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As for an esscort if the P-51 would have been used earlier, but I would have only wanted it if it was painted with the Orenge tail markings!
I think it does look like an elephant actually but i must say i happen to think Elephants are beautiful...in their own grey, wrinkly way
Gemhorse said:In a B17-B24, the ball-turret would be hairy, but in British, definately the tail-turret - I remember reading Braham or Cunningham's story and a damaged Lancaster landed at their airfield - been shot-up by a Nightfighter, and they had to hose the rear-gunner outa what was left of his turret.- Mind you, the mid-uppers could cop it too. My VHS copy of Memphis Belle is a good example of Gunners at work- in daytime....
some of the earlier B-17's had a rather touchy ball turret. It had a tendency to fall off in flight
Crazy said:If the B-17 is dodgy, the Lancaster is outright fatal (to it's crew, anyhow)
I would say the ball turret is the most dangerous place to be. For two reasons:
1. In a crash-landing, you DAMN well better not be in the ball turret. Be crushed so fast it wouldn't even be funny....
2. Someone my dad works with knows a veteran B-17 gunner. Apparently, some of the earlier B-17's had a rather touchy ball turret. It had a tendency to fall off in flightAnd they didn't have room for parachutes, either...
But of course, we picked up on the problem real quick, by about the third or fourth version of the B-17
kiwimac said:Although the rear-turrent on any bomber was dangerous, I remember years ago reading about a rear-gunner of a Halifax / Lancaster. (One or the other)
They had been attacked by a nightfighter and there was a tremendous bang which knocked the RG out for a few seconds, when he recovered the Night-fighter was gone so he tried to talk with the rest of the crew over the intercom. No reply.
Wondering what the hell had happened, he tried to turn the turret and it wouldn't turn at all, while he was wondering just what THAT meant there was a tremendous thump as the tail-unit landed on the snow. When he dug himself out he discovered that there was no bomber attached to his turret, just a portion of the fuselage.
The lucky bugger had had just enough of the fuselage attached that the tail-planes acted as wings.
Bet he never won anything at all after that! You only get so much luck in any one lifetime.
Kiwimac