Ordnance had developed the Browning .50 caliber machine gun into an effective aircraft weapon.
The AN prefix stood for Army-Navy, and the light barrel version of the M2 (61 lbs.)
ultimately became the standard weapon for almost every significant American combat aircraft of World War II.
A ball turret gunner of the 8th Air Force removes his AN/M2 .50 cal MG for cleaning in England, June 1944. Image: NARA
One of these tools was a camera-gun that was close in size and shape to a Lewis machine gun.
All in all, Americas aerial gunnery training was particularly advanced by World War I standards.
After the war however, budgets were slashed, and most air gunner training was abandoned.
A classic view of a B-17 waist gunner wearing a flak apron plus electrically heated gloves and boots. Image: NARA
The final version of the aircraft, the B-17G, carried thirteen .50 caliber guns.
The need for effective aerial gunners grew beyond anyones expectations.
Stateside training for air gunners consisted of an intensive six-week course.
A U.S. Army Air Service aerial gunner trainee using a “camera gun”, which was very similar in size to the Lewis machine gun used in this position. Image: NARA
Turret gunners were faced with the mechanical nuances of multiple turret types created by several manufacturers.
The complexities of the systems began to overwhelm the time and resources of the training programs.
The US 8thAir Force suffered more than 47,000 casualties, including more than 26,000 dead.
A U.S. air gunner carrying his Browning AN/M2 .50 caliber machine gun. The gunners were responsible for the care and maintenance of their weapons. Image: Author’s collection
The 15thAir Force suffered more than 20,000 casualties among their bomber crews.
German flak and fighters exacted a heavy toll.
Few pilots enjoyed the prospect of taking a .50-caliber round into their windscreen.
The Browning AN/M2 “Flexible” gun: outside of the bombers’ power turrets, the flexible guns were aimed and fired by hand. Image: Springfield Armory
Initially, Luftwaffe interceptors made their attacks from the rear.
Ultimately, daylight bomber interception was an ugly, bloody, aerial gang fight.
The closer they got, the more the .50-caliber MGs tore them apart.
The classic B-17 waist gunner, with his AN/M2 .50 caliber MG on a “flexible mount” and aiming with a simple ring and post sight. Image: NARA
WW2 Gunners: Overlooked Heroes?
The crowded workspace of a B-24 Liberator’s waist gunners could be difficult to fight from in an air battle during WWII. Image: NARA
Training turret gunners: teaching the basics of using the twin .50 caliber MGs in a traversing turret on a moving vehicle. Image: NARA
Aerial gunnery training with the 8th Air Force in England during 1944. Bomber groups established training programs to get airmen prepared for combat. Image: NARA
Belly gun in action over Germany during January 1943. The weapon is in a swiveling ball mount. Image: NARA
A Martin-made top turret on a B-24 of the 755th Bomb Squadron (8th Air Force) in August 1944. Image: NARA
This B-17 radio operator uses his AN/M2 .50 caliber MG, which is equipped with a recoil-damping Bell machine gun adapter. Image: NARA
Initial training for USAAF air gunners normally began with shotguns. In this case, a 12-gauge shotgun with its fore-end removed and fitted with spade grips. Image: Author’s collection.
The tail gun position of a B-17F. The twin tail guns of the US bombers dissuaded many Axis interceptors from making attacks from the rear. Image: NARA
