B-24's without ball turrets

[meatloaf109]

I have been having a time trying to figure out the different B-24D's. I have the Eduard "Mission Centenarians" kit and an after market decal sheet. Together there are eleven different aircraft I could depict, including the one at the MUSAF, "Strawberry Bitch", which is the one I would like to do. I had an old Revell kit of the "Bitch" as a child, and I distinctly remember a ball turret. Does anyone know whether or not there is one? I have searched but cannot determine what block that aircraft is. If it does indeed have the ball turret, I have several other alternatives.
Thanks,
Paul.

 

[Matt308]

Are you confusing turret vs no-turret with retraction of the ball?

 

[meatloaf109]

No, there is no ball turret on some early '24's and the "Bitch" is represented on the decal sheet as being one of these. Thanks for the pictures, this defenitely eliminates her from the line up!

 

[GrauGeist]

The early types of the Liberator had a "tunnel gun" station which was replaced by the Sperry ball turret during the D model production although I think I recall reading somewhere that there were some E models that retained the "tunnel gun" for training.

 

[T Bolt]

Don't know if it helps or not but the early D's did not have the large cheek window on the left side of the nose between the small window and the nose plexiglass housing. The venturi tubes on the earlier models were also mounted differently. The early ones were mounted about midway up on the nose and horizontal. The later ones were mounted higher up and slanted up-wards. So as a loose rule of thumb, no cheek window and horizontal venturi = no ball turret. Also the first belly turret on the D's was not a ball turret but an unmanned solid turret sighted through a periscope similar to the ones in the B-25C. Couldn't hit anything with them so they didn't last long. The Strawberry Bitch as she sits now does have the cheek window and from the picture above looks to have the ball turret also. Can't see the ball turret in any of my pictures but they were working on a B-24 ball turret in the restoration hanger when I was there last February. I have many detailed pictures of her taken at the museum over the years so it you need something just ask.

 

[meatloaf109]

Being as the "Bitch" has a ball turret, I have decided to go with "Chug-a-lug". But any detail shots would be great!

 

[ccheese]

Paul, I found these...

Wally Forman's B-24 Nose Art Name Directory shows three B-24's in the 98th BG named "CHUG-A- LUG......344th BS 42-41029 ; 345th BS 41-11766 ; and 345th BS 41-23766. There is a photo of 41-11766...the other two do not show as having a photo. It was the usual practice that two aircraft in the same squadron have the original as CHUG-A-LUG and the second as CHUG-A-LUG II. The II was usually the replacement for the original lost on a mission....This is not the case here, however, as 41-11766 and 41-23766 both show just as CHUG-A-LUG. I suggest you check with the Historian for the 98th BG....

Charles