Role of a Photographer's Assistant on air reconnaissance missions

As the title indicates, I’ve been looking for some clarification on what the role of the photographer’s assistants would have been on an average photo-reconnaissance mission like the ones undertaken by the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron.

I understand that all 4 gunners on the F-7A’s and F-7B’s were trained as photographer assistants, in duties such as attaching cameras to their mounts and loading and changing film roles. But it would seem that such assistance would also require one of the gun turrets to be unmanned during a mission, which doesn’t make too much sense to me.

Is it that, while trained to be assistants, in reality everything relating to the camera operation was a one man job that fell to the photographer, with the gunners being trained to lend a hand only in rare circumstances?

Any help in clarifying the jobs of all involved would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

I have no knowledge on the 20th combat mapping squadron, the one question I have is what aircraft were used for this? I'm almost certain you're referring to B-17's or maybe B-24's. The only time I have read or heard of a B-17 mapping mission was "Ole 666" over the Philippines.

 

hmmm....most PR aircraft ive read about are modified fighters using speed as their defence...

 

F-7's were B-24's modified to the photo reconnaissance role.

Do you have the MOS of any of the photographer's assistants? Possibly 939 Aerial Photographer-Gunner? Its also possible that the assistant's training was squadron based and not an official specialty.

 

I believe all photographer assistants were 940 Aerial Photographer. That's what Sgt. Anthony Marchione was (the photographer's assistant mentioned in the B-32 link above) and he was a gunner.

 

Yes indeed, fighters such as Spitfires, P-38's, and P-51's were used in that role, but his mention of 4 crew members obviously ruled that out.

B-32 Dominator's? They only saw service in July and August of 45 in the Pacific, so not very long to do much mapping, why not B-29's too?

 

Sgt. Marchione was killed when he volunteered for a mapping mission while stationed at Yontan airbase. All the F-7's were otherwise occupied and the base had an excess of B-32s which was why that one particular (fatal) PR mission was done on one. But Sgt. Marchione did usually fly on the converted B-24Js as did the majority of long range bomber PR crews. He, like the rest of the photographer assistants, was actually one of the planes gunners. Which is what lead me to my original question, if you had a full 10 man crew, each man with his assigned position, then how was any one of them able to also serve as the photographer's assistant while in enemy territory? I wouldn't think it normal for a combat crew to be ok with leaving a turret unmanned.

It was actually Sgt. Marchione's story that got me interested in the question to begin with. I read the book about his final mission (Last to Die, which I do recommend), but it too oddly skirted this detail.

 

It was not unusual for crew members to have multiple jobs. On normal B-24 crews, the Flight Engineer was usually also the top turret gunner (sometimes waist gunner). The radio operator was usually either the nose gunner or a waist gunner. The aircraft armorer was usually a waist gunner. The F/E station was in close proximity to the top turret, so he could easily go between the two as needed. He wouldn't leave the turret if they were in an actual fight unless there was an even more pressing emergency requiring his attention. Then, either the bombardier or navigator might fill in at the turret as they both had to go through gunnery school. Same with the radios - normally set up so the pilot and co-pilot could monitor the appropriate command frequencies and the R/O would remain at his guns unless circumstances dictated. Also, B-24 Groups carried a number of combat photographers on each mission and those photographers were generally also trained gunners. In many instances they filled in at guns for wounded crew members.

So, to your question, they would leave a turret unmanned for brief periods if not in a fight. The other gunners would be maintaining their scans for bogeys.

Attached are the MOS job descriptions for 939 and 940 if you don't already have them.

 

That was all extremely informative. Thank you!