Nose gunner

The nose gunner position on the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster (PA474)

A nose gunner or front gunner is a crewman on a military aircraft who operates a machine gun turret in the front, or "nose", of the airplane. This position was usually manned by someone who only operated the gun, however, the nose gunner could have a dual role (navigation, bombardier, etc.). Also, stationary guns could be mounted in the nose and controlled by the pilot or co-pilot. Manned nose guns were most common during World War II, employed by both Allied and Axis forces.

Examples

Interwar

• Boulton Paul Overstrand - 1933 - RAF's first aircraft with (powered) front turret

WWII examples

During World War II, many aircraft were equipped with guns for protection against other aircraft. Such guns was often fitted in a nose turret of the aircraft.

• The British Armstrong Whitworth Whitley (produced 1936 onwards), a medium bomber-type, which had a crew of five: the pilot, co-pilot, the wireless operator/navigator, the nose-gunner/bomb aimer and the tail gunner. The Whitley employed a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine gun in its nose.
• The Avro Lancaster nose turret was operated by the bomb aimer, whose position was directly below the turret.
• The American B-24 Liberator (G-1,H,J,M & PB4Y-1 & variants) (introduced in 1943), which carried a lead crew made up of five officers (pilot, co-pilot, dead reckoning navigator, pilotage navigator/nose gunner and bombardier). It also had five enlisted men (engineer/top turret gunner, radio operator/waist gunner, a second waist gunner, ball turret gunner and tail turret gunner). It had twin .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in the nose.
• The American B-17G Flying Fortress (introduced in 1943), which carried a lead crew made up of five officers (pilot, co-pilot, dead reckoning navigator, pilotage navigator/nose gunner and bombardier). It also had five enlisted men (engineer/top turret gunner, radio operator/waist gunner, a second waist gunner, ball turret gunner and tail turret gunner). It had a twin .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gun turret below the nose.
• The German Dornier Do 17 (introduced in 1937), a light bomber with a crew of four (pilot, bombardier/nose gunner, two gunners). It had a single 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 15.

See also

• Tail gunner

Notes and references