What is the most dangerous position on a bomber? (cont.)

[cheddar cheese]

I shall be saving that pic due to the name of the Stang 8)

 

[mosquitoman]

Yep, that or a Beau

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

huh?

I wouldn't like to be stuck in the tail. But of course you are farther awa from the exploding engines so....

 

[lesofprimus]

A Moderator, CC, broke this thread off from a larger thread... Look at the dates sbw... 2005....

Anyways, the tail gunner was the most dangerous posistion.... German pilots are quoted as going after the tail gunners posistion on purpose...

 

[pbfoot]

i think over the target would be a little dicey

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i don't think they mean it quite like that pb

 

[Hunter368]

I would have to agree with Les on this one. I have read so many times the tail gunner coming home dead or shot to crap. Can you imagine being a lone duck out there in a bomber. Lets say even if you make it home. You are sitting in tail gunner spot and fighter after fighter making passes on you. You are gunned and cannot move or dodge just sit there and pray and fire back. Yikes

 

[lesofprimus]

Also, alot of times, the tail gunner never got out of the aircraft when an abandon ship call went out...

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Wasn't it posted that statistically the waist gunners had the highest causalities?

 

[syscom3]

Flyboy may be correct. The wast gunners were standing upright with no protection.

The tail gunner had some armor plate and the MG's to protect him.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Flyboy may be correct. The wast gunners were standing upright with no protection.

The tail gunner had some armor plate and the MG's to protect him.

Waist gunners also risked frostbite and hypoxia - from what I seen in the B-17 their O2 set-up was less than primitive...

 

[lesofprimus]

Im not sure Joe, but, from an air to air combat injury standpoint, more tail gunners were wounded than waist gunners, and although waist gunners were more exposed, hypothermia/frost bite and hypoxia was a problem for the whole crew, not just the waist gunners...

 

[evangilder]

I spoke with a B-17 tail gunner and he said he liked it best because it was warm back there. Of course, I am sure warm is kind of subjective when you are at altitude.

 

[Gnomey]

True, ideally I wouldn't want to be in the tail or the waist. The nose I think wouldn't be too bad, but ideally I wouldn't want to be in one at all...

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

statistics show that in lancs the safest crew position was the bomb aimer, primarily because he sat on the main escape hatch, the hatch the entire crew should use in the event of a bail out, although in some cases the tail gunners had a very novel escape routine, i know some of you should know it, can anyone guess?

also interestingly, whilst the cold was a problem for most crew members, interestingly radio operators always complained of being too hot and even sweating through heat on missions, whilst other crew members were more concerned about the cold.........

 

[cheddar cheese]

Turn the turret fully sideways, open the door and out you pop...

I wouldnt like the waist either and it wouldnt surprise me if they had the highest casualty rate, however take into account that most of the time there are 2 waist gunners, making them more susceptible to casualties.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

hey no fair, i knew you knew you were supposed to let the others guess it wasn't too common though........

 

[jhor9]

I read your posts and I disagree with all of you, at least regarding the B17. Simply put, the worst position on the plane is the copilot, the pilot is busy flying all the rest of the crew have guns to shoot except the copilot who just sits and prays.
I have an interesting story in this regard.that I might have posted on this site.

 

[elmilitaro]

Didn't the ball turret gunners have the highest casualty rate?

 

[syscom3]

JHOR, heres some pics I posted in a thread last year of the Collings Foundation B17 I took when I had my ride in the B24.

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aircraft-pictures/my-b24-ride-2672-3.html