Gunner aces

Mgawa · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:25 am

Greetings all,

reason to open of this topic is my interestin the gunner victories. So- fighter aces has mark on airplane its air claims and is anyhing like that used on bomber planes? It is know that many gunners have many air victories, USA, RAF, Aeronavale, VVS...

Cheers

Cripes A Mighty · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:23 am

Bombers often painted kills on their aircraft. Sometimes on the nose as a collective group and sometimes each individual station has their own kill makings.

What I want to know is: Were gunners that shot down 5+ enemy aircraft considered ace? And is there a list of gunner kills somewhere. I know that usually more than one gunner took credit for the kill since any plane to invade the formation was 'meat on the table' for everyone.

k5083 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:27 am

In considering gunner aces it is worth remembering that while fighter kill claims were generally inflated by a factor of 2x to 3x, with bombers the factor was more like 5x to 10x, especially with heavy bombers in large formations. It is possible to identify a few well-documented gunner aces, mainly rear gunners in single-engined bombers and attack aircraft, but very few, if any, medium or heavy bomber gunners have credible claims.

August

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:29 am

1 B-26 gunner of the 455th BS 323rd BG was credited with downing 2 ME-262s over Gernmany in April 1945. Wounded by 20mm fire has he downed #2 he continued to fire and operated his turret manually until he collasped. He was awarded the Silver star and Purple Heart

Mgawa · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:00 am

Some interesting links:

http://jpgleize.club.fr/aces/ww2rafgu.htm

http://jpgleize.club.fr/aces/ww2usgun.htm

http://jpgleize.club.fr/aces/ww2stm.htm

http://jpgleize.club.fr/aces/ww2fgun.htm

Jack- you have provided very interesting story. Do you have any more material about this hero?

lestweforget · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:44 am

B-29 Command Decision was credited with 5 Mig-15's over Korea. http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=286

b29flteng · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:35 pm

I remember reading about a gunner who was in the RAFs 617 squadron who had two night fighter kills on one operation. I can't remember his name but I think that two night fighters is remarkable.

fotobass · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:36 pm

Ben Warmer...B-17 waist gunner credited with 7 (I think) on one mission.

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:46 pm

a number of 14 AF gunners has over 5 kills inc Arthur Benko with 12-16 kills. John Quinlan the Belle tail gunner downed 5 has did Navy SBD/SB2C gunner John Liska.

Mgawa · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 4:46 pm

Five MiG-15 :shock:

Thats a realy score!!

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Gunner aces

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