On a military aircraft, the rear-most gun is operated a tail gunner. The tail gunner protects the aircraft from attack from behind firing at approaching enemy aircraft and alerting the other gunners to any impending threats from behind. The tail gunner, usually armed with two.50-caliber machine guns or an electric Gatling® gun, has enough firepower to fend off most threats. Many pilots are hesitant to engage any aircraft equipped with a tail-mounted gun because of its high accuracy. The tail gun position on bombing missions also records the bombing run’s success and accuracy as the plane speeds away from the target.
Because the pilot often has little or no view of approaching aircraft from behind, an airplane is most vulnerable from the rear. By putting a tail gunner in the back of the plane, attacking planes will be met with a hail of bullets if they try to bring the plane down from behind. Unlike a waist gunner, who must account for lead when aiming at a fast-moving plane, the tail gunner can fire directly at an approaching plane, resulting in a significantly higher hit and kill ratio.
The tail gunner is also in charge of alerting the other members of the crew to any aircraft or formation of planes approaching the plane from behind. The crew can prepare their weapons and be alerted to the impending assault thanks to the advanced warning from the rear-facing gunner. The tail gunner records bomb strikes, estimates target damage, and frequently takes photographs of the target area because he has the best view of it as the plane exits the target area. The requirements for return strikes on a target are frequently determined using these photos and reports.
Unfortunately, the tail gunner’s position is extremely vulnerable, as approaching aircraft can fire directly into the plane’s rear. The tail gunner is often one of the first casualties in the aircraft’s crew due to the lack of heavy armor plating. When an airplane is hit ground fire or the crew is forced to bail out for any reason, this is also true. The rear gunner’s cramped position in the plane’s tail makes it difficult or impossible for him to escape through the rear hatch. An escape from a flat-spinning plane is especially difficult because the inertia makes it nearly impossible for the gunner to exit the plane.