Waist Gunner. The primary duty of the waist gunner was to defend the aircraft against the enemy. On a B17, there were two waist gunners located directly opposite one another. This made maneuvering sometimes difficult, and until later models of the B17, frostbite was also an issue, as the waist gunners stood near open window areas.

Once training was complete, aerial gunners were sent out to operational bomber units as crewmen, serving as waist gunners, tail gunners, or most physically demanding, as ball turret gunners. The spherical manned ball turrets, deployed mainly on the bottoms of B-17 and B-24 heavy bombers, were very small in order to reduce drag, and were ...

Jan 5, 2025 · The position of a waist gunner aboard the B-17 Flying Fortress during World War II was one of the most hazardous roles in aerial combat. Tasked with defending the bomber’s vulnerable sides from enemy aircraft, these gunners faced relentless attacks, cramped quarters, and extreme conditions.

Jan 10, 2025 · The Waist Gunner: A Hidden Peril. The waist gunners operated machine guns on either side of the B-17’s fuselage. Their role appeared straightforward, with a wide field of view to engage enemy fighters approaching from various angles. However, this position came with significant dangers.

Jan 4, 2024 · During the period from 7 September 1943 to 18 April 1944, D.W. Dailey flew a total of 26 combat missions as a Flexible (Waist) Gunner and was awarded the Good Conduct Medal on 15 January 1944....

Jan 18, 2023 · The waist gunners battled the freezing temperatures by wearing layers of heavy clothing and electrically heated suits. The G model added Plexiglas windows with an opening for the guns in the waist windows.

Jun 20, 2015 · B-17 Waist Gunners Clark Gable (1901-1960) served as an aerial gunner on a B-17 during World War II. He signed up for duty following the tragic death of his wife Carole Lombard, who was on a war bond tour when her plane crashed.

An air gunner or aerial gunner is a member of a military aircrew who operates flexible-mount or turret-mounted machine guns or autocannons in an aircraft. [1] Modern aircraft weapons are usually operated automatically without the need for a dedicated air gunner, but older generation (World War II and earlier) bombers used to carry up to eight ...

Dec 3, 2020 · Staff Sergeant Leo Moser was a waist gunner, and a big guy. “Roger,” I heard Leo reply over the intercom, and he crawled back into the tail section dragging a portable oxygen bottle. In about a minute, he came back over the intercom.

Waist gunner. Waist gunner wearing typical body armor for a standing crewman—unlike the seated type, the apron was larger and the back was armored. It weighed about 25 lbs.