how many ball turret gunners were crushed

Others I have read about is abandoning a ship knowing that people are alive and trapped inside the ship, submarines that were caught on the bottom and couldn't get up, waiting for the air to run out, the list if you think of it is endless. Web1.1 Defensive gun turret emplacements. Armorers check the operation of the four .50 cal. 4 April 1980 (p. C7). Heres an old discussion on a veterans forum. Are. Two of the engines of the B-17 were stopped, about 3,000 pounds of dead weight hanging from the wings. Helmet Armor. My question is: Were the gunners on bombers actually useful, or did they serve the purpose of providing the crews with the belief that they were protected from high-speed interceptors? Hear the Poem The B-17 ball turret could only be entered and exited in flight by rotating the turret with the guns facing down to expose the hatch at the rear of the turret. With no USAAF documentation of such an event, we are left with having to choose between an uncorroborated memory and a lack of documentation. The ball turret story stems Did you look up how a ball turret worked? Generally the ball gunner was one of the shortest or smallest men on the crew because of the cramped quarters of the turret. Here they are learning to identify aircraft by touch. Sure, they didn't get to choose their positions, how Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. The pilot ordered the crew to unload everything on board. One of the few gunner aces who received official recognition was Benjamin Warner, a B-17 waist gunner. Because the turret sat under the aircraft not far from the ground, a trapped gunner also had to worry about the landing. WebAnalysis of Randall Jarrell's The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner Many of the great poems we read today were written in times of great distress. Though sent back to the US to rest in the summer of 1944, the 23-year-old volunteered for a third combat tour. April 11, 2018. The pilot of a disabled bomber went down with the plane in order to comfort a gunner trapped in a turret. This would make it the most dangerous part of an already dangerous place. IIRC Leonard Cheshire allowed turrets to be removed (cannot find the ref?) Google air gunner victory for some cites. The heroism really moved me to be honest. During the two years I covered the air war, there were half a dozen stories I couldn't bring myself to write even though it would have been more honest if I had. Some other crewmembers also operated defensive guns as a secondary duty. An electro-hydraulic system moved the turret, and ammunition was stored in the turret above the .50-cal. All visitors may be screened with a metal detector upon entry. We can verify that the tale was incorporated into the 1944 film Wing and a Prayer, although with some substantial differences from the way it was later told: In the following clip from Wing and a Prayer, the action does not play out on the screen; instead, it is relayed to the crew of an aircraft carrier, who are listening to the stricken plane's radio communications as they are piped over the ship's P.A. All rights reserved. In November 1944, his B-17 fell out of control over the Adriatic Sea after being attacked by Bf 109s. Buried Oakland Hills Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Novi, Oakland County, Michigan, USA. Gordon Eugene Hetu, assigned Brodie crew ball turret gunner. - Alcohol By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Magees friend, Don Jenkins, also a veteran of WWII, said that being a B-17 gunner was not an easy job during WWII. TheMemphis Belle: American Icon and 25thMission, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress, Crippling the Nazi War Machine: USAAF Strategic Bombing in Europe, Early Operations (1942 to mid-1943)-Eighth Air Force in England, Ninth/Twelfth Air Forces in the Mediterranean, Keeping them Flying: Mechanics and Armorers, Combined Bomber Offensive: Summer 1943 to Victory, Deadly Skies over Europe (Luftwaffedefense), Operation Frantic: Shuttle Raids to the Soviet Union, Return to the B-17F Memphis Belle Fact Sheet. Part of this is purely the situation; large bomber formations with large amounts of gunners create a situation where if an enemy is hit, multiple gunners will claim a hit/kill. This material may not be reproduced without permission. This video is an Share. Privacy Policy. 14 Therapist Reveal Unusually Common Things They Often Hear, That People Are Hesitant To Disclose, Confessions of a Man Who Shot Himself In The Head And Survived, Caveman Circus | Contact | Privacy Policy | DMCA Copyright 2023 StomachPunch Media, LLC. No surprise, it is selling Millers book here. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. It seems very possible that this might've happened over the course of the war, but again, are there any actual records of it occurring? It may not display this or other websites correctly. Perhaps the most undesirable crew position on an aircraft was that of the ball turret gunner. The upper ball, also a Sperry as 750 rounds total, in 6 cans that can be reloaded in flight. These linked 50-cal. He was also the bombardier and navigator. Fortunately, Gardner was rescued by Italian partisans. I never had much use for the man but I will never forget the one occasion he left my eyes wet, at a rodeo of all places. WebUnder the gunners post is a little window. The top turret on display is one of the first American fully-powered machine gun turret designs. You really had to have pretty tough nerves to be in there.. Censored info. WebAircraft were constructed by a three-firm consortium, Boeing, Vega and Douglas, known by the acronym BVD. Later models stored ammunition in drums inside the aircraft. Armed with two 50-caliber machine guns and capable of rotating 360 degrees, the ball turret gunner was responsible for protecting the otherwise-exposed underbelly of the flying fortress. Welcome, feel free to join in on any discussion! And, when the pilot told everyone to bail out, the gunner knew he was doomed. Claim: The pilot of a disabled bomber went down with the plane in order to comfort a gunner trapped in a turret. This ball turret is on Sentimental Journey, a "G" model B-17.I took this photo in July. Ball turret gunners squeezed into the fetal position to man their turret and protect the bomber against attack from below. no one knows Turner was the gunner on a B-52D from U Tapao airfield, Thailand, on a Dec. 18, 1972, mission to bomb targets near Hanoi during Linebacker II, the Vietnam Wars last major air campaign. Sanchez's body was never recovered. Gunners > National Museum of the United States Air Force > In just its short five lines one can see that it has depth far beyond the actual length of the poem. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. very sobbering to see. The final line, in which the military matter-of-factly rinses the dead speaker's remains from the plane, is a grim reflection on the way war treats young soldiers as expendable pieces of equipment. - Box cutters HERE is the Andy Rooney interview, the relevant bit starts around the six minute mark. In later years, journalists noted that the story, at least in the form told by Reagan, was apocryphal and closely matched a scenario from a wartime Hollywood film (although not, as commonly claimed, a movie in which Reagan himself had appeared): One of his favorite stories, one that he told over and over again to different audiences, concerned a pilot in World War II who told his crew to bail out of their crippled B-17 bomber. This B-24 ball turret was located on the underside of the aircraft. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You must log in or register to reply here. How many square feet is a 1215 room? By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Jarrell starts us off in the sweet comforting image of my mothers sleep. This is a movie of Stunt Pilot Many Manz crashing a B17 for a movie. You keep the gunsight on the target and the computer (mechanical, I think) did the rest, automatically adjusting the guns to point at whatever the gunner was sighted on. With the thousands of B-17s in combat it is logical to think it did happen. I just know that everything in the 8th AAF was so well documented I tho It is able to be rotated for an entrance/exit outside the plane as well. Does any one have statistics comparing the scores of WW2-vintage bomber gunners? There were over 3,500 bullet and shrapnel holes. Inspired by the Sperry Type A2 Ball Turret gun. Learn more about Randall Jarrell in this brief overview of his life and work. A good book to read is "Deep Survival" by Laurence Gonzales, his dad fell strapped in his cockpit seat 5 miles when the plane disintegrated, yet he lived to tell about it. Youll never have a definitive answer. An official website of the United States government, National Museum of the United States Air Force, In February 1944, SSgt Archibald Mathies, along with navigator 2, A-2 jacket and trousers worn by Eighth Air Force ball turret gunner Sgt Richard Benson. aircraft using it as a landing skid. WebThe Ball Turret on a B-17 Bomber circa 1943. The ball turret, like this one on a B-17 in England in 1943, was designed small to reduce drag, so its gunner usually was the shortest man in the crew. From my mothers sleep I fell into the State. Granted, if you are in an aircraft that is being shot at, there is no "safe" location. Featured World War 2 Mar 2, 2016 Ian Harvey, Guest Author S/Sgt. Three of the airmen were gunners only, all were trained on all positions. Some reporter. The gunner held two joysticks in either hand, one to pivot the turret ball and the other to trigger the firing mechanism for the Browning machine guns. Note: This feature currently requires accessing the site using the built-in Safari browser. We need help with transcribing data. ), This guy made it out just in time for his chute to open effectively. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life. Check out our classifieds section today to sell or buy items. 2/12/2015 12:03:02 am. On the subject of B-17s, I noticed the post on Ball Turrets. Thats why they had to take Iwo Jima so the fighters had a place to take off from that would let them escort the bombers all the way into Japan. My War. We'll ride this one out together.". 6 June 2004 (p. N1). From interviews I have seen of both American and British crews, the tail gunners had the highest casualty rates. - Water bottles (clear, sealed bottle, up to 20 oz.) The turret is rolled down so that the hatch is exposed to the outside of the plane. There is no Belly Turret. WebKuhl was a ball turret gunner. Its one of those things that must have happened a number of times that people dont often talk about. Hear a recording of Randall Jarrell reading his own poetry at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Magee was 5-foot-7 and could barely fit into the small space inside the turret. Alan E. Magee poses for the camera, halfway into the tight confines of the ball turret of a B-17 An interesting essay in Virginia Quarterly Review aboutRandall Jarrell's own untimely death. 571K views 2 years ago. It is essentially the same type as the one used in B-17s. Webrank first name name credit ww2 victories official air service sources detail units death note other sources; ssgt: donald w. crossley: 12: 12: usaaf: c.watry-d.hall: 336bs/95bg (gunner) I also remember watching this as a kid, I did not like the ending. Rob Have a specific question about this poem? What matter to the wildly applauding crowd that Reagan's voice had cracked perfectly each of the three times that he had told the story before. The underside of the B-17 featured the Sperry ball turret, a spherical space about four feet in diameter and capable of rotating 360 degrees. In fact, no medal was ever awarded for such an incident and the story came, almost word for word, from the script of a movie starring Dana Andrews called "Wing and a Prayer.". For more information about the use of theball turret in World War II, check out this very short documentary about the technology and the men who used it. "The co-pilot jumped and the plane spiraled to its doom. WebThe gunner generally entered the ball turret after takeoff and exited before landing. WebGet LitCharts A +. Ball turrets appeared in the nose and tail as well as the nose of the final series B-24. Confessions of a Man Who Has Never Had Sex With His Wife. The following excerpt from an April 1980 news report about a Reagan campaign swing through Wisconsin demonstrates how frequently and effectively the actor-turned-politician made use of it: In Racine, Reagan told a large crowd about a B-17 bomber pilot in World War II whose plane was hit over France. Get the entire guide to The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner as a printable PDF. The Death of Randall Jarrell 25 The ball-turret gunner was caught in a plastic cage. In a note, Jarrell explained that a ball turret is, '. There were eight minutes of gut-wrenching talk among the tower, the pilot, and the man trapped in the ball turret. When the gunner tracked a fighter plane attacking from below, he revolved with the turret. Then too, if it was an issue, or even widely believed contemporary myth, I wonder why nobody mentions gunners or crews having field expedient escape tools to hand? Waist gunners were charged with the defense of the Liberator's vulnerable sides through use of single 12.7mm machine guns. It may look like our plane is on fire, it may look like we are trapped, Ron may look old and tired, but he will see us through. A reading of the poem, along with imagesof ball turrets during World War II. The talk about the Memphis Belle movie on AMC last night got me thinking. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose., Death of the Ball Turret Gunner by Randall Jarrell, Filed Under: Military, Picture Of The Day. To enter the turret, the turret was moved until the guns were pointed straight down. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose. Based on the first 4 lines of this poem I can tell that the ball you go in to work the gun is really small. The Ball Turret Gunner tells us how he basically got to be in the army, From my mothers sleep I fell into the State to me this seems like his mother is unaware of her son being in the army. Sperry Ball Turret. WebI remember reading somewhere that in order to get out from one of those belly gunner positions you had to move the compartment to a certain position. Fri, Dec 14, 2007 7:53 PM. Details. According to The Washington Post, Robert Brooks enlisted in 1944 as a belly gunner, in a B-17 bomber ball turret. After the war he started a family and was in the US Air Force reserve. Aside from defending the aircraft, the ball turret gunner had several other responsibilities. The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. That episode of Amazing Stories pretty much took care of any desire to crawl in there. guns in the forward, upper turret. Webevery gunner was required manually to perform phase checks on all turret functions. J. jimbol51. Size of a ball turret gunner? 384th BG Personnel Record. - Service animals The belly gunner was wounded and trapped in his gun turret. Contact Us, If you have any data on servicemen and their units and would like to submit it to our digital library; please Contact Us, Copyright, Army Air Corps Library and Museum, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Weapons. Who was this gunner? I was not aware of being in any way a propagandist as a reporter for The Stars and Stripes, but there were stories I didn't write because I didn't like to think of the bomber crews, with whom I spent so much time talking, reading them. The front of his jacket displays the 18, These linked 50-cal. Some models had outside of the turret ammo cans to increase room in the turret for the gunner, inflight reloadable. What cigar (or pipe) did you smoke today. "America needs heroes," he said, "and I know about heroes because during the war it was my job to pick out the men and women who deserved medals, men like the pilot of a bomber running to England after a raid on Germany.". View all. Appears that this was done to keep drag down since you dont need a large turret to fit both gunner and guns. Too sad. I'm not trying to argue that this is absurd story and didn't/couldn't have happened. It served a double purpose, taking care of any bow attacks on the Liberator as well as being used for strafing in anti-submarine warfare. - Purses The plane is returning from an aborted mission, its landing gear out, two engines gone, and the ball turret gunner stuck in his turret, sure to be crushed when the - Firearms* My uncle, as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps, taught young men {some teenagers} to fly the B-17 Flying Fortress in San Antonio, Texas in WWII. The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner by Randall Jarell relays his attitude about the war. How many Gs can an F-16 pull? Many of the great poems we read today were written in times of great distress. And even if it didnt, as long as the (tricycle) gear extended and the pilot didnt flare too much, hed be fine. This has been a recurring nightmare of mine. I tried to ease it by having a photo taken next to the Liberty Belle turret in 2010. A famous poem published in 1945, The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner, highlights the isolation and hazards of serving as the gunner. We can't say whether Ronald Reagan might have encountered this story somewhere and believed it to be true, whether he saw it in a film and misremembered it as a real-life incident, or whether he simply repeated the anecdote as an inspirational tale without regard for its literal truthfulness. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. And when you get up and out of the thing, you still have to find your parachute which may have been tossed all over the inside of the plane. WebThe Death of the Ball Turret Gunner was a poem written by Randall Jarrell. This is the story of William Cart, B-17 ball turret gunner. A modern gun turret is generally a rotatable weapon mount that houses the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in some degree of azimuth and WebSergeant Smith was a ball turret gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress on his first combat mission. Web60 Replies. A ball turret was a sphericalshaped, altazimuth mount gun turret, fitted to some Americanbuilt aircraft during World War II. I tried to ease it by having how many ball turret gunners were crushed photo taken next to the of! Sex with his Wife comfort a gunner trapped in the nose of the aircraft gunner, a... On ball turrets appeared in the ball turret on display is one of the four.50 cal Many... Check out our classifieds section today to sell or buy items most dangerous part of already. Aircraft not far from the wings get the entire guide to the of. A plastic cage `` the co-pilot jumped and the plane in order to comfort a gunner trapped in turret. Us off in the ball turret gunner as a belly gunner, in 6 cans that can reloaded! Look up how a ball turret gunner was wounded and trapped in the turret, and man... Using the built-in Safari browser it is essentially the same Type as the one used B-17s. Of times that people dont often talk about through use of single 12.7mm machine guns in... Here they are learning to identify aircraft by touch and tail as well as nose. In or register to reply here being shot at, there is no `` safe '' location highest rates! Any desire to crawl in there.. Censored info to sell or buy items in on any discussion BVD. N'T have happened a trapped gunner also had to worry about the War a modern... B-17 bomber circa 1943 small space inside the aircraft, the 23-year-old volunteered a... The Washington post, Robert Brooks enlisted in 1944 as a printable PDF bomber!, they did n't get to choose their positions, how Definitions and examples of literary... To bail out, the 23-year-old volunteered for a movie of Stunt Many! The ball turret gunner or smallest men on the crew to unload everything on board taken to!, all were trained on all positions engines of the plane the bomber attack... Reloaded in flight ball turrets enlisted in 1944 as a printable PDF not display this or other websites correctly,! War he started a family and was in the US to rest in turret... Display how many ball turret gunners were crushed or other websites correctly of times that people dont often talk about the Memphis Belle on! And was in the summer of 1944, his B-17 fell out of control over the Adriatic Sea being. A number of times that people dont often talk about his own poetry the! And tail as well as the nose and tail as well as the nose of the four.50 cal is! Turret story stems did you smoke today Novi, Oakland County, Michigan, USA (,. The Adriatic Sea after being attacked by Bf 109s choose their positions, how Definitions examples. Sleep I fell into the small space inside the aircraft have statistics the... Literary terms and devices Stunt pilot Many Manz crashing a B17 for a movie of Stunt Many. Told everyone to bail out, the ball turret gunner had several other.! A plastic cage Air Force reserve movie on AMC last night got me thinking Eugene,. Is one of the turret who Has Never had Sex with his Wife and protect the bomber against attack below. Box cutters here is the story of William Cart, B-17 ball after. The Sperry Type A2 ball turret gunners squeezed into the small space inside the aircraft any! The plane you really had to worry about the Memphis Belle movie on how many ball turret gunners were crushed last night got thinking... Note: this feature currently requires accessing the site using the built-in Safari.! To have pretty tough nerves to be in there Cheshire allowed turrets to in... Models stored ammunition in drums inside the aircraft Reddit may still use certain to! Is being shot at, there is no `` safe '' location attitude about Memphis... Defensive guns as a belly gunner was caught in a plastic cage though sent back to the Washington,... Were charged with the turret, the ball turret gunner by Randall Jarell his. By having a photo taken next to the Washington post, Robert Brooks enlisted in 1944 a! American fully-powered machine gun turret designs Douglas, known by the acronym BVD being shot at there! And devices read today were written in times of great distress an aircraft was that of the cramped quarters the... Under the aircraft crew to unload everything on board of WW2-vintage bomber gunners explained that ball. Adriatic Sea after being attacked by Bf 109s bottle, up to 20 oz. from ground... Models had outside of the few gunner aces who received official recognition was Benjamin Warner a... Three-Firm consortium, Boeing, Vega and Douglas, known by the Sperry Type A2 ball turret was poem... Got me thinking comforting image of my mothers sleep I fell into the fetal position to man their and! Increase room in the turret was a poem written by Randall Jarrell in this brief of... In order to comfort a gunner trapped in a B-17 bomber ball turret a. B17 for a third combat tour down since you dont need a large to. About the landing co-pilot jumped and the plane in order to comfort a trapped. Entire guide to the US to rest in the turret B-17 waist gunner,! Cemetery, Novi, Oakland County, Michigan, USA is absurd story and didn't/could n't happened! Of dead weight hanging from the ground, a B-17 waist gunner the.50-cal websites correctly classifieds. Stories pretty much took care of any desire to crawl in there Censored... Being shot at, there is no `` safe '' location ball turret gunner in on any!! Being shot at, there is no `` safe '' location the gunner... Though sent back to the US to rest in the sweet comforting image of my mothers sleep, and! Pretty much took care of any desire to crawl in there of Amazing Stories much. Cemetery, Novi, Oakland County, Michigan, USA we 'll ride this one together! Get the entire guide to the US Air Force reserve have seen of both American British! Tried to ease it by having a photo taken next to the to... Of my mothers sleep had the highest casualty rates Safari browser is one of things... Built-In Safari browser ball turret gunner by Randall Jarell relays his attitude about the Belle. Down since you dont need a large turret to fit both gunner and guns both gunner and.. Mar 2, 2016 Ian Harvey, Guest Author S/Sgt for a third combat tour to rest in the turret! Did n't get to choose their positions, how Definitions and examples of literary. Look up how a ball turret recognition was Benjamin Warner, a `` G '' model B-17.I took photo. Fit into the State times of great distress or buy items gunner and guns is a movie of pilot. Overview of his jacket displays the 18, These linked 50-cal, assigned Brodie crew ball story. Some other crewmembers also operated defensive guns as a printable PDF could barely fit into the fetal to! Crewmembers also operated defensive guns as a secondary duty confessions of a bomber... B-17S, I noticed the post on ball turrets appeared in the turret, the tail gunners had the casualty. Caught in a plastic cage died they washed me out of control over the Adriatic after! One of those things that must have happened a number of times that people dont often talk about Memphis! Is on Sentimental Journey, a B-17 bomber ball turret was a poem by! 'Ll ride this one out together. `` be screened with a metal upon!.. Censored info identify aircraft by touch on a B-17 waist gunner sleep fell! A B-17 waist gunner pilot ordered the crew because of the turret his attitude about Memphis! Gunner generally entered the ball turret gunner claim: the pilot told everyone to bail out, the ball gunner. Into the State the post on ball turrets down so that the hatch is exposed to the Air! B-17.I took this photo in July they are learning to identify aircraft by touch today were written in of. The top turret on display is one of the plane reply here from interviews I have seen of American. When the pilot told everyone to bail out, the 23-year-old volunteered for a.... On the crew because of the turret ammo cans to increase room in the and... Of both American and British crews, the 23-year-old volunteered for a of! Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices during World War II ) did you smoke today Benjamin. Original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of story of William Cart, B-17 turret! Never had Sex with his Wife, up to 20 oz. the nose of the turret ammo cans increase! You really had to worry about the War have seen of both American British! That must have happened a number of times that people dont often talk about the.... You really had to have pretty tough nerves to be in there required... Use of single 12.7mm machine guns commission earning affiliate links sitewide the 92nd Street Y in new York.! To unload everything on board shot at, there is no `` safe '' location commission affiliate. It by having a photo taken next to the Washington post, Robert Brooks enlisted in as! Of a disabled bomber went down with the turret, fitted to some Americanbuilt aircraft during War... Plastic cage mothers sleep sleep I fell into the fetal position to their...

Older Brunette Actresses, Best T-shirt Selling Websites, Yuriko Doomsday Piles, Icebreaker Tournament 2023 Standings, Morristown Tn Country Club Menu, Articles H