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Rob Arndt
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 Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 6:11 am Post subject: Question About Spitfire Gun Aiming... |
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I am currently reading a book, "Hansi, The Girl Who Loved the
Swastika" and in it her fiancee, a U-boat officer, describes the way
Spitfires would attack his patrol boats when he was doing convoy
protection missions prior to be assigned to U-boats.
He stated that the Spits would not aim directly at the AA gunners on
the patrol boats but would first fire into the water ahead and then
adust the fire to line up with the deck guns for a perfect hit.
Was this standard procedure? I thought the Spits would simply open up
on any German patrol boat in the same way they would an exposed U-boat
on the surface- directly at the target.
Apparently, not...
Rob |
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Orval Fairbairn
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| Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 6:11 am Post subject: Re: Question About Spitfire Gun Aiming... |
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In article <1179625783.522530.32090 (AT) h2g2000hsg (DOT) googlegroups.com>,
Rob Arndt <teuton263 (AT) aol (DOT) com> wrote:
| Quote: | I am currently reading a book, "Hansi, The Girl Who Loved the
Swastika" and in it her fiancee, a U-boat officer, describes the way
Spitfires would attack his patrol boats when he was doing convoy
protection missions prior to be assigned to U-boats.
He stated that the Spits would not aim directly at the AA gunners on
the patrol boats but would first fire into the water ahead and then
adust the fire to line up with the deck guns for a perfect hit.
Was this standard procedure? I thought the Spits would simply open up
on any German patrol boat in the same way they would an exposed U-boat
on the surface- directly at the target.
Apparently, not...
Rob
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They had to adjust the range, as their gunsights were set at a fixed
range. |
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WaltBJ
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 6:11 am Post subject: Re: Question About Spitfire Gun Aiming... |
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On May 20, 10:14 am, Dave Eadsforth <d...@magnum.demon.co.uk> wrote:
| Quote: | In article <BCdKamCwBCUGF...@jrwlynch.demon.co.uk>, Paul J. Adam
n...@jrwlynch.demon.co.uk> writes
In message <1179625783.522530.32...@h2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>, Rob
Arndt <teuton...@aol.com> writes
He stated that the Spits would not aim directly at the AA gunners on
the patrol boats but would first fire into the water ahead and then
adust the fire to line up with the deck guns for a perfect hit.
SNIP: |
It may be that the pilots aimed in front because the Uboat is moving
through the water at say 20 knots which is around 33 feet a second.
That coupled with the time of flight says you must use some lead. It
would take less correction going from too far in front to the target
than vice-versa because the target is moving in such a fashion as to
take out some lead by itself.
FWIW it's difficult to tell what the range is over water because
there's no 'landmarks' to go by - just the apparent size of the U-boat
or whatever it is.
Walt BJ. |
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Rob Arndt
Guest
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 6:11 am Post subject: Re: Question About Spitfire Gun Aiming... |
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On May 20, 7:42�pm, WaltBJ <waltb...@mindspring.com> wrote:
| Quote: | On May 20, 10:14 am, Dave Eadsforth <d...@magnum.demon.co.uk> wrote:> In article <BCdKamCwBCUGF...@jrwlynch.demon.co.uk>, Paul J. Adam
n...@jrwlynch.demon.co.uk> writes
In message <1179625783.522530.32...@h2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>, Rob
Arndt <teuton...@aol.com> writes
He stated that the Spits would not aim directly at the AA gunners on
the patrol boats but would first fire into the water ahead and then
adust the fire to line up with the deck guns for a perfect hit.
SNIP:
It may be that the pilots aimed in front because the Uboat is moving
through the water at say 20 knots which is around 33 feet a second.
That coupled with the time of flight says you must use some lead. It
would take less correction going from too far in front to the target
than vice-versa because the target is moving in such a fashion as to
take out some lead by itself.
FWIW it's difficult to tell what the range is over water because
there's no 'landmarks' to go by - just the apparent size of the U-boat
or whatever it is.
Walt BJ.
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Sorry Walt,
Re-read the original post. This tactic was used when the Kriegmarine
Officer had previous duty on a patrol boat as convoy escort. I do not
know what patrol boat he is talking about, but obviously it had AA
guns on the deck. He later was assigned to U-boats.
I've seen this footage in wartime films against German shipping and in
the PTO where the Allied fighter starts shooting into the water
leading up to the deck or a visual target on deck.
This puzzles me b/c other footage shows no problem firing the unguided
rockets right into the deck with little aiming at all.
I've heard a lot of technical babble on trejectories and gun sights,
but the question I asked was if this was a standard procedure Spits
used to strike the German patrol boats/escorts?
Rob |
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Dan
Guest
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 6:11 am Post subject: Re: Question About Spitfire Gun Aiming... |
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WaltBJ wrote:
| Quote: | On May 20, 10:14 am, Dave Eadsforth <d...@magnum.demon.co.uk> wrote:
In article <BCdKamCwBCUGF...@jrwlynch.demon.co.uk>, Paul J. Adam
n...@jrwlynch.demon.co.uk> writes
In message <1179625783.522530.32...@h2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>, Rob
Arndt <teuton...@aol.com> writes
He stated that the Spits would not aim directly at the AA gunners on
the patrol boats but would first fire into the water ahead and then
adust the fire to line up with the deck guns for a perfect hit.
SNIP:
It may be that the pilots aimed in front because the Uboat is moving
through the water at say 20 knots which is around 33 feet a second.
That coupled with the time of flight says you must use some lead. It
would take less correction going from too far in front to the target
than vice-versa because the target is moving in such a fashion as to
take out some lead by itself.
FWIW it's difficult to tell what the range is over water because
there's no 'landmarks' to go by - just the apparent size of the U-boat
or whatever it is.
Walt BJ.
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Also there is the chance that bullets ricocheting off the water will
strike the boat or someone on the boat. It's similar to a night foot
patrol technique we used in special ops when we didn't have night vision
scopes.
Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired |
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Leadfoot
Guest
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| Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 6:12 am Post subject: Re: Question About Spitfire Gun Aiming... |
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| Quote: | Strafing of ground targets is an acquired skill just as A/A gunnery.
Aircraft stability, closure rates, dive angle, bullet drop, recovery
altitude, ricochet danger, etc. all are factors for consideration
whether dealing with .303, .50 cal, 20mm or other guns.
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You forgot target fixation.
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