Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnews!military
From: bxr307@csc.anu.oz
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: WWII german anti-shiping plane
Message-ID: <1990Jun6.144022.6736@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 6 Jun 90 14:40:22 GMT
References: <16245@cbnews.ATT.COM>
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From: bxr307@csc.anu.oz
In article <16245@cbnews.ATT.COM>, pavel@uafhp.uark.edu (Pavel) writes:
> 
> 
> From: pavel@uafhp.uark.edu (Pavel)
> 
>  long time ago I believe I read about a WWII german airplane that carried a
> large gun (~28cm) and was used as anti-shipping. I think it was on a JU-88
> or ME-110 airframe. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Paul A. Byers

	The weapon in question was a 15cm recoilless weapon mounted in the
bomb-bay of a JU88 medium bomber.  It worked on the Davis gun principle of
firing an equivalent counter-mass of sand/lead-shot through the rear of the
breach and out the back of the aircraft as that of the projectile.  It was only
an experimental weapon and as far as I have been able to discover was never
used operationally.  Graham Greene in his book, German Warplanes of World War
Two, suggests that the development and the potential of considerably increased
range and greater hitting power offered by guided missiles ensured that the
 Luftwaffe's interest was directed elsewhere.


Brian Ross

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bxr307@coombs.anu.oz         |  Sociology Dept.,R.S.S.S.,
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bxr307@csc.anu.oz            |  Canberra, Australia
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