WW2 Bomber Gunner Stations

[tmetal]

The ball turret gunner had to curl up into almost a fetal position (sperry ball turret type; not the periscope gunner tub type), while every other gunner was either standing or sitting/kneeling at their station. I wonder if this helped the ball gunner present a smaller overall target than the other gunner positions, though any advantage this gained was probably offset by the position's exposure to enemy fire due to its location on the airframe.

Personal preference would be waist gunner position for perceived survivability and ease of bail out ability, and nose gunner for perceived kill earning; but that is all personal opinion based on some books and conversations with surviving vets of the era.

[FLOOB]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH9w1ryNAp8

[Ack-Ack]

I was wondering if there was a gunner station in American bombers during ww2 that a disproportionate success rate.

For example was one station responsible for the most air-to-air victories.  My guess if there was it would be the tail or turret station.

By the same token, were there stations that had a disproportionate mortality or wounding rate.

You know, I just stumbled onto a site the other day that had a complete break down of the figures you're asking about.  I don't remember what position was considered to be most successful but I do remember the figures showing that the waist gunner position suffered the most casualties.

It's a boring, slow day at work so I'll try and dig up the link to the site.  Seem to recall it was part of the AF University site from Maxwell AFB.

ack-ack

[FLOOB]

But waist gunner is two positions, two men. That may skew the average.

[Ack-Ack]

But waist gunner is two positions, two men. That may skew the average.

The data was on which B-17 crew position suffered the most casualties and the waist gunner position was number one, and I think the tail gunner was the 2nd position that suffered the most casualties.  The data was taken from the 95th Bomber Group for aircraft shot down.


Found the same info on another site, 8th Air Force Combat Losses in World War II.

The numbers are pretty interesting for the 95th BG.  Not only did the waist gunners suffer the most causalities (KIA and WIA), they also made up the largest group of POWs from the bomber crews.

ack-ack

[DaveBB]

In 44 after Mustangs and 47s had decimated the Luftwaffe, one waist gunner was removed.  The reasoning behind this is that it was very rare that both gunners would be firing at the same time.  So it was one airmen manning two waist guns.  The radio room 50 cal was also done away with.

[colmbo]

It seems to me one of them said a version of the B-17 allowed them to get into the ball turret while in flight. An earlier model required the gunner to get in while on the ground.

The Sperry ball, the only one used on the B-17, could be entered in flight...same for the B-24.

[FLOOB]

Waist gunner had most casualties and most pow? How does that work? Since you had to get out of the plane to be a pow.

[Ack-Ack]

Waist gunner had most casualties and most pow? How does that work? Since you had to get out of the plane to be a pow.

Replacements. 

ack-ack

[FLOOB]

Ah the loss of waist gunners is roughly twice that as the other positions because its listed as one position, not divided up into left and right waist gunner.