10.12.2007, 20:03
Re radar guidance and gun control, the same veteran had this to say:
"There were five B-17s delivered to the 99th BG in Italy, that used an adaption to the computing sight, which used radar to work the reticles automatically, thus relieving the gunner from having to do that manually. The lower ball normaly had the left foot operate the cable driven mechanism, by gradually raising the left foot to move the reticle in the lower ball turret. The top turret control worked from the right hand grip of the control handles. With the radar computing sight, there was a white light that illuminated when a target was 1000 yards away, and when the target came within 600 yards, the reticles were moved automatically by the radar mechanism.
There was one B-24 BG in the 15th AAF that had the ball turet modified to take the radar computing sight. The five B-17s assigned to the 99th, had the top turret with the radar computing sight.
The reason I know all this, is that I was one of six top turret gunners in my squadron, sleected to be checked out on the radar computing sight...I flew one mission on 19 JAn 45, on the B-17 assigned to the 348th BS, that had the radar computng sight.
I noticed the white light illuminated several times during the flight and finallY deduced that the high squadron had moved aft to where the radiated radar signal had picked up the high formation..when the high squadron moved fwd, it went out. (The high squadron flew 1000 ft higher and 1000 ft aft..all the formation had to do was fall behind enough to cause the white light to illuminate."
Some RAF Lancasters also had radar-aimed rear turrets in 1945, as manufactured by Rose-Rice.
"There were five B-17s delivered to the 99th BG in Italy, that used an adaption to the computing sight, which used radar to work the reticles automatically, thus relieving the gunner from having to do that manually. The lower ball normaly had the left foot operate the cable driven mechanism, by gradually raising the left foot to move the reticle in the lower ball turret. The top turret control worked from the right hand grip of the control handles. With the radar computing sight, there was a white light that illuminated when a target was 1000 yards away, and when the target came within 600 yards, the reticles were moved automatically by the radar mechanism.
There was one B-24 BG in the 15th AAF that had the ball turet modified to take the radar computing sight. The five B-17s assigned to the 99th, had the top turret with the radar computing sight.
The reason I know all this, is that I was one of six top turret gunners in my squadron, sleected to be checked out on the radar computing sight...I flew one mission on 19 JAn 45, on the B-17 assigned to the 348th BS, that had the radar computng sight.
I noticed the white light illuminated several times during the flight and finallY deduced that the high squadron had moved aft to where the radiated radar signal had picked up the high formation..when the high squadron moved fwd, it went out. (The high squadron flew 1000 ft higher and 1000 ft aft..all the formation had to do was fall behind enough to cause the white light to illuminate."
Some RAF Lancasters also had radar-aimed rear turrets in 1945, as manufactured by Rose-Rice.