turret gunner

Swiveling aircraft defender

A turret gunner is a crew member who operates a rotating gun mount on a military aircraft, ship, or armored vehicle.

The turret allows the gun to swivel and track targets across a wide arc.

In World War II bombers, turret gunners defended against fighter attacks from positions in the nose, tail, or belly of the aircraft: The ball turret gunner hung suspended beneath the B-17.

Related
  • bomberExplosive-delivery aircraft or saboteur
  • aircraftAirborne transportation vehicle
  • B-17Heavy American bomber
  • tailRear animal appendage
  • waistTorso's narrowest circumference

ball · machine gun · flak · enemy · fighter · cockpit · war · aerial · combat · combat mission · air war · crew · ammunition · tracers · fuselage · belly of the beast · cold · altitude

Categories
Opposites
crew role/function

turret gunnerpilot

One who steers aircraft

navigator · copilot · ground crew · captain · flight commander

combat exposure/vulnerability

turret gunnerstaff officer

Military planning and advisory position

armchair general · headquarters staff · non-combatant

agency/command

turret gunnercommanding officer

Military leader of unit

squadron commander · wing commander · general · brass · decision-maker

Family

turret, gunner, turrets, turreted, gunned, gunning

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Rated PG