[303rd-Talk] The Aluminum Overcast

[Guy Schlegel]

Please refresh my memory.  Was the Radio Operator's gun on the left side of 
the plane or the right?  Was his gun a single .50 caliber like the waist 
gunners or a .30 caliber?

Only the Best!
Guy Schlegel

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <jprencher at aol.com>
To: <303rd-talk at 303rdBG.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 5:38 PM
Subject: Re: [303rd-Talk] The Aluminum Overcast


> Early in the war each 10 man crew had 2 waist gunners. A left one and a 
> right one. Each had only one flexible gun. They were not in a turret? Leed 
> was hard to estimate. We? didn't have to use both waist guns at the? same 
> time?very often so?it was easy for one gunner to turn around and use the 
> one behind him as needed. This saved manpower. The radio man did not have 
> a very effective gun either so he could very well go back and use one of 
> the waist guns if needed. As I best rememberd one of the waist gunners was 
> dropped from each crew some time about mid 1944
> ???? Best Wishes, Jack Rencher
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Thomas Barr <tjb4 at cox.net>
> To: 303rd Bomb Group Talk Forum <303rd-talk at 303rdBG.com>
> Sent: Mon, 12 May 2008 7:42 am
> Subject: Re: [303rd-Talk] The Aluminum Overcast
>
>
> A full crew of 10 included two waist gunners. Towards the end of the war 
> they were eliminated because the enemy fighters didn't come up as much. 
> Tom Barr?
> ?
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gordon Walker" 
> <gskywalkers at citlink.net>?
> To: <303rd-talk at 303rdBG.com>?
> Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2008 10:35 PM?
> Subject: [303rd-Talk] The Aluminum Overcast?
> ?
> Hi Everyone,?
> ?
> This week end I went to Sacramento, California to see the Aluminum 
> Overcast. It was my first time aboard a B-17 and the first thing that 
> struck me was how confining it was inside the aircraft. We entered the 
> plane through the hatch just below the cockpit. They had the nose of the 
> plane blocked off but it was just as well because it would have been 
> difficult for a 78 year old guy to crawl into that area where the 
> bombadier sat. It was also very narrow walking over the top of the bomb 
> bay doors. In any event, I came away with much more appreciation for those 
> guys who manned these planes. I was very interested in seeing the tail 
> gunner position but that area was also blocked off but I was able to see 
> enough to know that the tail gunner as well as the ball turret gunner had 
> very very tight positions.?
> ?
> I came away with a couple of questions. Many of the crew photos taken 
> after missions show only 9 crew memebers and some 10 but even at 10, there 
> were more guns than men so I was wondering who took on the job of manning 
> more than one gun position??
> ?
> Also, my son is into motorcycles and he was wondering if anyone knows the 
> bore and stroke of the B-17. I was able to find out that it was a 9 
> cylinder radial with 1690 cu. inches but nothing on the bore and stroke.?
> ?
> This is a picture of my son and myself looking the plane over.?
> ?
> http://www.scottylive.com/macswar/Main/aogw.jpg?
> ?
> Scotty Walker?
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