# Has a B-29 or B-52 ever shot down enemy fighters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 24, 2005, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616 "2005-10-24T03:52:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616/41 "2005-11-07T07:06:25Z")
FYI, here is a picture of the casing from the first 75 mm ever fired from a B-25. My Father pulled the lanyard on it while he was part of the civilian acceptance crews working out of the modification centers in Tulsa. He had many stories of some of the strange rides they had performing this service for the ARMY. [http://members.aol.com/gusnspot/75mm.jpg](http://members.aol.com/gusnspot/75mm.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616/42 "2005-11-07T10:26:25Z")
> [@slaphead](#): > > That’s kinda :eek: . I was impressed with the Mosquito variant that had a 6-pounder anti-tank gun in the nose, but that’s only 57mm. “Only”, heh. The 6-pounder was a pretty good can-opener for its size, and I read somewhere that the Mosquito XVIII (a.k.a. _Tsetse_) was responsible for U-boats being ordered to stay at periscope depth when in the English Channel, as a gun that size could make really nasty holes in one. I saw a rendition of the Mosquito XVIII at a model show earlier this year, tho’ unfortunately it wasn’t flying. (Whereas I’ve seen Tony Nijhuis’s electric Lancaster not only flying but dropping a bouncing bomb.) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616/43 "2005-11-07T14:48:52Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > The Army Air Force was the branch, while an Air Force would be a subdivision of that branch. I stand corrected. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616/44 "2005-11-07T17:04:11Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > 8th Air Force flew from England, 12th and 15th flew out of Northern Africa and Italy, 5th Air Force in the Pacific. There were other Air Forces, I’m sure, but I can’t think of what any of them were. To fill out the list: 7th AF–Pacific Ocean Area (POA) 9th AF–Europe 10th AF–India-Burma 11th AF–Alaska 13th AF–South Pacific Area (SOPAC) My dad flew an A-20 with the 417th BG(L) in the SWPA during 1944-45, so maybe he shared air space with your dad, **carnivorousplant** , at some spot in New Guinea or the Philippines. Do you know if he was at the Clark Field raid of January 7, 1945? Seems like every A-20 and B-25 in the area was rounded up for that one. ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616/45 "2005-11-07T17:05:49Z")
Oops… and 14th AF–China, of course ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616/46 "2005-11-08T00:46:27Z")
> [@UncaStuart](#): > > Do you know if he was at the Clark Field raid of January 7, 1945? He was returned stateside in 1944 shortly after the death of his brother in flight training. The old other aibase he mentioned had B-26’s. The Japanese could see the shiny aircraft and bombed Father’s airbase going after them. He hated those guys. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616/47 "2005-11-08T06:51:04Z")
> [@Number](#): > > If the pilot’s good, I mean if he’s reeeally sharp, he can barrel that thing in so low, oh it’s a sight to see. You wouldn’t expect it with a big ol’ plane like a '52, but varrrooom! The jet exhaust… frying chickens in the barnyard! Way back as a teenager in the 1960s, I vividly recall devouring the book **Ploesti** by James Dugan and Carroll Stewart about the bombing campaign centered on the Romanian oilfield. I’m quoting from fallible memory, but the line that impressed me the most was something like “The bombers returned with cornstalks in the bomb bay doors and something that looked suspiciously like grass.” Now **that’s** low-level flying. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616/48 "2005-11-08T08:58:34Z")
I was trying to find the old books on WW2 airforces my grandfather left me. I had one on Lancasters and another on B-29s. The crew of the B-29s seemed to have a field day with Japanese aircraft due to the computerised gunnery system and there were stories of low level raids on airfields using only the turret weaponry to damage parked Japanese planes. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616/49 "2005-11-08T10:36:31Z")
> [@Hometownboy](#): > > Way back as a teenager in the 1960s, I vividly recall devouring the book **Ploesti** by James Dugan and Carroll Stewart about the bombing campaign centered on the Romanian oilfield. I’m quoting from fallible memory, but the line that impressed me the most was something like “The bombers returned with cornstalks in the bomb bay doors and something that looked suspiciously like grass.” > > Now **that’s** low-level flying. Wasn’t that the raid that turned into a bit of a horror due to an awkwardly parked flak train, or am I thinking of some other incident? > [@Malacandra](#): > > “Only”, heh. The 6-pounder was a pretty good can-opener for its size, and I read somewhere that the Mosquito XVIII (a.k.a. Tsetse) was responsible for U-boats being ordered to stay at periscope depth when in the English Channel, as a gun that size could make really nasty holes in one. Possibly, but wouldn’t surprise me if it was more to do with swarms of aggressive aircraft dropping and shooting every kind of ordnance imagineable. I think there were only a limited number of Mark 18s built, because it was felt that rockets and depth charges were more useful. Given a choice between being jumped by a Mk 18 mosquito, a Typhoon 1B or a Beaufighter (4 20mm cannon and 6 .303 MGs + rockets:eek: ), I think the Mosquito would probably be less dangerous. Still wouldn’t want somebody shooting an autoloading 6-pounder at me though. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616/50 "2005-11-08T13:21:41Z")
> [@slaphead](#): > > Possibly, but wouldn’t surprise me if it was more to do with swarms of aggressive aircraft dropping and shooting every kind of ordnance imagineable. I think there were only a limited number of Mark 18s built, because it was felt that rockets and depth charges were more useful. Given a choice between being jumped by a Mk 18 mosquito, a Typhoon 1B or a Beaufighter (4 20mm cannon and 6 .303 MGs + rockets:eek: ), I think the Mosquito would probably be less dangerous. > Still wouldn’t want somebody shooting an autoloading 6-pounder at me though. Yes, the “Magnificent Molins” was a nice piece of work and it wouldn’t take many hits to really ruin your day. Agreed about the Beau though, they had so much firepower it wasn’t funny; of course some marks of the Mossie had four .303s and four 20mms and I _think_ could also tote a rack of rockets (I don’t think the cannon were deleted on the rocket-firing marks, but I’m not sure without looking it up). Also remember a little story about a tank-busting Hurricane happening on a fleeing bomber and not being able to keep up, so it had a speculative pop with the twin 40mms and scored a lucky hit. One lucky hit was quite enough. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616/51 "2005-11-08T13:30:27Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > some marks of the Mossie had four .303s and four 20mms and I _think_ could also tote a rack of rockets (I don’t think the cannon were deleted on the rocket-firing marks, but I’m not sure without looking it up) My Airfix model has 4 cannon in the nose and rockets on the wings if that’s any help 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616/52 "2005-11-08T13:44:21Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > My Airfix model has 4 cannon in the nose and rockets on the wings if that’s any help 😉 Depends which parts you chose to stick on. My Airfix Beau had both the rockets and the torpedo, just 'cos I hated to throw them away. But the sticky-out guns on a Mosquito are the .303s. The cannon were recessed (in contrast to the Westland Whirlwind, one of my pet planes for no objectively good reason). ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616/53 "2005-11-08T14:47:44Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Depends which parts you chose to stick on. My Airfix Beau had both the rockets and the torpedo, just 'cos I hated to throw them away. I have a Spitfire with large cannon slung under the wing because the undercarriage were broken off in a house move ages ago 😉 > [@Malacandra](#): > > But the sticky-out guns on a Mosquito are the .303s. The cannon were recessed That’ll be my model then, sticky out guns and rockets. > [@Malacandra](#): > > (in contrast to the Westland Whirlwind, one of my pet planes for no objectively good reason). I like the looks of it too, just sort of looks like a big coupe with wings 😛 ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616/54 "2005-11-08T16:37:26Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > I like the looks of it too, just sort of looks like a big coupe with wings 😛 That’s one of the coolest-looking planes ever. Had a sort of twin-engined spitfire vibe. > [@Malacandra](#): > > of course some marks of the Mossie had four .303s and four 20mms and I _think_ could also tote a rack of rockets (I don’t think the cannon were deleted on the rocket-firing marks, but I’m not sure without looking it up). I was bored. The [Mark VI](http://www.faqs.org/docs/air/avmoss1.html#m7) appears to have had 4 x .303, 4 x 20mm, an internal bomb bay for 2 x 225kg bombs, and racks for 8 x 60lb rockets, and still did 360 mph. I dunno if they loaded with bombs and rockets simultaneously, but that’s a plane with some attitude. And incidentally was the basis of its Mohlin-toting brother. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616/55 "2005-11-09T16:10:47Z")
> [@slaphead](#): > > That’s one of the coolest-looking planes ever. Had a sort of twin-engined spitfire vibe. Yes. A bit like an Italian motorbike, it was lovely when it went, but something less than a thing of beauty engineering-wise, mainly with the Peregrine engines (and it was carefully designed to fit around them; too bad they didn’t work out). Four nose-mounted 20mm cannon was serious firepower for 1938 although the ammo load was small and the plane didn’t have fantastic range either. In the end it wasn’t worth debugging as it couldn’t do anything a Typhoon or Mossie (as the case might be) couldn’t do at a better bang/buck ratio. I still love the look of it, have a downloaded file for Microsoft Combat Flight Sim that I like loading up (the rudder is miserably inadequate for taxiing, for some reason, and it “Dutch rolls” to death when it’s bombed-up), and am thoroughly saddened that there isn’t a single instance of the Whirlwind left in the world. ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-b-29-or-b-52-ever-shot-down-enemy-fighters/327616.md?page=2)