The Rear Gunner

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The Rear Gunner film title.

Short Movie (1943)

Starring:
Burgess Meredith (Pvt. L.A. Pee Wee Williams)
Ronald Reagan (Lt. Ames)
Tom Neal (Instructor Sergeant)
Dane Clark (Benny)
Jonathan Hale ( Commanding Officer)
Knox Manning (Narrator)

Documentary-style drama on training of aerial rear gunners in World War II. Private PeeWee Williams, a Kansas farm boy, transforms his home-grown shooting skills into those necessary to an aerial gunner in the tail turret of an American bomber.

Consolidated B-24D Liberator

805, Consolidated B-24D Liberator of USAAF.
Consolidated B-24D Liberator of USAAF.
Consolidated B-24D Liberator of USAAF.
Consolidated B-24D Liberator of USAAF.
771, another Consolidated B-24D Liberator of USAAF.

North American T-6 Texan

North American T-6 Texan of USAAF.
North American T-6 Texan of USAAF.
North American T-6 Texan of USAAF.
North American T-6 Texan of USAAF.
North American T-6 Texan of USAAF.

The Japanese Zero fighters are in fact North American T-6 Texan. Whichever does straffing has hinomaru painted.

North American T-6 acting as A6M Zero fighter.

Junkers Ju-87B Stuka

Gunner course includes recognition exercices. A big model of the Stuka is shown to students.

RGunner Ju-87.jpg

Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress

Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress of USAAF.

Boeing B-17C/D Flying Fortress

The final flypast is done with older Flying Fortresses. Despiste the poor quality of this screenshot, a careful study reveals the lack of rear turret and the smalest , more vertical tail.

Boeing B-17C/D Flying Fortress of USAAF.
Boeing B-17C/D Flying Fortress of USAAF.

The waist gunner post of the B-24 during the aerial combat is in fact those of B-17C / Fortress I.

Boeing B-17C/D Flying Fortress typical waist gunner station.

Lockheed Hudson I

Lockheed Hudson.

Same aircraft seen in other movies - IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Lockheed Hudson.

Please, note that the upper gunner of the Consolidated B-24 used in fact the rear turret of the Hudson.

Martin B-10

Twin engine airplane in the background.

AVION CA TRGUN.jpg

This one has the front turret dismounted.

RGunner B-10wt.jpg

Douglas B-18 Bolo

Behind B-24's, we can guess a B-18 Bolo.

The engine and landing gear specific to the Douglas B-18 Bolo.

In the distance, the tail is not this of a C-47 (it lacks the spin in front of it). This tail looking alike this of the Douglas DC-2 is the one of the Douglas B-18 Bolo (wearing probably the code 7373).

RGunner B-18 tail.jpg

North American T-6 Harvard

Fake Nakajima B5N, as usual in these films. Probably based upon a AT-6B (or D variant).

AVION DA TRGUN.jpg
AVION DB TRGUN.jpg


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