so sure the gunner would leg it - if he had any sense of decency he would try to shoot the plane down.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Well ofcourse I was just saying the tail gunner didn't have much more room than the ball either. I mean I think the ball was probably the worst and most confined and most dangerous but the tail was not much better.

[cheddar cheese]

I still think it was the tail however.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I think it would be the ball turret because not only did they have to contend with fighters but they could not get out of the ball if powered failed and the access door was not in the right spot, they were pretty much enclosed in glass and then imagined if they could not get out the gear did not come down on landing. I would hate to be in the ball.

[the lancaster kicks ass]

and the fact that they were known to simply fall away for no reason..........

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Another good reason. Think of the FLAK hitting your ball turret to as you flew over hostile Germany. That had to really suck.