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Detail of the machine gun charging cable.

In the cramped quarters of the ball turret, the ball turret gunner could not directly cock the gun; instead, the gunner pulled the red handle connected to the forward end of this cable. The cable was routed through pulleys, one at the forward end and one at the aft end of the turret, and attached to the machine gun, in order to charge (cock) the weapon.

 
B-17 Ball Turret machine gun charging cable at Champaign Aviation Museum
Time picture taken Thu May 22 06:08:38 2014
Location picture taken Main Hangar
Champaign Aviation Museum
Urbana, OH
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