Who Likes Aircraft ?

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[dart4forte]

Let's not forget the poor buggers in the bottom ball turret or the tail gunners. Likely the most vulnerable, especially in a bailout situation. Has anyone been watching "Masters of the Air"?

Yes, early episode depicted a ball gunner stuck in the turret while the plane was breaking up. It exploded.

 

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[Photon440]

The last shots of WWII.

Even though the war had ended with the formal surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945, rogue bands of Japanese fighters kept on trying.

Three day after the war was over, the final shots were fired when two B-32 Dominators were attacked by a group of fourteen Mitsubishi A6M and Kawanishi N1K fighters. The day before had had a similar attack and these two bombers - equipped for taking aerial photographs - were looking around to see if it would happen again.

Although the attackers were repulsed, and the bombers landed successfully, unfortunately Sergeant Anthony Marchione was struck by a 20mm round and was the last man killed in the war, in the final battle after it was supposed to have been already over, this was his plane; Hobo Queen II.

Similar in size and purpose of the B-29, the Consolidated B-32 wasn't built in large numbers and was taken out of service shortly after the end of the war.

 

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