BALL TURRET IN DEPTH! Myths and Lies Busted.

Take an in depth look at the legendary "Memphis Belle" Ball Turret and learn about the equipment and role in which all B-17s flew to their target. Learn about the bloody war in the skies above Europe in M.A.C. B-17 series.
00:00 - 00.59 Ball Turret In Action
00:59 - 03:30 Busting Ball Turret Myths
03:59 - 04:34 Ball Turret Components
04:34 - 05:29 Sperry Manufacturing
05:30 - 06:40 Sighting In The Enemy
06:41 - 08:23 Fire Cut-Off
08:24 - 10:32 Crashing With The Ball Turret
10:33 - 12:35 Getting IN/OUT Of The Ball Turret
12:36 - 13:06 Modern Ball Turret In Action
13:07 - 14:21 The Most Dangerous Job?
14:22 - 15:08 B-17 Not Meant For Ball Turret?
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[@kenibnanak5554]

It was dangerous because there were a few B17 belly landings in which the ball turret gunner was not able to exit the turret. Squish.

[@fatcat3211]

I think this is a hollywood myth. I've yet to find one historical reporting of this actually happening.

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

We did our best to bust some myths here through our own experience along with what statistics we could find.

[@kenibnanak5554]

@@fatcat3211 Actually during my time doing Army declassification work I saw 2 or 3 reports about them. Wasn't exactly the sort of thing they advertised.

[@kenibnanak5554]

@@MilitaryArmamentsCompany Understood, and you did a good job,

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

Thankyou for watching and for supporting the channel. Plenty more coming.

[@GuidosDad]

TERRIFIC JOB DUDE !!!! 🇺🇸 Very well done / Informative!

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

Much appreciated!

[@The113Guy]

Yes!

[@olentangy74]

One of my uncles was a ball turret gunner on a B-24 Liberator in the 8th Air Force. Two confirmed kills.

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

Oh wow! We are happy to have you watching our video in that case. Thankyou for watching.

[@kmoecub]

Just like every crewed MG mount, it's comfortable right up to the point in which you die.

[@jasonrusso9808]

I think that the most amazing innovations during the war were actually the reflector gun sights and the gyroscopic k-14 computer gunsights. Then the computing pedestal mounts on the B~29, they didn't even touch the guns, the pedestal did all the work. All a gunner did was put the target in the reticule/reticle & push button, the electrically illuminated reflector sight did the rest to great effect. As with the K14 on the P51 & P47 & with the other larger models of different designation in the turrets on the B17, B-24, B26, B25 etc, the reticle was adjustable in size to encapsulate the adversary aircraft or whatever target. It is amazing that this was achieved without microchips, jus rugged tools, machines, & electricity. USAAF Forever!

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

Very good observation! We have covered a flying B29 in depth on the channel however it was Doc, with no gun turrets. We hope to get to fifi eventually and do the gun turrets. Thanks for watching. Please enjoy the rest of the Memphis Belle Series.

[@GuidosDad]

GET SOME !!!

[@lorettahookano6139]

What an amazing aircraft piece of machinery !

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

Absolutely! Thankyou for watching, check out the rest of the B-17 Series.

[@chainsawcharl1e677]

My Great Uncle Milton made the template for the ball turret's armature. It took him 6 months of meticulous work at his machine shop on Hinsdale Street in Rochester, N.Y. The first time the template was used, the press hit with such force that it shook the building.

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

Very cool!

[@RMinOZ1]

Excellent over view. Well done !

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

Thankyou for watching. Please check out the rest of the series.

[@jvleasure]

Excellent job. I can't tell you how many people I've gotten into arguments with about the ball turret NOT being the most dangerous position.

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

Thankyou for watching! We did our best to bust the myths on this one. Can't let the truth get in the way of a good movie action sequence haha

[@jvleasure]

@@MilitaryArmamentsCompany oh it would be terrifying, i think, being in there, and the fear of being stuck in there would have to be very real.

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

Being in one these days in flight was bitter sweet. Utterly cool because very very few people in the world get the opportunity these days to experience it. But some ignorance was bliss, working on them, knowing how they are mounted in the plane... I couldn't wait to get out of the dam thing. Still...if given the choice and the opportunity... get in one in flight just to say you did!

[@jvleasure]

@MilitaryArmamentsCompany i flew tail in a B25 in 2007. Pretty awesome. Still waiting on my chance in a 17.

[@HH-COactual]

Hell Yea!

[@GereDJ2]

My understanding is that a Ball Turret gunner could be no taller than about 5'5", ideally shorter, about 5'4". The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner, Randall Jarrell, 1914 - 1965 "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 of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose."

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

Have never seen anything in writing so i stand to be corrected. I am 5.10 and fit in there just fine, able to operate all the controls. Thanks for watching.

[@GereDJ2]

@@MilitaryArmamentsCompany Height info came from a couple different Internet sources on the subject.

[@andrewmartin4258]

My dad was a full 6' tall and went through full training in the B-17 ball turret but new flew a combat mission as a gunner. His story, training at Pensacola, was that you didn't eat breakfast because the guy before you had thrown up in the turret and the first thing you did when you got in was heave on yourself.

[@tylerbonser7686]

I always think I'm not going to learn anything new in a B17 video. I learned some stuff here.

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

Very cool, we aim to bring light into subjects often missed. What did you learn new? Thankyou for the kind words.

[@tylerbonser7686]

@@MilitaryArmamentsCompany what the foot pedals were for and the whole process of entering the turret

[@jasonrusso9808]

"That guy had blue eyes!" ~Rascal~

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

"Theres nothing wrong with the Ball Turret Rascal!"

[@jasonrusso9808]

@@MilitaryArmamentsCompany I love that movie, Master of the Air & of course your awesome channel. Thank you brother!

[@fw1421]

I’m sure you had to be super short to operate the Ball Turret. Last time I went to the Air Force Museum I was able to do the restoration shop tour and they had the Memphis Bells turret and another from a B-24 right next to it. Slight difference between them but they were both pointed straight down without their .50’s mounted. They were really cramped in my opinion.

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

Thanks for watching. YES cramped but not as uncomfortable as many would assume. I've been in many tanks that are far worse.

[@xfirehurican]

Good explanation - but - throttle back a couple of tabs on the use of *"actually"* .

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

Now might be a good time to add, just for Ball Turret, Scott was violently hungover for that filming. He did well considering.

[@johntrollman2113]

Was the B17 turret typically manned during landing?

[@HH-COactual]

He literally talks about that in the video.

[@dukecraig2402]

No, no one was permitted to be in the ball turret during take offs or landings.

[@olivedrabgarage6243]

Interesting accent there mate..I hear a bit of Aussie in it. 🇦🇺

[@MilitaryArmamentsCompany]

You got it Mate! Had to water it down for the yanks a bit but it's going to come out more soon.

[@bravobravo7901]

Not gonna lie, Ball turret it's actually okay and safety turret, maybe if you say landing got accidental, this maybe yes, but, if you're not on combat and quit the ball turret, actually can be fine, i mean, who really thought that was worst job in the world? i am not get it.

[@lorettahookano6139]

What an amazing aircraft piece of machinery !