Photos 12-31

[GrahamB]

Hi Ed,

there is a picture on page 42 of 'He 111 in Action' and two on page 167 of Nowarra's 'He 111 - a documentary history'.

The e-bay photo does not look quite right for this mg set-up, the upper 'barrel' seemingly to low and close to the tail and without a distinct dorsal shroud. Not ruled out completely though. Does a glider-tug attatchment point have any relevence?

Cheers

GrahamB

[F19Gladiator]

Saw a picture of a He 111H-6 from KG 27 on the Eastern Front showing a similar arrangement in the tail. Picture is not taken from as short distance as the one posted, but shows two "gun barrels" similar in dimensions and position.

Ref. "Luftwaffe at War 15, German Bombers Over Russia", Page 40, Manfred Griehl.

[Modeldad]

There is also a picture (not very clear) of a similar "two gun tail" on He-111 H-4 of KG 28 coded 1T+HK. The pic is in Kampfflieger Vol 3 from Classic publications. Note that the profile for this aircraft obly shows a lower mg.

Look at the pic, IMHO, there seems to be an upper gun as well.

[GrahamB]

Hi 'Modeldad',

I had overlooked two photos in Michael Ullmann's 'Luftwaffe Colors' that might get you close to the solution re 'two-gun tailed' He 111s.

On page 107 there is an excellent close-up of the tail cone of an He 111 H-5, Wnr 3924, shot down near Maidstone (Kent - my birth county). Although the MG is missing, perhaps not fitted, the characteristic shroud is still fixed, with two small intakes forward. BUT, the really interesting feature is a metal bar fixed below, and protruding beyond the tail cone. It is definitely not on the ground or part of the wreckage. Supplementing this, is the photo underneath, in which another He 111 (H-6 4020), has a tail gun and, if one looks carefully, a metal bar protruding beneath the cone.

I suspect that these features may be for ground-handling - ie. something for groundcrew to grip on properly while moving the aircraft. On the He 111 one could not get close to the rearmost body of the aircraft because of the configuration of the elevators and rudder.

Food for thought?

Cheers

Graham.

[Modeldad]

Good find. Most interesting.

Now to look for other similar arrangements.

Amazing how one becaome aware of something when it is mentioned.