The Bomber Boys
The Bomber Boys
“They fought differently. While the B-17 was one of the most effective offensive weapons of the war, the bomber gunner’s role was a defensive one—fighting to protect the “Fort.”
B-17 gunners even looked different. Dressed in their layers of combat gear consisting of electric suits, flak jackets, parachutes, oxygen masks, goggles and flak helmets, the bomber gunners looked more like invaders from outer space than American soldiers. Their lifestyle was certainly different from that of the infantry...man or the sailor. During the day, an Eighth Air Force gunner could be flying through the hellish gauntlet of German antiaircraft fire and fighting off attacks by Luftwaffe wolf packs. In the evening, that same airman could be sharing a draft ale with a young English lovely in a cozy pub.
Like the foot soldier and the sailor, the bomber gunner just wanted to do his duty and survive, but unlike the others, the airman knew exactly how many battles he must fight in order to go home. At least he thought he knew.MoreLess
B-17 gunners even looked different. Dressed in their layers of combat gear consisting of electric suits, flak jackets, parachutes, oxygen masks, goggles and flak helmets, the bomber gunners looked more like invaders from outer space than American soldiers. Their lifestyle was certainly different from that of the infantry...man or the sailor. During the day, an Eighth Air Force gunner could be flying through the hellish gauntlet of German antiaircraft fire and fighting off attacks by Luftwaffe wolf packs. In the evening, that same airman could be sharing a draft ale with a young English lovely in a cozy pub.
Like the foot soldier and the sailor, the bomber gunner just wanted to do his duty and survive, but unlike the others, the airman knew exactly how many battles he must fight in order to go home. At least he thought he knew.MoreLess
Read book The Bomber Boys for free
You can download books for free in various formats, such as epub, pdf, azw, mobi, txt and others on book networks site. Additionally, the entire text is available for online reading through our e-reader. Our site is not responsible for the performance of third-party products (sites).
Write Review:
Guest
Read Also
8 / 10
User Reviews: