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.