I have not gone through all the pages so excuse me if this has been mentioned before.
I don't have the book but I think I remember reading in
Gunner" ISBN 1-55046-332-2 that the most dangerous position in the B-17 and B-24 was the waist gunners. Believe or not it said the ball turret was the safest.
from the same book though I think I made some errors in copying(does not add to 100%)
Attacks in reference to azimuth direction only.
B-17 - 3585 attacks, 441 hits (12.3%)
clock position - % of # of attacks - % hits
1 - 12.5 - 9.3
2 - 5.9 - 6.7
3 - 4.5 - 3.9
4 - 5.7 - 4.0
5 - 9.0 - 9.1
6 - 20.7 - 15.6
7 - 8.9 - 6.6
8 - 3.8 - 2.7
9 - 3.9 - 2.9
10 - 3.7 - 3.9
11 - 10.4 - 10.3
12 - 20.2 - 15.6
B-24 - 1042 attacks, 102 hits (9.8%)
clock position - % of # of attacks - % hits
1 - 12.7 - 8.7
2 - 3.9 - 5.2
3 - 2.9 - 5.4
4 - 3.0 - 3.6
5 - 7.8 - 7.7
6 - 19.6 - 20.6
7 - 11.0 - 6.9
8 - 3.1 - 2.0
9 - 2.8 - 3.9
10 - 6.9 - 3.4
11 - 11.9 - 7.8
12 - 21.6 - 17.6
Erich,
I can find no reference to any rear firing weapons being mounted in the 234B. The 234C, of which few were made, was to have a pair MG151/20s.
ref. Arado 234 Blitz, Smith/Creek