Hello all,
I'd read that the Luftwaffe had developed vertically mounted machine guns for attacking bombers from below. How effective were these weapons?
Vertically-mounted machine guns
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Near as I can tell, Ernest, the "jazz music" installation (a more accurate translation of "schräge Musik") was pretty much standard in Luftwaffe night fighters. For example, the Dornier Do-217N-2/R22 had four 20mm cannon in a "schräge Musik" installation in the fuselage near the wing roots--and this in addition to its already powerful forward-firing armament of four 20mm cannon and four 7.9mm machine guns.
The He-219A-5 had a forward-firing battery of six 20mm cannon, and a "schräge Musik" installation in the rear fuselage just aft of the main fuel tanks, comprising twin 30mm cannon.
Looks to me like they were sold on "schräge Musik".
Yours,
Paul
The He-219A-5 had a forward-firing battery of six 20mm cannon, and a "schräge Musik" installation in the rear fuselage just aft of the main fuel tanks, comprising twin 30mm cannon.
Looks to me like they were sold on "schräge Musik".
Yours,
Paul
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the angle of the Schragwaffen was between 60 and 75 degrees not 45. Used with a reflector site mounted on the upper portion of the canopy.
Many of the Uhu's were not configured to have the SW installation of the 3cm and in fact MG FF was installed on quite a few of the variants.
The Bf 110G-4 of course had the MG FF installed in the rear gunners position, what a noise maker for that poor chap.
The Ju 88G series had this remidied in at least three different positions side by side in the MG 151/20 as well as in line off cant which was easier to help shear off the wing of an RAF heavy. Since the German fighter was position underneath the RAF bomber it was imperitive not to hit the bomb bay or fuel tanks but the inner wing or between the two engines of one wing, giving ample time for the bomber crew to escape as the flames would then spread over the wing surface and later to the tanks.
The German's perfected a very faint form of tracer for the Schragwaffen called Glimspur.
Many of the Uhu's were not configured to have the SW installation of the 3cm and in fact MG FF was installed on quite a few of the variants.
The Bf 110G-4 of course had the MG FF installed in the rear gunners position, what a noise maker for that poor chap.
The Ju 88G series had this remidied in at least three different positions side by side in the MG 151/20 as well as in line off cant which was easier to help shear off the wing of an RAF heavy. Since the German fighter was position underneath the RAF bomber it was imperitive not to hit the bomb bay or fuel tanks but the inner wing or between the two engines of one wing, giving ample time for the bomber crew to escape as the flames would then spread over the wing surface and later to the tanks.
The German's perfected a very faint form of tracer for the Schragwaffen called Glimspur.
As various posters have atested, "schräge Musik" is generally considered to have been outstandingly effective.
Indeed, it took the Allies a while to realize what was even happening to their bombers. One of the key points behind the German idea was to sneak up on the bombers and shoot them down by surprise. Most never knew what hit them. Neither did others. For a time all that was known was that a distressing number of bombers were suddenly "spontaneously exploding" for no known reason. Eventually it was figured out that such events were the work of "schräge Musik", but you can imagine the psycological effect.
Indeed, it took the Allies a while to realize what was even happening to their bombers. One of the key points behind the German idea was to sneak up on the bombers and shoot them down by surprise. Most never knew what hit them. Neither did others. For a time all that was known was that a distressing number of bombers were suddenly "spontaneously exploding" for no known reason. Eventually it was figured out that such events were the work of "schräge Musik", but you can imagine the psycological effect.
Schrage musik
Interestingly enough, some Japanese two engine fighters were also fitted with a version of Schrage Musik (37mm cannon?) for operations against American Bombers. I'm assuming that most US bombing operations were in daylight hours (as in ETO) so I'm not aware of their effectiveness in this case vis a vis the element of surprise.
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Additional info--the following Japanese night fighters had oblique-mounted cannon:
Kawasaki Ki-45 "Nick" (twin 20mm cannon);
Mitsubishi Ki-46 "Dinah" (converted recon plane with a single 37mm cannon);
Nakajima C6N "Myrt" (converted recon plane with twin 20mm cannon);
Nakajima J1N "Irving" (four 20mm cannon--two firing upwards and two firing downwards).
Plus, some A6M "Zeros" and J2M "Jacks" were field-modified to carry a single 20mm cannon firing obliquely.
Yours,
Paul
Kawasaki Ki-45 "Nick" (twin 20mm cannon);
Mitsubishi Ki-46 "Dinah" (converted recon plane with a single 37mm cannon);
Nakajima C6N "Myrt" (converted recon plane with twin 20mm cannon);
Nakajima J1N "Irving" (four 20mm cannon--two firing upwards and two firing downwards).
Plus, some A6M "Zeros" and J2M "Jacks" were field-modified to carry a single 20mm cannon firing obliquely.
Yours,
Paul
Schrage Musik
Thanks Paul, very informative!
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