The Deeds, Experiences, Tensions & Dangers of a Wartime Bomber Command Air Gunners Tour(s) can be comprehended only by the few young men who survived. Poignant memories as being the sound of the rain beating against the Fuselage, the intense Cold & Loneliness of the Rear Turret, the strangely frightening sight of Guns, Wing Tips & Propeller blades glowing during Electrical Storms, of wearing his Parachute in the Cramped Turret in preference to leaving it in its Stowage, and the frustration of reaching the Target to find the Bomb-Sight unserviceable, a technical fault which resulted in the Mission being discounted despite the tremendous dangers encountered.
The .303 inch (7.9mm) calibre machine guns of the RAF Air-gunners were outgunned by the 20mm & 30mm Cannon carried by the Luftwaffe – but the RAF Air-gunners would not open fire unless attacked by a Night-fighter; their Guns were defensive. Although the .303’s rate of fire was 12 rounds per sec, and its effective Range reckoned to be 400-yds, at night if, within visible Range, the Night-fighters were also within Range of the .303s.
Mid-upper & Rear-Gunners were isolated from their Crewmates except via Intercom and had to stay alert for long periods in subzero temperatures. Their fields of fire overlapped somewhat; the Mid-upper could rotate through 360°. Helped to some extent by the Taylor combined Electrically-Heated Suit & Mae West Lifejacket, as well as heated mittens & gloves, their alertness was vital. They could call for a Corkscrew (violent evasive action) at a moment’s notice. The trick was to take evasive action inside the attacking curve of the Fighter, forcing him to steepen his turn in order to be able to shoot into a space where the Bomber was expected to be by the time the Bullets & Shells arrived. The Corkscrew Manoeuvre was so described because when viewing from directly astern, the pattern created by the Bomber was Corkscrew-shaped. Dive Port, Climb Port, Roll, Dive Starboard, Climb Starboard, Roll … and good Air-gunners, knowing what was happening next, could fire into a space where they expected the Night Fighter to be. Few night fighter crews persevered with an Attack after the Bomber had spotted them, and fewer still Night Fighter Pilots had the skill to stay with a Corkscrewing Bomber and shoot it down as they danced together. A determined and experienced Bomber pilot could make the evasive manoeuvre so violent that rivets popped out of the Aircraft. (Aircraft were actually only borrowed by the Aircrew; the Aeroplane “belonged” to its Ground Crew.)
The Luftwaffe soon developed the “Schrage Musik” upward-firing Cannon fitted to some Me110 and Ju88 Night Fighters. Attacked from directly below, many Heavies were lost, and it was not until late Summer 1943 when returned Bombers showed vertically pierced damage that the new threat was realised. This Technique was so effective that Night Fighter Pilots would not shoot directly into a Bomber’s Fuselage, for fear the Bomb Load would explode immediately above, destroying both Aircraft. Thus, they preferred to aim at Wing Petrol Tanks or Engines. Later, some “Heavies” were fitted with .50 calibre machine guns; notably, the Rose Rear Turret fitted to a few Lancasters. The Halifax’s Electric-Hydraulic Boulton-Paul Mid-upper & Rear Turrets carried 4 x .303s but the Lancaster & Stirling had Frazer-Nash Hydraulic Turrets; Twin .303s for the Nose & Mid-upper, and 4 x .303s for the Rear. A few Aircraft, mainly Canadian Units, had a Mid-under Gun Ventral position, but this was not a common feature and was only fitted where there was no underslung Radar Dome. Mk III Halifaxes often had a single .303 or occasionally a .50 Gun mounted in the Nose Cone.
The Drogue Towing Planes were called Lysanders & Jainey Battles). The Air Gunners were on 3-week Courses and after Lectures performed Gunnery Practice. They flew in Bombers, the Guns of which were loaded with different coloured Bullet Tips. The Drogue Planes flew up and down over a Course, each Plane carrying 3 Drogues which were streamed from the Plane by a long wire.
The Gunnery Planes flew alongside the Drogues with the Gunners taking it in turns to fire at them with their different coloured Bullets. Afterwards, the Drogues were returned and the holes were counted & accorded to the Gunner who had fired the resulting Colour Total. Each man had to make a certain number of hits to pass. Resources being scarce the Drogues were then repaired for future use on another occasion in much the same way as Parachutes. WAAF’s recorded the number of the Planes, the names of the Pilot and his Crew, Take-off & Landing times and, at the end of it all, to count up the Scores. 1st Flights usually took place around 08.00 and Exercises often finished as late as 22.30. On days when the Weather prevented Flying the WAAF’s helped out on a number of Tasks including Splicing Loops on the Towing Wires, rewinding Spools or replacing Cords on the Drogues and sometimes helped out in the Control Tower.
Air to Air Gunnery Training – Bomber Defence Training Flight (BDTF)
In modern-day terms, a BDTF might be referred to as an ‘Aggressor’, ‘Adversary’ or ‘Opfor’ Unit. The BDTF’s task was to provide realistic Targets for Trainee Bomber Crews. They would intercept the Bombers using various tactics, providing not only the Gunners with a means of honing their Gunnery Skills (albeit only with ‘Camera’ Guns) but also giving Bomber Crews as a whole the chance to learn how to perform as a Cohesive Team in detecting & dealing with Enemy Fighters.
The main job of the BDTF’s Training was to acquaint new Pilots to the manoeuvrability of Fighters and how to avoid them. It was no great secret that Fighters had the advantage of speed & manoeuvrability over the slower and much larger Bombers. If a Bomber Crew were to stand a chance of survival it all hinged on how well the Pilot could toss & turn his big Bomber around in the Sky. A Staff Pilot from the Training Flight would act as the “Enemy”. An Instructor would be onboard the Bomber for the 1st or so tries after that it was all up to the new Pilot. The Instructor’s direction to the Trainee Pilot was to “keep it simple” and make every move to the maximum effort. After all, this would be a matter of life & death in a real Attack, so too in the Affiliation Training, everything was to the maximum. Throwing the Aircraft around and the Crew inside with it. The Instructor using the Intercom to let the Crew know what was coming next.
The main Defensive Manoeuvre of the Bomber was the ‘Corkscrew Manoeuver‘ – It may sound like a simple turn & dive to one side or the other, in fact, that would be just the start, a Pilot would get the “Corkscrew to Port (or Starboard)” Order from one of the Gunners normally. Although any of the Crew who spotted Aircraft may give the Order. The start of the Manoeuver was into a dive to one side or the other, the decision of either Port or Starboard being made by the Gunner based on the direction & angle of Attack. The 1st Action may have been enough to throw the Attackers Aim off, but maybe not the attacking Pilot’s ability to keep on the Bomber’s Tail. During the Training the Pilots were to put their Bombers through a series of Climbs & Dives, turns to either side, with the whole effect being something like a Roller Coaster Ride. For the Pilot to place the Bomber in a Corkscrew Port, he would have the stick hard Forward, foot hard in on the Left Rudder and Wheel fully over to the Left. The Pilot would have 2 other things on his mind regarding the attempt to Escape. One was not to make the pattern repetitive enough for the Fighter to figure out his next move. Secondly, try and keep the Swings from Port to Starboard in equal numbers to help the Aircraft keep on the same heading. The Navigator would try and keep track of where they were at any Point in the Corkscrew and when the “Resume Course” Order was given, he would forward the Course Headings to the Pilot. For the Training Exercise, the Gunners would be using ‘Cine Guns’ and trying to keep the “Enemy” Fighter in their Sights or at least pass on the information of his Position to the Aircraft’s Captain. The Film from the Camera Guns would be analysed later judged on many things including Point of Aim, Deflection & Range then the Gunner would be Graded on the Results.
General Hints for Air Gunners
Search the Sky before Take-off & Landing when your Aircraft is most vulnerable.
If Gun-fire is observed search for the Enemy Fighter and take Evasive Action.
Patrol across the Sun, never into it or away from it.
If using Tracer at Night, remember it tends to momentarily destroy your Night-vision; hold your Fire if necessary. The Aim of an Enemy Fighter is to destroy; the Aim of a Bomber Air Gunner is to get safely to the Target and back to Base.
Never Fire until Fired-upon, in the event of Gunfire search for Fighter and take evasive action.
Always watch your own Tail.
Conserve your Ammo; if you are Fired upon from Long-Range instruct the Pilot to take Evasive Action.
Never Fly straight or Dive when under attack; never turn away from an Attack, always Toward.
Use good Team-work with the rest of the Crew.
If on a Reconnaissance Aircraft, your job is to Return with Information; not to seek Combat with Enemy Aircraft.
All Aircraft approaches are considered to be Enemy until identified otherwise.
If your own Guns fail or are damaged during an Attack use your ingenuity to outwit the Attacker.
On completion of basic Military Training Aircrew candidates would wear a white Flash on the front of their Service issue “side caps” denoting their “Aircrew under Training” Status. No matter where they originated in Britain or the Commonwealth they could be shipped to the next available Training course in any of those nations where the other Aircrew Trades attended appropriate Trade Schools such as Gunnery Schools”. Following the completion of Training at a Graduation Ceremony Aircrew were presented with their Aircrew Brevet or Flying Badge) and either handed their Sergeant’s Stripes or Commissioned as Officers.
