Post by AAC_Maj. Hubbabubba on Jun 27, 2010 21:18:46 GMT -5
~S~All
During today's mission, questions came about the limited fields of fire of the He-111-blue German bomber.
As you can see, they're is severe "blind spots" between the frontal MG FF cannon and the four MG 15 rearward firing guns. This is historically accurate. The He 111 was designed as a civil transport, with the possible adaptation to bomber-troop transport in the back of German's minds.
Actually, only a dozen of civilian aircraft were built and most He 111 were to be military beasts. Thought to be faster than eventual interceptors, it was lightly armed.
But battle experience showed that fighters were getting more and more faster than the bomber. Unfortunately, they're was very little space available to increase firepower.
Firing angles were deduced from pictures and diagrams of the H6 variants. Cannon and guns were mounted on a swiveling "ball" and could not physically go beyond a certain point. Considering that you can point them even at the extreme limit with TG2, you have an advantage that Luftwaffe crews lacked; they could not get their heads behind in these cases an had to fire "willy-nilly".
The H6 variant was the first to use a 20mm MG FF canon in the frontal position. Up until then, only a 9.72mm MG 15 was covering frontal attacks!
Other guns would be eventually installed, by engineer's design at the factory or crew's despair in the field, but all were pointed and fired without hydraulics or electrical assistance. In many cases, adding guns didn't meant adding gunners; one man would have to serve 2 or 3 different positions!
The extreme attempts even included a free-swiveling MG 17 in the tail pointing abeam. Fired by the pilot or the bomb aimer - navigator - front gunner (as if it was not enough!!!), the recoil would jiggle the gun between shots, creating a "shotgun pattern" behind, supposed to make RAF pilots think twice before attacking directly from the six.
So, all things considered, you are not so badly equipped after all!
As today's mission shows, RAF pilots had not a "field day".
During today's mission, questions came about the limited fields of fire of the He-111-blue German bomber.
As you can see, they're is severe "blind spots" between the frontal MG FF cannon and the four MG 15 rearward firing guns. This is historically accurate. The He 111 was designed as a civil transport, with the possible adaptation to bomber-troop transport in the back of German's minds.
Actually, only a dozen of civilian aircraft were built and most He 111 were to be military beasts. Thought to be faster than eventual interceptors, it was lightly armed.
But battle experience showed that fighters were getting more and more faster than the bomber. Unfortunately, they're was very little space available to increase firepower.
Firing angles were deduced from pictures and diagrams of the H6 variants. Cannon and guns were mounted on a swiveling "ball" and could not physically go beyond a certain point. Considering that you can point them even at the extreme limit with TG2, you have an advantage that Luftwaffe crews lacked; they could not get their heads behind in these cases an had to fire "willy-nilly".
The H6 variant was the first to use a 20mm MG FF canon in the frontal position. Up until then, only a 9.72mm MG 15 was covering frontal attacks!
Other guns would be eventually installed, by engineer's design at the factory or crew's despair in the field, but all were pointed and fired without hydraulics or electrical assistance. In many cases, adding guns didn't meant adding gunners; one man would have to serve 2 or 3 different positions!
The extreme attempts even included a free-swiveling MG 17 in the tail pointing abeam. Fired by the pilot or the bomb aimer - navigator - front gunner (as if it was not enough!!!), the recoil would jiggle the gun between shots, creating a "shotgun pattern" behind, supposed to make RAF pilots think twice before attacking directly from the six.
So, all things considered, you are not so badly equipped after all!
As today's mission shows, RAF pilots had not a "field day".
