Page 27 - MY STORY

gunners operate the electrically driven gun turrets

remotely from a gunsight position inside a pressurized
and temperature controlled cabin – nowhere near the gun
turret. The electrical signals from the moving gunsights

provide range, speed, and direction of the incoming
fighters.

The gunsight signals also passed through an
electromechanical computer that took the gunsight and
other information translating that info into the proper lead

angle for the guns in order to kill a fast-moving fighter.
My job was to make sure the tail turret, consisting of three

50 caliber machine guns was operational. I climbed
through the aft fuselage entry point and crawled aft up to
the pressurized entry door to the tail gunners cabin.

I made sure the aircraft power was on and set up the
gunsight to operate the tail turret and guns, just below me

on the other side of a removable steel pressure bulkhead.
The gunsight had hand-gripped rotating wheels near their
top that adjusted the gunsight reticle to provide range data.

On the left rotating wheel was a flap that closed the circuit
to the turret when squeezed with the palm. The thumbs
rested on two rubber pads, either one of which would

operate the machine gun chargers and fire the guns. I