A question RE: an odd looking German AA Gun...

[NickM]

So...Another Automatic AA weapon question: Tony Williams where are you?

Anyhow, here goes: I remember watching an old History Show ('Air Power' or 'Victory at Sea', I can't recall which) & I saw a bit about the FIRST Ploesti raid...in addition to some great gun cam film of low flying B24s under fire by fighters (first time I've ever seen German cannon fire striking the ground under an enemy aircraft-remenisent of RAF/USAAF gun cam films from later in the war) I remember seeming some sort of 'Jury Rigged' AA gun on the back of of a truck; it looked like a VERY oversided 20 mm Orlikon:It had a pintle mount; it even had those shoulder braces (I don't really know what those shoulder thingies are called)that you strapped yourself into when you used the 20 mm...the difference was there was no 'snail drum' magazine in sight and the barrel was MUCH longer; any idea what this beast was? Maybe A 30 mm MK103 'converted' to AA usage?
And what are those shoulder thingies called?

thanks, ahead of time

NickM

[George Hopp]

Well, it depends to a large extent to which nation the truck belonged. If German, it might well have been a 37mm Flak 37 AA gun. But, if this is taking place in Romania, it could just as easily have been a 40mm Bofors gun, which was popular worldwide.

[kaki3152]

I believe its a German 37mm AA cannon. I have seen the film sequence on one of my VHS tapes of the old program "Air Force"

[NickM]

Kaki & George:

A 37/40mm? On a one man pintle mount with shoulder yokes? Wow that REALLY is unusual; Kaki, just to be sure we're talking about the same thing: the truck in question looked like it was almost going to tip over?

NickM

[Tony Williams]

Show me a pic and I could probably identify it, but it's hard to guess from your description. The most likely candidate offhand may be the MG C/30L. This was a very big 20mm cannon originally intended for aircraft use, but adapted as a Flak gun. It had the kind of shoulder supports you mention.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum

[NickM]

Tony:

Thanks! Where you been hiding out? Anyhoo...I was sort of hoping You'd have a pic of this monster....I have no way of getting a pic of the darned thing--at least, not without violating a few copywrite laws;
As an aside, did anyone ever try to mount the MK 103 as a beltfed AA gun? And what DO they call them shoulder braces anyways?

NickM

[Franek Grabowski]

Originally Posted by NickM

I have no way of getting a pic of the darned thing--at least, not without violating a few copywrite laws;

First, it is not profitable for you or anyone else, second, it is fair use, third, have you checked if the stuff is copyrighted?
Aside, making an AA gun out of aircraft cannon does not make much sense due to low ballistic parameters. I am lacking vocabulary to express it in English, but no doubt Tony will explain that.

[NickM]

Hah, just kidding Frankek. The truth is, that I am not sure which of the two DVD collections ('Victory at Sea' or 'Air Power') it is...and I don't have the quid to part with just yet...in any case, if I DID have them I have no earthly idea how to do a screen capture or how to post the pic...

NickM

[Franek Grabowski]

Oh, I am not sure how to produce some addtitional quids without violating copyrights of the crown, and more importantly, retaining the quality. As to DVDs, perhaps a google search will help? I did not capture any DVD but did so with mpegs and avis - you just need to download a software from the internet, there is plenty of free downloads.

[Tony Williams]

Originally Posted by NickM

Thanks! Where you been hiding out? Anyhoo...I was sort of hoping You'd have a pic of this monster....I have no way of getting a pic of the darned thing--at least, not without violating a few copywrite laws;
As an aside, did anyone ever try to mount the MK 103 as a beltfed AA gun? And what DO they call them shoulder braces anyways?

I do have a rather poor-quality pic of the gun which I can email to you if you tell me the address. I don't offhand know what the shoulder supports were called.

Yes, the MK 103 did see some late-war use as an AA gun, called the '3 cm Flak 103/38'.

Franek, the MG C/30L was no ordinary aircraft gun: it was chambered for the same very powerful 20x138B ammo as the German Flak 30 and Flak 38 guns. It was intended for engine mounting in fighters, but only one prototype He 112 carried it, in action in Spain. It turned out to be too big, heavy and slow-firing to be of much use, so was converted to the AA role.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum