My father was a belly gunner in a B-24 Liberator durring WW2. He survived 54 bombing missions. He turns 91 this week. A true American hero.
@andrewmacdonald58847 жыл бұрын
DistantEarlyWarning 611 Congratulations! My grandfather, who's still around at 92, was a front gunner on a B-24 during the war.
@callumheyes41717 жыл бұрын
Spelt "during" wrong mate
@jamrvkids14757 жыл бұрын
My dad was a waist gunner on B-24 during WWII past away back in 1982.
@DistantEarlyWarning6117 жыл бұрын
siemensohm "Civilians" weren't flying Nazi fighter planes jackass.
@DistantEarlyWarning6117 жыл бұрын
Ryan Davidson None. He was in Europe and Africa.
@IrishSoyBoy3 жыл бұрын
I feel like the motto behind American planes in WW2 was "How many .50 cals can we slap on this thing?"
@ShrikerN955MG3 жыл бұрын
uh 5001 no more no less
@F4Wildcat3 жыл бұрын
John="Alright our bomber boys are taking an increasing beating against those huns. We need to come up with an escort fighter that can escort them the entire mission. Steve= *looks at spare turrets and .50's Steve= Or we double the amount of turrets and .50's! John= Or we double the amount of turrets and .50's! John= AMAZING! same idea! Steve= I know right?
@gavinsepulveda64603 жыл бұрын
30 cal
@macvadda23183 жыл бұрын
@@gavinsepulveda6460 party pooper
@ns6q3333 жыл бұрын
@@gavinsepulveda6460 20mm
@mrKozmoz8 жыл бұрын
I always found the ball turrets to be mechanically fascinating, quite a feat in engineering
@regulator55216 жыл бұрын
mrKozmoz AA guns are made the same way :^)
@MajorCaliber6 жыл бұрын
YEP, zero CAD/CAM, just drafting pencil, T-square, and *smarts* ... and the urgency of winning a massive World War which actually threatened N. America... hats off to The Greatest Generation (who, btw, NEVER refer to themselves that way... ;')
@sheep1ewe4 жыл бұрын
I always think about the possibility to use something similar in space for example, and mount say a robotic arm on it in the middle where one can put various tools and other things, in space, or under water, it would be possible to even stop the vehicle and still and keep floating.
@hectorandres29214 жыл бұрын
Yep, and also wondered how cramped it felt. Too bad I will never be able to try it... (Not referring in war time of course...)
@RedWolf777SG3 жыл бұрын
Yeah....however it's also the worst gun position to be assigned to. Especially when the bomber needs to make emergency crash landing and they cannot retract the ball turret and get you out of it. Its It's especially worse for B17 ball gunners.
@oldcet52773 жыл бұрын
huge shoutout to the cameraman for not falling off the plane
@kremit50843 жыл бұрын
I’m waiting for the dumbass to comment here
@rayneb53133 жыл бұрын
@@kremit5084 it's been 4 months now
@Shanoyu192713 жыл бұрын
@@rayneb5313 yeah
@thegermanfool89533 жыл бұрын
What are you talking about there's a camera on the plane not a human!! 🙄
@kremit50843 жыл бұрын
@@thegermanfool8953 I FUCKING FOUND YOU
@johnparsons8942 жыл бұрын
This is incredible. My grandpa was a ball turret gunner on a B24, 15th AF, 484th, 824 Bombardment Squadron. His plane was shot down during his 17th mission after bombing Vienna on 21 Feb 1945. The 10-man crew bailed out and were captured by the Germans. He was a POW until liberated by Patton’s 3rd Army on 29 Apr 45. I was too young to appreciate his stories, but I remember many of them. They were real heroes.
@roberthughes4308 Жыл бұрын
Hey! My Great Uncle was in the 15th AF too! San Giovanni Airfield with 740th BS(H), 455th BG(H). Also a Ball turret gunner/assistant radio operator. He was killed in an air to air with another B-24H over the Adriatic on their way back from Austria, it was the 455th's 11th mission.
@gustavonmesquita702 жыл бұрын
The amount of courage needed to operate this in combat is impossible to be measured. True heros. Respect.
@MonteOlsen8 жыл бұрын
My father was a ball turret gunner in a B-24 in World War 2. Wish he could have been around to see this airplane and perhaps take a ride in it if he was of a mind to. He really didn't like to fly after he came home. They were all white knuckle trips for him. This from a man who was Oregon's youngest licensed pilot in the 1930s and who couldn't get enough flying before the war. Great video. Thanks very much!
@582AIR8 жыл бұрын
Flying in the USA in the thirties, well ,he was not siting to be shot at,and one must eel damn exposed in a ball!
@Janni0696 жыл бұрын
U can be proud to had a such a good person as father. WW2 was really dangerous for the crew of bomber planes and the plane's crew knew there was a high chance of getting shot down. Those people who fought for the freedom in WW2 are my real heros.
@Janni0696 жыл бұрын
All the people who fought against the nazi, fascists and japanese army and all of their allies were heroes.
@timhancock66266 жыл бұрын
My wifes uncle Arthur was a nose turret gunner in Wellington bombers. He was only 5ft 2 ins tall and underage when he joined the RAF. He vowed never to fly again after WW2 and he never did. I don't know how ball turret gunners kept their sanity. Its an awful job and your dad has my utmost respect. My dad was a very low flying gunner...well he was in a Sherman tank in Normandy.
@pctrashtalk20695 жыл бұрын
I talked to a vet who was a belly turret operator on thw B24 in europe. He sewed chords in his flight suit to be used as tourniquets by him. He said that he could bleed to death before they cranked the ball back up and it could also be damaged. He said that when they crossed over german areas near the coast they would send up rockets that looked like telephone poles coming up thru the formation. He also said it was scary when the weather was cloudy and the bombers had to form up with poor visibility. Planes would collide and crash.
@1timcat9 жыл бұрын
Now we need a gunner's eye view.
@twinbeechdotcom9 жыл бұрын
Check out my other videos for a ball turret view from inside
@1timcat9 жыл бұрын
Taigh Ramey Cool, thanks. Always thought I'd enjoy the seat if I wasn't getting shot at. I' thin and fold easily.
@Rayculdio3 жыл бұрын
Bro this comment is old
@akusiapa19153 жыл бұрын
@@Rayculdio yep
@atrociousbean40963 жыл бұрын
It’s pretty cramped in there, to be honest.
@doggedout6 жыл бұрын
"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." - Randall Jarrell's 'The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner My dad was a B-24 pilot in WWII. This poem and "High Flight" are the only two I ever heard him recite completly from memory. He passed in 93. All of these guys had "balls of steel".
@soldtobediers6 жыл бұрын
rob black Condolences. Here's to His, & all who serve,, & have served's memory. ''None are closer to the very aurthor of sacrifice Himself... Than those who perform it, for the very sake of others.''-gilpin -former recondo sgt. 'rock' 82nd abn. inf. 2318
@purplealice4 жыл бұрын
"High Flight" is from WW 1, but it does capture the experience of flying (without mentioning the horror of war). "Up, up, the long delirious burning blue!" Now if the human race can just learn to go along without blowing each other up...
@steventhornton47163 жыл бұрын
Do you mind if I put that on my Facebook page on remembrance day sir?
@apexxxx103 жыл бұрын
*Not steel ALUMINUM!*
@TheSillyRobot872 жыл бұрын
SHUT UP SOUP TRUSTED YOU MAN
@fixizin10 жыл бұрын
Just look at those monster radial engines, going on *70* years old... and not a wisp of smoke at cruise, or even idle. *That* takes a whole lot of love and diligence and no-excuses competence on the part of these preservationists. SALUTE!
@leegenix4 жыл бұрын
My dad used to service those engines in Corpus Christi,Texas and Lathrop, California. He also did jet engines and was trained by Beechcraft. Somewhere, I have the diploma signed by Beech.
@taofledermaus9 жыл бұрын
Very cool camera angle! Great video!
@midgrave8 жыл бұрын
+TAOFLEDERMAUS :D you
@trey69897 жыл бұрын
i love ur chanel cool 2 see u hear
@deanbeach18287 жыл бұрын
love ur channel
@Glostermeteorf36 жыл бұрын
Dude every video I watch you’ve commented on. You’re everywhere
@roymclovetoy90416 жыл бұрын
lol that camera angle was absolute shit, i was expecting some footage from the inside
@twinbeechdotcom10 жыл бұрын
The turret was retractable only on the B-24 because of the very limited ground clearance of the that the Liberator had. There was plenty of room for the ball turret on the B-17 so it didn't need to be retracted. For the gunner to get in the ball turret the guns had to be pointed straight down which allowed the hatch to be accessed from inside the aircraft since the hatch is on the opposite side of the turret than the guns. On both the B-17 and the B-24 the guns cannot be pointed straight down when the aircraft is on the ground so the gunner really cant get in the ball turret from inside the aircraft unless it is flying. The hatch is accessible on the B-17 on the ground from the outside when the guns are horizontal as can be seen in many wartime photos. The gunner could in theory bail out of the ball turret in flight if he wore his parachute while in the turret and he could have the guns horizontal in flight. It seemed like the normal procedure was for the gunner to keep is quick attachable chest pack parachute stowed inside the aircraft near the turret in case he had to bail out. If the turret became jammed at any position of the guns outside of nearly straight down then the hatch would be blocked by the turret ring structure and the airframe thus trapping him inside. There were manual cranks both inside the turret for the gunner and outside for the crew to crank the turret in azimuth and elevation. I would like to hear any stories of a ball turret gunner bailing directly out of his ball turret as I have not come across any evidence of this happening but I am sure it must have happened sometime. Check out my other videos of the view from inside the ball turret on the Collings B-17G
@bellator1110 жыл бұрын
To your first comment: Except when a B-17 was forced to belly land - this caused atleast a few unnecessary deaths. In the event that the hydraulics for the landing gear was damaged the B-17 was forced to ditch on landing, and there was nothing that could be done to prevent the loss of the poor belly gunner.
@50shadesofcerakote10 жыл бұрын
bellator11 he could get out of the turret maybe... you know, so he didnt die a horrible death..
@KingKorihorMinecraft10 жыл бұрын
***** Unless flak damage made it so the belly turret couldn't move into a position where the gunner could get out. There were some people in the belly turret that did die... not unnecessarily but simply because in spite of surviving the mission they couldn't get out. It didn't help if the plane was shot down and falling, the guy in the belly turret was usually the last to bail out... if it was even possible. Fortunately, you are correct that most of the time they would just be sitting in the back of the plane with the rest of the crew and enjoying the ride.
@aaronseet273810 жыл бұрын
333keb There had been at least one case where the ball turret was damaged and the gunner could not get out. And the B-17's landing gear were also damaged forcing a belly landing, thus trapping and crushing the gunner.
@bellator1110 жыл бұрын
333keb Problem is that the turret had to be in a certain position for this to be possible, and if the power traverse to the turret was lost or it was jammed in some way, well then the poor gunner was trapped in there.
@warrenchambers48199 жыл бұрын
Awesome, I sure am glad someone cared enough to save these old warbirds. Great to see the turret up and running.
@AndreaRoll7 жыл бұрын
that looks already scary as it is. Now think about doing that in a flak field while flying wing to wing beside other bombers and with dozens of enemy fighters strafing you. For fuck sake that is hell
@alphaadhito7 жыл бұрын
Yeah, that's why turret ball gunner is one of the most respectful crew position in a bomber. Imagine the turret stuck in lower position and you can't get out
@MichaelThe-Pyro7 жыл бұрын
that's why they wore parachutes so if they have to jump or get shot out they can survive
@monkeyanimationandgaming2 жыл бұрын
@@MichaelThe-Pyro i am pretty sure they could not wear chutes, too big for the ball turret
@user-qy9tf2im7f2 жыл бұрын
Don't forget it's 50 below Zero and you are in an inner electric suit with a bulky Lamb Skin and Fleece Suit and boots, a 90 lb Flak Jacket over your shoulders to your waist, a full Oxygen Mask Fleece Hat and saliva dripping out of you mask and freezing on you chin. You could always tell if someone was from a Heavy Bomber Crew because they always had slight frost bite on their cheeks where the mask did not cover. It was no picnic, Missions could be 10-12 hrs long.
@RoadCaptainEntertain10 жыл бұрын
Gimme 3000 rounds of Ammo and fly over my ex's house.
@mtechandweapons10258 жыл бұрын
Why not bomb it btw it design for bombing
@MothaLuva8 жыл бұрын
+RoadCaptainEntertain 4000 rounds
@SomberYeti8 жыл бұрын
lol its like you remove the bombs replace it with more ammo xD
@ericchristian47817 жыл бұрын
RoadCaptainEntertain y
@SharpShot-qs8hv7 жыл бұрын
RoadCaptainEntertain lol I'm dead
@blackchallis10 жыл бұрын
Tie Fighter the humble beginning
@deejaynoizecph10 жыл бұрын
LOL!!!!
@AirwolfGames6 жыл бұрын
The Fighter: A Star Wars Story
@215alessio5 жыл бұрын
so true :o
@roadking99jokerst605 жыл бұрын
I noticed the similarity myself years back.
@darthvader43234 жыл бұрын
Bruhh
@MegaUpholsteryman10 жыл бұрын
My grandfather was a ball turret gunner on the maiden warrior of the 454th.The stories he would tell me would give me goose bumps. They dropped allot of bombs.
@notabigfan94373 жыл бұрын
*Me going to bomber camp after playing war thunder:* JUST LIKE THE SIMULATIONS
@02suraditpengsaeng413 жыл бұрын
Star war × War thunder Reference
@c5back96 жыл бұрын
Saying a little prayer for the young men who endured real hell in these warbirds so that we all could live as we do. Thanks to all who serve and have served!!!
@user-qy9tf2im7f2 жыл бұрын
My Father was a 24 Navigator and believe me they we always scared, but they took it like Job. Their CO always said at the end of each Mission Briefing. "Gentlemen lets go to work". They also removed the exact number of chairs based on casualty reports they received on the Flight back, so no one knew how many Crews were lost until later in the evening because there were no empty chairs in de-briefing.
@cptcosmo6 жыл бұрын
My Grandafther, may he rest in peace, served as a B-24 ball turret gunner with the 459th bomb group based at Coffee Tower, Guilia Field in Cerignola, Italy. He survived 32 missions. I have his air service medal with silver oakleaf cluster. He had some amazing but horriffic stories to tell...
@allanfranklin96152 жыл бұрын
Interesting to hear that your Grandfather was stationed in Cerignola, so was my Dad, a ball turret gunner 764th Sq, 461st BG. He flew 51 missions and was shot down on last mission before being rotated out and was a POW for remainder of war. . Quite possible they knew each other. (Dad was shot down on 7-25-44.)
@MajorCaliber6 жыл бұрын
As a kid growing up in the 1960s, I remember people buying WW2 surplus ammo, .30 caliber--belted for machine-gun use--in the original rugged and waterproof green ammo cans. This was pre-NATO so it was identical dimensions to the .30-06 civilian rifle cartridge. You could just slide them out of the cloth belt, and into your bolt-action deer rifle... or surplus (never issued!) M1 Garand! IIRC the tracer every 5th round was already removed--don't want to start the woods on fire. But one "odd" neighbor had a couple cans of belted *.50 cal* ammo, all metal-linked... but nothing to shoot it in. I remember how *huge* the rounds were in my then-tiny hands. He was aware of the 1934 NFA, but his theory was that US factories had cranked out SO DANG MANY of the "Ma Deuces" that he was bound to find one, "lying around somewhere"... and who knows, maybe he did... lol...
@crispwhitesheets21754 жыл бұрын
Hopefully he did heck I think today you could still find one somewhere
@Stick4.48 жыл бұрын
TIE Fighter...anyone?....knew it looked familiar...
@davem53339 жыл бұрын
Nice camera work. But it would have been nice to have a camera inside looking outward
@twinbeechdotcom9 жыл бұрын
Check out my other videos to see a video shot from inside the ball turret
@randallsnyder956911 жыл бұрын
Great video. I have seen the Collins B-24 in Huntsville, Al. My uncle was a tail gunner on a B-24, he and his crew were all killed on a mission to bomb Ploesti on July 15, 1944. Their bomber was shot in half by flak, they had no chance. I have great respect for the men who flew during World War 2. Thank you.
@Atlas_Amadeus3 жыл бұрын
I love the fact these planes are restored and still flying. Makes me want to be part of the crew just so I could keep up with it.
@rogerm24204 жыл бұрын
Although I’m not a real war historian, the photography captures an amazing perspective. What an engineering accomplishment almost 80 years ago!! Thanks for posting this fascinating look 👍
@MikeKeller9 жыл бұрын
This may be the coolest thing ever! I didn't know that the ball retracted into the plane fuse. Now I was to see the same thing on a B-17!
@Nav1309 жыл бұрын
God, I'd love to take this ride (inside the airplane, though...)! Thanks for sharing, Mike Keller!
@robertflores95644 жыл бұрын
B-17 ball turrets dont retract
@aussierheinhardt43903 жыл бұрын
Whenever i saw tie fighter in star wars movie. I always remember the ball turret gunner. Salute to the men who operate this during WW2. A BIG THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!
@mmayorga538610 жыл бұрын
Amazing! I could not imagine how cramped it was for the gunner to be inside that ball.
@johntrough26603 жыл бұрын
A great video! I flew on this aircraft about 12 years ago, and had an unforgettable experience-however, seeing the ball turret in operation is awesome! Thank you Collings Foundation!
@EnterpriseXI10 жыл бұрын
id pay 150$ to ride in a ball turret in the air
@bummer610 жыл бұрын
If someone tried to force me to ride in a ball turret in the air, I'd GIVE you 150$ to take my place.
@EnterpriseXI10 жыл бұрын
ill hold u up to that
@MrRover200710 жыл бұрын
bummer6 The ball looks heavy and since it moves, I would be afraid that it would fall out from under the plane. The WW2 generation had guts!
@MrKirby236710 жыл бұрын
I won't fit! SUCKERS!! Looks like belly guns for me..
@joesalazar10267010 жыл бұрын
Bruh I woud be scared and some how happy give me 2000 rounds and fly over my school to scare the crap out of my classmates the
@Lynchfan883 жыл бұрын
This is absolutely awesome and the coolest use of a GoPro camera I've ever seen. Gives one a different perspective of what ball turret gunners went through as we watch from the outside & underside.
@toothpasteboy20193 жыл бұрын
Fun fact: being a ball turret gunner in WW2 is one of the most dangerous jobs in history
@garypeatling79273 жыл бұрын
First target for fighters
@zeta19603 жыл бұрын
Not very funny tho 😔
@jamaaljackson54643 жыл бұрын
@@zeta1960 my great uncle died in one in ww2
@zeta19603 жыл бұрын
@@jamaaljackson5464 R.I.P
@02suraditpengsaeng413 жыл бұрын
Simple history describing.
@MTarantino6 жыл бұрын
I got to fly in this exact plane(the witchcraft). The ball gun was not in use but in the waist gun bay you could stick your head out plane, by far the coolest thing I've ever done.Thanks pappy for letting me ride in ur bird.
@sethdaigle22847 жыл бұрын
#BestSelfieStick
@covenant55527 жыл бұрын
seth daigle true
@techmaniac436 жыл бұрын
Until the cannons get in action and the camera gets burned by the extreme heat lol
@YCTedy3 жыл бұрын
@@techmaniac43 Goes BRRRRTT
@techmaniac433 жыл бұрын
@@YCTedy the thing goes really Hot
@siks75833 жыл бұрын
@@YCTedy yea
@danpatterson80093 жыл бұрын
Sending this to a WWII veteran whose brother was a copilot in a B-24 and was one of the many who never came home.
@galicije839 жыл бұрын
My cousin was in 512th squadron of 376th Bomb Group. He was in Yugoslavian Royal detachment and he was pilot on B-24D. He was a crew member on B24 42-73085 #20 when it collided in mid air with B24 44-40502 #31 after a mission to Lobau in Austria (US B-24 #31 was badly dmg by flack). He died on August 22nd 1944. In that collision only 2 members of 2 crews survived, from Yugo B-24 # 20 was 2nd Lt.Vojin Stojkovic, and one from US B-24 #31 unfortunate i dont know his name... His name was Blagoje Radosavljevic and he was Cap. 1st class and pilot of that Liberator... This was crew of that Liberator die on that day: Cap. 1st class Blagoje Radosavljević Cap. 1st class Borivoje Vulić Cap. 2nd class Slobodan Pavlović Lt. Vuko Šijaković 2nd Lt. Obrad Crvenković 2nd Lt Boris Parapatić 2nd Lt Toma Živanović Ssgt. Milutin Bobek Sgt. Emil Trampuš
@regulator55216 жыл бұрын
And I thought the us only used the b24 Lib. Rest In Peace.
@Janni0696 жыл бұрын
I hope ur cousin is now in heaven and finds his peace
@gw51586 жыл бұрын
all the best to your cousin R.I.P slightly odd that you remember all that though
@user-zs7eb5uc9r6 жыл бұрын
RIP They are real heroes. We will never forget those who fought bravely.
@stevenvensko57893 жыл бұрын
Some time ago I had the honor to talk to Wilber Richardson, a WW2 ball gunner. Great guy with a lot of trigger time including D-Day. Well after talking for a bit somehow going to the bathroom came up, he said do your business before you fly cause there could be an 8 or 12 hour flight coming up. He did eventually say hey If you had to go, while cramped on the ball, you just went, no shame in it cause everybody did it. We both got a chuckel, God bless him.
@twinbeechdotcom8 жыл бұрын
If you want to actually fly in a powered up ball turret in a real B-17G or a B-24J you can do just that and tons more at Bomber Camp in California. Check out www.bombercamp.org or bomber camp on facebook. Come on out and be a part of "Battle of the Bombers" for a great living history event like no other. You can shoot a full auto 50 cal from the waist window and drop a bomb with the famous Norden bomb sight. Not only that but experience an action packed camp using all of the equipment from WWII. You can even fly in a P-51, B-25, BT-13, AT-6 or C-45 and come along on the missions and see both bombers shoot and drop from one of the best seats in the house. Just google Bomber Camp for more information photos and videos or try bombercamp.org to sign up. Enlistments start at $1400 and up for the day. Come and see why so many previous campers keep coming back each year. If you could, please help us to spread the word about Bomber Camp so we can keep this living history alive.
@Scottzilla19708 жыл бұрын
+Taigh Ramey That would be awesome although I live on the other side of the globe in Australia. Don't suppose you could come and pick me up? Haha
@Diax13248 жыл бұрын
+Old glory It's funding the fuel, blank ammo, maintanence, and personell. I'd hardly say it's not worth it for just keeping the planes running.
@Unmedicated_Moments8 жыл бұрын
+Diax1324 Its still too much for only 2 days
@Diax13248 жыл бұрын
Old glory I could go to school for two years or two times at bomber camp. Really, it's your situation. Do you have the resources necessary to accomplish this sort of mini vacation goal? Certain people would probably even spend more to do this.
@Unmedicated_Moments8 жыл бұрын
+Diax1324 Sorry bud, but I don't got the funds.
@simonbertioli46964 жыл бұрын
Absolutely brilliant camera angles...and colours well worth the effort...and for those gunners too what balls...others can move around the aircraft...but this person...no stays put...courage...l salute you...we 👍
@donaldparlettjr32956 жыл бұрын
A great view and great editing you didn't waste time either. Thank you for no music because the engines and the slipstream WAS the music.
@NavyCWO9 жыл бұрын
Awesome! My brother-in-law's Father piloted a B-24 in the Pacific in WW II. He passed away last fall. John R. was a great guy and I was luck and proud to know him!
@imakms86327 жыл бұрын
Did anyone else think of a tie fighter when they saw this?
@roadking99jokerst605 жыл бұрын
I sat in this same aircraft in Omaha. A crew seating bench facing rearward. Hefty safety belts. Got chills. Dad was a ball gunner. 8th AF, 487 bg, 839 bs. Bless the folks keeping the warbirds flying.
@Lockbar10 жыл бұрын
seriously, how can anybody dislike this?
@treasureplanet90826 жыл бұрын
Very nice! Thanks for posting this. My father was Flight Engineer / Top-Turret Gunner on B24s out of Seething (Sta. 146) 1943-44, and flew 32+ missions, Sq 712 lead crew with radar.
@DesertDigger110 жыл бұрын
Its too bad we didn't get some glimpses of the gunners birds eye view as well.
@keymankeys196010 жыл бұрын
I have to agree. My father was a ball turret gunner, I would like to see that. The B-24 came to a local airport and my father gave me a guided tour through it. It was great.
@dawnotto49816 ай бұрын
Richard Marion Otto, my father in law did this job . I have a list of his missions. Cant imagine operating 2 50 caliber machine guns while under fire, sitting inside a ball turret. The balls on these men!
@okrajoe9 жыл бұрын
Amazingly cool effect. Great video.
@goring1911 жыл бұрын
Wow, awesome video! I always wondered what it looked like under the belly of a B-24 or B-17 in the ball turret at 20,000+ feet. I'm sure this was lower but still. Man, those guys had "guts" to do what they did with flak and fighters all around. We owe them a lot forever. Thanks for posting!
@CurtisDrew110 жыл бұрын
I kept waiting to see the Gunnars view and it never came. Would love to see from the inside looking out as he rotated to get a feel for how they lived and died in those coffins. My Dad was a Bomber Mechanic in WWII and cleaned out a lot of airplanes after they landed. He said that was not something he enjoyed remembering.
@truegamermoment60295 жыл бұрын
The B-24j Liberator is such a beautiful plane. The Witchcraft is by far my favorite B-24.
@Icarusv2x8 жыл бұрын
Ladies and gentlemen, what you have witnessed here today was a plane going through puberty and its ball dropping. XD
@B.A.P_Golden_Eagle.7 жыл бұрын
Icarusv2x lol
@BandenLoyd6 жыл бұрын
Nice joke lol
@SCP-andPlanetaryDoge6 жыл бұрын
You win
@gpdude226 жыл бұрын
Did you really have to wait until puberty?
@cw2gtc5 жыл бұрын
Icarusv2x Warm day, ball turret drops. Cold day, ball turret retracts all the way up & inside🤣
@petesheppard17099 жыл бұрын
If I remember correctly, the extended turret on the B-24 caused handling problems, and the turret was often removed from planes in the Southwest Pacific theater, replaced with hand-held guns. Presumably, the fighter threat wasn't as bad in that theater, so the turret could be dispensed with, and the reduced weight & drag increased range.
@vetitoe36210 жыл бұрын
If only they had go pros in WW2.
@Dericheau2 жыл бұрын
My dad was a ball turret gunner on a B 24 (Cherokee Maiden) out of Foggia Italy during WWII. They made 50 missions and no one even got a scratch. They did take an anti aircraft shell through the wing and up another 100ft. before it expldoded. When they got back the repair guy said, had it been a foot in any direction and they would have lost the wing. I was named after the pilot (Dean Buck Buchannan) very proud of that fact. I took a ride on the Dragon and his Tale out of Santa Barbara in 2003. What a trip. I asked about getting in the bottom turret and the guy said it's too dangerous and besides I'd never fit. at 6'3 & 225lbs. My dad was 6'3 but only 150. I actually talked to the nose gunner of his bomber and he said they never figured out how he got in there. My sincere thanks to all the brave men and women of that era. They deserve it.
@gofotolux10 жыл бұрын
I would not want to sit in it, people shooting at me or not. It took tons of GUTS for those fly boys to volunteer for this. Salute!
@pointdan5 жыл бұрын
Ball turret gunners also took photos after bombs were released . . . my Dad flew out of Torino, Italy . . . 461st Bomber Group . . . his plane was shot down Aug, 1944 . . . spent the remainder of war in Stalag 4 . . . they were truly the "greatest generation" . . .
@MotorStorm11 жыл бұрын
Love this sound !
@stevewest653411 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this video. I can ONLY imagine the courage, grace and patriotism the men that DID this job posessed. I hope we never again have to ask these kinds of men and women to DO these jobs
@panzerfaust_18215 жыл бұрын
2:29 me need cookie (look in one of the windows)
@MrEmersombiguns20024 жыл бұрын
Flew on the WitchCraft 12 yrs ago...Surviving 54 missions-Wow! We owe them so much, keep em flying!!!!
@kirabirkett907410 жыл бұрын
Amazing....
@clydesuckfinger70977 жыл бұрын
I could never have been a ball turret gunner. God Bless all that took on that roll.
@ethanthatcher7947 жыл бұрын
The ball looks like the thing from portal
@chipsdubbo34933 жыл бұрын
Nobody: KZbin : Ay let's recommend this after 8 year later
@naufalctrlv7 жыл бұрын
Here i am wasting 15 minutes of my life looking at balls rotating..
@decu36746 жыл бұрын
My grandfather was a waist gunner on a Bristol-Blenheim Mk.1 in the RAF(Romanian Air Forces). He was only 19 at that time but now he's a retired 85 year old General.
@tankbomber988 жыл бұрын
Cod 3 memories anyone? ( ww2 cod 3)
@sexycat43266 жыл бұрын
And I thought I was the only one to still have it lol but the trolls are annoying
@andyrowlands50029 Жыл бұрын
Amazing they have restored the aircraft to have an operating ball turret. It kind of resembles a TIE fighter cockpit, or even a space pod from 2001.
@jonathanwaggoner2265 Жыл бұрын
No it resembles A REAL PLANE THAT EXISTS what are you mental? where do you think Lucas came up with the idea for turrest on the millenium falcon from in the first place.
@andyrowlands50029 Жыл бұрын
@@jonathanwaggoner2265 No I am not mental smartarse, and how should I know where he came up with the idea?
@Christopher28fair9 жыл бұрын
Awesome HD, fascinating to see. I just don't care for the 'greatest generation' crap. Let's remember that most Americans were opposed to entering that war and wanted nothing to do with it until Pearl Harbor. As far as the soldiers, I think we have just as many courageous Americans today as then, and had just as many during the Vietnam war too - those poor guys got sacrificed in an unwinnable war started by a bunch of arrogant armchair generals. I'd say the same about the Bush/Cheney war too - dragging on for ten years for what? For nothing.
@719n30trackify9 жыл бұрын
Too bad the government wanted to interfere into the South Manchuria Railway business in order to start a war with Japan.
@DavidSmith-jj5pr9 жыл бұрын
the bitterness is strong with this one
@719n30trackify9 жыл бұрын
agreed, the u.s. never learns from its past lol
@719n30trackify9 жыл бұрын
naww just mad that the u.s. is trying to enter wars that doesn't help its citizens at all. just look at communist china today, its no wonder general macarthur regretted starting war with Japan. the u.s. government just keeps on starting wars that never ends while the american people gets poorer every year lol
@DavidSmith-jj5pr9 жыл бұрын
Ym Mm what? oh sorry, I was busy deciding if I should take the car, or the motorcycle to head downtown and have a nice steak dinner. And I'm not even rich. you see what we consider "poor" in the US, is middle class in the rest of the developed world. and that makes the middle class in the US,... well I think you can figure that out.
@blackspectre209 Жыл бұрын
That bomb bay opening a 8:22 was unexpected but cool to see.
@Unmedicated_Moments8 жыл бұрын
Lose hydraulics and you're stuck in that thing
@simpsonfan137 жыл бұрын
IIR on the B-24 it could still be hauled up manually. Would suck but if you made it back to England, all you'd really be is sore. And have the shit scared out of you. It was the B-17 guys that got royally fucked.
@huskyhockey32487 жыл бұрын
the hydraulic liquid powering the pistons in flammable so if a fighter got a good hit you'd catch fire or explode
@michaelfranco49186 жыл бұрын
both the 24 and 17 had manual ways of moving the turrets
@Itsjustbeau4 жыл бұрын
My grandfather flew 22 missions in that ball he was wounded twice by flak. One thru his left lung. 443rd BG Tommy Francis Moody, came home alive in 45.
@MirageUchiha7 жыл бұрын
Anyone here from CoD WWII? :]
@sharpshooter13ify Жыл бұрын
Mad respect for anyone who sat in one of those, not only were they the first thing on the plane to be shot at, any damage to it pretty much guaranteed it would become a coffin.
@steveh9991-r8p7 жыл бұрын
b24 flying coffin
@richard4short53 жыл бұрын
The fact that people didnt like this video should be none of our business-great video!
@cluxseltoot9 жыл бұрын
This video is very impressive and well made. It must have been horrendous to have been a gunner suspended in one of these turrets. It makes us all appreciate the huge sacrifice Air Personnel made in WW2.
@adonismarrero52817 жыл бұрын
this guy is having the best view in the entire plane,i flew in witchcraft in the bombardier section on the nose and even i have a blast view i didn't have the 360' view his getting ,a woundefull foundation to be part off great job guys keep these extraordinary machines flying high
@jameswsomers4 жыл бұрын
That was super cool,best $25 I ever spent was for a tour of their B-17 and the '24.A must for all history buffs.
@apatheticempathy12 жыл бұрын
... timeless and priceless views that NO ONE has ever seen before. EVER ~ Kudos from all the future aviation buffs who are not even born yet . THANK YOU !
@moxxie76103 жыл бұрын
A true hero because a ball turret is a really hard, dangerous, and big job,
@Scotsman-hs6ssАй бұрын
Therapist: Wheatley with a gun isn’t real he can’t hurt you. Wheatley with a gun:
@olentangy749 жыл бұрын
Sweet. My uncle Willis Steburg, was in the 8th Air force during WW2. He was a ball turret gun on b-24's. He had 2 kills to his credit before he was shot down over France in 1944. He survived the downing, but spent the rest of the war in a POW camp. He passed away in 1980.
@RealPigeon7 жыл бұрын
olentangy74 Rest in Peace sounds like he would have quite some stories to tell.
@olentangy747 жыл бұрын
Pigeon yes, although as I recall he did not like to talk much about it.
@RealPigeon7 жыл бұрын
olentangy74 No doubt. Talking about details of war and Nazi camps would for sure bring back some painful and undesirable memories.
@gofotolux10 жыл бұрын
This is the coolest thing I've ever seen, even though this thing is 70 years old!
@b747guy96 жыл бұрын
The ball was retracted which gave the B-24 more range than the B-17, it was faster and carried a heavier bomb load than the B-17. It's problem was that is was very heavy on the controls and pilot's could not keep it in tight formation during attacks so it was more of a sitting suck for the Germans hence a higher loss rate. ALL these men were brave beyond words!
@twinbeechdotcom6 жыл бұрын
The ball turret retracted on the B-24 because there was not enough room between the fuselage and the ground for it to be fixed in position like on the B-17. It retracted for ground clearance.
@ormmeford22049 жыл бұрын
Fantastic! I can't imagine being back then and having to actually defend this aircraft without this. A camera view from inside would be fabulous.
@BWTIII6 жыл бұрын
"BZ" Loved every moment of this video. It gave me a perspective of the brave young men who manned those guns of long ago. We should never forget their sacrifice. My hat is off to you.
@MrDave3282511 жыл бұрын
When I was a young engineer I had the privilege of working with Dick Roberts who when he was the young engineers that designed the servo system for the ball turret. I still believe that that generation was best Engineers to have ever been produced. Today we have computers to model everything. image pulling out your slide ruler and solving problems. thank God for the Dick Roberts of the World.
@eiserntorsphantomoftheoper21546 жыл бұрын
My uncle was a ball turret gunner on B-24D "Our Belle" They were shot down over Budapest Hungary in 1944 and he did not survive. He was 22. I flew in this B-24 "Witchcraft" in 2012 at Melbourne Fl. to honor his memory.
@Wipsplash7 жыл бұрын
Awesome video. Puts things in perspective. Can't even imagine what it would be like sitting in there and fending for your life as bullets rained.
@siphon99413 жыл бұрын
I salute to all the great men who served as ball turret gunners
@davecrupel28173 жыл бұрын
1:00 sing, babies! Sing! I love the combined sound of 4 R1840s at takeoff power!
@ArieteArmsRAMLITE3 жыл бұрын
This has to be the single most exciting footage I have seen in my entire life!!!!
@Riffer192 жыл бұрын
The planes look so stable and solid..then u realise they could explode in a second. Respect and RIP.
@davewood290211 жыл бұрын
My Dad was a Ball Turret Gunner In the 455thBG Thanks for sharing
@GaryBaird.Photography3 жыл бұрын
Incredible view. The camera stabilized on the gun barrel while the aircraft continues to shake, rattle and roll.
@zoperxplex6 жыл бұрын
Had to have blown your mind looking straight down while the turret is being lowered in flight.
@Trish9222311 жыл бұрын
My Dad was a ball turret gunner in WWII stationed in Italy with the 449th Bomb Group.. He is still alive and so proud of his service!