[Milsurplus] B-17 radio hour

[Unserviceable but Repairable]

 Spent 1 hr w. Bill Johnson today.  Bill's a antique radio hobbiest w. 
 a sharp memory & is in great physical shape.  A member
 of the Commerative AF.

 We went to visit a pal that's been overtaken by bad health & I luckily
 had that in-car time with the man.  Here's my conversation re-cap that
 he reviewed & found OK

 = = = = = = = = = =

 Bill was a radioman/gunner on a B17 flying in combat 2,3,4/45 over Europe.
 Radioman when req'd, waist gunner when in trouble.  And speaking of -
 once fired @ a ME163(?) rocket plane as it blew thru @ 3000 yd.s

 Trained at Sioux Falls, SD.  Half was CW, half was repair/theory.
 SCRs 287, 522, 274N, 269 (BC 422, etc. ADF).  He noted '522 was British
 & built, he thot, by Bendix in US. 

 A note on Bill's B17 is that it had flown 54 missions when his crew
 took it up.  Plane was faultless & never missed an assignment.  They
 flew her another 27 missions before war's end.
 
 Bill credits great success to Crew Chief who still survives out in upper
 midwest.  Chief was very meticulous & every reported glitch got fixed
 overnight

 Several trips to Berlin, one to Penemunde, one to Czechoslovakia, etc.

 Was stationed at Thorpe-Abbots between Ipswich & Norwich in a
 squadron of B17s.  60 planes.  Ex RAF base w. 4200' paved strip.
 One of many squadron bases in the 3 bomber div'ns in England - 2 of
 B17s, one of B-24s.  Note B17s flew out'n back @ 150mph for best fuel
 use.  B24s mushy @ 150 & were phased out because of this & not
 as tough as B-17.

 Div'n stn. call was 1TL on 3815.  Ran low power 'til after take-off.  
 Then they dropped the hammer & cud be heard loudly all over Europe.  
 Tone modulation in Bill's words (MCW - see below on scr183).

 He notes that in combat only the lead B17 talked to base & division on
 it's '375 using CW.  Range good to 1000 mi.  All B17s so-equipped but 
 only lead dog talked.

 Speaking of, same plane had ball turret replaced by radome & radar
 operator sat across fm him.  Bill tried looking several times but got
 top secret shove-away  (60 yr.s later Bill'd still like to punch
 him out)

 Pardon digression.  Interplane & base to 500mi was on a '522.  Extreme 
 '522 range was due to "relay planes" flying at high altitude between 
 formation & base.

 My note.  "Relays" never called repeaters & note Mr. Pythagoras 
 sez line of sight to plane @ 25000 ft is 200 miles.  Twice that
 for a 'relay.'  500mi '522/relay range not a bad recollection 
 after 60 yrs!

 274Ns seldom used but always tuned up.  They shared the same sloper to
 top of rudder w. '375.  Knife-switch used to connect "system 274N" or the
 '375/'348 to that antenna  (gessed that & it was confirmed)

 Equipment was faultless except for 1-tube interfone amp which failed
 at hi altitude... dammit I had a BC-347 in car & forgot to surprise him!

 Bill mustered back during Korea & served in MN.  One day a BT-13 came in
 w. SCR-183 trouble!  Only time he saw one & it's 'coffee grinder' tuner

 My note.  Told Bill '183 used AM or MCW.  MCW like 1TL & told
 him this chosen so rx simple (trf) & open-cockpit pilots didn't have 
 tweaky tuning @ altitude while wearing mittens!

 At WW2's end, they dropped food in Holland from 200' & just faster than
 stall speed (110mph?)  Anti-acft batteries still had uniformed German
 crews standing nearby.  They dint touch AA because word was they'd be
 tried as war criminals.

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