What did bombardiers do?

What did bombardiers do?

A bombardier or bomb aimer is the crew member of a bomber aircraft responsible for the targeting of aerial bombs. Often stationed in the extreme front of the aircraft, on the way to the target and after releasing the bombs, he could also serve as the front gunner in aircraft that had a front turret.

What did the Army Air Corps do in ww2?

The Army Air Corps originated in the Second World War and is the aviation combat and reconnaissance arm of the British Army. Its members fly helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft and have served in most of the Army’s major campaigns.

Was a bombardier an officer?

Bombardier (Bdr) and lance bombardier (LBdr or L/Bdr) are used by the British Army in the Royal Artillery and Royal Horse Artillery. Originally, the Royal Artillery had corporals, but not lance corporals. Unlike a lance corporal, a bombardier held full non-commissioned rank and not an acting appointment.

What did the Norden bombsight do?

“What did the Norden Bombsight do? It allowed you to bomb only those things which you absolutely needed and wanted to bomb.” The Norden, essentially an analog calculator, could adjust for air density, wind drift, the bombers airspeed and groundspeed while controlling the bombers’ final run on the target.

What does the P stand for in ww2 planes?

P – Patrol. R – Reconnaissance S – Antisubmarine. T – Trainer. U – Utility.

What does b17 mean?

Acronym. Definition. B-17. Boeing Flying Fortress (US; WWII bomber)

What is the Army Air Corps main task?

As well as using firepower to support and protect troops on the ground, the Army Air Corps acts as an eye in the sky, collecting vital intelligence on enemy forces. AAC groundcrew and aircrew work together to fly, refuel and rearm their aircraft.

What happened to the Army Air Corps?

During World War II, although not an administrative echelon, the Air Corps (AC) remained as one of the combat arms of the Army until 1947, when it was legally abolished by legislation establishing the Department of the Air Force.

Did the bombardier fly the plane?

On most missions, the student’s corrections flowed from the bombsight to a pilot direction indicator on the instrument panel. On planes equipped with autopilot, signals went directly to the flight controls and the bombardier actually flew the aircraft on the bomb run.

Can you skip ranks in the military?

A battlefield promotion (or field promotion) is an advancement in military rank that occurs while deployed in combat. A standard field promotion is advancement from current rank to the next higher rank; a “jump-step” promotion allows the recipient to advance by two ranks.

Was the Norden bombsight any good?

The actual performance of the Norden in combat was good some of the time, but rarely great, and often terrible. Several studies revealed that as few as 5 percent of Eighth Air Force bombs fell within 1,000 feet of the target and the average error for 500-pound bombs dropped in Europe was a whopping 1,673 feet.

Why was the Norden bombsight so good?

During prewar testing the Norden demonstrated a circular error probable (CEP) of 75 feet (23 m), an astonishing performance for that period. This precision would enable direct attacks on ships, factories, and other point targets. Both the Navy and the USAAF saw it as a means to conduct successful high-altitude bombing.

What is a bombardier in WW2?

Bombardier (aircrew) In many planes, the bombardier took control of the airplane during the bombing run, using a bombsight such as the Norden bombsight which was connected to the autopilot of the plane. Often stationed in the extreme front of the aircraft, on the way to the target and after releasing the bombs,…

What does Bombarder stand for?

A bombardier or bomb aimer is the crew member of a bomber aircraft responsible for the targeting of aerial bombs. “Bomb aimer” was the preferred term in the military forces of the Commonwealth, while “bombardier” (from the French word for “bomb thrower” and similar in meaning to ” grenadier “) was…

What did a bombardier do after he graduated from training?

Upon graduation, a bombardier was transferred to an operational training unit to join a crew being trained for overseas duty. By war’s end, more than 45,000 bombardiers had been trained. Air Forces, if need be, with my life itself. secret Norden bombsight on the table.

What rank is a bombardier in the British Army?

Bombardier ( / ˌbɒmbəˈdɪər /) is a military rank that has existed since the 16th century in artillery regiments of various armies, such as in the British Army and the Royal Prussian Army. It is today equivalent to the rank of corporal in other branches.