B-17 & B-24 Bombing Missons: "Target for Today"

Interesting - guess I need to get a life, as I watched it all.

I know some producer of this film put one over on us, 'cause right around 44:30 into this there is a B-24 with the name of "Pulmadique" on it! Yuk - yuk - yuk.

 

I watched this training film with interest and noted several things. The early shots of the B-17's were early model "F"'s and quite clean and unused.Engine cowlings were freshly painted and minus the carbon and oil of actual hard use. Obviously shot in 1942 or '43. Some of the B-24's were early C and D's but then near the middle there were early 1944 B-17's that were sans o.d. paint. And a comment re " Tokyo's" that referred to the Tokyo tanks that were installed in B-24's wing tips to extend the range. Firing sequences were obvious ground shots because the gun smoke wasn't blown away and who could possibly be hanging outside of the airplane filming the guns anyway. The targets getting hit were obviously artistically graphically simulated, no movement in the travel of the airplane and phony smoke arising while everything else was static. Take off and landing sequences were good and showed the struggle that these overloaded birds went through to get airborne. Originally max load was something like 34,000 lbs. Eventually they were doing 64,000 lbs. if I remember. It did show the process through which the crews went to conduct a mission and that is what is important here.

 

Always enjoy your insights. Thank you.

 

Thanks. I also noticed that all of the fighter hits were fighter plane gun camera shots not from a bomber. Tracking an incoming fighter is almost impossible. Hits from flexible gunnery were more luck than skill and usually were the result of the fighter flying into a area where the
sky already had shots in it. BUT, there were gunners who did hit what they were aiming at. Consider the moving track of the bomber, the track of a high speed moving fighter usually traveling in the opposite direction at an angle, and then figure out lead, elevation, or deflection in less then a second. Flexible gunnery was tough.

 

Like Rob's thread on headwinds and tailwinds......aiming.

Recall when my folks first allowed me to hunt cotton-tail rabbits. 20 guage, # 6 shot, bolt action. Kick them into full stride and then put your best shot pattern out there anticipating where they were going to zig or zag to.

Another thought, maybe from your past posts..... the beginning iterations of sighting computers mounted into WWII USA heavy bombers for the turret gunners. It's a wonder they hit anything against almost all adversity.

 

The B-29 introduced the first sighting computers that I can recall and they did a marvelous job. When I was working on B-50's after the war we used to track girls walking down the transportation aisle in the factory. The computer boxes were mounted near the sighting blisters and we could hear them whizzing and clicking away while we moved the sights. They were much like the old telephone switchers from the way they sounded. With the Central Fire Control some pretty effective fire could be brought to bear with more than one gun turret firing.

 

Just the sort of thing you need to put in your book, Bob!

 

I already have, Jim. The editors have asked that I "flesh out" some parts so I'm adding more stuff. I just hope that it doesn't get too big with the additions of the Depression years and my Boy Scout style activities in the USAAF + artwork and photos. More Boeing stuff, too.