The underside of the B-17 was equipped with a Sperry ball turret, a spherical space about four feet in diameter and capable of rotating 360 degrees. After takeoff, the ball turret gunner—who was ...

Wiemerslage, a native of suburban River Grove, was a 20-year-old ball turret gunner on a B-17G Flying ... the remains of all the airmen who died in the B-17 crash, except for Wiemerslage, were ...