Picture of the day

[sean69]

Huh... got me again!

"A remotely controlled .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine gun was fitted, firing to the rear under the nose. Housed in a clear blown transparency, it was found to be of little use and most operational units soon discarded them."

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

The Beaufort was a sturday and workmanlike beast, but not the prettiest airplane ever. Here's a neat pic from Wikipedia:

But the Beaufighter, with which it had a lot of common bits, was as vicious a strike fighter as ever flew. 4x20mm cannons, 6x.303 Brownings, plus rockets on some marks. To my eye, it has a purposefulness that speaks to its effectiveness as an anti-shipping aircraft.

In flight. I like the extreme dihedral on the horizontal stabilizers. Apparently an evolutionary feature - no dihedral on this one:

She's the aviation equivalent of the mean fat girl with great hair and neck tattoos that sits at the end of the bar and dares you to buy her a drink. if you say no, she'll beat you up, steal your wallet, and buy her own damn drink.

Only ten left - seven in museums, including one in storage in Ottawa, and three more underwater, including this one off Malta:http://www.divesubway.com/bristol.html

And just 'cause it's neat, here's one under Italian management:

 

[lavoltiges]

Anyone know what the little dome/blister is below the nose?

magnetic anomaly detector

 

[Sharps '63]

Used to detect submarines ... ?

 

[Ganderite]

Sub detection in WW2 was by Mark VIII eyeball, and centemtric radar, occasionally augmented by sonobouys.

 

[Sharps '63]

So why was a WWII torpedo bomber equipped with one? For finding submerged mines?

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

It's not an MAD unit, bud. Read post #3041.

 

[pw58]

The Beaufort was a sturday and workmanlike beast, but not the prettiest airplane ever. Here's a neat pic from Wikipedia:

But the Beaufighter, with which it had a lot of common bits, was as vicious a strike fighter as ever flew. 4x20mm cannons, 6x.303 Brownings, plus rockets on some marks. To my eye, it has a purposefulness that speaks to its effectiveness as an anti-shipping aircraft.

In flight. I like the extreme dihedral on the horizontal stabilizers. Apparently an evolutionary feature - no dihedral on this one:

She's the aviation equivalent of the mean fat girl with great hair and neck tattoos that sits at the end of the bar and dares you to buy her a drink. if you say no, she'll beat you up, steal your wallet, and buy her own damn drink.

Only ten left - seven in museums, including one in storage in Ottawa, and three more underwater, including this one off Malta:http://www.divesubway.com/bristol.html

And just 'cause it's neat, here's one under Italian management:

I'm pretty sure there is the remains of a couple of those at a St Andrews airport plane/wrecking yard,for some reason they are painted yellow

 

[RMXC51]

The Beaufort worked well, but it looks like the Mosquitoes ugly red-headed step brother.

Training planes were painted yellow. The ones you speak of are likely Ansons or Bolingbrokes, but not impossible for some Beauforts to be used as advanced trainers.

 

[gareez]

Google RCAF 404 Squadron and go to the squadron website.
There are 9 pages of photos and a month by month history of the squadron on
anti shipping duties.
Page 9 has pictures of my father who served as a pilot in that squadron.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

Been a while. I think the thread has perhaps run its course.

Last attempt?

Batterie Vara - significant Coastal artillery in Norway, courtesy of the Germans.

These guns (the same guns the Bismarck and others used) could throw a 1800 pound (that's 12,672,000 grains) shell at 2700 FPS, giving a muzzle energy of 205,113,193 foot-pounds, not counting the explosive force of the charge within the shell. Adequate for bears, I should think. No word on recoil energy, but I imagine it's a large-ish number.

Recently restored at Møvig Fortress, Kristiansand:

 

[r.fallon]

I come across a paragraph awhile back that mentioned the Germans took one possibly two completed turrets from there proto-type E series tanks (E-100?) and installed them as coastal defense casements on the Norwegian coast. I have been unable to find any reference to this on the net, has anyone else heard of this instillation?

PS Don't let this thread die! I look forward to it everyday
cheers RF

 

[sail32]

Triple 280mm Coastal Battery from the Gneisenau, in the Austratt Fort Norway.
http://www.f-a-p.nl/sites/hiddenplaces/gneisenau.htm

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

VERY interesting stuff. Thanks for those pix!

If I was the king of Norway, I'd find the funds to fire off one of those guns every year. Maybe on my birthday, and at night for the honkin' big fireball. Live shells, flung way the hell and gone out to sea.

Wouldn't that be a sight? Seems a crime that those old ladies just sit quiet while tourists drop garbage down the muzzles.

 

[plinker 777]

I knew more than a few Scottish Merchant Seamen who were more than happy to learn those guns are silent. Having said that, I'm a gunnutter, I'd pay for a seat to witness one of those emplacements bark to life again It would be earth thundering awesome!!

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

I have some Norski cousins. Had a chance to meet them last summer. They're still a bit bitter about the occupation, and likely prefer the guns silent. That being said, yeah, maybe just once.

 

[Cdn303]

Speaking of the Atlantic wall

Batterie Todt

Winnie - March 1941

Pooh - March 1941

For more info
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-Channel_guns_in_the_Second_World_War

 

[screwtape]

Been a while. I think the thread has perhaps run its course.

Last attempt?

Batterie Vara - significant Coastal artillery in Norway, courtesy of the Germans.

These guns (the same guns the Bismarck and others used) could throw a 1800 pound (that's 12,672,000 grains) shell at 2700 FPS, giving a muzzle energy of 205,113,193 foot-pounds, not counting the explosive force of the charge within the shell. Adequate for bears, I should think. No word on recoil energy, but I imagine it's a large-ish number.

Recently restored at Møvig Fortress, Kristiansand:

Well, if you are restricted to hunting your sea-going bears with a single shot rifle, you might as well make it a big one. So I suppose it's adequate - for a single shot.

 

[jwhc]

The thread was going strong thanks to you guys The reason I folded was not because of you guys It was others, particularly two individuals ( Gunnutz ) who would hound me and bother me to the point I did not want to continue. Now by the looks of things they have departed and gave up! LOL So to the very few who still put pics and comments up I cheers you That is a BIG gun




Cheers
Joe

 

[shredder]

Been a while. I think the thread has perhaps run its course.

Last attempt?

Batterie Vara - significant Coastal artillery in Norway, courtesy of the Germans.

These guns (the same guns the Bismarck and others used) could throw a 1800 pound (that's 12,672,000 grains) shell at 2700 FPS, giving a muzzle energy of 205,113,193 foot-pounds, not counting the explosive force of the charge within the shell. Adequate for bears, I should think. No word on recoil energy, but I imagine it's a large-ish number.

Those battleship guns (the Bismarck used 15" guns, I believe) would make one hell of a BANG!!! when fired.

I'd like to see it, but I don't think there's any ammo made, or even stored somewhere, for them. It would be a cast-iron b!tch to get 15" powder bags. The SHELL, OTOH, could probably be made out of junked cars.