Blenheim mk.1(F): winggun and gunpack

[g-1reaper]

Can anyone confirm;
1. How was the ammunition feed arranged for the fixed winggun?
2. How many rounds were held for the winggun?

3. How was the feed arranged for the gunpack?
4. Was the ammunition drum situated in the bombbay?

Also, I noticed that Finnish Blenheims had small bombbays fitted in the wingroots. Was this common to all Mk.1's? I noticed that there was a small external bombrack fitted aft of the internal bombbay.

Thanks in advance,
regards
Edwin

[Juha]

Hello Edwin
all I can say that the Finnish Blenheims had 450 or 400 (depending which source you believe) ammo tray(s) per a wing gun. FAF Blenheims had one or two wingmg(s), depending on the series.

Juha

[Juha]

Hello
on the gun pack, the mgs in the RAF underbelly gunpack were feed from magazines in the bombbay, 500rpg.

Juha

[andy bird]

Blenheim Mk 1 gun pack fed from the bomb bay, bomb doors opened so that ground crew could load the weapons. Fixed on a tubular frame work inside bomb bay, units made by Southern Region Dept at Ashford, Kent in three locomotive sheds. The fixings for the four 0.303 Brownings where occasionally prone to coming loose and the guns had the odd stoppage. The worse case I've come across is 15 rounds being fired from each Browing over Norway in April 1940 whilst chasing a Junkers 88.
The belly pack was powered by starboard engine.

They carried 500 rounds for each m/g.

The forward firing m/g port wing 500 rounds.

The external bomb racks carried 20lb bombs,

In July 1940 Coastal Commands ACM 'Ginger' Bowhill issued orders to make modifications to all Coastal 'Trade Protection' Blenheim squadron. 235 Sqn added an extra m/g in the forward glazed nose perspex and also adding two Vickers in the turret.

Yours faithfully

Andy Bird

Author of the forthcoming and long awaited "Coastal Dawn"

[John Beaman]

Andy, I may be late on this but what is the subject of Coastal Dawn?

[andy bird]

Originally Posted by John Beaman

Andy, I may be late on this but what is the subject of Coastal Dawn?

Hi John,

Coastal Dawn follows the four trade protection Blenheim squadron's 235, 236, 248 and 254 from Oct '39 to Oct '40 Drawing on contemporary diaries, periodicals, letters, logbooks, memoirs and interviews with survivors.

Publishing in July 2012, By Grub Street.

[brewerjerry]

Originally Posted by andy bird

....Blenheim Mk 1 gun pack fed from the bomb bay, bomb doors opened so that ground crew could load the weapons. Fixed on a tubular frame work inside bomb bay, units made by Southern Region Dept at Ashford, Kent in three locomotive sheds.....

Yours faithfully

Andy Bird

Author of the forthcoming and long awaited "Coastal Dawn"

Hi Andy,
Any chance of posting a photo, I am having trouble visualizing it in relation to the size of the MG fairing.
Did the bomb doors open with the fairing still attached ?
Did the groundcrew load from inside the aircraft ?
Or did just the outer doors open ? and the ground crew work throu' these from outside.
cheers
Jerry

P.S
attached only photo I found from warpaint blenheim

[John Beaman]

Originally Posted by andy bird

Hi John,

Coastal Dawn follows the four trade protection Blenheim squadron's 235, 236, 248 and 254 from Oct '39 to Oct '40 Drawing on contemporary diaries, periodicals, letters, logbooks, memoirs and interviews with survivors.

Publishing in July 2012, By Grub Street.

THX. Sounds interesting--an obscure part of the conflict. Good work!

[brewerjerry]

Originally Posted by brewerjerry

Any chance of posting a photo, I am having trouble visualizing it in relation to the size of the MG fairing.
Did the bomb doors open with the fairing still attached ?
Did the groundcrew load from inside the aircraft ?
Or did just the outer doors open ? and the ground crew work thro' these from outside.

Hi
Just a bump anyone with any info ?
cheers
Jerry

[andy bird]

Hi Guys,

Have the info, re-drawing the workings in illustrator from the original drawings.

KInd Regards

Andy Bird