World War II Database

1.  Bill says:
9 Jun 2012 05:23:24 PM

WHAT THE WELL DRESSED SBD GUNNER WORE:

LOOKS LIKE HE'S BEEN ISSUED A LEATHER FLYING HELMET W/CHIN STRAP, B-7 GOGGLES, LEATHER FLYING JACKET W/GLOVES.

THE YELLOW LIFE JACKET:

DURING WWII CREWS WERE ISSUED THE TYPE A-4 OR B-4 LIFE JACKET.
GIs WERE QUICK TO NAME THIS EQUIPMENT KNOWN AS THE "MAE WEST", NAMED IN HONOR OF THE 1930s AND 1940s BROADWAY AND MOVIE ACTRESS MAE WEST, WHEN THE LIFE JACKET INFLATED IT REMINDED GIs OF HER CURVACEOUS TORSO.

FAMOUS FOR HER ONE-LINER IT HAS OFTEN BEEN MISQUOTED AS "WHY DON'T YOU COME ON UP AND SEE ME SOMETIME"
WHAT SHE REALLY SAID IS "COME UP SOMETIME AND SEE ME" AS QUOTED IN THE 1933 FILM "SHE DONE HIM WRONG" ALSO STRRING CARY GRANT.

THE FIRST SBD GUNNERS HAD A SINGLE BROWNING M2AN,.30 CAL.7.62MM MACHINE GUN IN THE REAR COCKPIT WITH 600 ROUNDS OF AMMO.
PHOTO SHOWS BOLT-ON ARMOR PLATE W/IRON BEAD SIGHT, WITH TWIN-MOUNTED .30 CALIBER MGs.

ADDED FIREPOWER:

DURING THE SBDs PRODCTION RUN, TWIN .30 CAL. MACHINE GUNS WERE LATER INSTALLED W/ARMOR PLATE WEAPONS WERE BELT FED.
FACTORY INSTALLED WEAPONS PACK WITH TWIN .30 CAL. MACHINE GUNS WERE FED FROM LEFT AND RIGHT, AMMO WAS FED FROM DRUM MAGAZINES WITH 1000 RPG.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK TO THE M1919.30
CALIBER MG(SMALL ARMS)HERE AT WW2DB

2.  David Stubblebine says:
10 Apr 2020 01:30:04 PM

Note the ammunition loading with a variety of types in sequence as indicated by the bullets’ colored tips, red (tracer), black (armor piercing), light-blue (incendiary), and plain (jacketed lead, ball).