JarJarDrinks
232243
4924
61
No parachute, no way to exit if any of the operating controls were damaged.
Feb 21, 2018 2:18 PM
JarJarDrinks
232243
4924
61
No parachute, no way to exit if any of the operating controls were damaged.
RandAIFlagg
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
smithsyndicate
“When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.”
CloudChasingUnicorn
This brought back memories of learning about the poem by Randall Jerrell, The Death of Th Ball Turret Gunner when I was in high school.
Grebus
Same here. https://imgur.com/YlLvVtJ
myr14d
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_the_Ball_Turret_Gunner
WhenIWasAKidWeHadOnePhoneAndItWasRotary
Came here to post this.
vikingvampireangel
Fun fact. Charles Bronson has a purple heart as a WWII tailgunner.
Panzerkeks85
One ball gunner fell from his damaged plane. Crashed through the glass roof of a French train station and survived with a few broken bones.
Thajurriesexcuesed
I don't understand how they could fit in there with their gigantic testicles...
killer10347
Sultry women to tend to their... condition.
SerMorgenstern
I’m sure the Air Force has ways of forcing them in
CharliefuckingBronson
Army Air Corps *ahem*
shootsewvintage
Yes! Thank you.
swaptrick
Gigantic ball gunners
Jovelana
A tub of Vaseline and a shoehorn can make magic happen
MarshallDaemon
I was thinking lubrication as well. Lots and lots of lube.
RealisticAdventurer
Vaseline used for lube.
somethingsomethingwittyhere
JaWannaKnow
I bet that was freaking LOUD, spooning two machine guns. Wonder if they got burns from them.
RickySpanishhhhh
I would assume so. Probably the least of their worries.
prodmerc
Pretty much 100% of the WW2 front line soldiers had tinnitus, and partial or full deafness :/
ItsUncleSam
Fuck, pretty much 100% of front line soldiers today have tinnitus or deafness.
FungusForge
Did not need #5 today.
shibbytothelibby
So there was no way to move from the ball turret directly in to the plane?
LastoftheMcKettrickSupplicants
No that's how they did it normally. It's when you can't retract the turret to get out that things get interesting
LastoftheMcKettrickSupplicants
Ball gunner started the mission in the plane and the turret was cranked up. Then when they got close he'd climb in, they'd drop the turret >
LastoftheMcKettrickSupplicants
He would shoot at the bad guys. When things calmed down they'd crank the turret back up and he'd get out.
StarfighterKarateBastard
I just saw Memphis Belle last night for the first time in years! Great movie
Moretolife
The original 1944 documentary is on Netflix. Also worth a watch.
TargaryenLoyalist
I wonder how many went home, got into a bad marriage with a nagging spouse, and ended up longing for the solitude of being in the turret.
enderite
FeeltheFX
Crazy that engineers thought that one entrance/exit from the outside was OK
Forge128
Well, that one entrance/exit was *inside* normally. Turret would move to that position at an external button press. Not a lot of options.
Duendes
Well there isn't much to work with. Any other exit would potentially lead him falling to his death. Creating a safer exit into the cabin 1/2
Duendes
would mean even less ROM/Visual exposing a weakness on the belly of the bomber
tupacshomie
That isn't bravery. That's just getting the short straw.
ivel501
Amazing Stories - Gunner had to draw his own cartoon tires to avoid being crushed. Oh the memories. https://vimeo.com/56670088
everettscott
That story was SO GOOD. Then suddenly cartoons. Still a fine story but that ending was just eh.
thecynabal
Pretty sure I read somewhere, statistically the ball turret was the safest place, Tail gun was the most dangerous.
Freightshaker
Pilots and door gunners had the highest casualty rates.
Darknewber
I think the tail gunner who came before Zamperini's crew was literally torn to pieces by 20mm cannons. They sit right in front of the enemy.
ItsUncleSam
Well yeah, if you get shot your gonna get fucked, but it’s a pretty small target
animatronicvelcrorat
for obvious reasons, but this all assumes mechanical soundness.
emceedreidal
I'm getting claustrophobic just looking at this. Hats off to these guys
jiggslikesphish
Can all those guys draw? Asking for a friend.
kwigybo
From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
kwigybo
Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
kwigybo
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
kwigybo
"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner", Randall Jarrell
i81uBB81r2d2
As an engineer, I'd like to kick the engineer in the balls who designed that death trap.
degenerator
The engineer should have to fly the first f---ing mission in the thing if they vouch for its safety.
evilcarp
It was an afterthought. Not part of the original design.
prodmerc
Well, they wanted a gun on the bottom, as small and light as possible, with as much visibility as possible. Not much room for design :)
alchemywill
As a welder I'd like to kick an engineer just out of personal preference.
iburnstuff
Can we join forces and kick management with two feet?
alchemywill
Management? You mean the boss’s screw up nephew?
NPCommentator
Rockhead451
Grandpa flew a B17, his story goes: mission 22, left wing shot to hell, they made it back but the ball gunner confirmed that the left gear..
Rockhead451
... was only half way down and the hydraulics were dead. The ball gunner jokingly said “Don’t worry gents, I’m in the perfect position to...
Rockhead451
...kiss my own ass goodbye” Grandpa wasn’t having it, their airfield was one of the swampy ones in south England, so they put bird down ....
Rockhead451
With the left wing hanging over the grass and did a hard power slide landing into the field. The ball gun was filled with grass and mud...
Rockhead451
And a very wet pissed off ball gunner.
vanillax
boy, what a ride!
ginniper
https://imgur.com/mmhzdVK
EvilKrikkit
My Granduncle survived 2 crashes as a ball gunner. That dude was all kinds of fucked up after the war. He used to wake up and rock in his...
voodoosexdoll
I watch TV on my rocking chair every night and my carpet and floorboards are just fine
EvilKrikkit
Cool story bro.
Imalwaysready
My dad was a Vietnam vet and it fucked him up. I always wonder what sort of father he'd have been without that experience.
alwaysintoxicated
Not all sacrifices are physical. I thank him for his service.
redbarron045
Damn, that hurts my heart.
Imalwaysready
Growing up, he was just my dad. But as I got older & saw pictures of him from HS I wondered how his life path might have been w/o the PTSD.
PennFifteen
Right?
Blastergv9
Mine too. We had to be taught as kids you could only wake him up with a whisper
mmmcunty
Yes! I hated waking my dad up.
Itsalrighttobeconservative
Had a buddies dad that was a sniper with the Rangers in nam, not the man to surprise.
Imalwaysready
One time my dad was watering the garden. My brother rode behind him on his bike. I guess my dad had zoned out and the bike snapped a twig >>
Imalwaysready
or something, but suddenly my dad spun like a snake, wrapped the hose around my brother's neck, yanked him off the bike and began choking >>
Imalwaysready
Yep. I remember walking into the kitchen one time while he was getting a glass of water. I walked in normally and said "Hi, dad" and he >>
Imalwaysready
swung around w/ a backfist I ducked that smashed into the cabinet next to me. Then he yelled at me to NEVER sneak up on him like that again.
ProfessorMatt
Once, after his tour in 'Nam, my mom tried to wake my dad up by shaking his shoulder. Once.
Wolokos
What did she end up doing instead? Was there like a signal or accepted method that his unit used?
[deleted]
[deleted]
ProfessorMatt
She just stood at the door and said "Honey, it's time to get up." Kept her from ending up on her back with a forearm to the throat.
EvilKrikkit
chair, eventually he rocked through the carpet and floor boards.
Angel666Hawk
damn
MoepsDump
To this day he is still rocking. His name? SCP-4193
Daywalker27
PTS theirs just thinks witnessed during you don't ever get to leave behind
moxubaozi
Reimmop
mikeatc
I think my brain is messed up I have to be rocking, I catch myself rocking sometimes in non rocking type chairs embarrassing LOL
Ispentthelastfewyearsbuildingupanimmunitytoiocanepowder
Baby rocking syndrome is a thing. It's often a response to stress. When a baby is crying/ distressed. Mom picks it up (1)
Ispentthelastfewyearsbuildingupanimmunitytoiocanepowder
Sits in a rocking chair or gentle rocks him/her while standing. I do it at night to fall asleep, but usually just move my foot back & forth.
ravenskull
for a non native englisch speaker, what does "rocking in a chair" mean?
mikeatc
Moving forward and backwards like a person you might see in a movie that has been traumatized
Intr0naut
mikeatc
ravenskull
Ah gotya. Its not only a chair but a "Schaukelstuhl"
C141Clay
It's like a gang-bang; a big meal for your friends.
Definitelynotabee
Great kid don't get cocky
steamboatphan
Beat me to it!
MarDuf
what's that flashing?
cheetah098
Don't get penisy!
Somethinginthewoodshed
Maybe the inspiration for the Millennium Falcon cock pit ? Either way, these guys had King Kong balls
theBushDoctor
Exactly my thought as well
antarcticgecko
The inspiration was actually the cockpit of the B-29. It’s almost a direct copy.
somethingsomethingwittyhere
A bit offtopic, but yes, an awful lot of Star Wars' universe aerial warfare is inspired by WW2 if you think about it.
Somethinginthewoodshed
I realised my comment detracted from the subject as soon as I put it. Star Wars is pretty insignificant in the grand scale.
somethingsomethingwittyhere
I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.
Sauroctonus
They even used footage from WW2 newsreels and movies to mock up some of the battle sequences.
[deleted]
[deleted]
Holodeck5
Lucas gave credit to the movie 633 Squadron as inspiration for the trench fighting on the death star
KnifeKnut
I think you mean the gun stations.
Skeletorwillriseagain
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-
Skeletorwillriseagain
of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose. Death of a Turret Gunner
no2venus
—Randall Jarrell
Skeletorwillriseagain
Thanks!
DireSnails
I was hoping to find this!
69Voltage
There was a movie about a trapped gunner. Can’t remember the name of it though
Xen300
I love how this almost completely useless comment gets over 200 likes. What gives, Imgur?
69Voltage
Oh no, we’ve got someone concerned about irrelevant internet points. Don’t worry, hopefully someday you’ll stop being envious. Cheers
Imalwaysready
I think it was an episode of the old TV show Amazing Stories (which was awesome. It was like a positive Twilight Zone). He was a cartoonist.
ReplyingToTopCommentsIsHowIGetPeopleToReadMyComments
omg you must be old to remember that! Like me!
landseer
Bottom Gun?
mbHogmountain2017
MEMPHIS BELLE. I think Sean Austin played the roll of the trapped BTG. Movie was based on several real events involving WWII B-17 aircrews.
n0n53n53
Balls Deep
Arsikere
was it the one where the dude drew cartoon wheels on the plane he was drawing and then they actually appeared?
C141Clay
That was an episode of "Amazing Stories": http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0511124/
squintish
I think that was an episode of 'Twilight Zone'?
fadecomic
Amazing Stories.
Bigiron383
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0511124/ .
WolnyLogin
yeah, some nights I remember it and can't sleep
5eaux4
Pretty sure you're thinking of the episode of Amazing Stories where he goes into a trance and draws a cartoon wheel so he won't be crushed.
DrkLng
Memphis Bell.
barbarians9
Yes, but most probably Spielberg's "The Mission" https://vimeo.com/56670088
ChasePoppins
That was depressing. Because those cartoon wheels weren't there for the real gunners.
DrkLng
Is that the one where the make the tire animated?
anonemoose2
Mentioned in WWII in hd The Air War
Ienjoycorgisandcornets
The Memphis belle has a couple of scenes where the ball turret gunner gets stuck. Strongly advise watching if you get a spare hour and a bit
thetallfreak
Yeah his turret gets stuck twice in the movie. After the second time the turret gets destroyed and when they open 1/2
thetallfreak
The hatch he's hanging out the bottom. Saved by the safety strap they told him to attach after seeing another plan go down
heavypettingzoo
The secret policeman's other ball turret.... featuring Sting
Gandhididnothingwrong
That's the one with Ryan Reynolds in the coffin right?
HankBukowski
.
OdinYggd
I remember a movie like that. Somehow the plane grew giant cartoon wheels to land safely. Once they got him out, the wheels vanished.
pc4pc
Trapped Gunner: The Movie, I think.
ropara1986
That was an episode of "Amazing Stories": http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0511124/
TinyBiscuits
Oh wow i never realized its Spielberg's work.
UrdnotJoeVasNormandy
The theme jingle for amazing stories pops up in my head from time to time.
bellapadella
Yes! Bravo
EdyPaz
YES!
thetallfreak
Absolutely loved this episode. I remember my dad showing it to me when I was like 6 or 7. It was also the pilot for the series too IIRC
MartaCzarnocka
THANK YOU I saw it when I was 6 years old, 15 years later spent hours trying to find it
TheCuntACrossTheStreet
Dotting :p
LarryTesler
Oooh I thought it was a Twilight Zone, and couldn't find it. Thanks!
69Voltage
Ah, thanks
Duraxis
Thank you. I always thought the cartoon wheels were in Memphis belle for some reason
ByThePowerOfSCIENCE
Yup, and it was a homage to Memphis Belle.
Doodledad73
That episode has stuck with me for decades
Tomadzo
That was an amazing episode
TheCarolingian
Kevin Costner was the pilot.
realmdweller
I forgot how many A-list actors that show got to star in episodes.
ColdWetAnimalNoses
I'll never forget that episode. It was the first thing I thought of when I saw this post.
TheRogueGentlemanGamer
Ditto
HardestBodie
Same!
CommanderStrax
This episode contains something short of phenomenon. So many people I have talked to who have seen this episode say it stuck with them 1/?
CommanderStrax
for decades or more since it came out. Some people think that subliminal messaging or encoded messaging influenced certain types of people
CommanderStrax
some people think that the sheer ideas in it were beyond the imagination of people at the time, so it stuck with them so long. but,
CommanderStrax
personally I think it lends to a more collective consciousness theory, and that data is more alive than we give it credit for.
ebap
He one where he draws the cartoon wheels? Picture it good. Along with the Metallica music video of kid carving wall until he’s old.
JoshJitsu
YES! This has been stuck in my head for DECADES and i can't remember where I saw it.
CommanderStrax
oh my god. I have no idea why, but i think of this episode once or twice every year. Always STUCK with me the first time I saw it.
destess
Unforgiven?
ebap
Yeah
barbarians9
"The Mission" https://vimeo.com/56670088
ABarrelOfLaughs
.
UrdnotJoeVasNormandy
Thank you for that!
davebeastly
Dot.
hueffs
...
destess
.
GasBandit
The world according to Garp?
Imalwaysready
Now there's a movie long overdue for a gritty reboot.
BigRedMonkeyButts
Saw that movie when I was way WAYYYYYYYY too young to properly process all of the subject matter.
itsforscience
The Memphis Belle movie had the same type scenario
69Voltage
That sounds familiar. Think that’s what I was thinking of
xtsnx
loved that film
Brochiavelli
Holy fuck that movie was exhausting...
leviscus
Such a classic. Looking forward to showing my boys some day soon
robhin227
Right in the pickle barrel huh Dennis?
DMintheDetails
We watched Memphis Belle in English in Jr high. Thought we were going to do a lesson on it. Nope. Mr. Cantrall just loved that movie.
mikeatc
The hobbit guy Sean Astin was in that right?
3YearsaLurker
Yeah he was. Fitting that they cram the hobbit into the ball turret XD.
RichWillRod2012
In Memphis belle though he was able to get out of the turret into the plane from a hatch in the top of the ball
TheBIFFALLO87
Absolutely love that film. Great story, great acting, well directed and cinematography on point too.
Individualsocksinthewashingmachine
Awesome film
mikeatc
Underrated actor DB Sweeney was in it
TheBIFFALLO87
He's great in Memphis Belle no doubt. Billy Zane and HCJ too. Sean Astin! Really great castm
TheBIFFALLO87
I watched The Cutting Edge a few nights ago lol
mikeatc
We were talking about that movie last night on Imgur
realmdweller
I just watched it last night on Hulu! Seems very four years I watch it for some odd reason. Toe pick!
WhoToldYouLifeWasFair
Belly Gunners walked that thin line between Incredibly Brave and Bat Shit Crazy.
Janusha
"brave" people are usually just bat-shit crazy people who somehow survived
MarioPoppins
brave shit crazy
n0n53n53
mostly they were voluntold
IanScottTheScot
Like hockey goalies?
GenderEqualityIsAMyth
As a veteran, these were my favorite kind of people.
BSemisch
Reminds me of a quote from "Catch 22" - you had to be certified insane to be grounded - but you had to be insane to fly.... 1/2
BSemisch
2/2 - so if you went in to be tested they knew you were sane and put you right back up in the air.
Ervaine
My thoughts exactly.
KapnKershaw
They weren't usually given the choice. Smallest guy got the job.
DammitIHadSomethingForThis
Not necessarily true. My Grandpa was 6'2", and the tallest man in his B-17 crew. So the Army decided he should man the Ball Turret
AndIThinkToMyselfWhatAWonderfulWorld
As a 6'1" guy, my back hurts just looking at photos & diagrams of belly gunners at their station
SlopSumChum
My grandfather was a ball gunner. The missions were so long that when they pulled him out, the crew had to stretch him back out to walk.
AirKeytar
Probably would have been about 10 hours maximum.
5TUP1D
My grandfather was too. I wish he lived long enough to tell me stories of his time in the skies.
OcassionalDanger
My great uncle flew on B-17's doing sorties over Germany late in the war. The few times he talked about it it wasn't pleasant.
doctorbocker
Which is lucky. Many ball-turret gunners were just hosed out.
killerdingleberry
My grandfather was also the ball gunner and is currently the last surviving member of his flight crew
killerdingleberry
He has detailed records of all their flight missions as well as the post flight bullet hole checks
Megarith
Mine shot at the bombers coming towards the city.
maskedhobo
Mine too. I never got to know him, he died when I was really young.
Kitakita
There's a joke here about "balls" and "pulling out", but I can't seem to find it
KjTheLightning
a magnifying lens may help with that.
Idontwantmybrothertoknowmyname
Your grand father had balls
okayimin
My grandfather was too... both very brave men !!!
farva69
Being a bomber was a brutal job in ww2. Being a ball turret operator was brutal and took massive balls. Your grandfather was a great man!
CreepyPhlox
Why did require massive balls? Did they volunteer to be in that role or were they assigned to it?
SinStar87
Even slaves have a choice.
NotSterRoft
SinStar87
idk if it's because my implication was unclear or not >> They could have told their commander to fuck off and not climbed into the ball
NoeCarrier
They had the massive balls already, that's why the turret is shaped like that. Men with gross testicular deformities can serve too!
farva69
Either way...massive cajones
TargaryenLoyalist
I don’t think it matters. You think these men are only brave if they volunteered for that job?
Excludos
Well they somewhat did. They were assigned, but a lot of them flat out refused and was transferred to other positions.
TargaryenLoyalist
I think that proves my point. If they’re there it’s because at some point they made a choice to be there, and that took bravery.
TheKenM
Mine was a tail gunner in the Philippines. Never talked about it though.
SnickerMyKnickers
Oh god. So many blood clots.
SamAndJanetEvening
And on top of everything else, imagine how loud it must have been to have a .50 going off in each ear every time you pulled the trigger.
ThatsMySecretCapImAlwaysHorny
Mine was a physio. He was strafed by a Junkers while travelling between field hospitals on a bike. Must have been a quiet day to waste ammo.
evergreentt
My grandad was strafed as well. He was a doctor in Borneo and said the Japanese would look for red crosses on the tents and strafe them
ThatsMySecretCapImAlwaysHorny
My grandad was on his own on a bike, obviously not top brass or a major asset. He ended up jumping in a ditch.
evergreentt
He was probably pretty scared at the time but it's turned in to an epic story over time. So much happened to them in 6 short years. Legends
Saustino
Mine too! He got the job because he was so short. He flew 52 missions before he got transferred.
MitchBeaucannon
52? Lucky bastard.
SlopSumChum
My grandfather was 6’1”. He traded out with the nose gunner, who was short and scared of it. The nose gunner later suffered major wounds.
primarian
How do they relieve themselves? Do they wear diapers?
primarian
Did* they
NoLongerFoamingWolffo
If I was in one of those I'd probably spend the whole time pissing myself anyway so I don't think it'd be a problem for me.
BigTex1
One of the most important things you learn in the military is to always shit before mission and have something to piss in.
Reimmop
That sounds like really good advise
stonebreaker6
Always engage PMD (pre-mission dump) before rolling out.
BigTex1
PMD/PCC/PCI
sortbynewanddownvotedegenerates
As was my grandfathers brother. He survived a crash landing in a field in France to spend the remainder of the war in concentration camps.
Friendo2
That’s crazy. My great uncle was too, and survived a crash landing in France. The locals where they landed were resistance fighters. They...
Friendo2
managed to find fuel for the bomber and spent the next couple days cutting down trees to create a runway for the bomber. When my great...
Friendo2
uncle and his crewmates got back to base, they found out the airforce had written them off as KIA. Says he still can’t believe they were...
Friendo2
able to source fuel for a bomber in the middle of occupied France, but hey, vive le resistance. RIP to my great-uncle.
sortbynewanddownvotedegenerates
He said kept POW’s separate from the main camp population and they got much better treatment but it still was no picnic.
TheUnsolicitedDuckPic
great uncle was severely wounded but the Germans kept him alive due to his very German name. They thought they could use him. nope
WhoDidYouExpect
So he was in a Concentration Camp? Not a normal Luftstalag?
sortbynewanddownvotedegenerates
It’s been several years since I’ve talked to him. The first place or two might have been, but as the war went on they moved him further back
sortbynewanddownvotedegenerates
As the allied armies pushed back through France into Germany. We took him to wright patt when they had the holocaust exhibit and he showed
Shamorza
I guess those concentration camps had lower gas bills.
MarDuf
is the joke that camps don't usuall have gaas bills? made me chuckle but couldn't figure out why someone got offended in comments
creaothceann
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_chamber#Nazi_Germany
kneetothearrow
ASMRuVeganYet
You're going straight to hell buddy
mydarkendgalf5772
Interestingly enough, my grandfather was an aeronautical engineer who was tasked with making these safer, he died before I could ask more.
ThatsMySecretCapImAlwaysHorny
Did he invent the inflatable cartoon wheels?
mydarkendgalf5772
That was Acme I think...
almitydave
I saw a documentary about that guy! It was a pretty amazing story.
ashleypomeroy
"I couldn't. Sorry"
mydarkendgalf5772
Huh?
Cornflakes91
He was tasked but didnt succeed
mydarkendgalf5772
Totally on board now. He was a great man, sometimes there is no turning lead into gold.
Snooj
"But we did make sketch pads standard issue gear."