In 1927, after six years of work, they produced their first successful bombsight. Entwistle, assistant research chief at the Bureau of Ordnance. Barth, on an improved sight, in cooperation with Captain Frederick I. Two years later he began collaborating with another engineer, Theodore H. Norden, a consulting engineer, to study the problems surrounding precision bombing. In 1921 the NavyвЂ™s Bureau of Ordnance assigned Carl L. Many factors contribute to accurate bombing, including optical and mechanical principles direction, movement and speed of the airplane aerodynamics of the bombs weather conditions and enemy action.ДЇrom the early 1920s until 1929, the Navy used a bombsight known as the Mark III Pilot Directing Sight, and the Army Air Service (from 1926, the Army Air Corps) employed a similar model. Navy began testing them in 1918, along with prototypes developed in America.Д«ombs fall in a curved path from 20,000 feet, for example, they must be released approximately 2ВЅ miles from the target. Both the Germans and Allies developed rudimentary bombsights, and the U.S. That much was clear early in World War I, when small bombs dropped over the side of an airplane seldom scored a hit. The success of any bombing mission depends on accurate targeting. Get that SOB Remmell!вЂ¦now flak, closerвЂ¦ start evasive action, GeorgeвЂ¦here he comes, top turretвЂ¦cвЂ™mon, Remmell, hit him!вЂ¦nice shootingвЂ¦think you got him!ДЄpproaching IP, Give me a level, GeorgeвЂ¦start the camera, BeezyвЂ¦ hold that levelвЂ¦watch the air speedвЂ¦bomb bay doors openвЂ¦steady, steady, just a little longer now, level dammit, levelвЂ¦hold вЂ™er levelвЂ¦level!вЂ¦steady!вЂ¦bombs away!вЂ¦LetвЂ™s get the hell outa here!ДЇlak on the other side nowвЂ¦there goes a Fort out of formation aheadвЂ¦bomb bay doors closedвЂ¦camera off, BeezyвЂ¦boy, the eggs were right in there, gang, swell bombingвЂ¦look at the smoke down thereвЂ¦ wotta mess! Target aheadвЂ¦вЂ™bout 15 degrees leftвЂ¦ maybe six milesвЂ¦watch that formation, GeorgeвЂ¦stay in there tight and when I call for a level, thatвЂ™s what I mean, quickвЂ¦watch toward the sun for fightersвЂ¦lead group is going in nowвЂ¦Top turret! Fighter at 11 oвЂ™clock our levelвЂ¦they look like Fw-190sвЂ¦.

As the bomber approached its target, Abb called out instructions over the intercom to the pilot, identified in the Flying article only as George, and crew members: Abb, sitting in a chair facing the Plexiglas nose bubble, crouched over the Norden M-7 bombsight to make final adjustments. On board the B-17F Pretty Baby, bombardier 1st Lt. As later chronicled in the October 1943 issue of Flying magazine, the destruction of that one plant in the raid would delay German war production for months. Flying in a box formation as they made their way through scattered flak and fighter cover over Belgium, they approached their target, the Schiess Defries Machine Tool Works at DГјsseldorf, in good weather. The B-17s formed up over their base in England, and while crossing the Channel the bombardiers armed the bombs. This same procedure would be repeated at each bomber in the group as the crews prepared for another mission to Germany. The bombardier installed the device in his Flying FortressвЂ™ nose, but was under orders not to remove the cover until his plane was airborne. The special delivery was the famed Norden bombsight, considered the best in the world by the Allies, and always kept under tight security. Bombardiers took an oath to guard the Norden bombsight with their lives to ensure it didnвЂ™t fall into enemy hands, but the secret was already out.ДЄ jeep carrying an ordnance technician, escorted by two armed guards, arrived at the B-17 to deliver a вЂњsecret weaponвЂќ to its bombardier in December 1942.

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