The interior of the aircraft was by no means spacious but it did accommodate a standard crew of ten. From nose to tail the positions were: Bombardier, Navigator, Pilot & Co-pilot, Top Turret/Engineer, Radio Operator, Ball Turret Gunner, Left and Right Waist Gunners, and finally the Tail Gunner.

In this illustration we can see the positions of the crew forward of the bomb bay. The Bombardier sits in front of the nose to operate the bomb sight. In the G model he also operated the Bendix Chin Turret from the same position.

The Navigator is at his table. Pilot and Copilot sit side by side, pilot on the left seat, copilot in the right. Behind them is the Top Turret Operator/Engineer. In this illustration he is manning the turret.

The illustration below shows why the aircraft was named the Flying Fortress.

The Ball Turret and Tail Turret are two positions that people often have questions about. Some have referred to the Ball Turret as a suicide position but examination of the numbers show no higher casualty rate for this position than any other. While it is true that the Ball Turret "was exposed in a seeming precarious position" in reality the gunner was no more exposed than any other position in the aircraft. Aluminum and Plexiglas present little barrier to bullets or flak shrapnel.

The ball rotated in a fixed position unlike in the B-24 Liberator where the ball was lowered into position once in flight.

In the diagram above we see the yoke assembly that held the turret in position. In case of a belly landing, the ball could be dropped in an operation lasting between twenty or forty minutes depending on tools available. It was desirable to drop the ball turret to prevent unnecessary damage to the fuselage. Tall men did not apply for this position.

The Tail gunner knelt at his position and may have been the most isolated of the crew. Great care had to be taken to make sure oxygen flow was maintained while at altitude. Without any crew members close at hand to keep watch the Tail Gunner needed to be self sufficient. Oxygen deprivation was a serious problem and was the cause for many aircrew casualties.

The position provided powerful protection for the aircraft and enemy fighters were never quick to attack a group of B-17's from behind. The position also provided an excellent vantage point for viewing of the formation behind the aircraft.

All crew positions are shown here in this bail out graphic. The Bombardier and Navigator exit out the forward entrance door (also called the nose wheel hatch or navigator's hatch), the Pilot, Copilot, Top Turret, and Radio Operator exit out the bomb bay, the Ball Turret and both Waist Gunners exit out the main entrance door (or waist hatch) and the Tail Gunner exits out the emergency exit door.

Naturally this diagram was for an "ideal" situation and most combat situations were far from ideal.

> [Page 1] [2] [3]