This video was made possible thanks to everyone on the Simple History Patreon: www.patreon.com/simplehistory
@RmasterD4 ай бұрын
The ball turret on the B-17 was NOT retractable, like that on the B-24 Liberator. Very important distinction.
@teonea30904 ай бұрын
Hi
@newgaming53864 ай бұрын
@@Simplehistory yo I am first can I ask you some thing
@davidspencer83734 ай бұрын
Like video
@robbiedean20064 ай бұрын
I love simple history videos and the non biased from an American you tuber is rare and valued....but I would like to donate to simple history but the patron rate is never never never ever converted or explained for those that live outside the us dollar ...I live in the UK is 1 dollar the equivalent of 1 pound sterling or 1 euro for our European cousins please explain as no American you tubers has never explained this or made it clear to those living outside the united states of America please bring this up in your next video
@Newdivide4 ай бұрын
There was one B-17 called the Ye Old Pub. After a bombing run over Bremen, Charlie Brown, the pilot, struggled to maintain formation but the plane was too severely damaged to keep up. Many of the crew were injured & incapacitated by enemy Luftwaffe fighters. Charlie fell unconscious & almost crashed to the ground. He didn't realise he had flown over an enemy airfield & was noticed by a Luftwaffe pilot, Franz Stigler. He had 27 aerial victories on his name before the incident & was ordered by Gustav Rodel, his CO, never to shoot any crew members of the plane parachuting. The crippled plane reminded him of the order. He flew closed the bomber & Charlie noticed Franz. He motioned Charlie to land as the bomber was too crippled but he refused. So instead, he escorted the Ye Olde Pub to prevent flak from shooting it down. When they reached the North Sea, Franz motioned him to head to neutral Sweden instead of a 2-hour flight back to England. Unfortunately, Charlie didn't understand his intention. Assuming the bomber would crash into the sea & out of German airspace, he saluted the pilot & left The bomber made it to England & Charlie told his officers about the encounter & was asked to keep it quiet. Many years later, Charlie finally broke his silence & told at a reunion event about the encounter. He soon searched for the pilot who soared him but after four years of fruitless search came up empty until he made an appeal in a combat pilot newsletter & finally, Franz who heard the story came forward & said he was the pilot he met years ago. Franz left Germany after the war & became a successful businessman in Canada. Coincidentally, they both lived near each other, Charlie in Seattle, Franz in Vancouver Both became friends & died in the same year in 2008, months apart
@TheRealArtimusKnight4 ай бұрын
Absolute heroes
@Newdivide4 ай бұрын
@@jacobwelch3949 that's how I learned about the incident
@ironboy32454 ай бұрын
@@jacobwelch3949FROM DOWN BELOW AN ENEMY SPOTTED
@TheIncinerator064 ай бұрын
One of my favorite books! (A Higher Call by Adam Makos) Edit: Simple History, PLEASE make a video about that story
@charlesoconnor43143 ай бұрын
The Germans were the good guys
@jokodihaynes4194 ай бұрын
"Bravery is fear holding on a minute longer"-George s Patton
@HANS_PANZER24 күн бұрын
KZbin has blue comments!?!?
@TheIncinerator064 ай бұрын
I once interviewed a man, sadly he's gone now, but he was the top turret gunner/flight engineer on a B-17 over Germany. He always flew in the lead of the formations, and he was actually shot down in 1944, and was kept in a POW camp until the end of the war. His whole crew actually made it out of the plane, which was miraculous
@AustinHerrig4 ай бұрын
“Death of a Ball Turret Gunner” Randall Jarrell 1945 “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.”
@BurtSampson4 ай бұрын
I've got an interview with my grandpa on my channel. He was a bombardier/navigator in one. He flew over 30 missions before finally getting shot down over Misburg Germany after a successful bombing mission (i've seen the actual BDA photos taken from a reconnaissance aircraft after the mission, it looked like the surface of hte moon, it was an oil refinery is what the target was. He spent the rest of the war in StalagLuft 1 as a POW, then stayed in and did cool stuff in Korea. Check it out, I love people hearing his story.
@Starfighter234 ай бұрын
Interesting story!
@Nowzerz564 ай бұрын
Please put a link in for the video. I can’t find it on your channel
@KekoaHunter-h5o4 ай бұрын
What’s the video and name of the nose art
@BurtSampson4 ай бұрын
@@KekoaHunter-h5o search for a video called "my IRL grandpa" on my channel. His main plane was one called "Blackball" and i think it had an 8 ball as the nose art. he was 351st bomb group and most of their planes had a ball themed name, (they even had a baseball with propellers on it as their group logo). The plane he got shot down in was called Dottie's Taxi though I think, i actually found a photo of it from searching the tail number. He got shot down with a new crew because his old crew had already rotated home, but he was only at 32 or 33 missions or something since he was on light duty for awhile from an ear infection.
@charlesoconnor43143 ай бұрын
His treatment from the Germans must have been good if he stayed
@BurlingamePanther14 ай бұрын
the B17 Flying Fortress's ball turret *DID NOT* retract into the bomber as there wasn't enough space, it could be jettisoned from the plane, the B24 Liberator on the other hand could retract the Ball turret into the plane
@nighthunter52054 ай бұрын
my immediate thought, ive seen the blue paw print on it
@BurlingamePanther14 ай бұрын
@@nighthunter5205 ?
@vladivosdog3 ай бұрын
what
@BurlingamePanther13 ай бұрын
@@vladivosdog is your comment directed towards me or to someone else?
@aqua92702 ай бұрын
@@BurlingamePanther1it’s another KZbin channel which explained the ball turret of the b17
@cosmicsloth50024 ай бұрын
My great grandfather flew one of those. They called it “The Five Grand” because it was the fifth thousandth one built and had all the factory workers names written on it. To this day I’m amazed he survived the flak storms.
@F.R.E.D.D29864 ай бұрын
To be honest, it doesn't surprise me be survived, over 90% of bombers I believe survived the war
@conradbecker28704 ай бұрын
Five thousandth
@NavyDood214 ай бұрын
I felt so lucky to see a B-17 taxi right by me while I was stationed at Andrews AFB. It was such a beautiful plane, and it sounds dumb, but it surprised me at how big the thing is. The crew waved at us as they taxied by, you could tell that they loved their job.
@GunnerHeatFire4 ай бұрын
Ive seen all the videos in this compilation, so i can confidently say before I’ve watched it this is a great video!
@Eskeletor_2104 ай бұрын
Rip to the ball turret gunners when it got jammed
@blyatcraft4 ай бұрын
If you are referring to the ball turret gunners getting stuck in the turret while the plane has to do a belly landing, both due to failed hydraulics, its largely just a myth, im not sure it ever happened even once.
@davidsaville52394 ай бұрын
Tail gunners were also very vulnerable!!
@senderoverland4 ай бұрын
@@blyatcraftit happened all the time i was there
@Tam0de3 ай бұрын
"When i die, they wash me out of the turret with a hose," God damn, that's as grisly as it gets. Needless to say, no open casket viewing for him. My utmost respect goes out to those brave men.
@rtyrsson4 ай бұрын
I remember watching the news of the last B-17 lost 5 years ago in Connecticut. The 7 lives were the greatest loss, but it is also what grounded the remaining flying B-17s. Truly the end of an amazing era.
@Goc4ever4 ай бұрын
This compilation was truly engaging, well done Simple History. It goes to show us that despite everything especially the casualty rate the B-17 is a legend that will never die.
@PabloHernandez-gl5ij4 ай бұрын
Rest in peace to all the flyboys whose Noble sacrifices won us the war.😢🙏
@SL4PSH0CK4 ай бұрын
Don't worry with animating the ball turret, I feel your pain animating and drawing perspective
@kid4eva944 ай бұрын
I've seen Sally B fly several times at air shows this year, still going strong!
@sprintbrian3 ай бұрын
I also saw it in Duxford Battle of Britian Airshow two weeks ago.😊 It is amazing!
@Sunlunranger4 ай бұрын
Just finished Masters of the Air tonight, this has timed nicely.
@Filtratedlion90444 ай бұрын
I absolutely love it when a video of ww2 comes out can't get enough
@ChrisCrossFilms.4 ай бұрын
I always get this one and the B-24 mixed up when you play in it in Call of Duty 2: Big Red One Liberators
@janzdeboer13594 ай бұрын
Bedankt
@swoosh46444 ай бұрын
Here’s a random thought for B-17 lovers and gamer/simulator. Used to be a great game called B-17 the mighty 8th back in the day. Very accurate and detailed for a flight simulator as they usually are. They are re-releasing it or just have. Can’t remember.
@HOTDOG40121 күн бұрын
I think the games on Steam
@Wcql_zj4 ай бұрын
impressive work as usual!
@Rares-ux4yt4 ай бұрын
This is better than going to sleep lol
@ChrisKane-4 ай бұрын
Agreed! 😁😉
@TalenGryphon3 ай бұрын
Back before the B-17s got grounded, sometime in 2011 or 2012, I remember seeing the one from Seattle's Museum of Flight flying around over my job at Smith Cove on a warm spring day. That profile is unmistakable. I just stood in the staff parking lot and watched her circle around. Happier days
@MrPobski4 ай бұрын
The b17 did not have a retractable ball turret, yet the b29 liberator did
JRR Tolkien: Kings, queens, dragons, dwarves, horses, fortresses, magic and swords! Theodore Roosevelt: Oh shoot, World War too soon? Well Teddy’s dropping bombs so you best go hide in your tube! You should be ashamed of your military honor!
@FXHUND-pk3gk4 ай бұрын
From down below an enemy spotted So hurry up, rearm and refuel But through the bomber’s damaged airframe See wounded men, scared to their bone Look to the right and then look again And see the enemy in the eye No bullets fly, spared by his mercy Escorted out, out of harm’s way Fly, fighting fair, it’s the code of the air Brothers, heroes, foes Killing machine Honour in the skies B17 Flying home Killing machine Said goodbye to the cross he deserved He risked his life two times that day To save an unknown enemy Escort to safety, out of the killzone A short salute, then departed
@katygaston8777Ай бұрын
🎸
@lthbxfrosty4 ай бұрын
Grandfather was mainly a ball turret gunner. Flew 33 missions in WW2 and 1 in Korea
@andrewmontgomery56214 ай бұрын
My personal favourite American aircraft.
@gregjaro-mk7zs4 ай бұрын
THAT FLYING FORTRESS WARPLANE IS A REAL LIFE MILLENNIUM FALCON & IT'S AN ABSOLUTE MONSTER! 🛩️🛩️🛩️
@GameAlicornLunaАй бұрын
I’ve actually seen the Ball Turret poem from an old computer game called Backlash. It was displayed when you died. Backlash has you play as a ball turret gunner on a spaceship as you shoot enemy fighters while performing missions. Some missions has the turret on the front of the ship while you shot down mines.
@SakorskySP4 ай бұрын
The B-17 video was my fav video from simple history in the past
@akapantsusenpai1814 ай бұрын
The ball turret gunner of the B-17 always reminds me of the Season 1, Episode 5 of "Amazing Stories." It's called "The Mission." That story is etched in my mind forever.
@CalebAnimations30002 ай бұрын
1:38 Very cool animation with that German bf 109.
@EnrichoNastyAnubianSoldier4 ай бұрын
The ball turrets actually had the best survival rate of all the gunners if I recall correctly.
@DarylDixon-m9g4 ай бұрын
How?
@EnrichoNastyAnubianSoldier4 ай бұрын
@@DarylDixon-m9g well, it’s on the belly, most attacks came from directly behind, to the sides, or front. Or even from above, but it’s harder to climb and maintain speed and control.
@scriptsstudios4 ай бұрын
Most practically.
@spectreblitz93124 ай бұрын
@@scriptsstudiosnope, ball turret gunners actually had the highest casualty rate.
@spectreblitz93124 ай бұрын
I fr thought you was joking too… like you’re actually serious? 😂😂. Ball turret gunners had highest casualty rate. And if he got trapped inside his ball turret, and the plane had no landing gear to touchdown with, then he was 100% getting crushed every time. Happened on some occasions.
@instantbadass4 ай бұрын
Good timing to watch this as im currently reading Masters of the Air.
@justinthompson59694 ай бұрын
Got the B17 waist gunner hoody from you guys last year✊️love it By far my favorite bomber
@TheRealArtimusKnight4 ай бұрын
7:02 and this is exactly why the P51 Mustang was made
@aqua92702 ай бұрын
Dude the ball turret could use the manual turning handle to turn it and get out in case it gets jammed
@winterroadspokenword46813 ай бұрын
Amazing what some of these guys did in ww2 in hard, niche, dangerous roles. I don’t know how they did it. I’m considered brave, calm and confident by many. But getting into a flimsy exposed turret like that to face bullets and anti aircraft fire is something else.
@timsheehan69542 ай бұрын
My great uncle was A Tail gunner on a B29 crew. The man was the emphasis of "Speak Softly and carry a big stick"
@MarkHazlitt-c5n4 ай бұрын
Life is so constructed that an event does not, cannot, will not, match the expectation.
@Chase_Crawford4 ай бұрын
The ball turret statically was not the mose dangerous position on the plane and it couldn't retract into the plane on the B-17, but it could be dropped as a last resort (obviously without the crew member in it).
@T_rev-ud7zb2 ай бұрын
I was thinking that the entire ball turret section
@thehighchief3373Ай бұрын
I was able to ride in a b17 15 years ago when it was moving from one museum to another when I was a teenager. It apparently went down some years later
@dont20864 ай бұрын
My wife and I had a chance to go through an old B-17 that was at Paducah Kentucky at the time. They were giving rides they also had a fighter plane I think it was a Mustang. But anyway I remember going through that B-17 I'm a big guy more round than anything else I suppose but it just amazes me how those guys made their way through that airplane to their various duty stations. I walk through the Bombay and it was all I could do to get through that thing just barely enough room and those guys at the time was wearing all their gear and flak jackets must've been a real tight fit. Anyway I take my hat off to those gentlemen definitely had the right stuff I don't see how they did it.
@jakoot7334 ай бұрын
Great grandfather was a B-17 pilot. Takes some serious guts to fly these damm things for sure
@Matt-4164 ай бұрын
The B17 did not have a retracting ball turret. That was the B24 Liberator. The B17 could drop its ball turret with some effort, but they could not retract into the fuselage. And, no hydraulics operated the B17 gun turrets, as they were completely electric. Unlike the B24, which relied primarily on hydraulic pumps.
@SobaYatai4 ай бұрын
Since the time i watched the Unbroken and play Zeppelin War it stuck me with fascination since then on the idea of a “Flying Fortress” as things like battleships and submarines didn’t really interested me as much as this because i feel like the idea of walking around in the air on a, like the name suggest, “Flying Fortress” fending off aircraft while on tour to drop off santa presents is pretty cool bc of the challenges the crew has to face I mean you could say the same thing about battleships and submarine but for me this one is just built different
@JacobBiteАй бұрын
Please do one on the B-29, if you haven't already.
@mirwellduo89864 ай бұрын
Thank you simple history.. awesome 😊
@jjthesheep4 ай бұрын
The Boeing B-17 is one of my Favourite WW2 Bomber Planes, Because it has alot of 50. Cal MGs on it, And if it Loses One or Multiple Engines they can Still Glide Smoothly, Thus they can mostly Return back to Base, Thus earning the name "Flying Fortress"
@TheFlanman10Ай бұрын
2:06 It was stated that the ammo was stored in the fuselage. That is incorrect. The M2 ammo was stored in the ball turret around the front and top of the shooter. This storage made it so tight.
@bhight1004 ай бұрын
My great grandfather 2LT Roberts was a bombardier, one of 3 survivors when his bomber was shot down over the Netherlands
@AustinDx-p5e4 ай бұрын
Nice job
@georgeh50752 ай бұрын
Miss the old guy
@joshbiddinger17444 ай бұрын
Statistically speaking the ball turret was the safest place on the bomber. It was extremely armored and the 50 cals were next to the gunner’s head. Also there is no recorded event of a gunner being trapped in the ball and being killed due to a belly landing. 4 or 5 systems would have to fail for him to be completely trapped.
@DillonDaVillain2224 ай бұрын
These cross section style videos are my absolute favorite I hope we get more of these whether it's aircraft, tanks, machinery, weaponry, battles, tools, or honestly anything. I like seeing the animation of the workings.
@darknet1804 ай бұрын
My Grandfather was a ball turret gunner on a B-17 and had some incredible stories. He successfully did 25 missions and was rotated home (and had 2 planes he had to bail out of!). I believe he taught gunnery school for the remainder of the war. A truly great man.
@pyeitme5084 ай бұрын
Classic!
@smileorangepalau390320 күн бұрын
There's a b-24 wing near my house here, rest of it is scattered in the islands here in Palau Micronesia 🇵🇼
@TR00P4 ай бұрын
I’ve read that the tail gunner was the most dangerous position as enemy fighters preferred to attack from the rear.
@ProteinAndSquats39664 ай бұрын
Lived in the pacific north west. There are people who have a couple of b24 and p51 mustangs that would do flybys on good summer days. The sights and sounds of the aircraft is much cooler to hear knowing they are not dropping ordnance somewhere. I’ve never heard or seen a flying b17 but I imagine it would be awesome.
@noahnorman68774 ай бұрын
In the words of the Intellvision Voice Module: Mattel Eletronics Presents: *BEEEE SEVENTIN BOMMMMMMER*
@Ed-ss1uhАй бұрын
Shout out ball turrent gunners throughout history wild job!
@ChrisHall-vh4fx4 ай бұрын
Anyone know how many of these things are still flying? I know theres some but i would imagine by now it isnt very many. Like low double digits probably. Awesome piece of history and probably my favorite planes ever.
@AmericanOdyssey914 ай бұрын
The ball turret gunner had the LOWEST casualty rate of any crew position.
@daleupthegrove63964 ай бұрын
I toured a B-17 and B-24 at an air show some years back. I thought the B-24 had a bit more elbow room than the 17 which was a lot narrower at least to me.
@maice_kanin7222 ай бұрын
When the fighter planss reach their limit: Luwaffe fighters Lookinghe b-17: ITS A FREE REAL ESTATE
@the1magageneral3234 ай бұрын
The b17 is an iconic airplane
@thermalserpent42694 ай бұрын
America: get that one Britain: I CRAVE VIOLENCE
@charlesbird28974 ай бұрын
Brits probably had more of a grudge against the Germans than the US haha
@MonkeyJedi994 ай бұрын
@@charlesbird2897 I am baffled by position on area bombing being the way to demoralize the populace into forcing a surrender. The British were bombed in their cites in both world wars, and it stiffened their resolve. So the Germans would have responded differently because???
@charlesbird28974 ай бұрын
@@MonkeyJedi99 I didn’t say they would. I simply said the Brit’s had more of a grudge than the Americans.
@vanguzeАй бұрын
Such amazing engineering
@CarCrazyGhost18 күн бұрын
Amazing history they should make a movie about b17 bomber crews like the movie fury.
@stephenhill17164 ай бұрын
I thought that “statistically speaking” the most dangerous gunner position was the tail? I really wanna say I remember learning that many years ago.
@derekhauser67804 ай бұрын
Grandpa buff needs b17 guns to wreak havoc!
@CT-70274 ай бұрын
My Great Grandfather was suppose to be assigned to one of these flying coffins, scary, but very interesting.
@joewalsh10544 ай бұрын
I had a patient at work who said he was a former B-17 pilot. He told me a couple crazy stories. One after getting off his plane he turned around and he asked where the rest of the crew was and they said he was it. Another time his copilot's head exploded and he had to fly his plane next to a headless man.
@thestormofwarАй бұрын
Minor quibble. The B-17's ball turret was not retractable. It was on the B-24.
@Kaun10114 ай бұрын
Makes me want to rewatch Memphis Belle
@Predator42ID4 ай бұрын
I use to like this channel. Contrary to some out there myth the Ball turret was the safest position in the aircraft. The Germans made it a point to hit the bombers from 12 o'clock which resulted in the waste gunners suffering the highest casualties.
@turnupthesun81Ай бұрын
I read where 13k aviators were lost in training accidents in the us. That’s insane.
@zhuangsaur2274 ай бұрын
Was the B29 more durable than the B17???
@charlesjadearbutante4 ай бұрын
Yes
@SteveBrownRocks20234 ай бұрын
No WAY I’d ever man a ball turret! 😲 No submarine duty or flamethrower stuff either!
@christianweibrecht65553 ай бұрын
How about being placed in a submarines ball turret that contains a flamethrower?
@SteveBrownRocks20233 ай бұрын
@@christianweibrecht6555 well, that actually sounds interesting! 🤔
@matthewcaughey88984 ай бұрын
Uhh no on the B-17 the ball turret was not retractable. There was a way to jettison it in an emergency but that took 20 minutes if you were just dumping the turret, or 45 if you were trying to salvage the K-7 gunsight. The B-24 could retract its turret but in the B-17 it’s fixed and is operated manually from inside to position it for the gunner to enter. The original ventral gun emplacement was not remote controlled either. It was a canoe shaped fairing and relied on periscopes for aiming. The remote controlled turrets didn’t see action until the B-29 entered service. They frequently became non functional in the tropical environment and had a tendency to slew 90 degrees relative to the position they were in and discharge the entire ammunition loadout. Jams and gun malfunctions were impossible to clear as the gunners had no access to the guns themselves on the B-29s
@TheRealArtimusKnight4 ай бұрын
So the bombing methods have pros and cons Night: safer but harder to hit your target Day: more dangerous but easier to see and hit your target
@gabbighoulfemboy4 ай бұрын
there is no ideal situations just trade offs
@Hotarg4 ай бұрын
America had the industry base to replace the huge losses from daylight bombing. England did not.
@eliasl3324 ай бұрын
I was sure that the most dangerous position was the tail gunner.
@dennisstcyr61093 ай бұрын
Hey my name is Dresden! 16:35
@hello_freinds72483 ай бұрын
Those bloons stood no chance
@mrmeme91054 ай бұрын
Do Lancaster bomber next.
@aussie-b6g4 ай бұрын
I wish they made a vr simulation of what it was like in ww2
@snitchpogi12774 ай бұрын
"The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everyone else, and nobody was going to bomb them. They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind." - Arthur Harris
@georgesakellaropoulos81622 ай бұрын
Statistically, waist gunners were more likely to become casualties than ball turret gunners.
@d2kwazza572 ай бұрын
You should look up the story of ‘old 666’ the b17 that was built by maybe the most daring b17 crew in the war
@noblesicks4 ай бұрын
I just love how mid video he just has a southern accent
@jadenbolton6704 ай бұрын
Do the B-24 next
@Bot2985-n6g4 ай бұрын
I had a question,what is the b17 secret recipe to make him resilient to enemy fire?
@NAWWMANNNАй бұрын
These "fortresses" go down super easy when you aim your 20mm cannons at the cockpit lol These are one of my favorite targets in war thunder, and one of the easiest bombers to shoot down without getting your plane swiss-cheesed by the turrets
@theodosios26154 ай бұрын
Whenever you think your job sucks... just think of ball turret gunner.
@sheilah45253 ай бұрын
The B17 was the “Rocky” of the air war. It took its’ hits and it didn’t win “pretty”, but it flew by day, persevered, finally won through.