Can a gunner be an ace?
One of the few gunner aces who received official recognition was Benjamin Warner, a B-17 waist gunner. Arooth, a tail gunner on the B-17 “Tondelayo” who shot down a total of 17 enemy fighters in the course of 14 missions.
Did the B-17 have a tail gunner?
On the B-17 was a 10 man crew plus room for passengers; 2 Pilots who had no weapon control, a Bombardier who operated the Norden Bomb Sight and also served as the Nose Gunner, a Navigator who operated the cheek guns in the nose of the plane, the Engineer who operated the Top Turret Gun, a Radio Operator, a Ball Turret …
What was a waist gunner?
The primary duty of the waist gunner was to defend the aircraft against the enemy. Waist gunners were also frequently responsible for checking the aircraft for damage and assisting the flight engineer with repairs if necessary. …
Who shot down the most German planes in WW2?
Erich Hartmann
While serving in Germany’s Luftwaffe in World War II, Erich Hartmann flew more than 1,400 missions in the Messerschmitt Bf 109, enabling him to score an astonishing 352 kills.
How many kills is an ace?
five
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace are varied, but is usually considered to be five or more.
Who was known as the ace of aces?
Top Image: Major Richard Bong courtesy of the US Air Force. Known as the “Ace of Aces” for his rank as the top American flying ace during World War II, Major Richard Ira Bong is credited with the downing of an impressive confirmed total of 40 enemy aircraft over the course of his career as a fighter pilot.
Do B 52s have gunners?
The first USAF B-52s entered service in November 1955. Initial Air Force requirements for the long-range strategic bomber called for a crew of five, plus turret gunners. But the B-52B—the first deployed variant of the bomber—carried only one gunner, who manned four . 50-caliber M3 machine guns.
Do Bombers still have tail gunners?
Whenever someone retires, it marks the end of an era in their personal life. When U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Rob Wellbaum leaves the service he’ll end an entire era of aerial combat as America’s last bomber tail gunner. On May 12, 2017, Wellbaum retired after three decades in the Air Force.
What is a top turret gunner?
A dorsal gunner, mid-upper gunner or top gunner is an air gunner responsible for operating a gun position or turret located on the upper (dorsal) fuselage, between the cockpit and tail of some military aircraft.
What is a radio gunner?
radio operator/gunner crewmembers that served in World War II. (WWII). These individuals provided essential communications for. bomber aircraft during the war and served as aerial gunners, defending their aircraft against enemy fighters.
Which is gunnery position on the B-17 shot down?
JG 26 Top Guns of the Luftwaffe p. 125 by Donald L. Caldwell. “The size of the heavy bombers and their formations could not be adequately described to a green pilot; they had to be experienced first hand…The bomber gunners opened fire as soon as a target was seen, in order to disrupt or ward off attacks.
Who was the waist gunner on a B-24 Liberator?
B17 waist gunner in A-11 helmet, A-2 jacket, B-4 life vest (mae west) and B-8 parachute harness The engineer and waist gunner on a B-24 of the 8th Air Force in England. In the South Pacific in World War II, tail gunner Sgt. James E. Berryhill sits with a field modification of two .50-caliber M2 machine guns on his B-24 Liberator bomber.
How many German planes were shot down by the B-17?
About 4,000 B-17’s were shot down and post-war research showed that B-17 gunners killed about 3,500 German fighters. Okay, I saw this picture in a book of which I cannot recall the exact title.
Who are the air gunners of World War 2?
Fighter aces are seen as gods and heroes by society and history. Many books, programmes, films and interviews about them – and rightly so. BUT we never hear much, if at alll, about the other brave men who also stared death in the face every time they took to the air – the air gunners.
