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Not according to those who flew in B-29s and depended on the system - everyone I ever spoke to who flew in B-29s had high regards for the fire control system.I have serious doubts this indeed very advanced and expensive system worked the way it was designed to operate.
True, that for another debate but according to USAAF records XX and XXI bomber command 20th AF claimed over 700 Japanese aircraft destroyed in the air, a good portion of those had to be to the guns of the B-29. Even if one was to half those losses, it's still a great combat record. Remember this?The B-29s did never face over Japan the type of homeland defence the B-17s and B-24s of the 8th and 9th Air Forces did over Germany and central/east Europe.
Thanks! - I still think the tail gunner was omitted from the FC system was because he just flat out couldn't see much to the sides of the aircraft.FlyboyJ, thanks for the valuable inputs; I would have reasoned that if the waist gunners could effectively utilise the tail guns, then the tail guns must have had a respectable field of fire; this is supported by the fact that, post war, only tail guns were retained. I concur the vulnerability of the poor benighted tail gunner! However, I would have thought that, by doubling his firepower the risk to his little pink body would have reduced a tad.
Hi Stitch,
Do you perhaps know the function of the circular hole centrally above the rear gunner's armour glass that's also visible in picture D? For a while, I thought it might be intended for the gun camera, but it seems the gun camera (when present) was mounted above the 20 mm cannon barrel.
Regards,
Henning (HoHun)
I believe that was a formation light.Do you perhaps know the function of the circular hole centrally above the rear gunner's armour glass that's also visible in picture D? For a while, I thought it might be intended for the gun camera, but it seems the gun camera (when present) was mounted above the 20 mm cannon barrel.
Definitely not even close to being true!Also, another interesting thing I read a while back is that the B-29's in Korea shot down more enemy aircraft than the fighters did.
Flyboy, hello.
Yes, i recall that previous older discussion. But see what we discussed that time, even if they did not face anything comparable to the Reich´s air defence system their losses were nonetheless significant over Japan.
As we commented that time, and also rereading the table you posted there, losses of B-29s if completely bearable were not necessarily low; being more expensive and difficult to produce than B-17s and B-24s is that we know there were not too many B-29s operating over Japan, so it is not daring to affirm an indentical number of B-29s deployed over Europe, facing both Kammhuber line high altitude guns, himmelbett, search lights and Luftwaffe fighter groups, would have endured significantly higher losses.
Please note that my arguments will not dispute the defensive guns of B-29s brought down a number of Japanese interceptors; rather my point will argue on the alleged qualities of the computer controlled system on board the super-fortress.
I would want to assume that if such system had been so wonderful, as it is oftenly depicted, their losses should have been certainly lower than they were, considering both the number of B-29s available and the type of enemy defence confronted; we should not forget that in addition to this defensive system the B-29s had long range escort support commencing during the first days of April, 1945 until the virtual end of the war in the PTO, even if losses of B-29s to Japanese fighters were rare during the last 4-5 months of the war.
Again, look at the table from the other thread Flyboy: 149 B-29s lost ("combat and accident") between May-December 1944. Even if the war could have been already decided for both ETO and PTO by late 1944, i think we will agree Japan was in a far more terrible condition than Germany during the same period, even if i can not tell how many of those 149 were lost to Japanese fighters.
So, again, if the same number of B-29s were to fly over Germany and central/east Europe between May-December 1944, i think of higher losses for sure.
My reasons.
flyboy, i can agree.
Say, is that you on the photo with helmet and oxygen mask?
There is also the fact that B29's that were damaged over Japan still had to fly several hundred miles to Iwo Jima or Okinawa. Sometimes they made it back. Sometimes they didnt. Now if they only had to fly 300-400 miles like that in Europe, many damaged B29's would have made it back, for statistically lower losses.
Hi Flyboyj,
>I believe that was a formation light.
Thanks! The photograph you linked again looks different than those I have seen before - it has a bulb-type cover, while all other photographs only show a flat reflective (and probably transparant) panel. So there seem to have been variations (or development steps) - highly interesting but also somewhat confusing
Do you think the upper or the lower "suspect" is the formation light?
Regards,
Henning (HoHun)
Definitely not even close to being true!
Yes, flying a Provost in April...