The B-52 crews were able to claim the bragging rights of a 2:0 kill ratio against their nimbler aerial adversaries.
Though they’ve never gotten the glory that fighter pilots have, aerial gunners on fixed-wing bombers shot down more than their fair share of enemy aircraft in the 20th century, especially during World War II. At least one, U.S. Army Air Forces SSgt. Benjamin F. Warner, a waist gunner on the B-17 Flying Fortress, was officially recognized as an ace (minimum of five air-to-air kills), officially credited with a total of nine aerial victories (including six enemy fighters destroyed in a single engagement, earning him a Distinguished Flying Cross).
Alas, aerial gunners in the U.S. Armed Forces, at least on fixed-wing aircraft, went the way of the dodo bird in September 1991 when the tail gun position was eliminated from the B-52 Stratofortress (which, like the B-17, is a Boeing product) as a cost-cutting measure.
Speaking of the B-52, it was the platform for the last two aerial gunner kills in American military history. These kills occurred all the way back during the Vietnam War, specifically Operation Linebacker II, the massive so-called “Christmas bombing” of North Vietnamese targets in the Hanoi and Haiphong Harbor areas in December 1972. The two history-making B-52 gunners were Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Samuel O. Turner and Airman 1st Class (A1C) Albert E. Moore, and both of their victims were MiG-21 “Fishbed” fighter jets.
SSgt Turner Bags His Fishbed
As noted by Matt Fratus in an August 10, 2021 article for Coffee or Die:
“The first shootdown came on Dec. 18, 1972, after Turner’s B-52D took off from U-Tapao airfield in Thailand en route for a bombing mission near Hanoi. A MiG-21 interceptor aircraft approached from below and behind the B-52. When the fighter climbed in range of Turner’s .50-caliber machine guns, he let loose a six-second burst of about 700 rounds from his tail gun … ‘There was a gigantic explosion to the rear of the aircraft,’ Turner later recounted, according to Air Force Magazine. ‘I looked out the window but was unable to see directly where the [fighter] would have been … As we left the threat area, my aircraft commander told the other [US] aircraft, “I think we got one,” and they knew what he meant,’ Turner said.”
A1C Turner Gets His MiG
Six days later—on Christmas Eve, no less—A1C Turner would get his turn to blast his way into the annals of American aerial gunner history. Fratus picks up the story again:
“Moore’s B-52D Diamond Lil aircraft took off from its base in Thailand en route for the North Vietnamese railyards at Thai Nguyen. Heading toward its target, Moore spotted something on his radarscope traveling at a low altitude about 8 miles in the distance … Moore immediately notified the crew as the MiG closed in. He called the pilot and instructed him to perform evasive actions. The electronic warfare officer deployed chaff and flares. ‘When the target got to 2,000 yards, I notified the crew that I was firing,’ Moore wrote six days later, according to Air Force Magazine. ‘I fired at the bandit until it ballooned to three times in intensity then suddenly disappeared from my radar scope at approximately 1,200 yards, 6:30 low.’”
Tallying It Up
Although 15 B-52s were shot down during Linebacker II, none of those losses were due to MiGs, but rather all due to surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). In other words, despite the Communist fighter jets’ obvious speed, maneuverability, and firepower advantages over the American bombers, the B-52 crews were able to claim the bragging rights of a 2:0 kill ratio against their nimbler aerial adversaries.
Both SSgt Turner and A1C Moore were awarded the Silver Star for their heroic achievements.
Where Have All the Gunners Gone?
Aerial gunners still do exist in the U.S. Air Force, but on Special Operations helicopters and fixed-wing gunships like the MH-53 Pave Low and AC-130 Spectre respectively, not bombers. Moreover, they’re oriented toward taking out ground targets, not enemy aircraft.
Meanwhile, there’s at least one Russian heavy bomber that still wields a tail gun: the Tupolev Tu-95 “Bear.” Though as far as I know, no “Bear” gunner has ever scored an aerial kill. (If any of our dear readers know otherwise, please let us know.)
About the Author: Christian D. Orr
Christian D. Orr was previously a Senior Defense Editor for National Security Journal (NSJ) and 19FortyFive. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He has also been published in The Daily Torch, The Journal of Intelligence and Cyber Security, and Simple Flying. Last but not least, he is a Companion of the Order of the Naval Order of the United States (NOUS). If you’d like to pick his brain further, you can ofttimes find him at the Old Virginia Tobacco Company (OVTC) lounge in Manassas, Virginia, partaking of fine stogies and good quality human camaraderie.
Image: DVIDS.
