View Full Version : German WWII gun camera footage
rotornut
27th Jan 2009, 12:47
LiveLeak.com - WW2 German guncam (http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=82163df4ce)
mr fish
27th Jan 2009, 15:11
those 20mm (i presume) rounds look particularly nasty!!!
Tyres O'Flaherty
27th Jan 2009, 15:21
If you click on the link to panzer vi, there's a link to '' lancaster footage'', which actually shows some Manchesters in flight, which I'd certainly never seen before !
rotornut
27th Jan 2009, 23:59
Tyres,
Thanks for that. I didn't know they produced that many Manchesters.
mr fish
Yuk! I don't think the tail gunner had an enviable position with those shells in his face!
virgo
28th Jan 2009, 15:53
You're dead right..............the tail gunner was the in the most vunerable crew position in the aircraft - usually the first target for any attacking fighter.
The story goes that the boss of the Air-Gunners school was told to get more volunteers for the position of tail gunner. He interviewed each airman who completed the course and tried to persuade him to volunteer. He concluded his chat with the inducement, "as a tail gunner, you'll get an additional one-and-sixpence a day flying pay."
The prospective air gunner pondered this, "How much extra is that per month ?"
"Dunno," said the CO, "we've never had one last that long !"
rotornut
28th Jan 2009, 21:18
virgo
lol!
I knew a guy who was a tail gunner in a Halifax. He was lucky - no night fighter problems but he didn't like seeing those puffs of smoke near the plane, in other words FLAK. He was once hit by a splinter but it only caused a minor flesh wound.
After seeing those videos and having read a number of books about it, I think I'd rather volunteer to clean the latrines than be a "tail end charlie".
kevmusic
29th Jan 2009, 12:15
How did that B17 at 2:30 stay flying!? :eek:
rotornut
30th Jan 2009, 19:33
It looks like even the poor ball turret gunner got it!
I found this interesting site showing B17 battle damage: Battle-Damaged B-17 Flying Fortresses: Contents (http://www.daveswarbirds.com/b-17/contents.htm)
Brewster Buffalo
30th Jan 2009, 20:03
B-17 was said to be able to absorb more damage than the Liberator.
German aircraft cannons increased in calibre with Me 262 having four 30mm as only this weight of shell could cause critical damage to the wing spars etc...