And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Saturday, July 13, 2019
The chin turret of a Boeing B-17G bomber with the cowling removed, revealing its six .50 caliber machine guns, June 17, 1944.
I seem to recall that the US took B-25s, removed the bombs, added LOTS of guns and turned them into shredders on wings. Anyone else know about this idea?
The B25, A-20, and A26 had a series of Modules, that could be retrofitted in the field. They could carry anything up to 8 .50 cal. browning's in the nose. Or six 50's and 4 20MM's or 4 .50's and a 3 inch cannon. Plus 2 FIFTY CAL's. on each side of the cockpit. Plus the top turret that could be locked forward and fired by the pilot, and in the case of a few A-26's built toward the end of the war. Another grouping of machineguns or cannon mounted on OR IN the wings. (up to 8 per wing) Plus bombs and Napalm. They were the most heavily armed gunships to ever fly, before the AC-130's. And in some ways are still better ground attack aircraft. It was common for them to sink Japanese warships in a single pass. AAA crews were petrified by them, as one of there favorite habits was to line up wing tip to wing tip and strafe Japanese bases from end to end.---Ray-- P.S. on the most armed. The only thing they carried in the bomb bay was MG and Cannon ammo and feed trays.
It was done by MacArthur's Air force commanded by General Kenney. B-25 J models had up to 14 Fifty caliber Machine guns * in the nose two on each side on the nose mounted on the exterior and the top turret with 2 more machine guns. Or it could mount a 75 mm cannon and 4 fifty caliber machine guns in the nose. They would also skip bomb Ships .That is drop the bomb(s) short of the target and the bombs would bounce across the water. In the battle of the Bismarck Sea Allied air power sunk all eight transports and 4 destroyers. Stopping Japanese re-enforcement of new Guinea
Regular complement was two .50s. This was an experiment to counter Axis head on attacks.
ReplyDeleteI seem to recall that the US took B-25s, removed the bombs, added LOTS of guns and turned them into shredders on wings. Anyone else know about this idea?
ReplyDeleteread about "Pappy Gunn". showed the collage boys how to.
DeleteThe B25, A-20, and A26 had a series of Modules, that could be retrofitted in the field. They could carry anything up to 8 .50 cal. browning's in the nose. Or six 50's and 4 20MM's or 4 .50's and a 3 inch cannon. Plus 2 FIFTY CAL's. on each side of the cockpit. Plus the top turret that could be locked forward and fired by the pilot, and in the case of a few A-26's built toward the end of the war. Another grouping of machineguns or cannon mounted on OR IN the wings. (up to 8 per wing) Plus bombs and Napalm. They were the most heavily armed gunships to ever fly, before the AC-130's. And in some ways are still better ground attack aircraft. It was common for them to sink Japanese warships in a single pass. AAA crews were petrified by them, as one of there favorite habits was to line up wing tip to wing tip and strafe Japanese bases from end to end.---Ray-- P.S. on the most armed. The only thing they carried in the bomb bay was MG and Cannon ammo and feed trays.
ReplyDeleteIt was done by MacArthur's Air force commanded by General Kenney. B-25 J models had up to 14 Fifty caliber Machine guns * in the nose two on each side on the nose mounted on the exterior and the top turret with 2 more machine guns. Or it could mount a 75 mm cannon and 4 fifty caliber machine guns in the nose. They would also skip bomb Ships .That is drop the bomb(s) short of the target and the bombs would bounce across the water. In the battle of the Bismarck Sea Allied air power sunk all eight transports and 4 destroyers. Stopping Japanese re-enforcement of new Guinea
ReplyDeleteI think that's a yb40 escort bomber,couldn't keep up on the way home. So they stopped using them.
ReplyDelete