MACR with Browning serial numbers - identifying the plane

[Rolfeb]

Hi All,

I do have an MACR which includes the serial numbers of all Brownings.
Now my question: Is there a possibility to identify the plane in case the serial number of the plane itself is not know but the serial numbers of the guns?

My idea is just enter the Browning SN in a tool and find out the plane where it was asigned.
Thanks in advance
Rolf

[Horst Weber]

Originally Posted by Rolfeb

Hi All,

I do have an MACR which includes the serial numbers of all Brownings.
Now my question: Is there a possibility to identify the plane in case the serial number of the plane itself is not know but the serial numbers of the guns?

My idea is just enter the Browning SN in a tool and find out the plane where it was asigned.
Thanks in advance
Rolf

Rolf !

Is this a Missing Aircrew Report or an AFHRA microfilm, probably No. A1115 ?.

Horst Weber

[RSwank]

I am not aware of any such database. I have been able to make "possible" identification of planes based on gun serial numbers in certain special situations. If the plane is still fairly new it may have many of the original guns as installed in the factory. If you look at losses of planes whose serial numbers are close together (i.e. planes built at the same time in the same factory) you often see that the gun serial numbers are from the same manufacturer and they are all "close" together. The assumption is that the gun manufacturer(s) sent completed guns in large batches with serial numbers sequential (or very close together) and they ended up at the same plane factory. Thus planes being built at the same time at that factory would end up with gun serial numbers "close" together.
Sometimes there may have been a couple gun batches from different manufacturers, so you may, for example, see several High Standard guns whose serial numbers are close and then another group from Frigidaire.

Now the longer a plane flew in combat it becomes more and more likely that the "original" guns were changed out and then this method fails. This same type of argument can apply to the engine serial numbers (if a plane still has its original engines).

[Sean Welch]

AFHRA call number 134.67-1562B, microfilm rolls A1114 and A1115 contain information arranged numerically by machine gun serial numbers for European and Mediterranean Theaters of Operations.
a. Volume 1 (serials 648229 to 686963), roll A1114, frames 1482 to 1502.
b. Volume 2 (serials 686968 to 1085953), roll A1115, frames 4 to 755.
c. Volume 3 (serials 1152628 to 1992444), roll A1115, frames 758 to 1394.