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B-52 gunner's L-2B
- Thread starter bebel
- Start date
watchmanjimg
Well-Known Member
Franck, that's a magnificent jacket and of particular interest to me due to the insignia. The 668th Bombardment Squadron of the 416th Bombardment Wing was stationed at Griffiss AFB, NY less than 15 miles from my hometown. My grandfather worked there as a civilian and could very well have serviced the aircraft that Maloney flew in!
Years ago I saw a similar jacket from the 5 May 1966 Alpha Industries contract on Ebay. I didn't buy it because it was too small, but I wish I had. Out of curiosity, what size is yours?
Years ago I saw a similar jacket from the 5 May 1966 Alpha Industries contract on Ebay. I didn't buy it because it was too small, but I wish I had. Out of curiosity, what size is yours?
Peter Graham
Well-Known Member
Did B-52's have tail gunners ? Anyway, fantastic jacket. What's in the little container attached to the sleeve zipper ?bebel said:
Peter Graham
Well-Known Member
Did B-52's have tail gunners ? Anyway, fantastic jacket. What's in the little container attached to the sleeve zipper ?bebel said:
ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
Great jacket... a great get!
Couchy
Couchy
a2jacketpatches
Active Member
Twin 50's in the tail, but I believe was controlled remotely from somewhere more forward in the fuselage, like a video game. Back in the late 80's I can remember the tail guns following me as I was close in sentry around a buff one morning.
"Buff" means BIG UGLY FAT F****ER, a nickname for the B-52
"Buff" means BIG UGLY FAT F****ER, a nickname for the B-52
watchmanjimg
Well-Known Member
Depending on the model it had either a quad .50 setup (A-G) or 20mm Gatling gun (H) in the rear. These were controlled remotely by a gunner up front beginning with the G model.
Peter, that's an ear plug carrier on the sleeve zipper.
Peter, that's an ear plug carrier on the sleeve zipper.
a2jacketpatches
Active Member
That's right, quads, It's been a while
watchmanjimg
Well-Known Member
a2jacketpatches said:
Don't feel bad. I had to look it up.
a2jacketpatches
Active Member
I got 135- on Ebay last year for a large, very good condition, nothing ever stitched to it.PaulGT3 said:
bebel
Active Member
a2jacketpatches said:
To be a tailgunner in the B-52 early versions was hard enough...
"The early B-52 models (A,B,C,D,E,F) had a gunner's position in the tail of the plane directly forward of the gun turret. The G and H models still had the tail mounted guns but moved the actual gunner's position to the forward crew compartment. This relocation saved the gunner from undergoing tremendous physical stress during low altitude flight. The tail of the Buff moves 5 feet for every foot the nose moves. In a low altitude environment, thermal wind currents radiating from the earth's surface are contorted by mountains and terrain and can bounce the bomber around like a trash can rolling down a flight of stairs." (http://www.gunners.net/_fpclass/gunnery/buffguns.htm)
Franck
Rutger
Well-Known Member
Jetfighters weren't the only ones scoring A-A kills in Vietnam.
Out of five claims two were confirmed:
B-52 "Gunner"
Mig Killers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSgt Samuel O. Turner Mig-21 B-52 #6676 Call Sign – Brown 3
On 18 December 1972 near Hanoi , North Vietnam SSgt Turner, a B-52 Fire Control Operator (Gunner), shot down a MIG-21. For his action the 30 year old Atlanta , Georgia native was awarded the Silver Star. Turner retired from the Air Force with the rank of MSgt. He passed away 12 April 1985 as the result of an illness.
AIC Albert E. Moore MIG-21 B-52 #5083 Call Sign – Ruby 03
On 24 December 1972 near the Thai Nguyen railroad yards, North Vietnam. Moore, a B-52 Fire Control Operator (Gunner), shot down a MIG-21.
Out of five claims two were confirmed:
B-52 "Gunner"
Mig Killers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSgt Samuel O. Turner Mig-21 B-52 #6676 Call Sign – Brown 3
On 18 December 1972 near Hanoi , North Vietnam SSgt Turner, a B-52 Fire Control Operator (Gunner), shot down a MIG-21. For his action the 30 year old Atlanta , Georgia native was awarded the Silver Star. Turner retired from the Air Force with the rank of MSgt. He passed away 12 April 1985 as the result of an illness.
AIC Albert E. Moore MIG-21 B-52 #5083 Call Sign – Ruby 03
On 24 December 1972 near the Thai Nguyen railroad yards, North Vietnam. Moore, a B-52 Fire Control Operator (Gunner), shot down a MIG-21.
Bro of mine who was a Radio Operator was a former gunner. This was in the early 1990's after Desert Storm when I met him.
He flew on the first 52 strike into Iraq. Said he was watching the radio and saw that a Mirage was tracking them. He thought, "Wow, the instructors were right. That's what Mirage radar looks when they are.....Holy Shit, Pilot, Mirage looking for us!!"
A gunner he knew was on an oil burner run when his intercom went Tango Uniform. Pilot thought he was asleep in the back (this was when the gunners were in the tail), so he kicked the rudders to swing the tail around to shake him awake. When they landed, the gunner punch the pilot in the jaw.
An instructor of his was a Vietnam gunner nicknamed Dooky. Saw a 52 behind him take a SAM in the bombbay and he defacated himself. They landed, he took off his flight suit, shook out the turds, threw it over his shoulder and got on the crew bus.
Another gunner jettisoned his tail turret while inflight (This was how they were to escape the aircraft in an emergency). They landed and he was just sitting in the back. I don't think he flew after that.
I know he said that at Fairchild, when they'd have an alert, they either ran to their aircraft (if it was close), or had a vehicle. SOP said to drive as fast as they safely could. They passed their CO doing 80+ MPH.
He flew on the first 52 strike into Iraq. Said he was watching the radio and saw that a Mirage was tracking them. He thought, "Wow, the instructors were right. That's what Mirage radar looks when they are.....Holy Shit, Pilot, Mirage looking for us!!"
A gunner he knew was on an oil burner run when his intercom went Tango Uniform. Pilot thought he was asleep in the back (this was when the gunners were in the tail), so he kicked the rudders to swing the tail around to shake him awake. When they landed, the gunner punch the pilot in the jaw.
An instructor of his was a Vietnam gunner nicknamed Dooky. Saw a 52 behind him take a SAM in the bombbay and he defacated himself. They landed, he took off his flight suit, shook out the turds, threw it over his shoulder and got on the crew bus.
Another gunner jettisoned his tail turret while inflight (This was how they were to escape the aircraft in an emergency). They landed and he was just sitting in the back. I don't think he flew after that.
I know he said that at Fairchild, when they'd have an alert, they either ran to their aircraft (if it was close), or had a vehicle. SOP said to drive as fast as they safely could. They passed their CO doing 80+ MPH.
Phantomfixer
New Member
PaulGT3 said:
ops guys are different than normal bluesuiters, SAC guys are even worse :x ,,not taking sides on this story, but I could see it happening
either way cools tories Monsoon
a2jacketpatches
Active Member
Hey, I'm a SAC guy, 42nd Bomb Wing.
Willy McCoy
Member
Nice jacket !! Sure would like to find some of that name-tape webbing.
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