USAAF Air Gunners

Training turret gunners: teaching the basics of using the twin .50 caliber machine guns in a traversing turret on a moving vehicle.

An air gunner or aerial gunner is a member of a military aircrew who operates flexible-mount or turret-mounted machine guns or autocannons in an aircraft. Modern aircraft weapons are usually operated automatically without the need for a dedicated air gunner, but older generation (World War II and earlier) bombers used to carry up to eight air gunners.  

Waist gunner in a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress at Mitchel Field Air Force Base, Long Island, New York in April/May 1943.

 

U.S. Army Air Force's Aerial Gunner Badge

The Aerial Gunner Badge was a military aeronautical badge of the United States Army Air Forces and was issued during the Second World War. The badge was first created and authorized on April 29, 1943 to recognize both the training and hazardous duty of aerial gunners, who manned defensive machine guns on board such aircraft as the B-17, B-24, B-25, B-26 and B-29 bombers. The Aerial Gunner Badge appeared as a standard observer badge, upon which was centered a winged bullet. It was primarily awarded to USAAF enlisted aircrewmen, but a small number of commissioned officers also qualified and were awarded this insignia, to include film actor Clark Gable.

The Aerial Gunner Badge was issued until 1953, in the newly created United States Air Force (1947). The Aerial Gunner Badge was declared obsolete and phased out in favor of the Aircrew Badge.

Those having received the Aerial Gunner Badge were permitted to wear the original badge until 1955, at which time the badge was no longer authorized for display on an Air Force uniform. 

Prior to the establishment of the Aerial Gunner Badge, these airman could compete in an aerial gunnery competition to earn the Distinguished Aerial Gunner Badge. This lasted from 1926–1932. Beyond this, there was no badge displayed on the uniform to denote one as an aerial gunner. 

USAAC Distinguished Aerial Gunner Badge.

Clark Gable posed with the left waist gun of a B-17 Flying Fortress on June 6, 1943. 

Initial training for USAAF air gunners normally began with shotguns. In this case, a 12-gauge shotgun with its fore-end removed and fitted with spade grips.

Aerial gunnery training with the 8th Air Force in England during 1944. Bomber groups established training programs to get airmen prepared for combat.

A U.S. air gunner carrying his Browning AN/M2 .50 caliber machine gun. The gunners were responsible for the care and maintenance of their weapons.

The Browning AN/M2 “Flexible” gun: outside of the bombers’ power turrets, the flexible guns were aimed and fired by hand.

A ball turret gunner of the 8th Air Force removes his AN/M2 .50 cal MG for cleaning in England, June 1944.

This B-17 radio operator uses his AN/M2 .50 caliber MG, which is equipped with a recoil-damping Bell machine gun adapter.

Belly gun in action over Germany during January 1943. The weapon is in a swiveling ball mount.

The crowded workspace of a B-24 Liberator’s waist gunners could be difficult to fight from in an air battle during World War II.

The classic B-17 waist gunner, with his AN/M2 .50 caliber MG on a “flexible mount” and aiming with a simple ring and post sight.

A classic view of a B-17 waist gunner wearing a flak apron plus electrically heated gloves and boots.

A Martin-made top turret on a B-24 of the 755th Bomb Squadron (8th Air Force) in August 1944.

The tail gun position of a B-17F. The twin tail guns of the US bombers dissuaded many Axis interceptors from making attacks from the rear.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress ball turret.

Ball turret of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.

Chevrolet Model G506 E5 turret trainer with B-17, B-24, B-25 and B-26 dorsal turret.

 

Chevrolet Model G506 E5 turret trainer with B-17, B-24, B-25 and B-26 dorsal turret.

 

Chevrolet Model G506 E-5 turret trainer for B-17, B-24 Sperry ball turret.

 

Chevrolet Model G506 E-5 turret trainer for B-24 Consolidated tail turret.

 

 

Henschel Hs 126: German Reconnaissance and Observation Aircraft

 

Henschel Hs 126 of a Luftwaffe reconnaissance squadron.

The Henschel Hs 126 was a twin-seat parasol wing reconnaissance and observation aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Henschel.

The Hs 126 that was derived from the Henschel Hs 122. The pilot was seated in a protected cockpit under the parasol wing and the gunner in an open rear cockpit. In the autumn of 1936, the first prototype made its maiden flight; it was soon followed by two more prototypes and a batch of pre-production aircraft. During early 1938, the Hs 126 underwent service evaluation; it was well received for its good short takeoff performance and low-speed flight characteristics, attributes that proved to be frequently useful during its operational history.

The Hs 126 saw combat on numerous fronts, the first occasion being with the Legion Condor contingent that participated in the Spanish Civil War during the late 1930s. It was active on numerous fronts of the Second World War, by which point it had become the principal short-range reconnaissance aircraft of the Luftwaffe. Large numbers of Hs 126s flew during the Invasion of Poland, the Battle of France, and the Invasion of the Soviet Union. On 12 September 1943, a number of Hs 126s were used to tow ten DFS 230 attack gliders from Pratica Di Mare airfield near Rome to the Gran Sasso on a raid to rescue Benito Mussolini. The Royal Hellenic Air Force also operated 16 Hs 126s, which saw action during the Greco-Italian War. It was withdrawn from Luftwaffe service in 1943, by which point the Hs 126 had been superseded by the Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, a general-purpose STOL aircraft, as well as the twin-boom Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu.

Design and Development

The origins of the Hs 126 that was derived from the Henschel Hs 122, which did not advance beyond pre-production after flight testing demonstrated the type to offer no meaningful improvement over the existing Heinkel He 46. During 1936, Heinkel's chief designer, Friedrich Nicolaus, commenced work on a more advanced version of the Hs 122; this was later redesignated as the Hs 126. While it retained the same basic configuration of the Hs 122, however, it differed by its redesigned parasol wing, cantilever undercarriage, and a semi-enclosed cockpit. The Hs 126 also featured all-metal stressed skin construction.

In the autumn of 1936, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight, powered by a single Junkers Jumo 210 V12 engine. The first prototype was not entirely up to Luftwaffe. Early flights were made without the cockpit cover. Both the second and third prototypes were powered by the Bramo 323 radial engine; the former was fitted with a supercharger, an enlarged rudder, and twin tailplane bracing struts.

By the end of 1937, a pre-production batch of HS 126A-0s had been completed; these were broadly similar to the third prototype. The first production standard Hs 126A-1s came of Henschel's production line in early 1938; this model differed from the pre-production aircraft mainly in terms of their fit-out, being powered by a BMW 132Dc radial and equipped with a single fixed Zeiss camera in the rear fuselage bay as well as provisions for armaments, including a pair of machine guns and a hard-point bomb rack. During early 1938, several Hs 126s were delivered to the reconnaissance Lehrgruppe for service evaluation. During these evaluation flight, it was determined that the type possessed favorable flying characteristics and extremely good short-field performance.

During mid 1939, the improved Hs 126B-1 commenced production; this variant was powered by a Bramo 323 radial and accordingly possessed greater performance when flown at high altitudes along with improved short-field performance, as well as VHF radio apparatus. A total of 257 Hs 126s had been delivered to the Luftwaffe by the start of the Second World War. Production of the Hs 126 was terminated during January 1941.

General Information

Type: Reconnaissance

National origin: Nazi Germany

Manufacturer:

Henschel

AGO

Status: Retired

Primary users:

Luftwaffe

Bulgarian Air Force

Croatian Air Force

Hellenic Air Force

Spanish Air Force

Manufactured: 1937–1941

Introduction date: 1937

First flight: August 1936

Retired: Summer 1944

Developed from: Henschel Hs 122

Operational History

By the time the Hs 126 A-1 was introduced to service with the Luftwaffe in 1938, the re-equipping of reconnaissance formations was already well advanced. The majority of aircraft operated by its short-range reconnaissance units comprised the Heinkel He 45 and Heinkel He 46; in comparison to the Hs 126, both of these aircraft were slower, more vulnerable to ground fire and inclement weather conditions alike, and had limited altitude capability. Accordingly, the Hs 126 had almost entirely replaced both of these aircraft in Luftwaffe service by May 1940.

During late 1938, six Hs 126s were dispatched to Spain, where it replaced the He 45s being flown by the Legion Condor; it saw live combat during the latter portion of the Spanish Civil War. The type's performance in this theatre was reportedly satisfactory; following the end of the civil war, several Hs 126s were transferred to the Spanish Air Force.

By the start of the Second World War in September 1939, the Hs 126 served with Aufkl.Gr. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 21, 23, 31, 32 and 41. The type was used to great effect during the Invasion of Poland where it proved itself as a reliable observation and liaison aircraft. Virtually every corps of the German Army was working in coordination with its own army cooperation reconnaissance unit. Daylight reconnaissance flights by the Hs 126 were typically flown beneath an altitude of 2,000 meters; at night time, this decreased further to almost tree-top level. Information gathered was typically conveyed during a debriefing after the aircraft's return; however, direct reports using the onboard radio were possible.

The Hs 126 was active during the Invasion of France in May 1940. Numerous aircraft were lost due to interception by Allied fighter aircraft: between 10 and 21 May 1940, 20 Hs 126s were lost alone. Nevertheless, losses of the type in this theatre were not considered to be high.

At the start of the Invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, a total of 47 army cooperation squadrons equipped with Hs 126s participated. A higher loss rate was incurred on the Eastern Front, to the extent that fighter aircraft were more commonly used to protect the type during missions. Additionally, the Hs 126 was used in North Africa, such as with the 2./Aufklärungsgruppe (H)/14; it was eventually withdrawn in favour of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Messerschmitt Bf 110 towards the end of 1942.

The successor to the Hs 126, the Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu, entered service with the Luftwaffe during 1940. Despite this, the Hs 126 remained the principal short range reconnaissance aircraft with frontline units until early 1942.

Late in the conflict, the Hs 126 was used in glider tug and night ground attack roles. The Hs 126 was withdrawn from virtually all front line use during 1943. On 12 September 1943, a number of Hs 126s were used to tow ten DFS 230 attack gliders from Pratica Di Mare airfield near Rome to the Gran Sasso on a raid to rescue Benito Mussolini. Mussolini had been imprisoned there after being deposed by the Grand Council of Fascism, followed by a decree from the King of Italy. The Henschel was a smaller tow plane compared the usual Junkers Ju 52 three-engine tow plane and struggled to gain altitude to clear the mountains on the way. This led to confusion when the lead Kette of three gliders turned to gain altitude allowing Otto Skorzeny's group of three gliders to assume the lead.

Greece

At the outbreak of Greco-Italian War of 1940–41, the Royal Hellenic Air Force (Ellinikí Vasilikí Aeroporía, RHAF) had in service 16 Henschels, with 3 Observation Mira, under III Corps, based in Thessaloniki and Veria. Two days after the start of the conflict, on 30 October, there was the first air battle between Italian Regia Aeronautica and the RHAF when some Henschel Hs 126 of 3/2 Flight from 3 Observation Mira took off to locate Italian Army columns. However, they were intercepted and attacked by Fiat CR.42s of 393a Squadriglia. A first Henschel was hit and crashed, killing its observer, Pilot Officer Evanghelos Giannaris, the first Greek aviator to die in the war. A second Hs 126 was downed over Mount Smolikas, killing Pilot Officer Lazaros Papamichail and Sergeant Constantine Yemenetzis.

Operators

Estonia: Estonian Air Force - order cancelled due to annexation

Nazi Germany: Luftwaffe

Kingdom of Greece: Royal Hellenic Air Force

Spanish State: Spanish Air Force

Specifications (Hs 126 B-1)

Crew: Two (pilot and observer/gunner)

Length: 10.9 m (35 ft 7 in)

Wingspan: 14.5 m (47 ft 7 in)

Height: 3.8 m (12 ft 4 in)

Wing area: 31.6 m2 (340 ft²)

Empty weight: 2,030 kg (4,480 lb)

Loaded weight: 3,090 kg (6,820 lb)

Powerplant: 1× Bramo 323 nine-cylinder radial engine, 625 kW (838 hp) (850 PS)

Maximum speed: 356 km/h at 3,000 m (221 mph at 9,850 ft)

Range: 998 km (620 mi)

Service ceiling: 8,530 m (28,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 550 m/min (1,800 ft/min)

Wing loading: 97.8 kg/m2 (20.1 lb/ft²)

Power/mass: 0.21 kW/kg (0.13 hp/lb)

Armament:

1 × forward-firing 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine gun

1 × flexible 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine gun in the observer/gunner

Up to 150 kg (330 lb) of bombs

Bibliography

Carr, John, On Spartan Wings, Barnsley, SY: Pens & Sword Military, 2012.

Munson, Kenneth (1978). German Aircraft Of World War 2 in Colour. Poole, Dorset, UK: Blandford Press.

Further Reading

Gerdessen, Frederik. "Estonian Air Power 1918 – 1945". Air Enthusiast, No. 18, April – July 1982. pp. 61–76.

Gerdessen, F. Versatile Informer in Estonia. Air Enthusiast 105, May/June 2003, p. 76.

Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers, 1970 (fourth impression 1979).

Lapierre, P. & Taghon, P. (June 2000). "Henschel 126 "contre" l'Angleterre" [Henschel 126 Against Britain]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (87): 26–35.

Lawrence, Joseph (1945). The Observer's Book Of Airplanes. London and New York: Frederick Warne & Co.

Luranc, Zbigniew. Henschel Hs 126 - Skrzydła w Miniaturze (in Polish). Gdańsk, Poland: Wydawnictwo Avia-Press, 1995.

Nowarra, Heinz J. Nahaufklärer, 1910-1945: Die Augen des Heeres (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag, 1981.

Pęczkowski, Robert and Robert Panek. Henschel Hs 126. Sandomierz, Poland/Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2008.

Smith, John Richard; Kay, Anthony L.; Creek, Eddie J. (1972). German Aircraft of the Second World War. London, UK: Putnam and Company Ltd.

Wood, Tony and Bill Gunston. Hitler's Luftwaffe: A Pictorial History and Technical Encyclopedia of Hitler's Air Power in World War II. London, UK: Salamander Books Ltd., 1977.

 

Henschel Hs 126.

Henschel Hs 126.

Henschel Hs 126.

This Henschel Hs126 was shot down and captured by the personnel of the 467th Infantry Regiment of the Soviet 102nd Infantry Division. Photo taken on the November 7, 1941 in the Mogilev Region, Belarus, USSR.

Hs 126.

Hs 126 coded H1+FF.

Henschel Hs 126B-1 coded V7-1D at Pudasjärvi Airport in Finland before 1942.

Henschel Hs 126 coded D-ODBT.

Henschel Hs 126.

Henschel Hs 126A-0 coded D-OAAV circa 1937.

Henschel Hs 126.

Henschel Hs 126 taking off with a Ju 52 in the background.

Henschel Hs 126B of Aufklärungsgeschwader 13 in Romania in July 1940. ECPAD photo DAA-885-L2.

Henschel Hs 126 of Aufklärungsgruppe 31. The cameraman in the rear cockpit is Hauptmann Hans von Pebal of the 4th Propaganda Company. ECPAD photo DAA-502-L14.

Henschel Hs 126.

Henschel Hs 126 captured near Moscow.

It appears a recon pilot lost control and crashed this Hs 126 in eastern Poland in 1941. Photo was taken by a member of Ln. Funk-Betriebs Kompanie eine Kampfgeschwaders (KG55).

Henschel Hs 126.

Henschel Hs 126 of Aufkl.Gr. 23 in Russia.

Henschel Hs 126.

Henschel Hs 126 cutaway.

Henschel Hs 126.

Henschel Hs 126 in 1941.

Henschel Hs 126.

Captured Henschel Hs 126 in RAF markings and coded OK.

Henschel Hs 126 coded V7+1A.

Henschel Hs 126.

Henschel Hs 126.

 An abandoned Henschel Hs 126B reconnaissance aircraft on an Austrian airfield in June 1945. The Hs was commonly used as an artillery observation aircraft early on in the war but by 1942 had been relegated to training and glider towing duties. In the background of this photograph are an Arado Ar 96 trainer in Hungarian markings and a Siebel Si 204 liaison aircraft. Imperial War Museum photo CNA 3632.

Henschel Hs 126 reconnaissance aircraft coded P2+AM in service with the 4th Squadron of Aufklärungsgruppe 21 (4.(H)21) somewhere in France in May 1940. Australian War Memorial photo P06207.007.

Henschel Hs 126 V1 Wnr. 867.

Soviet war correspondents near a captured Henschel Hs 126 reconnaissance aircraft which was shot down and captured by personnel of the 467th Rifle Regiment of the Soviet 102nd Rifle Division on July 11, 1941.