I appreciate the German planes of WW2 but...

[61fury]

So the Germans invented bull balls too, what visionaries.

 

[GrauGeist]

So the Germans invented bull balls too, what visionaries.

And Americans invented truck balls for thier 4WD trucks...

 

[zoomar]

Those forward glasshouses in the D0-17, Ju-88, and He-111 must have been like a madhouse when they were under fighter attack. All that gunsmoke , noise, and flying brass, in one area. Looks like they'd get in each other's way. It also meant attacking fighters just had to aim in one general area to hurt the crew.

Put one burst into that glasshouse, and you're bound to hit somebody.

My thought too. But it must have worked to some extent or even the Germans would have changed the layout in follow-up designs. Or maybe not. All unescorted bombers are vulnerable to fighters unless they are fast and manuverable enough to avoid them. I may be wrong, but it seems that Germany never really adapted to the massed formation tactics that made US heavies (relatively) well-defended, preferring to count on the speed and manuverability of twins to provide some defense...mistakenly.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Those forward glasshouses in the D0-17, Ju-88, and He-111 must have been like a madhouse when they were under fighter attack. All that gunsmoke , noise, and flying brass, in one area. Looks like they'd get in each other's way. It also meant attacking fighters just had to aim in one general area to hurt the crew.

Put one burst into that glasshouse, and you're bound to hit somebody.

I have always thought about that as well. I like the looks, but I don't thin it is probably the best layout.