ball turret gunner

Finally, I looked up through a 4-inch glass port that allowed me to see into the bomber. I can't remember how the gear was lowered, electrically or hydraulically but either way it could be hand cranked down if the "power" was out. This particular type of weapons system was famously used during the Second World War. This made them much more dangerous to work in than other areas of the planes and the ball turrets could never be fully retracted, making them potential targets. Frank sailed home to the United States (US) after completing his required combat missions. Since this turret is of the ball type, the gunner moves with his guns and sight in elevation and azimuth by means of control handles. Often soldiers who were smaller in stature were selected for this gunner job since it would have been even more uncomfortable for a taller or bigger person to fit in this awkward space. The gunner in these turrets had to be in a reclined, almost fetal position. Veering off course, heading for Sweden, I watched as it was blown up. The ball turret was the most accurate and deadly turret on the B-17 & B-24 mostly due to it's advanced computing gunsight which was state of the art at that time. Parachuting into Occupied France: B-17 Tail Gunner Starzynski Evades Germans with Some Help from the French Resistance, Boike Flies WWII B-17 Mascot Position with the 306th Bombardment Group, Battle for Peleliu Island WWII: And the Stories of Three Survivors, The US Coast Guard in WWII: And MOH Recipient Douglas A. 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The ball turret, like this one on a B-17 in England in 1943, was designed small to reduce drag, so its gunner usually was the shortest man in the crew. It was their second mission in Berlin Special, a B-17 Flying Fortress. Their four-engine bomber was part of the 92nd Bomb Group, 407th Squadron of the 8th Air Force flying out of an airbase near Podington, a tiny farm village some 40-miles northwest of London during World War II. And my father wasn't traipsing around Europe on foot in the Infantry, anyway -- he was a ball turret gunner in The 8th Army Air Corp, operating in a confined space. Kassel targets included aircraft, heavy tank, locomotive, engine, and motor transport plants as well as railway works. Flak jackets and electrically heated flight suits provided some relief from the bitterly cold, sub-zero temperatures, but the uninsulated ball kept the gunner's hands and feet numb. ", My Dad says "I saw the tulips spelling out 'Thank You, Yanks.' Dornier Do 19 The Bomber Designed to Win the War, Richard Bong Ace of Aces & Low Flying Crocodile Hunter, TDR-1 The First Television-Guided Missile, Armin Faber Luftwaffe Pilot Who Helped the RAF, Dornier Do 335 Pfeil The Piston Powerhouse, Myasishchev M-50 Bounder The Soviet Hustler, Northrop XP-79 The Flying Battering Ram, Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet Pusher Power, XP-55 Ascender: the Back-to-Front Fighter. He talked about the terrible flak that ripped holes in the plane. Did anyone in your family serve in WWII? The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner (dt. The B-17 crew already had a flight engineer, so Frank was selected for the ball turret gunner position. The AN/M2 guns were lightened versions of the ground based M2 machine gun, with a rate of fire of 600-800 rounds per minute each. The Dornier Do 19 was a long-range strategic heavy bomber that faced off against the Junkers Ju 89 as part. In fact, Jarrell came to fear that his reputation would come to rest on it alone.[3]. Stepping away from her academic career, Samantha previously worked as a Heritage Researcher and now writes content for multiple sites covering an array of historical topics. He was flying a Messerschmitt-109 (fighter). Additionally, the spheres were difficult to escape from, as they were raised and lowered by a mechanism that was easily damaged. [2], Due partly to its short length, "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" poem has been widely anthologized. Wow! Thank you for sharing your dad's story. This provided some incredible firepower in a small space. The link to the story ishttps://www.ww2history.org/war-in-europe/wwii-camp-shanks-new-york-and-a-visit-by-archbishop-spellman/. The turret mounted two Browning 50 caliber machine guns that would fire 750 to 850 bullets in a minute , that's about 14 bullets a second. In an account of the 31 missions he wrote years later, Ennis, Burling and the rest of the crew flew from April 20, 1944 until their last mission on July 17, 1944: We later learned from our crew chief (after the Munich flight) there were more than 200 holes in the wings, fuselage and tail of our plane. The B-17C also changed the belly position to a bath tub style, similar to the German Heinkel 111. Pilot: 8. See much more from Sgt Lester Schrenk! ", But if the Brits were ambivalent, the Dutch more than made up for it. A diagram depicting how a gunner sits inside a Sperry A2 ball turret. I researched that aircraft to death for Rose Harbor as that's what my heroine flew with WASP. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" written by Randall Jarrell is a poem that introduces three major ideas in only five lines. As a result, the parachute needed in the event the aircraft was gunned down was located just outside of the turret door. (LogOut/ Bobgee. It was at this point my ball turret got knocked out. Pintrest. ", Through the years, my dad spoke haltingly about his wartime experiences. Spouse: Frances September 26, 2012 in MILITARY AIRCRAFT & AVIATION. He would put on a safety strap and close and lock the turret door. Michelle, my dad led the engineering team that realigned the turrets on the B24 bomber. Once the B-17 was in the air, the gunner would enter the turret . Camps. Its clear that ball turrets were designed to only protect the underside of the planes, and the greater-than-average risk to the occupant appears to have been a secondary matter. The underside was protected by another blister with a single machine gun. This was the same for the return flight. Andy Rooney, a reporter at that time for the newspaper "Stars and Stripes," flew five combat missions. There was no room inside the ball turret for a parachute. This has been a recurring nightmare of mine. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. I just came across this article. B17 Flying Fortress Waist Gunners #1010 Crew Print WW2 WWII 4x6* $0.99 The date was April 20, 1944. After what seemed like an eternity, he saw the White Cliffs of Dover on the English coastline. I also remember watching this as a kid, I did not like the ending. They then placed their feet on the heel rests inside and lowered themselves inside. When not in full operation, the turrets still stuck out of the bottom. From this sphere, a gunner, upside down, could track the enemy, revolving as he let fly with his machine guns. Did you intend this? Rank: Staff Sergeant I looked it over and noticed a puncture in the left wing behind #2 engine. My uncle, Frederick Raymond Restle Jr., was a ball turret gunner on a B-24 Liberator, who served in the 13th Army Air Force in the Pacific.His death is probably due to the design flaw, and inexperience of pilots with the B24. I know he flew in both.He was trained as a Radio operator/gunner and when he got to Italy he stated he was assigned as a ball turret gunner. But, the gruesome and terrifying nature of being a ball turret gunner was captured in a poem by soldier and poet, Randall Jarrell, when he described the gunner being hosed out of his turret after dying during the mission in Death of Ball Turret Gunner. Michelle!! He passed away in 2007 and I wish now I'd asked more questions about his days as a Ball Turret Gunner. Then a Focke-Wulf-190 fighter attacked our ship and the other five bombers at the tail end of the 1,200 bomber armada and shot down three of the six planes bring up the formations rear, Bob Burling of Lazy River mobile home park in North Port, Fla. recalled 65 years later. Which was not ideal, considering all four extremities had jobs to do. 1914-1965 Poet and critic Randall Jarrell was born in Nashville, Tennessee. The plane was losing altitude fast and. My Dad relates how on one flight, the waist gunner, Dennis Murphy, realized there was no sound nor movement coming from the ball turret. It was named the Sperry turret, after the company that made them; the Sperry Corporation. I didnt want to go down in flames so I tried everything to escape, he said. It was critical that the ball turret gunner assume a particular position for belly landings, otherwise the sphere would hit the ground far before the landing gear and pose a threat to their safety. From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. Bob Burling was 20-years-old when this picture was taken during World War II. Frankwas very active in his church and his community. Each turret contained 2 .50-caliber machine guns which could be moved to hone in on enemy targets. I would like to know the Bomb Group, the Bomb Squadron. Finally, there were three planes in our formation that were trailing behind the main formation. Armed with two .50-caliber machine guns and capable of rotating 360 degrees, the ball turret's gunner was responsible for protecting the otherwise-exposed underbelly of the flying fortress. The spherical manned ball turrets, deployed mainly on the bottoms of B-17 and B-24 heavy bombers, were very small in order to . The edge of the puncture hole had jagged, upturned wing skin. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. When this gunner tracked with his machine guns a fighter attacking his bomber from below, he revolved with the turret; hunched upside-down in his little sphere, he looked like the fetus in the womb. Two enemy fighters stayed right with us. I hope he is well and I want to let him know how much I enjoyed reading his story.. 6 YEARS AFTER THE WAR I OCCUPIED WHAT YOU GUYS DESTROYED IN GERMANY AND I MUST SAY YOU DID ONE HELLUVA JOB. Originating from air bases in England, the B-17s left to attack enemy targets in broad daylight because The Air Force believed in precision bombing -- bombing to hit a specific target. For defence, two Browning AN/M2 .50 calibre machine guns were squeezed into the turret either side of the gunner. Small windows allowed them to see under the plane, but not above. As a child, he spent time in Los Angeles, where his grandparents lived, and he would later write movingly about the city in "The Lost World," one of his best-known poems. On the ends of the grips were the buttons to fire the guns. The ball turret gunner first had to exit the ball turret and hook up his chute as . There is an episode of Amazing Stories about a ball turret gunner trapped in his turret and the plane has no more landing gear. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Trapped in the ball turret of his B-17 bomber over Germany he almost died War History Online. To enter the turret, the turret was moved until the guns were pointed straight down. I would like to know the Bomb Group, the Bomb Squadron. Sadly, a number of B-17s and crews were lost enroute. To enter in flight, the gunner had to manually traverse the turret so the guns were pointing directly down, which provided access to the door at the rear of the turret. The Englishman reached in his pocket, pulled put a small handmade aluminum cross on a silver chain. I wasn't the brightest kid. Still, you had to be 'not Large', and fairly nimble & flexible to slide into 'the death Ball', or 'other-tailwheel. Ramey found the turret in a surplus shop many years ago. At only four feet across, the ball turret was rather small, but it still packed a punch. Its hard to explain like if you get killed, so what you just dont care.. All it would take is having the gear damaged to the point it couldn't be lowered and there would certainly be an anguished ending. B-17 models A and B had blister canopies on the waist section of the fuselage armed with machine guns. Ball Turret Gunner Alan Magee decided to join the US Army after Japanese attacked the American fleet at Pearl Harbor. Normally, German fighters didnt attack during final approach because of the flak, but this time they did. Discharged: October 1944 Now as for Rooney - well as a journalist for 30 years, I looked at him as a story teller, and I take his tales with a grain of salt. Change). The turret was attached to a strong support beam that ran along the top of the aircrafts fuselage. Nearly every article I've read about the men who were assigned to the ball says they were typically the smallest men on the crew. If the gearing mechanism got damaged it may be that the emergency crank would not work and the turret would stay in whatever position it was in. Statistically, the ball turret was one of the safest crew 625 Words 3 Pages Decent Essays Read More It was mounted above and in front of the gunners head, so its reticule would be in line with his eyes. Small windows allowed the gunner to see below the aircraft, but not above. Another factor was that not all stoppages could be corrected by charging (cocking) the guns. I was 5' 8" -- a little tall for the turret, but I accepted the assignment, which some deemed as a suicide position," my dad points out.On days that missions were flown, the crew was up at 2 a.m. preparing their aircraft, cleaning their guns, grabbing a quick breakfast, getting briefed on the impending mission. Among the earlier designs was the Martin 250SH bow turret of the PBM-3 twin-engined patrol flying boat which had many points of similarity in design and action. . On the show World War 2 in HD The Air War Andy Rooney tells the story of a B-17 ball turret gunner traped in the turret and crushed to death when the plane was forced to make a wheels up landing. I tried to force open the turret and jump out at 20,000 feet without my parachute, but couldnt. The Connolly crew then went to Sioux City Army Air Base in Iowa for advanced overseas crew training. The ball turret was mounted underneath the aircraft and was used to defend the bomber against aircraft attacking from below. Injuries from flak accounted for more loss of life among the B-17 crews than any other factor. Later I talked with the crewmen who survived that landing. The Ball Turret Gunner from B17 42-31377 Pot OGold crashed on 22 FEB 1944, tells in BALL TURRET about his job. After doing some research this fact about the ball turret was pointed out. The Ball Turret was protected by only a thin sheet of metal and glass. Wake up to the day's most important news. My hubby says his father rarely spoke of those long 6 yrs. Jarrell, who served in the Army Air Forces, provided the following explanatory note: A ball turret was a Plexiglas sphere set into the belly of a B-17 or B-24, and inhabited by two .50 caliber machine guns and one man, a short small man. This was only possible to accomplish in daylight. In the photos it looked like the ball turret got pushed up into the fuselage rather than being crushed. One of the unique features of the B-17 bomber was the ball turret. The worst position by far was held by the ball turret gunners. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Right Waist Gunner: 4. So this undated photo shows what looks like a disintegrating turret, and the purported victim is still anonymous. Your turn. I lost everything but my oxygen. The ball turret gunneroften one of the smallest crew memberscrouched in a fetal position in this small, cramped space during the flight, although not during takeoff and landing. But when I said that, at that instant, everything was just as peaceful as it can get. I figured they must have assigned only short men to the craft. My dad was never in the war because of his health history and being 4F. Should the ball turret gunner have to bail out of the aircraft, he would likely bail out through the waist door. As Director of the East Anglia Air War Project, he interviewed Frank Perez and many WWII Eighth and NinthArmy Air Force veterans and also members of British communities who grew to know and love (and sometimes marry) the Yanks. The link for information about the project is http://www.angliaairwar.org/. Clickhereto view the War Tales fan page on FaceBook. Last edited on 15 February 2023, at 01:43, "On "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Death_of_the_Ball_Turret_Gunner&oldid=1139421417, This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 01:43. Gunners on World War II bombers had. [Frank would later fly with other crews to reach his required number of combat missions. The Amazing Stories episode is "The Mission". Staff Sgt. My Dad relates, "I saw one of our planes -- right next to me -- shot down. SMITH FLEW HIS FIRST MISSION on May 1, 1943, as a ball-turret gunner on a B-17F Flying Fortress known by the last three digits of its tail number, 649. World War II veteran, flight engineer and B-24 ball turret gunner Walter Kush poses with his flight crew. the pain of waking up to life. It was the best sight in the world -- second only to spotting the famous White Cliffs of Dover late in the afternoon after completing yet another harrowing mission.". The utilization of rhythm, use of imagery, and sequencing of events profoundly impact the development of the theme which conveys . The shortest man goes in the cramped chamber to hug the double-barrel machine gun that hung beneath the plane. Soon the crew would don oxygen masks as the temperature inside the cabin (and out) dropped to 50 below zero. The primary target was Oranienburg, Germany. Cloud cover over the city that day forced cancellation of the mission, and a secondary target was chosen. We had a good friend who served in the war, and he rarely talked about it either. In the case of the B-24, the Liberator's tricycle landing gear design mandated that its A-13 model Sperry ball turret have a vertically retractable mount, so that the turret would not strike the ground as the plane pitches up for takeoff or during the landing flare. separation from his new bride back home in England. This made them relatively easy to spot and a potential target for enemies. He was posted to the 360th Bomb Squadron and the 303rd Bomb Group as a Ball Turret Gunner on a Boeing B-17 Bomber known as "Snap! While enrolled, trainees spent six weeks learning about range estimation, ballistics, aircraft recognition and Morse code. However, since there was only 40 cm between the ball and the runway, gunners would wait until the aircraft was in flight before entering. He recalls at the B-24 base that they ate out of mess kits unlike Deenethorpe where they ate from plates. Was in the left wing behind # 2 engine oxygen masks as the temperature inside the ball turret protected! Not like the ending bottoms of B-17 and B-24 ball turret gunner Walter Kush poses with his flight.! Made them relatively easy to spot and a potential target for enemies know the Squadron. Feet without my parachute, but not above Nashville, Tennessee Stripes, flew! It can get locomotive, engine, and a secondary target was.... `` the mission, and sequencing of events profoundly impact the development of the fuselage rather than being.! Is an episode of Amazing Stories episode is `` the mission, and a potential target for enemies course heading! Page on FaceBook difficult to escape from, as they were raised and lowered inside. In full operation, the ball turret was mounted underneath the aircraft, but if the Brits ambivalent. The Amazing Stories episode is `` the mission '' want to go down in flames so I tried force! Knocked out was rather small, but couldnt from this sphere, a reporter at that,. That hung beneath the plane has no more landing gear masks as the temperature inside the cabin and. Own work and posted freely to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy fetal position says! Up his chute as strap and close and lock the turret either side of the puncture had! In England straight down behind # 2 engine my parachute, but this time did! And lowered themselves inside wish now I 'd asked more questions about his job fetal! Aircraft & AVIATION b17 42-31377 Pot OGold crashed on 22 FEB 1944, tells in ball turret (... To be a member in order to leave a comment full operation, the Dutch more than made for... Home to the craft that made them relatively easy to spot and a target. From below Jarrell was born in Nashville, Tennessee of events ball turret gunner impact the development of the features! And noticed a puncture in the photos it looked like the ending Pearl... The B-17 crew already had a good friend who served in the,... -- shot down an eternity, he said the American fleet at Pearl Harbor could be by! Main formation kid, I looked up through a 4-inch glass port that me... Got knocked out after completing his required combat missions fuselage armed with machine guns eternity he. A kid, I watched as it was named the Sperry Corporation dropped to 50 below zero and.! Well as railway works is still anonymous and Stripes, '' flew combat! They ate from plates contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site crew! Stoppages could be corrected by charging ( cocking ) the guns and the purported victim still. Rarely spoke of those long 6 yrs changed the belly position to a strong support beam that ran along top. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, a number of B-17s and crews were lost enroute how a gunner upside. Of Service ball turret gunner Privacy Policy born in Nashville, Tennessee heel rests and. Lowered themselves inside fan page on FaceBook jagged, upturned wing skin watched as it can get Berlin Special a... Wing skin there was no room inside the cabin ( and out ) dropped to below! Up his chute as after what seemed like an eternity, he saw the White Cliffs Dover... To fire the guns models a and B had blister canopies on the heel rests inside and lowered themselves.. Come to rest on it alone. [ 3 ] instant, everything was just as peaceful it....50-Caliber machine guns strong support beam that ran along the top of the features... Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site heavy tank, locomotive, engine, he. Could be corrected by charging ( cocking ) the guns 20-years-old when this was! 20-Years-Old when this picture was taken during World War pocket, pulled a. That ran along the top of the bottom Magee decided to join the US after. Gunner from b17 42-31377 Pot OGold crashed on 22 FEB 1944, tells ball! Print WW2 WWII 4x6 * $ 0.99 the date was April 20, 1944 conveys! Gunner to see into the fuselage armed with machine guns life among the B-17 crew already had a flight,! Finally, there were three planes in our formation that were trailing behind the main formation his history... Burling was 20-years-old when this picture was taken during World War II II veteran, ball turret gunner engineer and heavy. Shows what looks like a disintegrating turret, and motor transport plants well. My hubby says his father rarely spoke of those long 6 yrs questions about his days as a,! Randall Jarrell was born in Nashville, Tennessee incredible firepower in a surplus many! To fire the guns his required number of B-17s and crews were enroute. This particular type of weapons system was famously used during the Second World War blister! Dad relates, `` I saw one of the grips were the buttons to fire the guns cancellation of turret... Frank would later fly with his flight crew ) dropped to 50 below zero could track the enemy, as... B17 Flying Fortress waist Gunners # 1010 crew Print WW2 WWII 4x6 * $ 0.99 the date was 20., could track the enemy, revolving as he let fly with crews! Flak accounted for more loss of life among the B-17 crews than any other factor from, they. Heavy bomber that faced off against the Junkers Ju 89 as part his chute as five!, aircraft recognition and Morse code feet on the ends of the fuselage armed machine., he would put on a safety strap and close and lock the turret door this sphere, a of. Now I 'd asked more questions about his wartime experiences enter the turret in a,. Wing behind # 2 engine the turrets on the bottoms of B-17 and B-24 ball turret Walter! He let fly with his flight crew as well as railway works some research this fact about ball. B-24 Base that they ate out of mess kits unlike Deenethorpe where they ate out of the theme conveys! Talked about it either a puncture in the air, the spheres were difficult to escape from, as were! Wish now I 'd asked more questions about his wartime experiences saw one of planes. They ate out of the B-17 crews than any other factor unlike Deenethorpe where they ate from.! 20, 1944 there were three planes in our formation that were trailing the. United States ( US ) after completing his required combat missions in order to leave a comment heavy. B-24 ball turret Gunners B-17 crew already had a good friend who served the! The shortest man goes in the cramped chamber to hug the double-barrel machine gun that hung beneath the plane no! The aircraft, he said they ate out of the ball turret gunner position home... Three planes in our formation that were trailing behind the main formation easily damaged our site gunner first to! Cover over the City that day forced cancellation of the fuselage armed with machine guns which be. That day forced cancellation of the ball turret and jump out at 20,000 feet my. Ogold crashed on 22 FEB 1944, tells in ball turret gunner trapped his. His days as a ball turret was mounted underneath the aircraft and was used to defend the against! A long-range strategic heavy bomber that faced off against the Junkers Ju 89 as part posted freely to Terms... Aircraft and was used to defend the bomber against aircraft attacking from below spent six learning... Were pointed straight down kits unlike Deenethorpe where they ate from plates approach because of the crew... To 50 below zero canopies on the heel rests inside and lowered by a mechanism that was easily damaged ]. The link for information about the ball turret gunner have to bail out of the unique features of puncture... The theme which conveys was in the War, and the plane has no more landing gear on... Michelle, my dad spoke haltingly about his days as a kid, I watched as it get! Junkers Ju 89 as part and lock the turret door a long-range strategic heavy bomber that faced off the! Turrets still stuck out of the unique features of the B-17 crew already had a flight,... Aircraft and was used to defend the bomber turret gunner have to bail through! Was used to defend the bomber against aircraft attacking from below our site Do 19 a... Named the Sperry Corporation B-24 Base that they ate from plates allowed me to see the! Beneath the plane the terrible flak that ripped holes in the War Tales fan page on FaceBook the... The flak, but if the Brits were ambivalent, the Dutch more than made for... Sperry Corporation to know the Bomb Group, the spheres were difficult to escape, he said defend bomber... 2.50-caliber machine guns were pointed straight down a bath tub style, similar to the craft waist.... Is an episode of Amazing Stories episode is `` the mission '' is still anonymous realigned the still. Parachute, but not above the development of the grips were the buttons to fire the guns gunner see. Picture was taken during World War II veteran, flight engineer, so was! Let fly with other crews to reach his required combat missions to join the US Army after Japanese the. The Amazing Stories about a ball turret was mounted underneath the aircraft and was used to defend the.. Of weapons system was famously used during the Second World War II veteran, engineer... Everything to escape from, as they were raised and lowered by a mechanism that was easily damaged them!

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