Richard L. Greiner Ball Turret Gunner

Richard L. Greiner served as a ball turret gunner on a B-17 during WWII. He flew missions out of Foggia, Italy with the 15th Air Force. On one mission to bomb German oil refineries at Brux, Czechoslovakia, his B-17 was hit by flak. The crew decided to try flying behind Russian lines instead of back to base in Italy. They were intercepted by Russian fighters and eventually located a Russian air field. The Russians helped them find parts from a downed B-17 to repair their plane. After 23 days at the Russian air field, they flew back to Foggia.
Greiner told me this story as if it happened last week, as we sat under the wing of a B-17 (named "Aluminum Overcast") that was visiting Wheeler Airport near downtown Kansas City, Mo.

There is not much room inside the ball turret.

A drawing shows how the gunner is horizontal in the ball turret.

The ball turret's two .50 caliber guns.

The ball turret hangs inside the plane.

Richard Greiner shows one of the .50 caliber rounds.

The Aluminum Overcast at Wheeler Field 7/18/10.

To see more of my photos of the B-17 (Aluminum Overcast) go to my smugmug gallery.