Bob Burling holds up his leather flying jacket with the bombs on the back representing 31 combat missions he flew over Nazi-occupied Europe in a B-17 bomber during World War II. Its movement was controlled by a self-contained, electrically-powered hydraulic system, and could rotate at high speeds important for tracking fast-moving enemy aircraft. He said the boy inside was not just killed, he was destroyed. 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. Change). The main points of the poem outline the birth and death. The gunner placed his feet in the heel rests and occupied his cramped station. The pilot and the co-pilot must be able to start and to land the machine well and safe. The Amazing Stories episode is "The Mission". 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. Dad didn't talk much about the war, but I think he'd be tickled that I'm writing a blog about Ball Turret Gunners. He had to get into one to see why it wasn't working, then redesign them and get the back in the war all within a 6-week period. The Ball Turret Gunner from B17 42-31377 Pot OGold crashed on 22 FEB 1944, tells in BALL TURRET about his job. 'The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner' is Randall Jarrell's best-loved poem. My father was a co-pilot for B-17s. As fate would have it, Frank knew many of the military personnel at the B-24 base. The Sperry nose turret was tested and preferred, but its use was limited due to poor availability of suitable aircraft designs. This however quickly flips when the aircraft is shot down, as the gunner has to turn to the turret to the exit position, climb out and put on his parachute, all while the aircraft is falling out the sky. The exact same type of motor was used for each main gear and the bomb bay door. Bob Burlings father, Samuel, served as a motorcycle dispatch driver on the front lines in Europe during World War I. The poem's speaker suggests that he slips from the protection of his mother's womb into "the State," where he finds himself in a ball turret (the round compartment on a bomber plane from which a gunner shoots). He was flying a Messerschmitt-109 (fighter). It offered them a sense of peace in knowing that they may not return. Frank Delgado Perez was born in Los Angeles, California, on January 14, 1924. I tried to ease it by having a photo taken next to the Liberty Belle turret in 2010. Lines 3-4. What happened that day, a (Junker) JU-88, German twin-engine attack bomber, flew into our formation of B-17s and tore into us. If you like this article, then please follow us onFacebookandInstagram, Another Article From Us:Dornier Do 335 Pfeil The Piston Powerhouse. The turret was a small, cramped place to be, often operated by the smallest men available. Camps. This left him positioned with his eyes roughly level with the pair of light-barrel Browning AN/M2 .50 caliber machine guns which extended through the entire turret, located to either side of the gunner. I could see the whites of the German pilots eyes, Burling said. The turret was intended to be waterproof, but accounts showed that wasnt the case. The ball gunner has his guns pointed straight down as opposition aircraft. Small ammunition boxes rested on the top of the turret and additional ammunition belts fed the turret by means of a chute system. Bobgee. I remember touring a B-17 when an air show was here long before I wrote my book. Frank said before a combat mission a priest was available to those men who wanted to receive Absolution (part of the Sacrament of Penance). This has been a recurring nightmare of mine. Obviously that's a B-17 not a B-24 so that might be different as . All rights reserved. The secondary target was the Kumarkische-Zellewolle Viscose Fiber factory at Wittenburg, Germany. 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. When not in full operation, the turrets still stuck out of the bottom. Those brave guys endured things we can't imagine. Each turret contained 2 .50-caliber machine guns which could be moved to hone in on enemy targets. He spent almost a month recuperating and then was grounded for weeks. Because of the size of the ball, the men best suited to take the position were typically the smallest in an aircrafts crew. Arguably one of the worst was as a ball turret gunner. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. (LogOut/ Perhaps the other crew members were bigger men, but Dad wasn't small. Clickhereto view the War Tales fan page on FaceBook. Designed by the Sperry Corporation, the ventral ball turret was a hydraulically-operated addition to the two main aircraft that housed it: the B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator. Nothing was found to either confirm or deny this so it probably is safe to say it remains open to question. The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner By Randall Jarrell From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. I had no idea how cramped it was for the men to go in that thing. The small size of the ball turret didnt allow for additional equipment to be housed within it. 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. A trunnion system provided vertical movement. The primary target was Oranienburg, Germany. It was the job of the ball turret gunner, armed with a pair of .50-caliber machine guns, to defend the aircraft from attacks below. I hope I learn the truth. Currently: North Port, Fla Another time, we glean a little more. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. It was a manned turret, as distinct from remote-controlled turrets also in use. Access was severely restricted by the guns' location in the small turret. In her spare time, Samantha enjoys reading, knitting, and hanging out with her dog, Chowder. Spouse: Frances Instead it was housed just above the turret in a separate compartment, which hindered its retrieval in the worst case scenarios. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. He was shielded by an armour plate in front of him. He handed it to me, Bob said. They include "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner," not his best but certainly. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. From this position a gunner could cover virtually the entire underside of the aircraft with his machine guns. In conjunction, enemy shells would be exploding at predetermined altitudes -- blasts of flying flak raining down upon the ship. One of the unique features of the B-17 bomber was the ball turret. Andy Rooney is supposed to have told about seeing it happen. Staff Sgt. Ball turrets were eventually abandoned in later aircraft in favour of remote controlled systems, and then radar aimed turrets in aircraft like the B-52. Director Steven Spielberg Writers Steven Spielberg Joshua Brand John Falsey Stars Kevin Costner Casey Siemaszko Kiefer Sutherland 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. The gunner in these turrets had to be in a reclined, almost fetal position. On the floor of the ball, one foot rested on a pedal that controlled the gun sight, which hung suspended between his legs, and the other foots pedal ran his intercom the only communication he had with the rest of his crew back inside the fortress. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. ball turret 2 [ ] B-17 2008 Works such as The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner by Randall Jarrell and Heavy Metal ' s section "B-17" depict the nature of these missions. The Sperry-designed ventral system saw widespread use and production, including much sub-contracting. The Englishman reached in his pocket, pulled put a small handmade aluminum cross on a silver chain. B-24's, which had a 'retractable' ball-turret, sometimes had such an operator. I had been born in August of 1947, years after the war was over. Our bomb bay doors were open and we were on our final approach. By 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. Once the B-17 was in the air, the gunner would enter the turret . He received a bronze star for a campaign in New Guinnea but never talked about it. "We had a 10-man crew and we were all terrified.". Which was not ideal, considering all four extremities had jobs to do. They were still over Germany. Designed in the 1930s, it was equipped on many US aircraft that fought the Axis forces during the war. He thought he was going to be killed and started to pray. Samantha Franco is a Freelance Content Writer who received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Guelph, and her Master of Arts degree in history from the University of Western Ontario. These are the same link Ian? Frank was still in the ball turret and was there for the entire mission. He was a staff sergeant and ball turret gunner who contorted himself to squeeze into the clear, plastic bubble on the underbelly of the massive aluminum bird. Transported from Scotland to England the Connolly crew was assigned to the 401st Bomb Group (BG), 613th Bomb Squadron, Deenethorpe. I hope someone can post a source other than Andy Rooney. The title"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner"sets us up for a poem about war and death. Thanks for the post, and the personal info. The ball turret gunner was trapped in the plastic bubble beneath the belly of the bomber. Since Japanese coastal defense guns were firing at the plane while it was in the . Injuries from flak accounted for more loss of life among the B-17 crews than any other factor. Poker games. Rank: Staff Sergeant Poet and critic Randall Jarrell was born in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1999 Bob Burling and the remaining members of the 92 Bomb Group who could make it were invited back to Podington for a 55th Reunion. It wasn't until I was about 9-years-old that I realized the impossibility. He always had a passion for life and considered every day a blessing. Seems very possible. The ball turret on a B-17 could not be "cranked up", as it was not retractable. The shortest man goes in the cramped chamber to hug the double-barrel machine gun that hung beneath the plane. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. He recalls at the B-24 base that they ate out of mess kits unlike Deenethorpe where they ate from plates. Of life, I woke to black flak and the co-pilot must be able to start and to the... Loss of life among the B-17 was in the air, the turrets still stuck out of mess kits Deenethorpe... To ease it by having a photo taken next to the 401st bomb Group ( BG ) 613th... Was shielded by an armour ball turret gunner in front of him it was not just killed, he was going be! Jobs to Do article from us: Dornier Do 335 Pfeil the Piston.! 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