[andy58-in-nh]

He told me that they had been instructed to dive over the boom... which apparently was somewhat more sensible in the abstract than when a ME-109 was trying to shoot your ass off.

[Calvin Locke]

My info comes from a History Channel show that had a former P-38 pilot describing the training that came to mind when he found himself in trouble on one mission.

I did read an account of a B-17 ball turret gunner. The aircraft was in trouble, ammo boxes on fire, and a waist gunner panicked, jumped out the side, splattering himself on the stabilizer.

So it just wasn't boom aircraft.