The crew of the Star Duster was made of eleven men who came for all over the United States. What was unique about this crew was that they completed their tour of duty together without anyone being killed or seriously wounded. This was quite an accomplishment given that they began their tour flying with the 73rd Bomb Wing in its early days of operations against Japan when it was flying missions alone and without fighter support. The odds against this happening were quite high. Most crews lost at least one man when their plane was hit by enemy fire or didn't make it home at all. The members of the crew in the picture above are:
Standing in the back row, left to right
- 1st Lt. Irwin S. Moskowitz - Bombardier - New York
- Capt. Wilfred N. Lind - Pilot - Minnesota
- 1st Lt. Alvin R. Goebel - Co-Pilot - New York
- 1st Lt. Edward R. Marsh - Navigator - Illinois
Kneeling in the middle row, left to right
- T/Sgt. Maurice E. Hanks - Central Fire Control (Top Gunner) - Illinois
- S/Sgt. Robert J. Stangland - Left Gunner - Illinois
- S/Sgt. Joe C. Swann - Right Gunner - Tennessee
- S/Sgt. Achilles Stathas - Tail Gunner - Wisconsin
Sitting in the front row, left to right
- S/Sgt. Charles J. Kenney - Radio Operator - Pennsylvania
- M/Sgt. James F. Zornes - Flight Engineer - Texas
- S/Sgt. Richard T. Harman - Radar Operator - Maryland
By the end of thrir tour these men had been awarded the Good Conduct medal, the Asiatic-Pacipic Campaign medal, the Air Medal, and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Responsibilities
It took a lot of people to fly a B-29. The people in command and intelligence planned the missions to be flown. The meteorologists also had a hand in planning missions. And the ground crew kept the plane airworthy. But when it was time to fly a mission it took the eleven man flight crew to get a B-29 in the air and keep it there for the trip to the target and back to base.
Pilot or Aircraft Commander
This position was filled by Capt. Lind. The aircraft commander was solely responsible for the B-29, its mission, and its crew. His duties went beyond simply flying the plane to include everything from the pre-flight inspection to the post-flight reports.
Co-pilot
1st Lt. Goebel filled this position. The co-pilot assisted the pilot in flying the plane. Some of the flight controls and instrumentation (e.g. flaps, landing gear, gun turret stowage indicators) were found only on the co-pilot's instrument panel. The co-pilot was second in command and would assume the duties of the aircraft commander in the event the pilot became incapacitated.
Bombardier
1st Lt. Irwin Moskowitz flew in the bambardier's seat on the Star Duster's crew. The bombardier was primarily responsible for dropping the bombs on the target. His seat was the most forward in the plane, right in the nose, where he could have a clear view for sighting the target through his bomb sight. If the bombs needed arming before reaching the target the bombardier entered the bomb bays (with oxygen in necessary) to perform this task. Also, if any bombs failed to release after the bombs had been dropped the bombardier had to enter the bomb bays and manually release them with a screwdriver.
When the bombardier was not busy with his bombing duties he acted as the nose gunner controlling both the upper and lower forward turrets.
Navigator
The navigator, performed by 1st Lt. Marsh, sat on the left side of the plane behind the pilot. It was his job to keep up with the current position of the plane at all times. He did this through dead reckoning (keeping track of the aircraft's speed and direction and any changes in course) and making observations of landmarks, celestial objects, and radio beacons. The navigator would also be called upon to calculate a new course if there were deviations to the flight plan as well as give travel time estimates. He was one of two crew members (the other being the flight engineer) that could not take a nap at any time during the mission.
Flight Engineer
M/Sgt. Zornes was the flight engineer for the Star Duster. He sat directly behind the co-pilot facing aft. His job was to maintain the engines while in flight. His station was one big instrument panel where he monitored everything about the engines including temperature, oil pressure, speed, manifold pressure, fuel mixture, etc. He also kept a close eye on fuel consumption.
The flight engineer started the engines and gave the pilot full power when it was needed. In flight he did everything necessary to conserve fuel. In the event of an engine failure he was responsible for feathering the propeller so it wouldn't windmill and create extra drag as well as using the fire extinguisher in the engine nacelle to put out an engine fire. He also had a tool kit on board to fix any problem that might arise that he could get to.
Radio Operator
The radio operator, a job filled by S/Sgt. Kenney aboard the Star Duster, sat behind the flight engineer with all the radio equipment. He operated the radio so the pilot wouldn't have to, changing frequencies to ship to ship and ship to air traffic control communications as needed. He constantly monitored the airwaves for command instructions and distress calls. He could also give the navigator the bearing to a radio signal for navigation.
The radio operator was also responsible for any electronic countermeasures that would jam enemy radio communications and radar.
Central Fire Control (Top Gunner)
On the Star Duster's crew T/Sgt. Hanks was the CFC. He sat in the aft compartment on a tall "barber chair" that would swivel 360° and looked out a small blister window in the top of the fuselage. His gunsight operated the top, aft gun turret located just behind his position, and when the bombardier was busy on the bomb run he had control of the top, forward turret as well. The CFC was also responsible for the central fire control system which aimed the remotely controlled gun turrets.
Left and Right Gunners
The let and right gunners sat on either side of the CFC facing aft. These positions were manned by S/Sgt. Stangland (left) and S/Sgt. Swann (right)1. Their gunsights were mounted in large blister windows in the side of the fuselage, just behind the wings. They shared control of the lower, aft turret. The CFC had to select which gunner had control of the turret. And then the bombardier was busy the lower, forward gun turret was aimed with the lower aft turret by the side gunner who happened to be using the guns at the time.
The left and right gunners, as well as the CFC, pulled double-duty as scanners too. It was their job to keep an eye out the window at all times. They had the best vantage point to see when something on the plane was damaged. They also informed the pilot of other aircraft in their immediate vicinity to avoid collisions as there was no radar for this purpose. They also kept watch for ditched B-29s so the downed airmen would be rescued.
Radar Operator
S/Sgt. Hanks, the radar operator, sat in a small compartment behind the gunners and operated the radar equipment. Radar was a new invention, and on a B-29 only looked down and gave a crude picture of the ground. The radar operator aided the navigator in sighting landmarks as they came into view on his scope. He was also called upon to help the bombardier find the target in "undercast" cloud conditions.
Tail Gunner
S/Sgt. Stathas was the tail gunner for the Star Duster. When performing his gunner's duties he sat in the very tail end of the plane. His compartment was pressurized, but he had to go through an unpressurized section of the plane to get there. He could only move back and forth when the plane was flying below 10,000 feet or if the plane were depressurized and the crew using oxygen. In the latter case the crew could use portable oxygen tanks to move about the plane when it was depressurized.
Should the tail gunner become incapacitated his gun turret could be operated remotely by the left or right gunner.
The tail gunner was also responsible for operating the auxiliary generator or "Putt Putt" during take off and landing.
