This is a photo my uncle took when he was piloting a B-26 Marauder, not sure of the year. Looks like the ball turret was on top of the Marauder.
He was 23 when he was shot down and killed.
This is a photo my uncle took when he was piloting a B-26 Marauder, not sure of the year. Looks like the ball turret was on top of the Marauder.
He was 23 when he was shot down and killed.
June 4 marks the miraculous 1942 naval victory at Midway. Assembling possible resources included the improbable conversion of Army B-26 bombers into Navy torpedo aircraft.
Early B-26’s were considered “Widowmakers”. To avoid fatal touchdowns, pilots maintained final approach speed at 150 mph and landed at 120-135 mph; excessive speeds compared to contemporary planes.
The Mark XIII aerial torpedo was equally unforgiving by tasking pilots to hit a 30-knot aircraft carrier with a 33-knot torpedo. They were required to fly low, straight, and slow through intense fighter and anti-aircraft fire and launch at less than 1,000 yards. Most torpedoes failed when released at over 50 feet altitude and at speeds exceeding 126 mph; speeds at which B-26’s often stalled and crashed.
Army Captain James Collins led four aircraft to attack the Japanese carriers, though the pilots had never before attempted to use torpedoes. The B-26’s obtained no hits, and two of the four aircraft with their seven-man crews perished. Captain Collins with another crippled bomber returned to crash land on Midway.
This dedication was typical of about 550 airmen who lost over half their number killed when flying into concentrated anti-aircraft fire and fighter attacks to destroy four heavy carriers and defend Midway. Such courage and sacrifice by the Army, Navy, and Marine flyers permanently seized the initiative in the Pacific from the Japanese.
This is a top turret:
This is a man in a ball turret:
