Recent content by flakhappy

In real life, it was one job of the interrogator after every bomber mission, to avoid this business of multiple credits for every plane shot down. His job was difficult, but a good interrogator could sort out the shoot-down claims and arrive at a fairly accurate estimate of enemy losses.

Right. The plane that brought me back to base 52 times.

Yurwelcome.

Please remember that this author, sadly now deceased, was the one who in an earliier book called the ball turret a "plastic bubble." Some bubble! Over 1200 pounds and the only plastic was in the author's head. In the earlier book about the war in Europe he went on for many pages about the 8th...

Oops! I have to cut in here and correct that bomb load figure for a B-17. The normal bomb load for a B-17 in the 15th AF (and I presume the 8th) was 6,000 pouinds, except when carrying frag clusters or incendiaries, which were not as compact as regular bombs. I have pulled the safety pins on 12...

I have read Ambrose and don't remember him quoting anybody about carrying 3 tons or more. I do remember them saying they had a hard time lifting off the runway. We could identify B24 fields in Italy by the shattered treetops off the ends of their runways. The B-24 had a Davis, high-speed wing...

I keep running into these statements about the B24 having such a big bomb load, and range, and superior to the B-17, etc., etc. The statements probably are based on manufacturer's promotion, but not on fact. The B-24 had bomb bays (2) that could HOLD 8 tons, but believe somebody who flew in both...

And many thanks to all for the generous welcome!

That equipment we used 65 years ago was bulky, but effective. Lots of weight and trouble just to do what a cell phone would do today. (well, almost. A cell might not find one's position without hard cranking).

Mille, mille grazi, diddyriddick

Nice to be able to talk radio so someone.

Sure. If I can answer any questions I'll give you my best shot.

Crews were assigned to fly when they were needed, and usually the rotation made allowance for proper rest, etc. But if you understand the military way, you know that doesn't always work. We in the 15th AF when I was in Italy flew 50 missions. That translates into 30 actual missions in my case...

We weren't assigned to a specific plane, but mostlly flew in a G-model that we named "Magnetic Maggie" because of its proclivity of attracting flak. Her serial was 071, so that's what we called her. Her ground crew chief told me a few years ago that she was still sitting on the field in the...

Although I've used the forumns for a while this is my check-in, I guess. Not sure how I should go about it. I'm a veteran of a B-17 bomb group (97th) of WWII. As a former radio operator I'd like to know if there are other ex-radio operators out there in this little universe who would like, as...