|
The front office. Traditionally a well appointed room for someone of great responsibility, it is only fitting
that Boeing assigned the "front office" of its B-17 Flying Fortress to the bombardier. With a Norden bombsight, the most advanced bombsight in the world, and a panoramic view through the plexiglass
nose, a bombardier on a B-17 seemed to have everything. He didn't.
The bombardier was required to protect the
Norden bombsight, a highly secret piece of equipment kept under armed guard while on the ground and only placed in the aircraft prior to flight, with nothing less than his life. And the plexiglass nose, a
weak spot in the B-17's defenses, became a favorite target for rockets and FW190 cannon fire.
The bombardier's duties were widely varied. Enroute to the target he had to crawl
back and remove the safety pins from the bomb fuses. While approaching the target the bombardier had to ignore bursting flak shells, diving fighters, and frantic radio chatter and concentrate on guiding the
aircraft to the target and releasing the bombs. Departing the target the bombardier took up a gun position to help defend his ship and, should any of the crew be wounded, it was his duty to provide
medical treatment. Yes, |
