What was the life expectancy of a tail gunner?

What was the life expectancy of a tail gunner?

The Rear-Turret Gunners were in the most vulnerable position on the Plane. The life expectancy of a WW2 Rear-gunner varied but was never high, mostly about just 5 Sorties.

What percentage of RAF pilots died in WW2?

During the whole war, 51% of aircrew were killed on operations, 12% were killed or wounded in non-operational accidents and 13% became prisoners of war or evaders. Only 24% survived the war unscathed.

What does an RAF navigator do?

Navigator. The navigator was responsible for keeping the aircraft on course at all times, reaching the target and then the home base. He had to maintain a high level of concentration for virtually the whole of the flight, which could be up to seven hours.

What was the life expectancy of a WW2 bomber crew?

It had a crew of seven from the pilot to the gunners. Everyone had to play their part to stay alive. The Lancaster was one of the most dangerous places to be in the entire war – the life expectancy of a new recruit was just two weeks.

How did rear gunners not shoot the tail off?

There was a feeler arm (that looked as if it might have been borrowed from a Dalek) below each gun and when these came in contact with the fairing they inhibited depression of the gun barrels to prevent the gunner shooting at the airframe; there were also interrupter cut outs to stop him shooting at the fins as the …

How many tail gunners died in ww2?

Through the entire operation, the Rear Gunner knew that the Luftwaffe fighter pilots preferred to attack from the rear and under the belly of the bomber, so he was often 1st in line for elimination. During World War II – 20,000 air gunners were killed while serving with Bomber Command.”

Did any RAF pilots survive the whole of ww2?

Today, Irishman John, known as Paddy, is, in the saddest sense, alone again – the only airman who fought in the Battle of Britain still alive. The very last of Winston Churchill’s famous “few” about whom he said: “Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many.”

Are there any Battle of Britain pilots left?

Back in May, it was announced on the morning of the 75th anniversary of VE Day that John Hemingway was now the last surviving of the nearly 3,000 airmen who flew in the Battle of Britain, following the death of 101-year-old air gunner Terry Clark.

Why do Bombers have two pilots?

The primary reason for having two pilots on every flight is safety. Obviously, if something happens to the captain, a plane must have another pilot who can step in. Additionally, the first officer provides a second opinion on piloting decisions, keeping pilot error to a minimum.

How many planes did RAF squadron have in WW2?

A squadron at the start of WW2 generally had an establishment of twelve aircraft.

How many b17 were shot down in Europe?

Of the 291 attacking Fortresses, 60 were shot down over Germany, five crashed on approach to Britain, and 12 more were scrapped due to damage – a loss of 77 B-17s.

Do b52s still have tail guns?

Fast-forward to the 1970s and the B-52 was Americans sole remaining heavy bomber. It was also the service’s last aircraft to even feature a tail gun, whatever its utility might have been at that point. A B-52H bomber with its tail gun still installed.

What did RAF navigators do in World War 2?

By this stage of the war the RAF had standardised on ranks such that all aircrew were NCOs. His first logged flight in Canada was in July 1943 in an Anson flying as 1st Navigator for an hour and ten minutes. This was most likely providing a general familiarisation flight around the local area and taking in and learning visual references.

What did RAF Bomber Command do to Germany?

The scale of devastation wreaked on Germany by RAF Bomber Command in World War Two has been revealed in detail in rare maps, published for the first time. The bomb damage diagrams are aerial photographs of Berlin, Cologne and Dresden, overlaid with coloured areas indicating how much damage was caused by the strategic bombing campaign.

How many photos did RAF Bomber Command have?

He then told the rest of the squadron that there was only one photo from the whole of 115 Squadron and out of some 200 aircraft of Bomber Command there were only 9 photos of the target. He turned to our pilot Brian Slade and said, “Well done Slade!”

Are there navigators in the Royal Air Force?

They just won’t be called Navigators. No, “Navigators” as such haven’t existed officially for several years now, and only the generic “RAF” rear crew brevet has been issued.