sigp220.45
US Veteran
I’m reading The Guns of John Moses Browning by Nathan Gorenstein. Its pretty good - he’s not a super-technical gun guy, but he does a good job of getting across the brilliance of JMB.
Late in the book there is an account of Big Ben Warmer, a waist gunner on a B-17, who claimed he shot down SEVEN German fighters during a bombing raid in Sicily.
This was, of course, met with considerable suspicion once back at the base. One? Maybe. Seven? No way.
A thorough investigation was launched, crews were grilled, and when it all shook out they determined he shot down 7 German fighters with his M-2 Browning.
Big Ben was 6’6”, 225, and a law school graduate who turned down a commission so he could “see some action”. He could sure swing that .50 around. He used 1200 rounds to get his 7 kills. He got a Distinguished Flying Cross.
Late in the book there is an account of Big Ben Warmer, a waist gunner on a B-17, who claimed he shot down SEVEN German fighters during a bombing raid in Sicily.
This was, of course, met with considerable suspicion once back at the base. One? Maybe. Seven? No way.
A thorough investigation was launched, crews were grilled, and when it all shook out they determined he shot down 7 German fighters with his M-2 Browning.
Big Ben was 6’6”, 225, and a law school graduate who turned down a commission so he could “see some action”. He could sure swing that .50 around. He used 1200 rounds to get his 7 kills. He got a Distinguished Flying Cross.
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