fuckkkk that… theres a story in a stephen ambrose book, a ball turret gunner was trapped due to hydraulics and the planes wheels couldn’t be lowered either… the pilot talked it through with him and then did a belly landing
Most people think it’s named after the shape of the turret housing. Most people are wrong. It’s named after the physiological requirements needed to strap into one of those things and take off on a slow straight bombing run into the heart of Europe.
I remember that level in Big Red One. Slightly different but you have to crawl around the mechanics of the plane to get to different gunning/bombing positions.
What do you do when you run out of bullets? Just chill for the rest of the mission until landing? Do you at least have somewhere to put a book for the flight back?
Somebody who survived the war told a story of meeting a fellow soldier on a base in England, moaning that his role as Airnorne meant almost certain death. The story teller offered to cahnge places with him, swap uniforms, change assignments, nobody important would know. The Airborne soldier was delighted, then asked suspiciously, “wait, what is your assignment?” “Ball gunner.” “You go to Hell!”
What this doesn’t show is that the same hatch allows access into the plane. Rotate the turret so the guns point straight down, and that hatch is now in the body of the aircraft.
These this are still ridiculous, but at least the gunner didn’t have to be in the turret until they were expecting trouble.
If the hydraulics went out, the turret had to be hand cranked into the fuselage. Then the gunner had to exit the turret and put on his chute. There was no room in the turret to wear a chute.
From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
T. S. Garp can still function sexually, however, and Jenny takes advantage of this. Garp eventually ends up dying from his wounds, but Jenny becomes pregnant. After she loses her job, she moves in with her parents until the baby, a nine-pound boy, is born; she names the boy T. S. Garp (she never learned the soldier’s first name).”
The world according to Garp
By John Irving .
I believe he was a ball gunner if my memory serves me right .
In slumber’s cradle, I was gently embraced,
Then nestled in darkness, my soul encased.
Six miles above, life’s dreams did depart,
Awakened by flak, and death’s cruel art.
In the turret’s grip, my fate was sealed tight,
A ball of despair in the endless night.
When I met my end, in the turret confined,
They washed my remains, a soul left behind.
If you spent any amount of time around the USAF you’ve probably heard someone use “Airman Snuffy” as a name to refer to any Airman in the force. Many people don’t know that he was actually a real person, a B-17 ball gunner and a Medal of Honor recipient.
During a bombing mission to St. Nazaire France, Airman snuffy alternated provided first aid to others in the plane, hand operating different turrets around the plane, extinguishing fires by hand, and throwing out any equipment that wasn’t too hot. His actions helped save the plane and it landed safely back in England. The plane had 3,500 holes in it from German flak and cannon fire from Luftwaffe planes. The story posted by the Air Force doesn’t talk about the burns he suffered on his arms in the process of throwing equipment and bombs out of the plane.
These dudes didn’t climb into these things shirtless on the ground. They wore a heavy heated suit and oxygen supply because the B-17 flew at 38k feet. They also couldn’t wear parachutes while inside because of the cramped position. The job was basically suicide considering the survival rate of B-17 crews.
My Gramps was a ball turret gunner. Did 17.5 missions over germany. Shot down and parachuted out, was a POW at Stalag17b for 13 months. Russians approached and was forced to march west across Austria. Liberated by Pattons divisions, Went past Hitlers birth house and took a shit right on the front porch. Wish I met the man.
What a deathtrap.
Engineering miracle!
Fitting a guy with two balls that are each as big as the one ball they fit him in.
Just imagine getting a leg cramp
fuckkkk that… theres a story in a stephen ambrose book, a ball turret gunner was trapped due to hydraulics and the planes wheels couldn’t be lowered either… the pilot talked it through with him and then did a belly landing
There used to be a guy that hung out at my local dive bar, he was a ball gunner. Somehow survived the entire war. He had some great stories.
Unsurprisingly, the most common cause of death was “shot in the ass”
Makes me think of the movie – Memphis Bell
Most people think it’s named after the shape of the turret housing. Most people are wrong. It’s named after the physiological requirements needed to strap into one of those things and take off on a slow straight bombing run into the heart of Europe.
I wonder if the army dropped its height/weight requirement to find smaller guys just for this.
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner
From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
– Randall Jarrell
Never Forget!
First he said good, then he said Garp. Then he died.
I remember that level in Big Red One. Slightly different but you have to crawl around the mechanics of the plane to get to different gunning/bombing positions.
You’d be alternately boiling hot and freezing cold.
What stopped your legs from going to sleep from blood loss??
What do you do when you run out of bullets? Just chill for the rest of the mission until landing? Do you at least have somewhere to put a book for the flight back?
How kids used to play battlefield
Is there a way to get the heat out? If you’re firing rounds wouldn’t there be extreme heat after every shot?
Does anyone else remember that Steven Spielberg episode of Amazing Stories?
I’ll never complain about sitting at a desk again
That had to be the shittiest job in USAAF…
Somebody who survived the war told a story of meeting a fellow soldier on a base in England, moaning that his role as Airnorne meant almost certain death. The story teller offered to cahnge places with him, swap uniforms, change assignments, nobody important would know. The Airborne soldier was delighted, then asked suspiciously, “wait, what is your assignment?” “Ball gunner.” “You go to Hell!”
Crammed in there like the kid in Wilford’s Engine
What this doesn’t show is that the same hatch allows access into the plane. Rotate the turret so the guns point straight down, and that hatch is now in the body of the aircraft.
These this are still ridiculous, but at least the gunner didn’t have to be in the turret until they were expecting trouble.
If the hydraulics went out, the turret had to be hand cranked into the fuselage. Then the gunner had to exit the turret and put on his chute. There was no room in the turret to wear a chute.
Randall Jarrell’s poem has stayed with me since middle school…
Must have been terrifying.
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner
From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
Randall Jarrell
Don’t get cocky kid
T. S. Garp can still function sexually, however, and Jenny takes advantage of this. Garp eventually ends up dying from his wounds, but Jenny becomes pregnant. After she loses her job, she moves in with her parents until the baby, a nine-pound boy, is born; she names the boy T. S. Garp (she never learned the soldier’s first name).”
The world according to Garp
By John Irving .
I believe he was a ball gunner if my memory serves me right .
That must have been so loud in there when firing.
It’s called the ball turret because whoever is inside of it has massive balls.
In slumber’s cradle, I was gently embraced,
Then nestled in darkness, my soul encased.
Six miles above, life’s dreams did depart,
Awakened by flak, and death’s cruel art.
In the turret’s grip, my fate was sealed tight,
A ball of despair in the endless night.
When I met my end, in the turret confined,
They washed my remains, a soul left behind.
If you spent any amount of time around the USAF you’ve probably heard someone use “Airman Snuffy” as a name to refer to any Airman in the force. Many people don’t know that he was actually a real person, a B-17 ball gunner and a Medal of Honor recipient.
During a bombing mission to St. Nazaire France, Airman snuffy alternated provided first aid to others in the plane, hand operating different turrets around the plane, extinguishing fires by hand, and throwing out any equipment that wasn’t too hot. His actions helped save the plane and it landed safely back in England. The plane had 3,500 holes in it from German flak and cannon fire from Luftwaffe planes. The story posted by the Air Force doesn’t talk about the burns he suffered on his arms in the process of throwing equipment and bombs out of the plane.
That episode of Amazing Stories where a gunner was trapped in one of those and the landing gear was broken lives in my head forever.
These dudes didn’t climb into these things shirtless on the ground. They wore a heavy heated suit and oxygen supply because the B-17 flew at 38k feet. They also couldn’t wear parachutes while inside because of the cramped position. The job was basically suicide considering the survival rate of B-17 crews.
My Gramps was a ball turret gunner. Did 17.5 missions over germany. Shot down and parachuted out, was a POW at Stalag17b for 13 months. Russians approached and was forced to march west across Austria. Liberated by Pattons divisions, Went past Hitlers birth house and took a shit right on the front porch. Wish I met the man.
I hope every soul who ever strapped into that thing is somewhere being eternally rewarded.