Front Gun Turrets
Results 1 to 5 of 5

Thread: Front Gun Turrets

  1. #1

    Front Gun Turrets

    This is not really anything to do with CFS 3. However I thought I would post my question here to drew on the wealth of knowledge that lurks in these portals.

    My Father was Bomber Command (Parthfinder) in the RAF during WW2,

    In conversation shortly before he passed away he stated that at no time during his service did his Lancaster's front turret ever fire in anger. He asked some of colleagues and they had said the same. He said he knew during the Augsburgh daylight raid and the Dam Buster raids they were used for ground suppression but he never heard of them being used against air targets. He believed this was because for a night fighter to initiate a head on attack against a bomber at night would be virtually impossible to set up due to closing speed. Radar may find the bomber but then they used visual, usually the glow of exhausts to close in. For the night fighter to guy see exhaust glow head on would be hard or impossible.

    In fact my Father reckoned the front turret could have been ditched in preference for a belly gun as the threat from below, especially the upward firing guns on some night fighters was his real worry.

    Has anyone here ever hear heard of the front turret on any night bomber being used to any effect?

  2. #2
    I have no personal knowledge about this, but it seems quite plausible. Early Lancs did have ventral turrets but they were pretty useless and often dispensed with and the space where it was located was eventually taken up with the H2S blister. Some crews would field modify a gun into a bottom hatch for defense but again it didn't really work all that well.

  3. #3
    Find yourself a copy of John Searby's book.

    He was a Pathfinder Leader, CO of 106 Squadron (after Gibson) and 83 Squadron.

    You'll find some answers

    Ttfn

    Pete

  4. #4

  5. #5
    SOH-CM-2019
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    St Simons Island GA
    Age
    70
    Posts
    2,322
    Blog Entries
    1
    What I've seen re: this subject backs up your dad's assertions. Basically, my readings and listenings disclosed the only way the nose turret on a Lancaster or any other night bomber could be used was if for some reason a night fighter wound up ahead of your bomber while it was stalking another bomber. Relative speeds would be very close to matching as would all the other variables. The fighter's attention would be directed ahead at its target. You could get a shot off at the fighter but it was never certain you could hit it, or score damaging hits on it if you did hit it. One thing that was practically dead certain was that bombers nearby would try to avoid the area knowing what was going on; another night fighter flying nearby would see the commotion and likely head toward it, increasing the likelihood you'd be targeted once you had opened fire.

    Bomber Command crews could never under any circumstances be called cowards but they were seldom if ever ones to take unnecessary risks, either. Unless a night fighter was clearly observed by your crew and was either obviously setting up on you, or had actually already begun his attack, you left him severely alone and moved off a little. There was still relative safety elsewhere in the bomber stream.

    I've also heard most pilots (and navigators) preferred the bomb aimer to be available to assist the navigator at ground observation (pilotage) while they were in flight anyway. And, there were always those pesky bundles of Window to chuck out their chute during flight, too.

Members who have read this thread: 0

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •