The gunners left the briefing and went first to the flight clothing/parachute loft. They dressed for the mission which would almost always involve extremely subzero temperatures down to 63-65 degrees below zero. Ball-turret and Tail-gunners were also subjected to an added wind-chill factor from being in an almost constant blast of super-cold air pouring through the fuselage. The waist gunner suffered this blast but to a somewhat lesser degree. Dressing for flight was not a matter of comfort, but a matter of SURVIVAL. One of the constant causes of casualties in the air was frostbite. Many aircrewmen lost fingers, toes, and parts of ears to this menace, which the enemy did not have to exploit. It was already there.

First item of dress was a set of long woolen underwear, followed by a pair of calf-length heavy wool socks. Next came regulation wool OD trousers and shirt, followed by donning heated-suit trousers and heated-suit jacket which were plugged together as to be electrically one unit. Felt heated shoes went over the wool socks, and were snapped electrically to tabs at the ankles of the heated trousers. One donned a set of silk gloves over the hands. This was necessary in case repair of the guns at extreme temperatures was called for. In effect, they kept your skin from adhering to the super-cold guns. More than one gunner has, in a panic, taken off the silk gloves and left patches of live skin on the metal of the guns. Over the silk gloves went the electrically heated gloves which were electrically connected by snapping tabs at the wrists of the heated-suit jacket. Over these garments went a fairly light cotton flight suit, to be topped off by heavy, Alpaca lined flying trousers and jacket (B-10) with a black fur collar. Some of the tail gunners opted for a fur-lined parka with hood instead of the B-10. Add a pair of fleece-lined flying boots over the heated boots and you were about ready to go. Don't forget your helmet, goggles, and parachute harness and chest pack. You now feel like an overstuffed bear. But don't be hasty, exertion brings on sweat, and you want as little of that as possible where you are going...

Then to the armament shack. This is where the inner workings of the guns are stored. The receivers remain in the aircraft at all times. The workings are kept in the armaments shack until a mission is on. They are clean, but heavily soaked with gun oil (AXS-777, if I remember correctly). Each machine gun has to be "detail stripped" which means separating into its component parts and wiping all parts thoroughly free of gun oil. This has to be done meticulously, as any excess oil will coagulate and freeze at low temperatures of high altitude, causing a stoppage. All component parts have to be dry to the touch, except for a very thin film of oil over the running surfaces. VERY thin. The bores of the barrel are run through with rods and gun patches to clear them of oil.

Each gun must then have its "headspace" adjusted. Properly adjusted headspace allows the gun to go into "battery". When a gun is in battery, it is perfectly adjusted for firing. It is a case of not too much and not too little but just exactly right. The most accurate adjustment is had when the breach block drops into battery after delicately turning the barrel. The guns are then ready for installation in the aircraft. They are carefully put into cotton bags for the trip to the aircraft.

Armament trucks have racks to carry sets of guns to the planes. The crew's gunners put their guns aboard and call out their hardstand number. Upon arrival, the gunners start installing the guns. The tail-gunner and ball-turret gunner place their guns into the receivers in their respective gun positions. Ralph, the waist-gunner, who is an armorer ( a specialist in guns and gun-turrets) sets up his guns in the waist, then proceeds to the chin and cheek positions to install the guns for the navigator and bombardiers positions. At this time they are still at their respective briefings. The top-turret gunner (Rocky, the engineer) puts in his own guns. It was traditional that each gunner put in his own guns. The responsibility for their operation is then his and his alone. By this time the rest of the crew has arrived at the hardstand. I must emphasize that all of the foregoing is taking place in the dark.

Now the wait begins...