Me 410 Schrage Musik?

[Karoband]

Gentlemen,

I have just finished reading Ian McLachlan's Night of the Intruders about the encounters of B-24s with Me 410s over England on the evening of 22 April 1944.

It seems many American aircrew believed they had been shot up by British anti-aircraft gunners because they were fired upon from below.

My question: (Presumably after the pilot had run out of ammunition for the forward-facing guns), were the rear-facing, remotely controlled MG 131 barbettes able to be swivelled upwards and forward to form a type of Schrage Musik for the Bordfunker?

best regards,

Jim Geens

[edNorth]

This diagram says no. Up only 80 deg from a stearn.
Internal belt feed likely restriting factor.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z5GCW4bKjh...4755460081.jpg

Best regards
- Ed.

[Karoband]

Hi Ed,

Thank you. This means the pilot would have to pull ahead of a victim for a bordfunker to shoot down an aircraft at night.

Best regards,

Jim

[sirbob]

What about the well-known tactic of a nightfighter flying below a bomber and raising the nose to fire into the belly?
Depending on the German pilot's skill, confidence and preference he could choose to widely spray the general silhouette, ignite the fuel stored in a wing or rake the length of the fuselage.
Very like Schrage Musik but with a much less stable aiming/firing situation.