Why the B-52 Bomber’s Tail Gun Was Removed

[lordvadar]

In 1958 when the B-52 was being introduced the main armament installed on fighter aircraft were cannons, machine guns and unguided rockets, which made the tail gun a valid counter. As fighter aircraft weapons evolved, the effective range of the B-52 tail gun became of no effect.

[Notlies-dflt]

Too bad it was removed, that’s one sick looking tail turret

[Elthenar]

They are leaving out a key detail. Those radar emissions from the tailgun got picked up by an American HARM anti-radiation missile, which hit the B52.

Once the B52 was repaired, it was renamed "In HARM's Way"

[BFVgnr]

Funny thing about that, in 2006, we were issued cans of .50 cal ammo marked 'B52 Bomber Use'. It was 4 rounds of API with one round of API-T.

[donaldnelson]

So just a few corrections... the B52D was the last B52 model to have a "Tail Gunner" a person actually sitting in the tail of the Aircraft manning a quad 50cal. Also NO B52 D models were flown in any Iraqi war, they were phased out of service in early 1991, in favor of the B52 G and H models.

[damagar]

The F4G was the wild weasel version, designed to go after enemy radar sites. The F4 was higher than the B52 and it picked up the radar signal.

[allengray]

Nice video. To bad it is completly wrong. The F4 was warned off several times by AWACS. The pilot failed to fallow AWAC directions so the gunner engaged. By the way I was a B-52 gunner during Desert Storm when this happened.

[chiefjim]

When I enlisted in the Air Force, they showed me a list of jobs. On of them was called airborne fire control systems operator. The recruiter said no, no, that’s B-52 tail gunner! No thanks lol

[robloxninja]

Bro locked onto the tail thinking it was a missile system, my brother in christ, he needed his eyes checked, aint no missile system ive ever seen😂

[paradigm-wxbn]

The first tail gun for the BUF was 4 .50 cals and then a 20mm Vulcan unit replaced it...the radar plus the vulcan could shoot it 's own shell casings!!!

[lancerevell]

In this current era of medium and long range missiles launched by interceptor planes, a tailgun is useless as tits on a fish. 😮

[VINNICENTE]

Imagine being the tail gunner when that phantom shot a missile at you

[PAPOOSELAKESURFER]

In Vietnam B-52 electronic warfare devices locked onto surface to air missiles launched at them and redirected the missiles precisely back to their launchers.

[Hopeless_and_Forlorn]

The problem of being the first one to light up becoming the first one shot down actually began in WWII. British night bombers over Germany were being devastated by German night fighters vectored to interception by controllers using ground-based radar. The Brits developed a tail warning radar for the bombers, installed it, and named it Monica. It may have been effective until the Germans developed an airborne receiver that the night fighters could use to ride the beam straight to the tail of the bomber. And the struggle between hunter and hunted continues today.

[mstevens]

It was removed because in an age of radar and missiles a tail gun is useless weight to carry around and a useless maintenance expense. As simple and unexciting as that.

[chrisharrelson]

The F4 locked on to the b52’s tail thinking it was an Iraqi missile system. LOL This video is freaking ridiculous

[Danstrous]

It was removed mostly because the turrets, especially those in the tail, had to fight against the plane going forward, so the bullet being shot had to lose the speed of the plane going forward first, and then gain speed again. In propeller-driven bombers this wasn't a huge issue, but in the jet age, this reduced the effectiveness of the turrets considerably, and since the jets were getting faster, the turrets would hardly make any difference

[edtrine]

I knew about the two Mig-21's shot down by B-52's over Vam never heard about the one over Iraq? So the 3 fighter jets shot down by a bomber?

[KumaBean]

This is one of those things that I’ve always wondered, but never bothered to ask, at least I know now, lol 🍻

[Cguillorypics]

How do you confused a plane with a radar/missile system?