The Tale of the B-52 Tail Gunner
Originally specified in 1946 and designed through the late forties, first flying in 1952, the B-52 was a product of its times. WWII had just been won. The B-52 was designed to have long legs, able to reach Soviet locations deep in enemy territory. Since fighters usually didn’t have the same range, and aerial refueling was in its infancy, the B-52 was designed with something that no bombers since have had, a tail gunner.
Not removed from the B-52 fleet until 1991, after serving through the Gulf War, there was an enlisted man manning the gun on every mission. Notably, these were the only enlisted crew aboard the aircraft. Though the position, seated at the tail (until later models moved the gunner up to the flight deck), was remote, cramped, and prone to a bumpy ride (they say every foot the cockpit moved the tail moved six), the view was unparalleled.
Coming into service too late for action in Korea, and flying into largely uncontested airspace over Iraq, this leaves the B-52 tail gunners’ combat experiences confined to Vietnam. We don’t generally think of Vietnam as being a conflict in which bombers defended themselves with machine guns. When we think of a bomber’s gunner being engaged in war, we’re picturing a B-17, B-24, or B-25 in WWII fending off the Luftwaffe or a B-29 fighting against the Japanese or North Koreans. However, the men over Vietnam were engaged by enemy fighters shooting at them with their own machine guns and cannons, just like their predecessors, though with less frequency.
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| B-52D |
Though serving throughout the southwest Asian war, B-52’s and their gunners were most engaged by the enemy during Operation Linebacker II, Nixon’s “Christmas Bombing” campaign. Over 11 days starting on the 18th of December, 1972 the bombers flew 729 sorties dropping 15,000 tons of bombs (that’s roughly equivalent to the Hiroshima bomb). Fifteen BUFFs had been lost to surface-to-air missiles.
Somewhere over North Vietnam, it was 18 December, 1972, Staff Sergeant Samuel O. Turner was in his post at the tail of a B-52D, callsign Brown 3. He was manning the fire control radar, with which he could lock onto and track enemy aircraft. During the mission, he saw a MiG-21 Fishbed coming at them from low and behind. Fishbeds were a Mach 2+ capable interceptor designed from the start to counter these American bombers. The fighters had already logged kills against dozens of American aircraft.
Recognizing the threat of the MiG, SSgt Turner prepared himself. He saw the MiG-21 wasn’t alone, following him at a distance was another MiG-21.
The lead MiG swung in for an attack. As the quick little fighter came up and readied his sight picture on the lumbering bomber, Turner opened fire with his four Browning .50 cal machine guns. Each capable of firing 1,200 rounds a minute. In a six to eight second burst he shot nearly 700 rounds. There was a huge explosion behind his plane. When the cloud cleared, the enemy MiG was nowhere to be found. A Master Sergeant in Brown 2, a plane on Turner’s wing, saw and confirmed the kill.
The second MiG, probably unable to see the steely eyed stare of the young Staff Sergeant, decided not to follow his partner into the hereafter and peeled off.
Turner was awarded the Silver Star for his actions in the first confirmed downing by a bomber’s gunner since Korea. He’d turned the BUFF into a MiG-killer.
He left the service in 1982 as a Master Sergeant, having also received the Distinguished Flying Cross and several Air Medals. He died in 1985 at the young age of 42. His B-52D, serial 56-676 was the last B-52D in service. It was retired to display at Fairchild AFB in Washington state where it remains today.
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| B-52D Tail Gun |
Before coming over their target, Moore saw on his scopes a bogey. Coming in at their 6:30 low, it held at 4,000 yards and then swung in for the kill. Holding his fire, Moore waited until the enemy plane came to 2,000 yards distance. Opening up on the enemy, he fired until the plane bloomed to three times its size on his radar when it was only about 1,200 yards away.
His kill was confirmed by a crewman from an aircraft in his wing. This was the last enemy aircraft to be downed by a bomber’s aerial gunner. Though the Russian Tu-95 Bears still have tail gunners, the odds are that Moore’s “kill” will be the last.
Moore rose to the rank of buck Sergeant before leaving the Air Force. He died in 2009 at the age of 55. His aircraft, Diamond Lil, was retired after 15,000 flight hours and flying more than 200 missions during Vietnam. The aircraft was retired to gate guard duty at the Air Force Academy shortly after leaving service in 1983.
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