The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare 04

The

Illustrated

Encyclopedia of 20th Century

ji

4

-iUM iifiiflinrrti

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The

Illustrated

Encyclopedia of 20th Century

EAPONS ARFARE AND

VOLUME 4 Berthier/Bren

The

Illustrated

Encyclopedia of 20th Century

EAPONS ARFARE AND

ICOLUMBIA HOUSE/New York

/^

Editor: ReriKird Fit/sinions (i()iiMiIl;ml F.clitors: Bill

Guiiston (Aviation)

Ho!:>g (Land \Veapons) Antony Preston (Naval) DcpiitN Editoi Sii/annc Walker C>)py Editor: Mitliael Maddison

Ian

\'.

:

Assistant Editois: Will EoAvler, Ridiard Green,

Coi

John

iiHie lienicka,

Lieljniann, Michael de

Lura

Editorial Assistant: Jidie Leitch

Art Editor: David Harper Assistant Art Editor: John Bickerton

Design Assistants:

|c(l

Cmney, John

\'occ

Production: Sheila Biddlecombe Pic ture

Research: Jonathan ^fc)ore

(x)ntriinitors:

Kenneth Gatland,

(Jliarles

Gilson.

Mark Hewish, Ian Hogg, Eugene Kolesnik, Hugh Bill

Giniston.

V.

Lyon, Pamela Matthews, Kenneth Munson, Antony Preston, John A. Roberts, John S. Weeks Illustrator:

John Batchelor

Govcr Design: Harry W. Fass Pi od IK lion Manager: .Ste])]u-n

f 'hai

kow

Purnrll ft Sons I.ifl lOfiT/IOfiO PlKxbiis Piil)lishiiii,'C:()ini)aii\/BPC: Piihlishinn Tld. 1971/77/78 l)islril)iilf(l bv C:oliiiiibia Hoiisf. a Division of C:US Inc., ,

.

.

Axcnuc of ihc Americas, New 121 Primed in the U.S.A. 1

'S'ork.

New ^oik

lOOIifi

I

"All dclaNN dvv (J.m^^crous in war.'

— jolin

DrvcU'ii

INTRODUCTION The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and W^flr/rtjr, features \'oluiiif 4 oi

some well-known names. Several

pages, for ex-

ample, arc dcvoicd to the Messcrschmitt Bf 109 and Bfl 10. ^ei Willi Messerschmitt's contrilnuion to (Germany's Second

World War arhad he

senal niigln nc\er ha\e materialized

lollowtd

llic

advice of

tiic

Dan/ig

RLM

(Air Minis-

professorship at the

19.S1 lo accc|)l a

in

try)

effects,

mum

along with half

load of fuel

The Washington figure

known

maxi-

and boiler feed water. treaty replaced this with a

"standard displacement," this

machinery,

being the weight of the hidl,

armor, armament, ammimition, and crew, but excluding fuel and boiler water, thus allowing

some leeway of weight which previously woidd ha\e been included

in the

displacement.

Icclniic a! College.

Another

Haxing been fascinated by aircraft from his early years and been a pioneer of gliders and, later, of powered aircraft, Messcrschmitt had lounded his own aircraft company, which c\enluall\

bau,

as

to three-fifths the

designations of

But bv

H).'vl,

cial dillic

iiis

two most famous

comp.my was

the

party was low:

I

Howexer. in

maximum

that

1986

hence

aircraft industry,

him

his

when

to gi\e

up building

persexerance was

liis

new

with the ship in her normal condition

is,

war cruise. As an between the differ-

the start of an extended

example

of the difference

weights, the standard displacement of Bismarck was 41,700 tons, the design displacement 45,172 tons and the full load or maximum displacement 50,900 tons. Of course, all of these were well above the agreed maximum, the agreement having been conveniently ignored in the design of Bismarck. eiu

was considered of no impor-

Ic

German

the RI.M's advice to aircraft.

the standard displacement plus the

equal to

aircraft.

in se\erc finan-

ultics.and his influence with the Nazi

lance lo the

warded

the

"maximum"

load of fuel, stores, ecpiipment, and reserves—

at

in

is

is

i)ecame the Bayer isciic Klugzeug-

company commemorated

the

figure often (|uoied

or "full load" displacement, which

re-

Bf

fighter, the

to rixal fighter

Two

other familiar names present in this vol-

designs and was ordered into production, an

ume

are those of Bofors

e\entual total of o\er 80. 000 being built. Un-

fors

109.

proxed decidedly superior

fortunately, the Bf

1

1

ce]Mion:

Nevertheless

nuiltirolc

combat

fore the

v\\i\

of

was misguided in cono\er

aircraft

6,000

this

war.

liic

Another famous (Fcrman name

World

of

were completed be-

of the

Second

W^ar, the battleship Bismnrck,

is

the rule-bending which permitted

percent of British naval strength and a maxi-

mum

of 35.000 tons per ship.

\\eight of water

being

displaces

it

The method

when

ence of

1922.

of

the

is,

floating, this

weight— had been Washington Naval Confer-

Before

this

in service

form or another, on moiuitings ranging from the crude to the ultra-sophisticated. As our entry jjoints out. it was not a magical weapon, simply an extremely good design— so good, in the latest version, incorporating very

advanced range-finding and able to to

fire

of

the

mounting

fire

control,

and up

proximity-fused ammunition at

300 rounds per minute,

dant

original

is

a direct descen-

weapon.

The Breda

and Dardo target acquisition and fire control system, which have refined the weapon to the stage where it provides effective defense against missiles whose target area is minute compared with that of an aircraft, is its

ccpial to the xessel's

established by the

and Breda. The Bo-

gun has been

also

her construction. In June 1935, the AngloGerman Na\al Treaty limited (iermany to 35

establishing a ship's displacement— that

antiaircraft

over the world since the early 1930s in one

all

fact, that is

featured. .\n intriguing aspect of Bismarck's history

40-mm

-which uses this latest version,

associated

splendidly illustrated.

conference

the

traditional assessment had been "design dis-

Unfortunately, some of Breda's earlier weap-

placement." DifTerent na\

ons, the

ies Iiad

used

differ-

ent rules for arri\ ing at displacement, but

normalh siiip

in\ ol\

ed

under water

c

alculating the

at its

\

olume

it

of a

designed draft and

di-

ian

army

machine gims produced for the Italin the 1920s and 1930s, were far less

satisfactory.

The

curious design features de-

made equipment—

scribed in the Breda machine-gun entry

\iding this figure by 35, the luimber of cubic feet of water ecpial to one ton. The calcula-

these

would take into account the complete ship, armor, armament, plus the crew and their

gun, an adaptation of a Czech design which

tions

weapons poor

battlefield

in stark contrast to the

Bren

light

machine

has seen widespread ser\ ice for over 40 years.

I

Berthier

Berthier

Gun

While the Lebel rifle, adopted in 1X86. gave the French a considerable lead over their contemporaries, it was not long before improved rifles appeared in Germany and Austria and the French had to think again. One of the disadvantages of the Lebel was its tubular maga/ine which was slow to load and prone to damage, and in 1890 .Andre V P M Berthier of The French Colonial Forces (and who later became a General)

French

Carbine Ml 890

Carbine

.^.0.^/6.69

Rifle 07/15

Rifle 19.M

3.06/6.75

3.79/8.38

3.54/7.8!

94..V.'^7.2

9.3.73/36.9

1.30.I.V51.24

108.5/42.7

34/ 17.

44.4.V17.5

79.76/31.4

57.4/22.6

3

^^

s

MI892

rifles.

submitted a design of

rifle

w hich retained

Weight (kg/lb) Length (cm/in

1

Barrel length (cm/in)

4.-;.

Magazine

8.'=;

3

8-

Calibre

mm

Lebel

I.ebel bolt action but allied it to a box magazine based on Mannlicher practice. With the Kilt opened, the magazine could be

Mu/zle

velocity (m/sec/ft/sec)

610/20(X)

disadvantage compared with the five-round

loaded with a clip carrying three cartridges.

a

magazine of the German Mauser, and a new magazine unit was developed to take a fiveround clip. With this change, the rifle now became the Fusil d'lnfanterie Mle 16 and it was shortly followed by a Musqueton Mle 16, a carbine using the five-round magazine. After the war most of the older 1892 model weapons were refurbished and rebuilt to the five-round standard, being identified by the title Mle 92/27. In 1929 a new cartridge, the 7.5-mm (0.294-in) Mle 29. was adopted and as

through a slot in the bottom plate of the magazine. The idea was adopted and a small number of cavalry carbines, the Carabine Mle 90. were issued on a troop trial basis. Some slight changes were made as a result of e.xperience with this carbine and in 1892 came the the

clip

fell

Musqueton d'Artillerie Mle 92. In 1902 a rifle was developed, for issue to native troops in Indo-China, which was more or less a lengthened version of the 1892 Musqueton, and as a result of e.xperience with this weapon came the Fusil des Tirailleurs Senegalais Modele 1907 for use by colonial troops In 1915

it

was

realised that the 1907

rifle,

used in France by various colonial detachments, was a better weapon than the standard I.ebel, and it was put into full scale production for the French army as the Fusil Mle 07/l.s.

Numbers were

also made on contract Remington company in more war experience three-round magazine was at

for the French by the .America. However,

showed

that the

Lebel

8-mm

Lebel 7.5-mm Mle 29

Above: A Besa Mk 3. the simplified version of the Czech designed machine-gun which was mounted in British tanks during and after the

more modification was made to the stock of Berthier rifles and carbines, to suit them to the new calibre. The new version was cumbersomely titled "Fusil DTnfanterie Modele 1907 Transforme 1915 et Modifie 19.34", though this mouthful was generally shortened to the Mle 34. The changes were quite considerable, the Mannlicher magazine being discarded in favour of a staggered-row box magazine of Mauser pattern. It is believed that relatively few of these were made, since the design was superseded by the rifle 1938. in Nevertheless, Berthier rifles and carbines remained in use in the Second World War. a result

MAS

792/26(X)

Besa British tank machine-gun. In 1937 the British

army began lookingfor an air-cooled replacement for the Vickers machine-gim for use in infantry

battalions

Czech ZB

vz/53

and

in

(ajso

tanks, and the the vz/37)

called

designed by Vaclav Holek was chosen. The original intention was to have it redesigned to take the rimmed .303-in (7.7-mm) cartridge, but time was short and it was decided to forgo its infantry application and adopt it for tank use in its original 7.92-mm (0.312-in) chambering, which then required a supply of 7.92-mm ammunition. This was less of a disadvantage for tank use than it would have been had the weapon seen wider application. Arrangements were made to have the

gun manufactured by the BSA company under licence hence the name Besa first

—

issues being

made

—

to the

army

late in

a gas-operated giin with two unusual features. Firstly, the piston left the

gas cylinder on its rearward stroke, so that the gas and the powder fouling were exhausted to the outside, giving a high degree of reliability. Secondly, the barrel recoiled

—

—

Mk

1

15-mm

Mk

(0.3l2in)

(0.590 in)

Second World War. The calibre of 7.92-mm (0.312-in) was retained from the original design since the cost and time necessary to convert to 0.303-in (7.7-mm) was regarded as prohibitive. The Czech gun, known as the ZB vz/37 or vz/53. saw action throughout the world, and similar types of gun were mounted in the Czech tanks used by the Germans The British simplified the

Weight (kg/lb)

21.31/47

.%.69/I25

Length (cm/in)

110/43.5

205/80.75

74/29

146/57.6

design to speed production and cut costs and when additional changes had been made to the Mk 3 it was 20% cheaper than the

Rate of

fire

Muzzle

velocity (m/sec/ft/sec)

original

original

Besa

Mk

1

Barrel length (cm/in)

Feed

225-round belt (rds/min)

1939.

The Besa was

7.92-mm

Gun

716/2350

610/2(K)0

These were forced upwards, through the clip, by a spring, and as the last cartridge was Uiaded

8-mm

the

25-round

1

bell

450 or 750

450

822.9/27{X)

818.3/2685

machine-gun

337

Besal within the gun body and the gun actually fired while the barrel was still returning to its forward position. This meant that the recoil force had to stop the forward movement before it could begin to force the barrel back again, and this, in turn, reduced the recoil force on the gun mounting.

had two rates of original BESA (Mk 450 rds/min or 750 rds/min. achieved by

The fire,

1

)

varying the stroke of the Kilt during recoil. In subsequent marks, which were designed with a vievA to simplifying production, this feature was removed and the gun fired at 750 rds/min only.

A

in 15-mm was also produced in relatively small numbers and used in armoured cars as their primary armament. Derived from the Czech

scaled-up version of the gun

calibre

Bespokojny Russian destroyer class of 1916

ZB

vz/60 heavy machine-gun developed in 1938. and known as the M38(t) 15-mm, it does not seem to have been very popular, though there was an abortive attempt, in H)44. to redesign it as a 20-mm cannon. The 15-mm Besa was declared obsolete in 1949; the 7.92-mm version remained in ser-

Above.The accurate and reliable Besa Mk 1 The cooling fins and pierced barrel casing were removed in later marks, while the early marks were unusual in having two rates of fire. The Besa was phased out of service in the British

vice until the late 1950s.

Army

.See

Azard

MG

in

Betty

Allied

code-name

bomber

BF2C

.See

Dive-bomber

for

G4M,

version

Flic

.lapanese Mitsubishi

of

Curtiss

.See

Goshawk

the 1950s

The Besal Mk 1 showing the Bren magazine feed. Despite being a simple and effective gun it was never developed because Bren manufacture was diversified to factories as far away as Canada

Besal machine-gun. During the Second World War the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield was the sole production source of Bren light machine-guns for the British Army, and in 1941 it was realised rather belatedly that one good air raid on Enfield British

—

—

have extremely serious consequences. began for an alternative design of machine-gun which could be made, in an emergency, by firms unused to gunmaking. A design was produced in 1941 by the Chief Siiperintendeni of Design, but in 1942 a belter design was put forward by the Birmingham .Small Arms company (BSA), a weapon designed by their Mr Harry ct>uld

As

338

a result, a search

Faulkner

and

called the Besal. a gas-operated gun which

initially

The Besal was

resembled the Bren in outward form, using same curved magazine. Internally it was

the

much

simplified,

using square-section bolt

and piston for simplicity in machining, with the boll li)cking by two lugs which entered recesses in the gun body. The original model had a cocking handle at the side, similar to the Bren. while the second versii>n (the Besal Mk 2) cocked by pulling hack on the pistt>l grip, in similar fashion to the Besa gun. Trials were successful and the ilesign was provisionally approved in June 194.1 for production, should the occasion arise. At this

time the gun was renamed the Faulkner gun since it was felt that confusion could arise between Besal and Besa in an emergency. With the design finalized, drav^ings and jigs were prepared and stored, but. in the event, production at Enfield of the Bren gun was never interrupted and thus production of the Besal/Faulkner was never required. No more than about a dozen guns were ever made. Weight: 9.74 kg (21.5

lb)

Length: 1185

mm

mm

Barrel length: 558 (22 in) Magazine capacity: 30 Rate ot fire: 600 rds/min Calibre: 7.7-mm (.303-in) Muzzle velocity: 745

(46.63

in)

m/sec (2450

ft/sec)

Bf 109

MesserA Right: schmitt Bf 109E banks

Bf 109, Messerschmitt and fightci-K)mber. The Mesl(W was one of the greatest combat aircraft of all time, and built in numbers second only to the Soviet 11-2. But nobody would have expected this at the start of the programme, for Willi Messerschmitt was unpopular with the Nazis, his company Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) had never received a single contract from the German government, and none of his engineering staff had any experience with military aircraft. It

German

tiyhloi

serschmitt Bf

away

to port,

showing

the characteristic cliptips, angular fuselage and prominent wing

ped wing

radiators,

of

all

streamlined

in

which were

later

marks.

was only to salve their consciences that, in December \^?'^. the RI.M (German air ministry) included BFW when it sent out a requirement for a new monoplane fighter for the Luftwaffe that was then being formed in secret.

Two of the experienced companies. Arado (Ar 80) and Focke-Wulf (Fw 159). were soon eliminated. Most observers thought the leading fighter firm. Heinkel. would win easily with 'the He 112. But though ten He 112 prototypes were ordered, so were ten of the Bf 109, Designed around the most powerful engine available, the 610-hp Junkers Jumo 2I0A, the 109 was small, slim and rakish, with harsh outlines and a notably small wing with slotted flaps and full-span slats. The sat in a rather ciamped cockpit with side-hinged canopy, and the main landing gears were hinged at the very roots of the wing's single spar and retracted outwards. Because of extreme shortage of the Jumo 210 the first prototype. Bf 109V I. was fitted with a Rolls-Royce Kestrel (giving it a quite different nose appearance). The landing gears were fixed together on the first flight in midSeptember 193,^, by Flugkapitiin 'Bubi' Knotsch. The head of the procurement office. Gen Ernst Udet. scorned the little prototype from Augsburg, saying "That will never make a fighter!"; but he revised his ideas after he flew it, Messerschmitt flew I09V2 in January 19?,6. with Jumo 210 and provision for two 17 machine-guns above the cowling. The V.3, flown in June 1936. 17 firing through the carried a third propeller spinner, the intention being to replace this with a 20-mm Oerlikon FF, In March 1936 the I09B was finally selected over the He 112, and the 109B-0 preproduction series was delivered to the Luftwaffe in February-May 1937, followed by the first quantity-production version, the B-l, This had a 63.s-hp Jumo 210D. fixed-pitch propeller and armament of three 17s, It was followed by the B-2 with 640-hp Jumo 2I0G driving a constant-speed twoblade propeller. By May 1937 both B-l and B2 models were in service with Jagdgruppe (fighter wing) 132 Richthofen at Doberitzand with and 2 JG/88 of the lately formed Legion Kondor in Spain. Spain was the pilot

A

fine-up of factory-fresh

Focke-Wulf

built

Bf 109C-2s await Luftwaffe acceptance at Bremen. was armed with five 17s

MG

the definitive development of the Jumo-engined Bf 109,

The C-2,

RLM

MG

MG

MG

MG

VDM

I

testing-ground of the Bf 109. and when operated in loose 'finger four" sub-units, called Schwarm. the Messerschmitt fighter proved to be the master of all opponents. At the 4th International Flying Meeting at Zurich in late July 1937 the Messerschmitt contingent, which included the new VIOand V13 prototypes with the lOOO-hp DaimlerBenz DB 600Aa engine, swept all before it and walked off with every prize a new fighter could win. In November 1937 Dr Hermann Wurster flew the V13 (re-engined with a boosted DB 601 giving 1650-hp for short periods) to a new world landplane speed record of 61 km/h (379.4 mph). The global impact of the Messerschmitt fighter was so great that the management and shareholders decided to change the name of the company, and on July II. 1938 it became Messerschmitt AG, with Prof Willy Messerschmitt as chairman and managing director. Its subsequent products (ie, not the Bf 109 and 10) thus bore designations prefixed 1

BFW

1

by the

letters

Me,

As production

really got into its stride so design flourished, mainly in improved engines and armament. Prototype V8, which flew at the Zurich meeting, introduced an improved nose shape and a pair of 17s in the outer wing, leading to the I09C-I issued from November 1937, The C-2 17s, and the next model for the had five inventory was the I09D with 1000-hp DB 600Aa of which small batches were issued in the spring of 1938, By this time the Luftwaffe had 12 Jagdgruppen, mainly equipped with 109s of various types, and the 12 new JG formed on July 1, 1938 were to be exclusively 109-equipped, Numbers of the Messerschmitt fighter in front-line duty rose from 571 on September 3, 1938 to 1060 a year later at the start of the

the

basic

MG

MG

Second World War,

By 1939 the entire production effort was 175-hp DB concentrated on the I09F with 1

MG 17 and two wing-mounted MG FF cannon. Output was exceeding the capacity of the Luftwaffe

601

AandeitherfourMG 17ortwo

339

Bf 109 form new JG with about 95^ coming from works at Leipzig and Fieseler at Kassel, boosted (almost doubled) in 1939 by the vast new plant specially built for 109E production at Wiener-Neustadt in Austria. to

the Eria

Despite the need to bolster Luftwaffe strength during the takeover of the Sudetenland in early 1939 some of the first E (EmiT) batches went to the Legion Kondor, but were in time for only the final days of the Spanish war. By the spring of 1939 the Bf I09E was virtually Germany's only fighter, other than the big Zerstorer' (destroyer) Bf 10. and the 1

I09H tmils delivered in the first eight months of 1939 represented over 969f of the singleengined fighter force at the start of the Polish campaign. Incidentally, the aircraft that on April 26, 1939 set a new world speed record (that was to stand for 30 years) at 755. 14 km/h (469.22 mph) was the totally different and highly

dangerous Me 209V though for propaganda purposes it was called 'Me 109R", in the subsequent publicity and official claim, to mislead the world into thinking it was a version of the Luftwaffe fighter. During the first 18 months of the Second World War the entire Luftwaffe singleengined fighter force (the JG wings) was equipped with various sub-types of Bf I09E. It was an adequately fast fighter, with a level speed of around 565 km/h (350 mph) at medium heights, and with extremely good climb and dive speeds (far better than any 1

rival).

The

,

direct-injection

DB

601 engine

which would have made the engine cut in other fighters, and in the hands of a skilled pilot the Emil was extremely hard to beat. Its takeoff and climb away were superior to any other fighter, and the forward position of the landfacilitated

negative-g

manoeuvres,

ing gear enabled landings to be made with vicious braking without fear of nosing over (though a few pilots achieved even this). Where the 109 fell short was in flight handling and manoeuvrability, the basic fault

being extremely heavy control forces at high speeds. Sitting cramped in a difficult position the pilot could not bring his full effort to bear in rolling the aircraft,

and the limited

aircraft at the rate theoretically possible.

The

elevators were also extremely hard to move and the absence of a rudder trimmer made flight extremely tiring (unless one could maintain the exact speed where no rudder was needed). High-speed stalls became prevalent in combat (a new phenomenon in 1939-40), and a worse characteristic was that in violent turns the slats flicked open and shut, causing snatching at the wing-tips, and loss of pilot control. In combat with the fighters of Poland, France and other continental nations the Bf 109E had superior performance, very effecat high speeds,

tive

armament and adequate manoeuvra-

bility to

down

trouble.

The

its

opponents and stay out of

last

point

was

important,

August 1940 some E subtypes still lacked self-sealing tanks and pilot armour. Against the Hurricane there was again a marked superiority in performance, and the 109 could choose whether to join combat or leave in complete safety, but the Hurricane enjoyed better turn radius and when boldly flown could almost always bring its sights to bear. With the Spitfire the match was fairly equal. There was a slight margin in speed in the Spitfire's favour, especially at low levels, but most RAF pilots did not know how hard they could pull g in turns and consequently failed to dogfight to maximum advantage where their lower wing loading gave them a significantly tighter turn radius. At all times the 109's armament, which included from one to three 20-mm cannon, enabled it to strike heavy blows from ranges where the RAF Browning machine-gun was because as

late as

quite inadequate. Despite this, in the Battle of Britain, the 109E was only just able to hold

09 development. One of the distinguishing qualities of a great combat isitsscopefor improvement, and the Bf 109 was progressively developed from the 695-hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel V-powered VI prototype to the final K models, produced In an attempt to rationalize production in the closing stages of the war. When the Allies crossed the Rhine there were still more than 800 Bf 109s on the Luftwaffe strength, and the line had included a series of steadily improved models Bf

travel

of the stick and almost impossibly heavy ailerons at high speeds prevented any but an exceptionally strong pilot from rolling the

own. It was responsible for about 909?^ of the losses of 1172 aircraft in combat, including 631 Hurricanes (out of about 1000 average strength), 403 Spitfires (out of about 600 average) and 115 Blenheim fighters. On the other hand the Luftwaffe lost 610 Bf 109Es, 235 Bf 10 "escort fighters' and 947 of the bombers they were supposed to protect. During 1941 many sub-types of 109E appeared with provision for carrying drop tanks, bombs, overwing tanks, reconnaissance pods, and sundr> other loads. Other versions were armoured for ground attack and were important in the invasion of the its

RAF

1

Soviet Union in June 1941. Power was increased by introducing the l2(X)-hp DB 601N or 1.30(Vhp DB 60IE. and the GM-I system of power-boosting b\ nitrous oxide injection was first used operationally in late sub-types of I09E. The I09T (triiger) was a shipboard version intended for the carrier Graf Zeppelin. .As the ship never commissioned, the T sub-types saw service from airfields. mainU in Norway and Heligoland. On July 10, 1940 a rebuilt Emil acted as prototype to the !09F series, which gradually replaced the E from January 1941. Powered

by the DB 601N. this model was distinguished by rounded wing tips, though span was scarcely altered. In fact the whole airframe was redesigned, with new and better engine different coolant spinner, cowling, fat radiators and ailerons, engine air inlet far out from the side of the fuselage, squat tail with smaller rudder and fully retracting tailwheel. Beyond question the 109F series were the nicest of all 109s to fly. though their armament was often quite light (such as one 15-

mm MG

151

and two synchronized

MG

17s).

some sub-types, such as the I09F-4/RI. two 20-mm MG 151/20 were added in underwing gondolas, in the form that was to become common on the most important 109 In

by

far, the

G, or "Gustav'.

The dominant

characteristic of the Nazi

manatiement of the Second World

War was

1

aircraft

Bf 109F-4/R1

340

Bf 109V1

Bf 109H-1

Bf 109

Above Right: The interior of a Bf 109 cockpit shoeing the reflector sight, handwheel for emergency undercarriage retraction is on the left. Left:Tvnn

artificial

horizon, compass instrumentation and control column. The 1 100-hp DB 601 A inside the nose of a crashed BF 109E-3

MG 17s and

Bf 109B-1

Bf 109D-1

Bf 109K-2

Bf 109G-6/R2

341

Bf 109

The yellow nose on this Bf 109E-3 Emil' of Jagdgeschwader26 was added for rapid identification during the Battle of Britain. Though it out-performed the Hurricane, the E-3 made a poor showing against the Spitfire

A

pilot is assisted into his

El 342

Bf l(WK-l h> his ground crew during the summer of l^.V). Ihe airerafl is p;.. of 2/,l(,. uhiih h.ler heoime 1050-hp I)B 601 engine in place of the unreliahle 1)B 6(M) used in the O series 1

was developed

to use the

8/.l<; n1

I

he

Bf 109

Above: A Bf 109K-4/B of II/JC; 54 (Jruiiher/ ((irecn Heart) on the Eastern Front in 1942. Below: Bf I09K-4S of III/J(; 27 at Carquebut in Northern France in the summer of 1940 plan ahead.

In the belief in the (lightning war) philosophy, no provision had been made for a long-drawnfailure

to

BlitAiiei;'

out campaign. Despite the e.xcellence of the Fw 190. the old Bf l(W continued as chief fighter to the end of the war, alongside such other old types as the Heinkel He H I, Bf 10 and Junkers Ju 88. In the absence of a replacement all Messerschmitt could do with the 109Ci was fit the 1475-hp DB 605 engine and fiddle with fresh armament or equipment. The general result was that, despite the availability of the world's most devastating aircraft weapons, the KWCi became progressively heavier and more sluggish, and ultimately thousands of Gustavs were produced that were long past the point of no return, in that the penalties of their design changes outweighed the intended advantages. No fewer than 2.^ (KK) Gustavs of all sub-types were built, more than the combined total for all Spitfires and Seafires; of these 14212 were delivered in 1944, compared with yearly totals of around 25(X) for 1940-42. This is despite the fact that most of Germany's above-ground industry was being 1

reduced

to ruins

by Allied

air attack.

defend Germany against these attacks, especially the daylight raids by the US 8th Air Force, that most of the G subtypes were developed. Any pretence at makIt

was

to try to

ing superior air-combat fighters was forgotten as the swarms of powerful G models were laden with 250-kg (551 -lb) bombs for use against B-17 and B-24 formations, 21-cm rocket launch tubes, various unconventional gun and rocket installations, and fixed gun armament up to two 13-mm and three 30-mm. Most G models had anti-bomber guns in the form of two 13-mm, two 20-mm and two 30mm, and a few intended for dogfighting had

two 13-mm and two 20-mm in gondolas. The basic problem with the 109G was excessive weight. The DB 605 was a heavy engine, which necessitated a heavier structure and landing gear. Pressurization made the cockpit heavy, and over 240 kg (529 lb) of extra equipment and protection was carried in comparison with a typical F. Use of GM-1

just

or the WM-50 (water-methanol) boost systems, often necessary in encounters with the improving Allied fighters, raised the already high fuel consumption of the big engine, and the 109's brief endurance was reduced seri-

ously unless external tanks were carried. The view from the cockpit, always poor in a 109, was made even worse by heavier canopy framing and the bulges ahead over the breeches of the 131 guns. Worst of all, the heavy 109G needed constant high power, was even more sluggish than previous models and, especially in the hands of the inexperienced pilots that were all the Luftwaffe had left (except for a handful of great masters), could fairly be described as a dangerous mount. Comparative trials with captured 109Gs, mainly the G-6, against the Spitfire LF.IX (Merlin 60-

MG

series). Spitfire

Mustang

XIV

(Griffon 60-series) and

(Packard Merlin) were absolutely decisive in emphasizing that, unlike the Fmil in 1940, the Gustav in 1944 was outclassed by the Allied fighters. Nevertheless, the vast numbers of these heavily armed and very refined machines remained a thorn in the side of the Allies to the end of the war. Several hundred of many III

had been boldly used as night mainly by Hajo Herrman and his band of experienced ex-bomber pilots in 'Wilde Sau" (wild boar) free-ranging tactics using no airborne radar and with only general directions from ground controllers. Their very crudity made them hard to counter by sub-types

fighters,

sophisticated electronics, but JG 300, as the was eventually named, faded by 1944

unit

through attrition. Appreciable numbers of 109s, mainly F-4s, served as the upper (parent) component in the Mistel. composite attack system in which the fighter rode above and steered a pilotless Ju 88 with 3800-kg (8380-lb) hollow-charge warhead, guided by radio to its surface target

The 109 was the subject of numerous other projects that saw little action or failed to come to fruition, examples being the extended-span 109H and twinned (Twin Mustang style) 109Z. The final production series of 109s were the

after separation.

Ks. with

many

subtle airframe changes of

343

Bi 109

Bf 109F-1 cutaway. The F-1, designed around the 1350-hpDR 601 E engine, represented a

major advance over earlier models, clearly demonstrating the 109s capacity for development Introduced into service in March 1941, it had recessed wing radiators for reduced drag, plus other minor modifications which gave greatly improved manoeuvrability and climb 344

Bf 109

Left: Bf 109Fs

on patrol over France. Right:

Romanian ace Alexandre Serbanesco

is congratulated bv his ground crew after returning from a mission in his (i-6/K6. Belo%* Right: Bf 109(i-6/K6 of II/J(i on a base in northern France. This variant of the d-6 was distinguished by the 20-nim M(i 151s under the wings. All (J-6s were designed to have the \er> effective 3<>-mm Mk 108 cannon firing through the airscrew hub, though supply problems sometimes necessitated the use of the 20-mm

MC.

151

345

Bf 109

1

Model Span

Length

Bf 109E-3

9.867

m

9.8996

(32

4i in)

(32

«.642

m

8.849

(28

4; in)

(29

ft

ft

ft

m in)

5^,

m in)

ft

which the more obvious were the "Cialland' canopy, giving better vision, and taller wooden vertical tail, both of which had been introduced on some late Ciustavs. Armament included synchronized MG l.'^ls. and one to three of the heavy but extremely powerful 103. When the Allied armies .3()-mm crossed the Rhine there were over 400 Gs and over 400 Ks still in front-line units, but though hundreds more littered Germany

Bf 109(;-6

Bf 109F-2

9.919

m

(32

6i in)

ft

MK

8.8.S2

m

(29

01 in)

ft

Gross weiKht

2M>5 kg (5875

Ih)

28(K)

kg (6173

lb)

3148 kg (6940

there

Ih)

pilots

Engine

Max

speed

1175-hp

5(S0 ;it

3

2

60IA;i

km/h (348 mph)

4438

(I4*!W)

Armament

DB

m fi)

M(i Fl7.92-mm MG 17 2{)-nini

l2(X)-hp

6(K)

DB

km/h

al 6(KH)

6()IN

mph)

(.^73

m

2

I.S-mm M(.

km/h (386 mph)

621

m

at 69(K)

(22 640

(I9 68S fo

1

DB 605AM

1475-hp

1.^1

7.92-mm MCJ

17

1

(or 2

1

MK

crippling shortage of trained petrol. One of the last,

were young

pupils,

US

and

all

but 15 were

1^1

After 1945 many species of 109 continued notably the F and G of the Swiss of the air force, the G in Finland, the S 12 of Czech air force and the HA- II 09 and in service,

108 \>l)

W

1

the Spanish air force.

346

in this last great fling

8lh Air Force

lost.

20-mm MCi

I3-mm M(i

a

desperate operations was a single mission flown by over 120 late-model 109s of Rammkommando Five (Hajo Herrman's last command) on April 7. I94.*i; nearly all the pilots against the

ft)

30-inm

was

and high-octane

1

Bf 110

Bf 110E-2 fighter-bomber with paired ETC 50 wing racks and twin ETC 500 racks beneath the fuselage

German

multirole fighter. One of the early specifications was for a longrange strategic fighter, with two engines. The chief role was intended to be bomber escort, by day. but the description most often applied was either strategic fighter or 'Zerstorer' (destroyer). The implication was that the big fighter would possess invincible firepower, and by 1937 it was being studied in such roles as ground attack and reconnaissance. From the start the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke was the company involved: the Fw 57. Hs 124 and other types often said to have been livals were in fact designed to the 1934 "Kampfflugzeng" (combat aircraft) require(1934)

having always insisted that the Jumo 210 was inadequate and that even the prototypes must have the 1000-hp DB 600 engine. As a result the Bf lOVl, first flown on May 12, 1936, easily outpaced the contemporary Bf 109 (and thus all other German aircraft) by reaching 5(» km/h (316 mph). Originally the RLM had envisaged a crew of three, comprising pilot, navigator and radio operator/gunner, all under a long glazed canopy, but during design refinement the number was reduced to two. separated by the main fuel tank. Armament was planned as four7.92-mm (0.312-in)MG 17 machine-guns in the nose, plus a manually aimed 15 of aircraft,

Bf 110, Messerschmitt

RLM

ment, which was abandoned. Despite absence of competition the BFW team created an outstandingly good basic

I

MG

the

same

calibre in the rear cockpit. After flying three prototypes, which

were

but markedly inferior to smaller fighters in dogfight manoeuvrability (an important fact that appears to have been ignored), four Bf llOA-0 service-evaluation pleasant to

fly

The Bf 110A-O, with 610-hp Jumo 210B, carried five 7.92-mm mgs, one in the rear cockpit

Bf 110D-3 fighter-bomber with long-range fuel tanks and two 500-kg (1100-lb) bombs in place of two cannon

Bf 110C-4. with two 1100-hp

ment

of

DB

two 20-mm cannon and

601 engines and armafive

machine-guns

Bf 110G-2/R1 fighter-bomber with one 37-mm Flak 18 in gondola and two cannon and four machine-guns

ventral

347

Bf 110

I

The upper nose armament

MG

FF cannon gave

—

machines were built with Jumo 2 10 engines of 610 hp. giving poor performance, followed by by B-0 series which began with the same engine but quickly changed to the DB 600A of 960 hp. By August 1938 the B-1, with DB 60()A and two 20-mm (0.79-in) MG FF cannon added to the nose armament, began to reach the Luftwaffe for trials. Though quite undeveloped and with very new engines, these were beyond question the best longrange fighters in the world at that time, and it is strange that none should ever have been sent to the Legion Kondor in Spain for testing in real war conditions as was planned. In late 19.38 Daimler-Benz swiftly transferred development effort to the more prom-

DB

601 engine, with larger supercharger to give better altitude performance and direct fuel-injection for perfect behaviour in all climates and all manoeuvring attitudes. Messerschmitt (as had become) responded with structural redesign for increased power and weight in the Bf l(K' series, which also introduced a new nose shape and cockpit enclosure and had an airframe simplified in detail and in exterior profile, with clipped wings. It retained main wheels retracting tt) the rear on single legs, coolant radiators in an unusual location under the wings (shared ising

BFW

1

348

—

MG

of the Bf 1 10 four 7.9-mm 17 machine-guns with 1000 rounds per gun combined with tv\o bellj -mounted a heavy weight of centralized firepower. This was later to be an effective weapon against RAF night bombers

with the 109 and Spitfire) immediately ahead of the wing flaps, twin fins and exceptionally

comprehensive radio. Production began in earnest in early 1939 with the C-1, powered by the excellent 100hp DB 601A, followed by the C-2 with revised electrics, C-3 and -4 with improved MG FF cannon, C-5 with reconnaissance camera instead of the cannon, C-6 (1941 conversion) with two 30-mm 18-in) Mk 101 in a ventral gondola and C-7 with wing racks for two .'^(K)-kg (1 KKVlb) bi>mbs. There were many other C conversions including the C1

(

1

.

l/Ul glider tug. With the C-series Goring was able to realise his dream of Zerstorergruppen (destroyer

20-mm

Bf 110 SiC

wings), saying, it

will

be

"The Bf

1

10

and you who

fly

Hannibal's cavalry protecting

like

bombers are my the elephants; the elephants'". As the ZG wings, led by I/ZG under Huth and I/ZG 76 (76 was the famed shark-mouth, wing) under or Haifisch, Reinecke, were assigned all the most experienced pilots from the JG (single-engjned I

there was some friction at clear the ZG concept was a special one to the Nazi leaders. In fact the whole concept had not been fact he basic tact properly thought out. beyond the fighter) first,

wings,

because

that the

110

it

was

was intended

to

enga jngage

in air

Js to try to combat over enemy heartlands protect Luftwaffe bombers. The actual capa10 in a dogfight, and its potential bility of the in bombing and close-support (for example, how it should aim bombs) had not been ;

j

jm^

W '\

1

Experimental mounting of a battery of 12 73-mm RZ 65 rocket tubes, intended for ground under the wing of a Bf I I0VI9. The project was abandoned after tests in October 1942.

attack,

studied.

Moreover,

though

Germany

believed it had a world lead with radar, which by 1938 was in production for use by AA artillery and surface ships, no thought was given to developing an AI (airborne interception) radar for a night fighter, as was being

attempted At the

in Britain.

of the Polish campaign on 1939 the Luftwaffe had 195 /.erstorers on strength, though only the two >A'ings named above were operational, supplemented by the development unit I(Z)/ start

September

LG

I.

I,

whose commander. Grabmann, was

injured because his 10 lacked the manoeuvrability of the Polish P. lie parasol monoplane. Operating mainly in the close-support attack and reconnaissance roles the early ZG wings were encouraged by the Polish campaign, and seemed more than a match for the sporadic and weak aerial opposition. By September 4, there was virtually no effective Polish air force left, nearly all having been destroyed on the first day by the bombers the Bf liOs had escorted. 1

Further encouragement was provided by the foolhardy decision of the RAF to send 22 Wellingtons in a loose formation in daylight to locate and bomb German warsPiips on December 18, 1939 (bombing Germany itself was then not permitted by the British government). Together with l09Es, 16 Bf IOC-Is from I/ZG 76 met the Wellingtons (unknown to the British they were vectored by ground radar) and shot down 12 of the supposedly well-defended British bombers. Many of the I

rest

were badly damaged, two crashing on

was an ideal exercise for the Zerstorer wings, but in fact merely showed that by attacking from abeam a battery of two cannon and four machine-guns arrival in Britain. This

could bring

down

a Wellington.

349

Bf 110

A

Bf 110 ditching in the Channel. The concept of the long-range heavy fighter was a major part of Goring's plan for the air assault on Britain

Again things were ideal for the ZG wings in April 1940 when they were assigned the longrange fighter task covering the invasion of

Denmark and Norway. This was despite many things going seriously wrong, the most notable being the non-arrival (due to bad weather) of the Ju 52 force of paratroops to seize Oslo/Fornebu airport. A flight of Bf llOs of 1/ZG 76. led by Leutnant Hansen, orbited over Fornebu. easily mastering the gallant attempts to ward them off by a handful of Norwegian Gladiators. But eventually they were down to the last of their fuel, and as there were still no Ju 52s, Hansen took the audacious decision to land his Bf 10s at Fornebu and try to capture the airport him1

The

Bf

1

10F-2 was one of the

last of the

self.

Though he had no weapons save

Zerstdrer

subsequent production of the type being concentrated on night-fighter versions. The F series had introduced the 1350-hp DB 601 F to provide a much-needed increase in power, as operational weight had steadily increased with the provision of armour protection for the crew and the fitting of additional equipment (destroyer)

350

1

10s,

the

MG

succeeded in this daring attempt, and held the base until the paratroops eventually descended. In the invasion of the Low Countries and France on May 10, 1940 some 350 Zerstorers did good work on deep missions looking for Allied aircraft and harrying Allied ground forces. On June 1, units of ZG 26 encountered Hurricanes and Spitfires over Dunkerque and had the worst of it. but it took 12 weeks of bitter daylight combat over the Channel and southern England before the Luftwaffe high command recognized what the ZG crews had realized very quickly: that the Bf 10 was no match for the RAF's faster 15s in his rear cockpits he

1

and more manoeuvrable eight-gun fighters. Losses often reached the 509?^ level, and Erprobungsgruppe 210, the trials unit investigating the Bf lIO's potential as an attack bomber, lost 30 aircraft and three commanding officers in just over a month. By the end of the main daylight Battle of Britain over 300 Zerstorers had been lost 235 shot down in combat in six weeks, and from the second week in September the farcical situation had arisen in which the Bf 110 escort fighters were themselves being escorted by the hard-

—

—

Bf 110 _Ui V-j^^-JM

The Rf

1

10 proved sluggish

and un wieldly

in

combat and, following humiliating defeat during the

l()9s. Most ZG wings were then withdrawn from Liiftfiottes 2 and 3 and sent to the Balkans and North Africa, where in the first half of 1941 they again dominated a sky from which Hurricanes and Spitfires were

There

pressed Bf

\irtually absent.

On June

numerous sub-types, most

1

1

Operation Barbarossa began against the Soviet Union, and it was accompanied by a scattering of the onceproud ZG wings. Only ZG 26 Horst Wessel was left, the other Bf 10 units being either relegated to second-line duties pending replacement by the Me 210 or used on the Eastern Front for ground attack. By this time production had switched to the D, E and F series. The D-0 introduced the grotesque 'Dackelbauch' (dachshund belly) 22.

were

being fighter-bombers with bombloads up to 20(K) kg (4410 lb), with two extra racks under the outer wings. Among various weapons introduced with the E and F were the 2 -cm WGr 2 rocket tubes for bringing down heavy bombers in daylight. But production of the Bf 10 fell from 1083 in 1940 to 784 in 1941 and only 580 in 1942. This was because the Me 210 was planned to begin replacing the old Zerstorer from late 1941. But two things happened to bring about a dramatic change of plan. One was the abysmal failure of the Me 210. The other was the mounting weight of

1941

1

tank of lO.'^O-litre (2.^1-Imp gal) capacity, necessitating removal of the cannon. Most Dseries instead had jettisonable underwing tanks of from 300 (66 Imp gal) to 1050 litres each, while others had tanks and bombs. With up to 4123 litres (907 Imp gal) of fuel these aircraft neded a very long takeoff run and were extremely sluggish in the air. The E series introduced the 1200-hp DB 601 N while the F series had the 130-hp DB 60IF.

1

Royal Air assaults on General

Force

Bomber

Germany, almost

Command's all

by

Kammhuber had been

night.

assigned the task of forming the Luftwaffe's previously ignored means of defence against night bombers. In July 1940 he had used the Bf IOC to form the first NJG (Nachtjagdgeschwader, or night fighter) wings, and gradually evolved the Himmelbett (four-poster bed) system in which German airspace was divided into rectilinear boxes each monitored by Wiirzburg ground radar ,>. One radar tracked a British bomber while a second 1

..

Battle of Britain,

was christened 'Goring's

Folly'

tracked the NJG night fighter and controllers strove to bring the two plots into close lineastern.

The system worked well with the low density of British attacks in 1940-42, and the Bf 110 was the ideal night fighter. It was simple and docile, pleasant to fly at night and possessed of adequate range, endurance and firepower; speed was more than enough to catch Wellingtons or even Lancasters. After false starts,

such as the llOD-1/Ul and D-4

with Spanner Anlage infrared sensing equipment, special night-fighter 10s got into production in 1942 with the F-4, which was burdened with a third crew-member and two 30-mm 108 cannon in a ventral pack. The F-4/U was the first production aircraft with 'Schrjige Musik" (jazz music, ie slanting) armament, in the form of two FF cannon installed behind the rear cockpit firing obliquely up and forward at a chosen angle between 70° and 80°, with special sight above the pilot's windscreen. Schriige Musik was to prove deadly against the unprotected bellies of the RAF bombers, and the later 10 sub-types were the main carriers with the Ju 1

MK

I

MG

1

88G

series.

351

Bf 110

view of the pressing need for night and the failure of the Me 210. production of the Bf 110 was enormously accelerated in 1943, while the completely new G series were progressively introduced with In

fighters

DB 605B engines. The Ci-O trials were delivered in late 1942, but during 1943 the G-1 and G-2 entered service, the latter having the two old MG FF cannon under the nos-e replaced by the much harderhitting MG l.sl-20. with two more of the superb Mauser guns in an optional installation under the belly. The rear gunner's old MG 15 was replaced by a pair of fast-firing I475-hp

aircraft

MG 81s,

while later

G

sub-types introduced a

wide diversity of armament including 30-mm 108 cannon and even the 37-mm (1.18-in) (1.46-in) BK 3.7 antitank gun used against tanks on the Eastern front and US heavy bombers over Germany. From the G-4 of May 1943 almost every Bf

MK

1

10

and

was

a night fighter, designed for the job fitted with special sensors and weapons.

The G-4a had FuG 212

I.ichtenstein C-I radar with four Yagi-type dipole aerials carried on struts ahead of the nose. The G-4b carried in addition the FuG 220B Lichtenstein SN-2. with longer wavelength needing a much larger dipole aerial array. There were several other sensing systems, including the deadly

Flensburg that homed on the RAF bombers' tail-warning radars (installed to protect the bombers against night fighters) and Naxos

that

homed on

the bombers'

H;S radar

sets.

Production of the old Bf 110 thus leaped from .s8() in 1942 to l.'^80in 1943. with another l.'^2.'> being delivered in 1944. From mid- 1943, the old ZG groups were brought back from the Eastern Front and thrown into the daylight battle agiiinst the .American heavy bombers over Germany. By the end of .August 1943 12 complete Gruppen had been thus transferred, and at first engiiging only when the LLS.A.AF fighter escort had turned back, the>' wrought havoc uith their heavy cannon and rockets (and with unconventional measures, such as .'^0O-kg (1100-lb) btimbs with time fuzes to break up the disciplined 8th AF Bomb Groups). Often Bf 10s caused the lion's share of US losses, as high as 60 per raid, but on 1

March 16. 1944 the Mustangs and Thunderbolts did not turn back. With extra drop tanks they stayed with the bombers all the way to .Augsburg, and when the 43 Bf llOGs of III/ZG 76 attacked they were hacked to pieces, 26 being shot down and many others subsequently crash-landing. From this time on the Bf 110 was no longer safe in its own sky, with Allied single-engined fighters by

day and Mosquitoes by night. Though a few H-series fighters were delivered in the winter of l944-4.'i they were crippled by bi^mbed airfields and shortage of high-octane fuel and skilled pilots. It was typical of Nazi lack of strategic planning that, of

A captured on

Bf

110G-4b/R3

some

in

6 34 of these 1

RAF markings at RAE Farnborough. Radar

this variant consists of a Lichtenstein C-1 aerial in the

nose centre, and

Lichtenstein SN-2 on Hirschgeweith (stag's antler) mountings. The R3 suffix indicates the replacement of the twin 30-mm MK 108 In the nose

352

BG-1, Great Lakes The US Navy's Great Lakes BG-1 dive-bomber was a development of the Martin T4M torpedo bomber produced after the Great Lakes company was taken over by Martin. Able to carry a 454-kg (1000-lb) bomb, the BG-1 was armed with two 7.62-mm machine-guns. Sixty were produced, nearly half of which were supplied to the

US Marine Corps.

aircraft, much more than half should have been delivered after the basic design was obsolescent, and used for purwhen it was poses never considered designed.

well-liked

except early A, B sub-types) in) Length: (typical, without m (39 ft 8H1 ft 6^ in) Gross weight: (C-4) 7000 kg (15430 lb), (G-4/R3) 9890 kg (21 805 lb) Maximum speed: (A, B) 430 km/h (267 mph), (typical C, D, E, F, G) 550 km/h (342

Wing span:

(all

m

(53 ft 4^ radar) 12.1-12.65

16.25

mph)

BG-1, Great Lakes us naval biplane dive-bomber. When

the

Glenn L Martin company moved to Baltimore in 1928. the Great Lakes Aircraft corporation purchased

its

big plant at Cleveland. its Trainer series

Great Lakes was famed for

of light biplanes, but in 1929-33 it continued production of the Martin T4M for the Navy as the TG-I and also built a series with Hornet engines and improved airframes designated TG-2. In 1932 the Navy required a tandem-seat dive-bomber able to carry a bomb of 454 kg (1000 lb) and Great Lakes built a neat biplane designated XbG-I. It proved to be the only originai combat design by the company, but it won the production order in competition with the Consolidated

XB2Y. Altogether Great Lakes delivered 60 of the production BG-1 to VB-3B in October 1934 and later to Marine squadrons VB-4M and -6M. Powered by a 62.'^-hp Pratt & Whitney R-l.'^3.'^-82 Twin Wasp Junior, the BG-1 was a portly biplane with retractable 353

BH-21, Avia A German Biber, one-man submarine. Over 300 were built by Lubecker Flenderwerft, Lubeck, before the end of the war They were armed with two 53-cm (21 -in) torpedoes and were transported by road on special trailers until they were near their operational area

landing gear. In addition to the

bomb

it

car-

one fixed 0.30-in (7.62-mm) machine-gun and one manually-aimed machine-gun for the ried

observer

in the rear cockpit.

Span: 10.9 m (36 ft) Length 8.76 m (28 ft 9 in) Gross weight: 2872.5 kg (6347 lb) Maximum speed: 302.5 km/h (188 mph)

Czech Czech

From

the foundation of the the creation of the state of Czechoslovakia in 1919, its two lead designers, Paul Benes and Miroslav Hajn, had produced designs as good as the best in any other country. Perhaps their greatest achievement during the 1920s was this excellent single-seat fighter, which evolved by stages from Avia's various submissions to a requirement issued in 1922 by the national defence ministry for a fighter to be powered fighter.

.Avia

company, on

by the Skoda (Hispano-Suizii licence) HS 8Fb V-8 engine of 30(Vhp. Benes and Hajn submitted a remarkable array of five quite dissimilar prototypes in 1923. from which the ministry picked the BH17. an extremely manoeuvrable biplane. The design was criticized, mainly because of limited pilot view, and when in the autumn of 1924 a second batch of BH-17 fighters was ordered Benes and Hajn altered the design considerably. The result was the outstanding BH-21, one of the most nimble and pleasant combat aircraft of all time. Armament was two 7.7 or 7.92-mm Vickers firing through the propeller disc. .About 120 were built for the Czech army/air force, and when the BH-21 won a Belgian air force competition in 192.'> it was built under licence in that country, about 50 being delivered by SABCA. While the basic fighter, designated B-21, remained in service with wheel or ski landing gear until about 1930, when it was replaced by the BH-33. Avia also delivered about 30 of an unarmed aerobatic-trainer version designated BH-22. powered by a IS{>-hp H.S 8Aa engine. One BH-21 was modified as a racer, with clipped wings and 4(K)-hp engine, winning the 1925 Czech air races at 3(X).4 km/h (186.7 mph).

Span. 8.90 m (29 ft 2^ In) Length :6.90 Gross weight: 1075 kg (2369 lb) speed: 240 km/h (149 mph) in)

354

Union, Poland and two countries building it under licence. It was the last BH design from the team of P Benes and M Hajn, who then left Avia to form a new aircraft works. The BH-33 of 1927 was a development of their earlier BH-21, but instead of a watercooled engine it was powered by the 465-hp Bristol Jupiter VI (then going into licensed production at the Czech Walter company), which conferred a speed of 276 km/h (172 mph) and the outstanding rate of climb of m/sec (2165 ft/min). In this form a licence was procured by the Polish government who bought a modified version from the PWS the

Yugoslavia, the

m

(22

ft

7i

Maximum

Soviet last

1

factory.

The

first

variant adopted

army/air force was the

by the Czech

BH-33E

of 1929, in

which the wood structure was changed to steel tube, with fabric covering. Czech military designation was B-33. Batches were exported to the Soviet Union, with helmeted engine cylinders, and similar aircraft were built for the Yugoslav air force by Ikarus at

Zemun. The final BH-33L version switched to the water-cooled Skoda L of 450/525 hp; Czech designation was Ba-33, squadrons using the type until 1935. All versions were armed with two machine-guns, usually 0.30.3-in (7.7-mm) Vickers

Mk

inspired by the British one of which was captured after an abortive attack on Bergen in November 1943. Work began at the Flender yard. Liibeck. in March 1944 on a prototype nicknamed the "Bunte" boat after the head of the shipyard: its code-name was ".Adam". Between May and November. 324 Bibers were built, by various firms. The first operational use of the Biber was on the night of .August 29/30, 1944 against the

Welman

Czech fighter. Though little known, this biplane was a standard combat aircraft with the air forces of Bohemia-Moravia (Czechoslovakia),

BH-21, Avia

The Biber was

BH-33, Avia

28.

Span: 9.5 m (31 ft 2 in) Length: 7 2 m (23 ft 8 in) Gross weight: (-33L) 1627 kg (3588 lb) Maximum speed: (-33L) 300 km/h (186 mph)

Biber class. The Biber (beaver) was one of several "special assault' craft, 'K-Craft" t)r kicine Kampfiuittel produced for local defence during the Second World War. With the Molch (salamanderl il was the smallest of the seven midgets put into production, being designed for one-man operation.

Cjerman midget submarine

craft,

.Allied invasion fleet lying off the Normandy beaches, but it produced little result. Further attacks were made during the winter of 194445 in the Den Helder area. In the Scheldt Estuary they claimed to have damaged 95 000 tons of shipping between December 1944 and May 1945, but in fact they inflicted relatively little damage while sustaining heavy losses themselves. According to British records Biber and Molch craft made 102 sorties, sank no ships and damaged none, although their

mines accounted for 7 ships sunk and 2 damaged, totalling only I6(XX1 tons in all. To achieve this 70 Bibers and Molchs were sunk. On January 5, 1945 three Type VIIC UBoats left Harstadt with Bibers on deck in an unsuccessful attempt to attack the Russian battleship ArkhangheLsk (formerly Royal Sovereifin). which had recently arrived

HMS

Murmansk.

at

When

running on the surface the Biber was driven by a petrol motor at a speed of 65 knots, and could run for 13 hours. When

submerged

the electric

motor drove

it

at 5i

knots for 2] hours. The armament comprised two conventional Ci7e torpedoes slunu below the hull.

Other designs were planned. Biber II and Biber III. uith two operators and larger hulls, and Biber III in particular had a range of 1770

km

(

I

would more formidable weapon.

KM) miles) on the surface, which

have made Neither was

it

a

built.

Displacement: 6.3 tons (surfaced/submerged) Length: 9 m (29 ft 6 m) Beam: 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) Draught: 1 45 m (4 ft 9 in) Machinery: 1-shaft petrol/electric, 32 ihp/13 hp 6^/5 3 knots (surfaced/submerged) Armament 2 53-cm (21 -in) torpedoes or 2 mines Crew: 1

Birch

British torpedo. 'Bidder' was a code-name for a torpedo development project started in 1945. At first a 46-cm (I8-in) weapon had

been envisaged but in 1949 it became 5.'^-cm (21-in), and the name 'Bidder A' was given to the wartime project 'Dealer'. It entered service in the 1950s as the Mk 20, and was used in submarines. It was an electrically-driven homing torpedo with a passive sonar head, and proved to be extremely reliable. After 75 Mk 20 torpedoes had been made by Vickers Armstrong at their Weymouth factory production stopped, as work had progressed meanwhile on a wire-guided veras

project 'Mackle', this scheme drew heavily on German experience v\ith the Spinne torpedo. The initial trials were with Mk torpedoes, and were carried i>ut by Post Office engineers with considerable collaboration from Vickers. The development contract was given in 1956, under the new code-name 'Grog', but when it came into service in 1971 it was known as the Mk 23. The new torpedo was longer than the original Mk 20 to accommodate the guidancewire drum. The dispenser was attached to the torpedo's tail and ejected with the torpedo; after launch it fell away to trail behind the sion.

Started

1

1

submarine's bow. The first torpedo was ready in 1955 and production of the first batch of 25 for trials started four years later. entered service in 1966 but was later It replaced in British submarines by the Mk 24 Tigerfish.

Another project based on the

Mk

Mk

20 was

version, but this was dropped in favour of the Mk 23. The proven reliability of the Mk 20 led Vickers to produce an updated version with wire guidance, for export. Known as the Mk 20 (Improved), it incorporates lightweight the

22,

Range: 11000 m (12000 yds) Running Depth: 3.64 m (12 ft) Turning Circle: 64 m (146 ft) diameter Maximum Homing Depth: 244 m (556 ft) pistol

Bidder

a

cable-set

synchro-mechanisms to enable course and depth data to be fed in by means of a standard NATO 'A' umbilical link, instead of hand-cranking by spindle as before. Trials started in 1970 and the first successful firing was made from a British submarine in 1971.

(Mk 20 (Improved)) Weight: 82^ kg (1809.9 lb) warshot. 746 kg (1644.6 lb) practice Length:4.M m (13.48 ft) Diameter: 53-cm (21-in) Propulsion: Perchloric acid battery or Lead-acid, 20 knots Warhead: 91-kg (200-lb) Torpex with contact

Morecamhe Bay and Mounts Bay were to Portugal, the first pair in

second

Bigbury Bay the

During the

latter part

Second World War the need for

of

antiair-

craft vessels led to the modification, while under construction, of a number of 'Loch'

Class antisubmarine frigates for antiaircraft service. To distinguish the two types the modified ships were given Bay names in place

Loch names originally allotted. The main design changes consisted of

pair

Pacheco cesco

British frigate class.

in

May

the

of two twin 4-in (l()2-mm) DP mountings instead of one single, the addition of an AA director on the bridge and the reduction of the A/S armament, the ships were otherwise basically similar. As completed the armament consisted of a 4-in twin mounting .7-in) in B and X positions, two twin 40-mm mountings amidships, two twin 20-mm (0.79in) AA mountings in the upper bridge wings and a Hedgehog on the forecastle. The 20mountings were later replaced by single 40-mm guns and a few ships had a Squid fitted in place of the Hedgehog. All the ships of the class were laid down in 1944 and completed during 1945-46 except (

1

mm

Morecamhe Bayimd Mounts B«y which were suspended at the end of the war and did not complete until 1949. Two. the Hollesley Bay and Runswick Bay, were cancelled in 1945. Four other suspended vessels, the Cook(c\Pegwell Bay), Dalrymple (,e\-Luce Bay), Dampier (ex- Heme Bay) and Owen (exThurso Bay), were redesigned as survey vessels and transferred to royal dockyards for completion (first pair at Devonport, second pair at Chatham). They commissioned during 1948-50, carried no armament and displaced 1640 tons. A further two, the Alert (ex- Dundrum Bay) and Surprise (ex-Gerrans Bay), were completed in 1946 as Admiralty yachts/despatch vessels with an armament of one twin 4-in and two 40-mm guns only. Both served as Cin-C's yachts, the Alert on the China Station and the Surprise in the Mediterranean. The latter vessel also served as the Royal Yacht during the Coronation Review at Spithead in 1953.

The

Bighury

Bay.

Burghead

Bay

May

1961,

de

Almeida and

sold

1959 and the

renamed

and

Pereira, Alvares Cahral.

Don Fran-

Vasco da

Gama

respectively. The Dalrymple was also sold to Portugal, being renamed Alfonso de Albuquerque, while the Porlock Bay was sold to Finland and renamed Matti Kurki. The remainder of the frigates were sold for scrap in the late 1950s and early 1960s while the survey vessels and yachts survived in subsidiary roles before being scrapped in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

of the fitting

gun

—

Bighury Bay, Owen built by Hall Russell Cardigan Bay, Carnarvon Bay, Padstow Bay built by Henry Robb Enard Bay. Surprise, Dampier built by Smiths Dock Largo Bay. Morecamhe Bay. Mounts Bay, Cook. Dalrymple built by Pickersgill Vervan Baw Burghead Bay, Porlock B«y— built by Charles Hill Alert. Cawsand Bay built by BIyth Dry

—

—

—

—

Dock St Austell Bay. Whit sand Bay. Widemouth Bay. St Brides Bay, Start Bay. Tremadoc

—

Bav. Wigtown Bay built by Harland and Wolff See also Loch Killin Class. Displacement: 1580 tons (standard). 1590 tons {Alert& Surprise) Length:93.67 m (307 ft 4 in) oa Beam: 11.73 m (38 ft 6 in) Draught: 3.89 m (12 ft 9 In) Machinery: 2-shaft triple-expansion engines, 5500 ihp = 19.5 knots Armament:^ 4-in (102-mm) (2x2); 4 40-mm (1.7-in) (2x2); 4 20(0.79-ln) (2x2); 1 Hedgehog ATW Crew; 157

mm

Birch gun self-propelled gun. Named after General Sir Noel Birch, then Master General of the Ordnance, the Birch gun was the British Army's first self-propelled gun. Developed by Vickers, in cooperation with the Royal Artillery, in 1924, it consisted of the chassis and hull of the Vickers Medium tank carrying an I8-pdr Mk 5 gun. This was similar to the standard 18-pdr field gun, a well British

tested weapon from the First World War, but the barrel was slightly longer and heavier. The first model, which was tested in 1925, had the gun protected by a conical turret, but

The S/gbt/o' Say Class frigate St Bride's Bay. The most obvious difference between the Bay' and earlier Loch' Classes was the substitution of twin 4-in (102-mm) DP gun mounts for the original singles

35^

Birch gun was uuiiiu lo add too much weight, ifijs giving the vehicle poor performance, and also restricted the elevation of the gun. The next version mounted the gun on a pedestal and protected it with a small shield. The mounting allowed the gun to be elevated to 8(f, and receiver dials for antiaircraft firing data were provided in addition to the normal direct and indirect fire sights.

Eight of these were built and issued to form one battery of the 9th Field Brigade RA in

1926. In the following year this regiment

part of the Experimental Armoured Force formed to test the various theories of armoured warfare which were being discussed at that time. The role of the Birch gim was defined as being that of a "close support tank battery', an unfortunate choice of terminology which led to some doubt as to whether this was a tank or some sort of artillery piece, though it was indubitably manned by gunners. The weapon was to be used either as an

became

gun. firing direct at obstacles or tanks, or as a close support weapon, sited close behind the front line to give direct covering fire, or behind the line in the normal indirect-fire position. Moreover, artillery should the need arise it could also function as an antiaircraft battery. It must be borne in

The second model of Birch gun (above and below) mounted an I8-pdr QF gun on a pedestal with 80° elevation and sighting equipment for both direct and antiaircraft fire. The chassis was adapted from that of the Vickers Medium tank powered by an 82-hp .Armstrong-Siddeley engine

mind

context.

assault

enemy

that dual-purpose field/AA guns were considered feasible in the mid- 1920s; it was not until aircraft began to fly higher and faster that the concept was abandoned. It is diflicult to obtain an unbiased report on the Birch gun: those who used it spoke well of it. though other sources speak of its mechanical unreliability and poor performance. It was finally abandoned for tactical rather than mechanical reasons. At that time the more vociferous of protagonists armoured forces, such as Liddell Hart. Hobart and Fuller, were apparently advocating a wholesale take-over of the functions of other arms by the tanks, and a projected 'Royal Tank Artillery' was mentioned in this still

356

Understandably, this alarmed the Royal Artillery, who foresaw the possibility that their weapon and function might be taken by another arm. The arguments were extremely involved, and they brought other factors into play

—

—

beside artillery, but the outcome was that in 1930 the Experimental Armoured Force was disbanded, and one of the casualties was the Birch gun. which was officially declared obsolete in September 19.^4. Undoubtedly finance played a large part in the decision. But even if the Birch gun was as mechanically unreliable as its detractors claimed, this was an understandable fault at that stage in its development and the weapon could

almost certainly have been cured of its faults. What is certain is that the Birch gun represented an extremely sound appreciation of the functions of self-propelled artillery and had it been developed further and brought into service in useful numbers, the British Army would have entered the Second World War with an exceptionally useful piece of equipment. As it was they had no selfpropelled guns until 1942, and even then the design was poor in comparison with the original concept.

Length (8

ft)

240

overall: 5.89

Height: 2.55

km

m

(150 miles)

m (8

(19 ft

ft

5

4 in)

Width:2A3 m Crew: 6 Range:

in)

Birmingham Birkenhead British cruiser class.

The two

ships of this

Birkenhead and Chester, were originally ordered from Cammell Liiird by the Greek government and were to have been named Antinauarkos Condouriotis iind Laniclass, the

bros Katsonis. Their design was generally 'Town' Classes, so when they were purchased by Britain, similar to that of the British

under the

War Emergency Programme

in

were given town names. The most marked difference between these vessels and 1915, they

their British sisters

was

the fitting of 5.5-in

(l4(Vmm) guns instead of 6-in (152-mm). Although manufactured by the Coventry Ordnance works, the 5.5-in was not a standard British weapon; however, the gun proved to be very reliable and was subsequently fitted in a number of other RN ships including the Hood. The Biricenhead was fitted with 12 coalfired boilers and had a bunker capacity of 1070 tons. The Chester, however, was fitted with 12 oil-fired boilers, the Greeks having decided to use the two ships to compare the relative merits of the two fuels, and had an oil capacity of 1172 tons. The use of oil fuel allowed for an increase in the machinery power, providing Chester with a Ij-knot advantage over her sister. The two vessels also differed in that

Birkenhead was

fitted

with a vertical stump mainmast while that in Chester WAS raked.

The two ships were laid down at Birkenhead in 1914 and launched in the following year. The Birkenhead completed in September 1915 and the Chester in May 1916. Both served in the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron until 1918 when they were placed in

reserve. The Chester became famous when, as a brand new ship, she fought a somewhat unequal battle with four German cruisers during the Battle of Jutland and narrowly escaped destruction. She was extensively damaged above the waterline by shellfire, having three guns and her fire control gear put out of action. Fifty of her crew were

wounded and another 31 killed, among them 15-year-old Boy Cornwall who received a posthumous VC for remaining at his post on one of the 5.5-in guns, despite being mortally wounded. Both ships were placed in reserve in 1919 and were eventually sold for scrap in 1921. Displacement: 5235 tons; Chester 5185 tons Length: 135 94 m (446 ft); Chester 139.1 4 m (456 ft 6 in) Beam: 15.19 m (49 ft 10 in) Draught: A.72 m (15 ft 6 in); Chester 4.65 m (15 ft 3 in) Machinery: 4-shaft steam turbines, 25000 shp = 25 knots {Chester 3^ 000 shp = 26.5 knots) side; 2 in (51 mm) deck (140-mm) (10x1); 2 3-pdr AA (2x1); 2 21 -in (53-cm) torpedo tubes (2x1 submerged) Crew. 452 (Chester 402)

Protection: 3

in

Armament: 10

(76

mm)

5.5-in

Birmingham. Nottingham and Loweswere laid down in 1912, launched in 1913 and completed in 1914. The fourth unit, Adelaide, was constructed in Australia, being laid down in 1915, launched in 1918 and completed in 1922, when she joined the Royal Australian Navy. On completion, the Lowestoft was fitted with a director tower on a platform below the foretop which, owing to the weight of the equipment, required a tripod foremast. She was employed to test the suitability of the director system for the "Town' Classes generally. The director was subsequently moved up to the roof of the foretop and later her sisters were similarly modified, also having their pole foremasts replaced by tripods. Modifications during the First World War included the fitting of improved searchlight equipment, a 3-in (76-mm) AA gun and the striking of the main topmast (replaced after the war). The Adelaide was similarly modified while under construction, though she varied in some details from her sister ships, among other differences mounting her director on a platform below the foretop. class, toft,

On

Birmingham British cruiser class.

The Birmingham Class

was

the last group of a series of cruisers known collectively as the 'Town" Classes. They were constructed under the 1911/12 Programme and were almost identical to the

previous

Chatham Class except

mounted two

that they

(152-mm) guns on the forecastle instead of one. They were originally designated as 2nd Class cruisers but prior to completion they were reclassified as light

cruisers.

completion the first three ships joined LCS (Light Cruiser Squadron) of the Home (later Grand) Fleet and on August 9, 1914 the Birmingham rammed and sank the V IS off Fair Isle. This was the first German submarine loss of the war. In 1915 they joined the 2nd LCS; Lowestoft transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1916 and in 191718 served in the 8th LCS of the Adriatic Force. Nottingham fought at the Dogger Bank and Jutland but was sunk in the North Sea on August 19. 1916 by two torpedoes from the German submarine US2. Birmingham was flagship of the 2nd LCS until the

6-in

Tlie first three ships of the

1st

The Birkenhead C\ass cruiser placed

in

reserve

in

C/jesfer after being 1919. Originally ordered by

Greece as the Lambros Katsonis, the Chester was severely damaged during an encounter with four

German cruisers at the

Battle of Jutland

357

Birmingham

Birmingham HMS Birmingham (opposite) in

1921 and Lowestoft (below) in 1929 rigged with tropical awnings during their careers with the Africa

Nottingham was the North Sea in 1916, while the RAN cruiser Adelaide served most of her career in Australian and Far Eastern waters. Almost identical to the 2nd Class cruisers of the preceding Town' Classes, both Birmingham and Z.owestoftwere eventually sold for scrap: Station. Their sister

torpedoed and sunk

in

Lowestoft \s shown (opposite below) moored alongside HMS Dartmouth of the Weymouth Class in 1931, after both ships had had their

armament removed

war and also fought at the Dogger Bank and Jutland. The surviving pair served on the South Atlantic Station from 1919 and after a spell in reserve were sold for the end of the

scrap

in

1931.

The Adelaide served almost her

entire life

and Far Eastern waters. During 1938-39 she was refitted, having her two forward boilers and forefunnel removed and the remaining boilers converted from coal to oil firing. The two 6-in (152-mm) guns on the forecastle were replaced by a single 6-in on the centre line and three 4-in (I02-mm) AA guns and an A A director were fitted. The 3-in AA gun and submerged torpedo tubes were removed. During the Second World War she was employed mainly on escort duties. She in Australian

was

sold for scrap in 1949.

Birmingham

by Armstrong by Chatham dockyard Nottingham built by Pembroke dockyard Adelaide built by Cockatoo dockyard Lowestoft

built

built

Displacement: 5440 tons; Adelaide 5500 tons Length: 139.29 m (457 ft); Adelaide 141.05 m (462 ft 9 in) Seam. 15.09 m (49 ft 6 in); Adelaide 152.35 m (49 ft 9 in) Draught: 4.88 m (16 ft) Machinery: 2-shaft steam turbines, 22000 shp = 24.75 knots; Adelaide 25000 shp = 25.5 knots Protection:76 mm (3 in) side; 50 mm (2 in) deck Armament: 9 6-in (152-mm) (9x1); 2 21-in (53-cm) torpedo tubes (submerged) Crew: 400

359

Bishop with a large square armoured box inside which the 25-pdr gun was installed, using as many components of the original field carriage as possible. Due to this and to the armour structure, the gim was restricted to a 5° to + 15°, and a range of elevation from

of which

traverse of 4° either side of center-line. This restricted the maximum range of- the gun to only 5»50 (6400 yards), less than half that

(4.1-in) self-propelled

it

Bishop British self-propelled gun.

The

official desig-

QF

25-pdr Mk 2 or 3 on nation. 'Ordnance Carrier Valentine 25-pdr Gun Mk I", fairly Niims up this weapon. The design was called for by the 8th .Army after their experience of various German self-propelled weapons, and It was pr.'duced very rapidly, the first units

being sent to serve with the British forces North Africa in ine middle of 1942. The modification of the Valentine tank consisted of removing the turret and replacing

in

—

m

it

was capable on a

field carriage.

One hundred equipments were

built,

and

after service in the North African and Tunisian campaigns, they saw service in Sicily and in the early stages of the Italian cam-

US Priest 105-mm gun was available in sufficient numbers to replace Bishop and it was withdrawn. It was officially declared obsolete in October 1944. paign.

By

that time the

Weight: 17.2 tons Length: 5.5 m (18 ft 2 Width: 2.6 m (8 ft 7^ in) Height: 2.7 m (9 ft 1 Crew: 4 Range: 145 km (90 miles)

Bisley British

Blenheim

Mk

bomber development IV

in) in)

of Bristol

See Blenheim,

Bristol

The Bishop SP gun, mounting a 25-pdr gun in a box turret on a Valentine tank chassis,

was

signed for use

Rear view of a Bishop, showing the armoured doors which could be left open for ventilation and which also made reloading quicker. Spare ammunition was carried in a towed limber. Bishops were used in North Africa and Sicily, before being replaced by Sextons and Priests

360

in

hurriedly de-

North Africa

Bismarck Bismarck battleship. Under the terms of the Anglo-German Naval Treaty of 1935, Germany was permitted to build up her naval strength to ^5% of that of the Royal Navy. Shortly afterwards the German government decided on the construction of two new battleships which under the terms of the Treaty were limited to a maximum displacement of 35 000 tons standard. The ships were to be armed with a twin 38-cm (15-in) gim mounting which had been under development by Krupp since 1934. Design work, based on

German

started in 1933, began almost studies immediately and it soon became clear that the requirements for the new ships could not be accommodated within the specified 35 000 tons. The Treaty terms were therefore ignored and the final design was for ships exceeding 40000 tons. In 1938 the Treaty limit was raised to 45 000 tons, which theoretically legiilized the design, but

by her action

Germany had gained a two-year advantage. The design of the new ships, which became the Bismarck and Tirpitz, was a mixture of both advanced and dated features, for although the German steel and armament industries had made substantial progress since 1919, ideas on general battleship construction had changed little. The best features were the use of a new high-tensile steel in a hull that was 90% welded, which resulted in a substantial saving of weight, the fitting of a very advanced fire-control system and an excellent armament. The beam was comparatively wide, which theoretically allowed more space for underwater protection compartments abreast of the magazines and machin-

The Bismarck s«en from She has camouflage

the

Prim Eugen at

stripes painted

on her

the beginning of her final cruise

hull

ery, but this area was not utilized to its full advantage and the structural arrangements for torpedo defence differed little from those employed in the First World War. The distribution of the

layout

was

armour and the machinery

similarly

reminiscent of First

World War practice and did not compare well with the systems employed in the battleships of other naval powers. The machinery itself, although efficient, absorbed a large amount of space and weight, this being partly due to a

and superstructure

to

on

May

20, 1941.

break up her silhouette

amount of auxiliary machinery which included one of the better features large generating capacity of 7910 kW. The oil fuel capacity was also high at 6500 tons (a figure exceeded only by the US battleships, substantial

—

designed to operate in the vast area of the Pacific) which gave an endurance of 9280 nautical miles at 16 knots. Contracts for the two ships 1936, the

Bismarckheing

of that year at the

Blohm

were placed

down on

in

July und Voss yard in

laid

I

The Bismarckshomng the profile, topsides and hold plan. The honeycomb of bulkheads enabled her to stay afloat despite severe shell damage, and she had finally to be sunk by torpedoes

Profile

Hold plan

361

Bismarck

Hamburg and launched in Februar\ 14. 1939. She was commissioned on August 24, 1940 and immediately began an extensive programme of trials and tniining which continued until May 1941. In that month, in company with

the cruiser Prinz Eugeiu she and disrupt the routes. It was hoped to break

sailed for the .Atlantic to raid

Allied

convoy

out undetected, but late on May 23, while passing in fog through the Denmark Straits, they were sighted by the British cruiser Suffolk. She was soon joined by a second cruiser, the Norfolk, and despite efforts to

shake them off the British cruisers began to shadow and report on the Bismarck's position.

On the morning of May 24, two heavy ships appeared from the southeast and at 0532 the leading vessel, the battlecruiser Hood, opened fire on Prinz Eugen at a range of 24 232 (26 500 yards). The second ship.

m

Below: Crewmen aboard the Prinz Eugen watch supplies taken on board the Bismarck

362

Bismarck the battleship Prime of Wales, opened fire shortly afterwards while the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen replied at 0535 hrs, both firing on the Hood. The Bismarck straddled her target with her third and fifth salvos, the latter achieving one or two hits. At 060! hrs the after magazines of the British flagship exploded. She broke in two and sank in three minutes, leaving only three survivors. Fire was shifted to Prince of Wales but after about ten minutes the British ship broke off the action and retired.

Bismarck had been hit by three 14-in (355shells from the Prince of Wales one damaged and contaminated an oil fuel tank, another hit the side armour and caused a leak which later put one boiler-room and one

—

mm)

dynamo

/4£)ove.The 10.5-cm Flak turret at its maximum angle of roll. The tri-axial mounting not only ensured that the gun remained on target when the ship was in a heavy sea, but also gave the gun crew a stable platform

Left.

out of action, while the third

The 10.5-cm

turret

showing

the crew access hatch. The Bismarckhad 16 such turrets. Buffers for the recoil mechanism are housed in an armoured fairing above the turret, while the two armoured crew positions at the front of the turret also house the optical

hit

did

no important damage. The contaminated oil reduced the ships endurance and the loss of one boiler-room reduced the speed by 2 knots, so it was decided to call off the operation and make for St Nazaire for repairs. The Prinz Eugen was undamaged, and later that day she separated from the Bismarck and continued into the Atlantic. On the evening of May 24, Bismarck was attacked by Swordfish aircraft from the carrier Victorious and was hit by one torpedo, but no serious damage was done. Later that night she managed to evade her shadowers, and by making a wide sweep to the west, remained undetected until 1030 hrs on the 26th. when she was sighted by a Catalina

equipment

for

each gun

Bismarck

amidships caused only minor damage but the second hit the stern and seriously damaged the steering gear. With both rudders jammed 15° to port she began steaming in circles, and then, using her propeller revolutions, started steering an erratic course to the northwest towards the oncoming enemy. During the night she was attacked by destroyers of the 4th Flotilla, but they achieved little apart from the disruption of attempts to repair the

—

steering gear.

On the morning of May 27, 1941 two battleships appeared on the northern horizon, the King George \/(Flag, Admiral Tovey, Cin-C, Home Fleet) and Rodney. The latter vessel opened fire at 0847 hrs, followed one minute later by the flagship. At 0849 Bismarck replied and straddled the Rodney with her second salvo. However, she was straddled herself by Rodney's third and fourth salvos and a hit from the latter put A turret out of action. Five minutes later, at 0857, a direct hit put B turret out of action. Another hit

destroyed the forward

command

post,

most of the senior officers, and shortly afterwards the main fire-control positions, both forward and aft, were also destroyed. By 0920 only X turret, under local control, remained in action and by 0940 the ship was silent. First Rodney and then King George V closed and fired on her at the point-blank

killing

m

(3000-40
range

When

See also

Tirpitz.

Displacement: 4\ 700 tons Length:2S^ m (823 ft m (118 ft) Draught:9.3vn (30 7 in) Machinery: 3-shaH. geared steam turbines. 150000 shp-31 knots Protection: 322 mm (12.6 in) sides; 360 mm (14 in) turrets; 220 mm (9 in) barbettes; 51-120 mm (2-4 7 in) decks Armament: 8 38-cm (15-in) (4^2); 12 15-cm (5.9-in) (6x2); 16 10.5-cm (4 1-in) AA (8' 2); 16 37-mm AA (8x2); 12 20-mm AA Aircraft: 6 Crew: 1962

6in)oa Beam:36

The

Bismarck,

1939,

which italtic.

364

launched

«in

February

14,

seen here during her extensivi- trials, were carried out from Kiel, in (he between August 1940 and Ma> 1941

is

Bismarck The Bismarck viias one of three Schlachtschiffe capital ships projected by the German navy before 1939. Two were built the other was TIrpitz and one was broken up on the stocks in 1948-57. They were the heaviest vessels built by the Germans but to comply with the Washington Treaty their weight was originally announced as 35 000 tons. In reality the S/smarc^ displaced 41 700 tons and the Tirpitz42 900 tons. While the former had a brief but dramatic career during which she sank the battle cruiser Hood, the latter remained in Norwegian waters until she was sunk in 1944

—

X«*'^*T^

—

P

365

Bison

•

/^

\ Bison, Myasishchev Mya-4 strategic homber. reconnaissance and tanker. Bison, also known as M4. 201-M and Molot (Hammer), was Russia's first jet-powered strategic bomber. A contemporary of the USAF Strategic Air Command's Boeing B-52 Stratofortress and designed, like the turboprop Tupolev Tu-95 Bear, as a replacement for the piston-engined Tu-4 Bull, it has been developed with different powerplants and equipment standards. Design began at Stalin's insistence in 1949, when no suitable large Russian jet engines were available, and the first prototype flew in 1953. The type made its public debut the following year and entered service with the ADD (Long-Range Aviation) in 1955-56. The initial variant. Bison A, was powered by four Mikulin AM-3M turbojets producing some 8700 kg (19000 lb) of thrust each. The aircraft was designed for an unrefuelled range of 16000 km (10000 miles), which would allow it to attack continental US targets and return, but it fell some 7000 km

23-mm

Russian

to eight

aircraft

pairs in remotely controlled barbettes, crew of six was carried.

(4350 miles) short of this goal. A load of freefall conventional or nuclear weapons weighing 4500 kg ( 10 000 lb) could be carried some 5600 km (3500 miles) on a typical mission. Up

(0.9-in)

cannon were

fitted in

and a

(22000 lb) to a height of more than 15 000 m (50000 ft). Bison C carries the same

B was the first maritime-patrol vermaking its appearance in the early 1960s. The glazed bomb-aimer's position, a

defensive armament as its immediate predecessor: three twin-cannon barbettes.

distinctive feature in the nose of

Aircraft in service with the AV-MF in 1978 (Naval Aviation) carry a Puff Ball search radar for seeking out targets to be attacked

Bison

sion,

all

Russian

bombers of

the period, was replaced by a surveillance radar, and a flight-refuelling probe was installed in front of the cockpit.

Bison Bs can themselves act as tankers, with tanks and the hose-reel installed in the

weapon bay. The definitive Bison C

variant

by four Soloviev D-I5 engines

is

powered

in place of the

type. Thrust is increased to ah)Out 000 kg (28600 lb) per engine and wingspan

earlier 13 is

increased slightly to accommodate powerplant. A more pointed nose

fatter

the fair-

ing carries the refuelling probe at its tip rather than on top, and an observation window is let into the underside of the nose behind the radome. In 1959 a / Bison powered by j D-I5s carried a load of 10000 kg

/

y

Bison C, powered by Soloviev D-15 turbofan engines, with its redesigned nose and refuelling probe at the tip. The nose contains PufT Ball nose radar with a prone bombing/observation position aft - observation and gunnery aiming domed windows are aft of the cockpit. Short Horn bombing and na\igation radar and Bee Hind tail-warning radar are also carried. In 1959 a Bison C established seven payload-to-height records

366

Bfsson

life as a jet bomber, remained in service with the Soviet air force in 1978 as a maritime reconnaissance aircraft and flying tanker. The original Bison-A appeared at the Moscow May Day in 1954: a Bison-B was identified in 1964 and the definitive C variant (illustrated) in 1967. About 50 As have been converted into tankers for the Tupolev Backfire

The M-4 Bison, which began

by the addition of 47-mm (3-in)

antiaircraft

guns,

(1.9-in) or

75-mm

machine-guns and

a

Bee Hind tail-warning radar.

Numerous

bulges cover other sensor equipment, and Bisons are being used increasingly to ferret out information concerning Western naval and land-based radars. Bison C (estimated) Span: 51.8 m (170 ft) Length: 49.4 m (1 62 ft) Gross weight: 1 65 000 kg (360000 lb) Max speed: 1000 km/h (625 mph)

Bisson French destroyer

class.

Following on the

B(>Mc7/Vr Class, a further six destroyers of the

800-ton type were ordered by the French in 1910. More control was exercised over the design, and four ships were built in naval yards to the design of the Section Technique, but the other two followed the practice of the two private yards which built

navy

them.

The Magon had a clipper bow, and the Commandant Lucas had a tripod, with its legs trailing forward.

The two

privately-built

ships had lower funnels than the others, and the Bisson was given a cowl on the foremost funnel during the First World War, to keep fumes away from the bridge. As with other destroyers the armament was strengthened

Name

laid

German

in the Channel. On and the British destroyers

forces

March

189.3 100-mm gun used in this had a muzzle velocity of 710 m/sec (2329 ft/sec); the shell weighed .7 kg (3.7 lb) and had a range of 9000 m (29527 ft). Its rate of fire was 5 to 7 rounds per minute. The Model 1902 65-mm fired 10-12 rounds per minute and had a range of 5-6000 m (1640019685 ft). The Bisson served with the 1st Flotilla at Brindisi from 1915 to 1917, escorting convoys between Italy and Montenegro. She took part in a raid on Lagosta on August 7, 1915 and six days later sank the Austrian U VII with gunfire. In August 1916 and May 1917 she was in action against Austro-Hungarian surface forces in the Adriatic. She was moved to Mudros in 1918 and accompanied French units sent into the Black Sea in 1919 to support General Wrangel's White Russian forces. For her war record she was awarded the Croix de Guerre Pendant. The Commandant Lucas, Protet, Mangini and Renaudin were also based at Brindisi from 1915, but on March 18, 1916 the Renaudin broke in half after being torpedoed by the Austrian U VI off Durazzo (now Dubrovnik). The Protet and Mangini went to the Black Sea with the Bisson, the Mangini being the first French warship to anchor at Constantinople after the Turks had sued for an armistice. The Magon was the only member of the class to serve in northern waters, being transferred there from Brindisi at the end of

Botha and Morris, as well as the Bouclieriind

class

launched missiles, a Short Horn bombing and navigation radar, and

at

with

depth charges.

The Model

by surface-

Dunkerque, and had several brushes

based

1

1916.

down

From December

of that year she

was

21, 1918 she

Capitaine Mehi, sank the torpedo boats

and

A

7

A

19 in a fierce night action off the Belgian coast. A special commission was convened in July 1919 to examine the material state of French destroyers. Its findings made depressing reading: fundamental weaknesses of design were revealed, due partly to the lack of official supervision of the builders, but also to lack of continuity. In the case of the BissonCkiss. decks needed strengthening and there was a noticeable weakness in the structure of the bow. The committee also noted that the hull-design of the earlier Cimeterre and Commandant Riviere types was better than the official Bisson design. Despite these strictures the five survivors were too new to be scrapped. The Magon was the first to be condemned, in 1926, but the other four were not stricken until 1933-34. The Protet became a tender to the Signals School between 1921 and 1932, and was not sold for scrapping until 1936. The Bisson remained in existence as a hulk until 1939. See also Bouclier Class.

Displacement: 850-880 tons (designed) Length: 78.1

m

(250

Draught:

pp Beam: 8.63 m (28 ft 4 in) 2-shaft ft 2 in) Machinery: turbines, 15000 shp=30 knots 7

ft

3.1

direct-drive

m

in)

(10

Armament: 2 100-mm

(3.9-in)/45 cal: 4

65-mm

(added 1915-16) 1 47-mm (1.9-in) or 75-mm (3-in) AA; 2 8-mm (0.31 2-in) machineguns; 8 depth charaes Crew: 80-83 (2.5-in)/45 cal;

launched

completed

builders

Bisson

1/1911

9/1912

1913

Toulon dockyard

Renaudin

2/1911

3/1913

7/1913

Toulon dockyard

Commandant Lucas

2/1912

7/1914

1914

Toulon dockyard

Protet

7/1912

10/1913

1914

Rochefort dockyard

Mangini

1911

3/1913

1914

Schneider

Magon

1911

4/1913

1/1914

.A

*

& Ch de

formerly

Bretagne, Nantes*

Ch de

la

Brosse

&

Fouche 367

Bittern

Bittern British sloop class. The design of these ships was prepared in 1933 as an advanced version of the Grimsby Class sloops. By increasing the displacement of the earlier class by only 200 tons it was possible to fit two more 4.7-in (120-mm) gims and increase the machinery power from 2(X)0 to 33(X) shp. adding over 2 knots to the speed. One unit was provided for

under each of the Naval Construction Pro-

grammes of 1933, 19.34 and 193.'^, but none was completed to the original design. The first ship, built by J Brown, was to have been named Bilteni, but was renamed Enchantress when it was decided to convert her into an .Admiralty yacht. She was com193.'^ without the two after 4.7-in mountings w hich had been replaced by additional deck houses to increase the accommodation. The second ship. Stork, built by Denny, was completed as an unarmed survey

pleted in

vessel in 1936. The third ship, the Bittern, had her armament layout completely revised and was completed in 1937 as an AA/AS

modifications to Stork and Enchantress included the fitting of radar and 20-mm (0.7in) AA guns, v^ hile Stork was also fitted with a lattice foremast and had B 4-in mounting replaced by a Hedgehog ATW. The Bittern was an early war loss, being bombed and sunk by German dive btimbers

Namsos. Norway, on

April 30, 1940. Her the war and served mainly as A/S escorts, a role they performed moderately successfully. While with the 36th Escort Group the Stork sank the submarine U.'>74. on December 19, 1941, and the 2^2. on April 14. 1942. The Enchantress sank the

off

sister

ships

survived

U

Italian submarine Corallo in the Western Mediterranean in December 1942. The Enchantress was sold into merchant service in 1946 and the Stork was finally sold for scrap in

1958.

Displacement:M90 tons Length: 85.9 m (282 ft) oa Beam: 1 1 .3 m (37 ft) Draught: 2.5 m (8 ft 3 in) Machinery: 2-shaft geared steam turbines, 3300 shp= 18.75 knots Armament: 6 4-in (102mm) (3x2); 4 0.5-in (13-mm) (1x4) Crew: 125

Above: The Bittern Class sloop Enchantress, originally named Bittern, was renamed as an Admiralty yacht during construction but refitted as an escort in 1939. The Stork was also rearmed as an escort in 1939-40 after being completed in 1935 as an unarmed survey vessel, and is shown below with the same basic

armament

as the Enchantress but with a radar tower erected forward of

The

principal change was the fitting of (102-mm) DP gun mountings, two forward and one aft. A high-angle director tower was fitted on the bridge, and to provide a steady gun platform for AA fire she was

escort.

3 twin 4-in

with fin stabilizers. This was a formidable armament for a ship of her size, and the design proved so successful that it provided the basis for the subsequent Ef^ret und Black Swan Classes. fitted

The Stork was converted back

into an

escort sloop during 1938-39 and emerged with the same armament as the Bittern. The Enchantress was refitted as an escort shortly after the outbreak of war, having the deck

houses aft removed and two quad 0..5-in (13mm) gun moniilings fitted in X position and a 3-in (76-mm) .AA gun in Y position. War

368

X gun

position

BL 755 The

first of three pre-production Breguet Bizerte long-range reconnaissance flying boats, showing the open bow gun position which was eliminated in favour of an elongated cockpit canopy in all later models

Bizerte,

Breguet

French reconnaissance flying boat. In 193234 Breguet built about 15 reconnaissance navy flying boats for the French (Aeronavale). using as a basic design the Short Calcutta transport for which the company had bought a licence. From the military Calcutta. Breguet then developed a much larger, heavier and more powerful threeengined flying boat planned from the outset to meet .Aeronavale requirements. The result, the Br 521 Bizerte (named after the Tunisian city), was the chief French ocean-patrol flying boat at the outbreak of the Second

World War.

A

tough, all-metal machine, the Bizerte was powered by three 900-hp Gnome-Rhone 14 Kirs (Mistral Major) radial engines, mounted between the unequal-span biplane wings. The prototype flew in September 1933, 1935.

and production aircraft followed in late From the second production machine

was rearranged, all the subsequent examples having the bow gun position replaced by a forward extension of the flightdeck glazing which overhung the bow (though the two pilots remained in their original position, each having no view except ahead and to his own side). Five 7.5-mm (.300-in) Darne machine-guns were mounted in front and rear positions on each side of the hull and a cockpit behind the lofty rudder. Racks under the short lower wing carried

the hull

bombs

Span: 35.15 m (1 1 5 ft 4 in) Length: 20.48 m (67 ft Gross weight: 16600 kg (3660 lb) Maximum speed: 242 km/h (151mph)

2i in)

Bjoerg^in

Norwegian

class

coast

defence ship See Gorgon

BL 755 British

aircraft

cluster

bomb. One of

the

ways of increasing attack on ground

lethality of a single-pass

By early 1940 about 32 had been delivered, serving with patrol squadrons El, 2, 3, 5 and 9. About half were still serviceable after June 1940, and some were used for air/sea rescue by the Luftwaffe. At least one survived to serve with the Aeronavale as a communications aircraft after being discovered in the

targets, such as troops, soft-skinned vehicles and armour, is to drop a cluster bomb. This contains a number of bomblets which, at a safe distance from the aircraft, are scattered over a wide area. One of the best and most widely used cluster bombs is the BL 755, developed and produced by Hunting Engineering in partnership with the Royal Ordnance Factory at Glascoed. The BL 755 has been fitted to numer-

Mediterranean

ous European and

US combat

four 75-kg (165-lb)

or other stores.

Though endurance was under ing berths were provided for

12

hours sleep-

some of

the 7-9

crew members.

in

1944.

aircraft.

369

Blackbird Each BL 755 can be carried inlernally or on LXtemal single or twin racks. After release, the air-arming vane on the nose swiftly trigtiers the Safety Arming and Functioning Unit md the breech assembly of the gas-pressure >\stem which strips off the two half-skins over the centre section and extends the inner lailfins. The 147 bomblets are then ejected in rapid sequence. Each extends stabilizing fins and a nose probe and the result is a controlled cloud covering a predetermined area. The BL 755 has been sho\^n to be many limes more effective against typical battletargets than individual bombs or rockets. The weapon has been in use by the RAF (since l*)70). six major air forces and various other countries.

field

NATO

Body diameter: 419 (96 in) Loaded

mm

mm

(16i in)

Length: 2436

weight: 272 kg (600

lb)

Blackbird, SR-71

A- 1

Lockheed

L'S reconnaissance and experimental fighter. 29. 1964 President Johnson announced that, in complete secrecy, the United States had built and tested an aircraft called the Lockheed .All" which had reached sustained speeds exceeding .^2(K) km/h (20(X) mph). Thus did the world learn of one of the most remarkable technical accomplishments i"n the history of aviation, and the remarkable secrecy was explained by the fact that the original purpose was the clandestine one of replacing the U-2 as a platform for multi-sensor overflights. Like was designed and built by the U-2, the .Athe special team in Lockheed's "Skunk Works" led by Clarence L 'Kelly" Johnson, vice-president for advanced development projects.

On February

1

1

appears

designation.

1

by air pressure after being sprung open, and the bomblets are ejected in sequence by gas bags which burst the restraining straps

/.eft.- BL 755 cluster bombs, two under each wing and one slung below the fuselage

of

an

F- 104

Starfighter

370

been

a

cover-

nacelle.

Almost the entire

of special titanium alloy, never before used for an airframe, and except for avionics and equipment bays, the tandemseat cockpit and bays for the triple-wheel landing gears, the entire aircraft fornis an integral tank for special JP-7 fuel. The YF-I2.A version was a research interceptor, a small batch being built with ASG-18 'look-down' pulse-doppler radar, IR sensors on each side of the fuselage and an internal bay for eight Hughes AIM-47 long-range missiles. The USAF tests were followed by research with NASA. The main production centred on the SR71 A. a longer and heavier aircraft deployed by the USAF 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale .AFB, California, in partnership with KC-I.^5Q tankers. The SR has sharp chines along the sides of the fuselage to increase directional stability and differs from the YF in many respects. The crew comprise pilot and RSO (reconnaissance systems operator), who are checked as carefully as astronauts to ensure their fitness for each mission. They can cover over 259 000 square kilometres (l(X)(XX) sq miles) from 244(K1 m (80(XX1 ft) each hour of their mission, which can last three hours without air-fuelling. The most recent of many Blackbird records are: 3357 km/h (2086 mph) round a IO
off

have

military versions bear

US .Air Force designations YF-12.A. a research fighter, and SR-71 A and B. strategic reconnaissance aircraft. The popular name Blackbird for all these aircraft stems from the indigo-blue (virtually black) high-emissivity paint that helps radiate heat from the skin in supersonic cruising flight. From the outset enormous" technical problems had to be overcome with these aircraft, because they were designed to cruise at Mach ?> in conditions that rendered previous airframes, transparencies, radomes. electronics ?nd hydraulic fluids unserviceable. The basic design is a tailless delta, with thin biconvex wing covering the rear half of the slender fuselage. Two Pratt & Whitney J58 by-pass turbojets. each in the over- 1.^600 kg (.^0000 lb) class, are centred on the wings in large nacelles with variable spike inlets and afterburner nozzles which glow white-hot in cruising flight. Over 70^ of the thrust is generated by the inlet, and only 179?^ by the engine. An inward-sloping vertical t;ul is mounted on each

Above: The BL 755 dispenses 147 bomblets in a cloud to saturate the target on the shotgun principle The casing is stripped

to

Known

is

Blackbird

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was originally

developed under the cover 1 and YF-1 2 as a

designation A-1

supposed high-altitude Mach-3 interceptor using extremely

advanced aerodynamic technology but entered service as a strategic

reconnaissance

aircraft

371

Blackburd

(2189 mph) over a straight course: and 26 213 m (86 000 ft) sustained altitude. Previously, in 1974. an SR-71A set a hr 54 min 56 sec for the (3470 miles) from New York to and 3 hr 47 min 35 sec for the flight

September time of

5584

km

I

London, from RAF Mildenhall

Mk II, with the centre section of the upper wing raised clear of the fuselage and the Mk Is wing fuel tanks removed. Portholes were provided on all production aircraft to lighten the interior of the large cabin which housed the radio-operator/gunner and navigator/observer: in spite of having four crew positions, the Blackburn carried only three crew

Blackburn Blackburn

Los Angeles, 9085 km (5645 miles) with refuelling en route. The SR-71B is a dual conversion trainer version with the instructor

to

in a raised rear

cockpit;

one crashed and was replaced by a YF-12A designated SR-71C.

rebuilt

(SR-71A) Span. 16.95 m (55 ft 7 in) Length:32.74 m (107 ft 5 in) Gross weight: 77 ^^0 kg (170000 lb) Maximum speed: at least 3523 km/h (2189 mph). about Mach 3.32 to jettison the wheel-andportion of its undercarriage before it was able to launch its weapon. It landed on steel skids fitted with oleo shock-absorber struts, and carried inflatable airbags in the fuselage in case of a landing in water. the Alternative landing systems evolved included multiple small hydrofoils on the main legs, and (on the second prototype) small floats attached beneath the lower wings; the wings folded for shipboard

HE), but had

axle

Blackburd, Blackburn British

experimental

torpedo-carrying

bi-

plane. In early 1918 three prototypes each were ordered of the Blackburd and the Short Shirl. the objective being to evolve a carrierbased aircraft more effective against large capital ships than the Sopwith Cuckoo, then in service, whose 18-in (45-cm) Mk 9 torpedo carried a warhead of only 170 lb (77 kg). The Blackburd could carry a Mk 8 torpedo with nearly double this lethality (320 lb; 145 kg of

first

takeoff

stowage.

Slower and

less agile than the

The experimental Blackburn Blackburd, designed in 1918 to carry a larger and more lethal torpedo than the Sopwith Cuckoo, was forced to jettison its wheels before launching the torpedo, and steel skids were provided to enable it to land afterwards. One Blackburd served on board HMS Argus\r\ the Mediterranean, but only three prototypes were completed

HM

Cuckoo, the

Blackburd was no longer needed after the 1918 Armistice, but it was the precursor of a long series of Royal Navy torpedo biplanes by Blackburn that included the Swift, Dart, Ripon. Baffin and Shark.

Span. 16.00 m (52 ft 6 in) Length: 1 1 .05 m (36 ft 3 Gross weight, with torpedo. 2585 kg (5700 lb) Maximum speed: 148 km/h (92 mph)

in)

Black craft, the

around

Blackburn Blackburn was designed

radiofor the cabin navigator/observer, and operator/gunner while the pilot's cockpit was positioned high up behind a sloped engine cowling. The result was an extremely ungainly-looking two-bay biplane of fabric-covered mixed construction, with a basic structure similar to that of the Blackburn Dart. Powerplant as a 12cylinder water-cooled 450-hp Napier l,ion IIB, and defensive armament consisted of a fixed forward-firing 0.303-in (7.7-mm) Vickers on the fuselage side and ScarlT-mounted

Lewis

a

large

in the rear cockpit.

After three prototypes and .30 production Blackburn Mk Is had been completed, 29 Mk lis were ordered in 1926-26. these powered by the 46.^-hp Napier Lion V and having modified interplane struts and simplified undercarriage, while the upper mainplane was raised clear of the top of the fuselage. Blackburns served aboard the aircraft carriers Eagle. Argus. Furious and Courageous in the late 1920s, were replaced by Fairey IllFs in 1931. and declared obsolete in 1933.

Span; 13.87 m (45 ft 6^ in) Length: 1 1 .02 m (36 ft Gross Weight (Mk I): 2704 kg (5962 lb) Maximum speed: 196 km/h (122 hp)

\

Blackburn British aircraft See B2M. Mitsubishi. Baffin, Botha, Buccaneer, Dart, Firebrand, Iris, Kangaroo, Perth, Ripon, Roc, Shark. Skua. Swift. T.B.. \ elos

Blackburn, Blackburn British carrier-borne reconnaissance biplane.

Developed

to meet a 192! specification for a reconnaissance and fire-control air-

The Blacker Bombard spigot mortar, with (below right) firing mechanism detail. When the trigger was released, a steel rod. or spigot, was driven by a spring into the projectile's hollow tail boom igniting a charge to fire the bomb and recocking the spigot ready for the next

four-legged mounting it weighed 156 and needed a crew of six to move it. It fired a 10.7-kg (20-lb) fin-stabilized antitank bomb containing an HE warhead. its

kg (345

lb)

There was no hollow-charge effect and the antiarmour performance relied on blast. It was highly efficient and could blow the turret

and severely damage larger ones. The muzzle velocity was 74.7 m/sec (245 ft/sec), which meant it took the bomb .5 seconds to travel 137 m (150 yards) so the gunner was encouraged to wait until moving tanks were at close range. .Accuracy was good and as there was little flash it was easy to conceal. It was also capable of firing a 6.4^ kg ( 14-lb) antipersonnel bomb with a theoretical maximum range of 640 m (7(X) yards). The regular Army took delivery of some Bombards in 1941, but they were all phased out by 1944. They were an emergency weapon, together with many similar types, and when the danger of invasion passed they were quickly tiiken out of service. off a light tank,

1

Weight in action: 156 kg (345 lb) Maximum elevation: 45° Maximum traverse: 360° Maxi-

mum

range: 823

m

(900 yards)

2in)

T

naval

On

Hawk

round

Blacker Bombard British spigot mortar. The Blacker Bombard w as one of the inventions springing from the fertile mind of Lieutenant-Colonel Blacker, a private inventor of low-cost weapons. In

1940 he turned his attentions to producing antitank weapons for the newly-formed Home Guard, and one of the first was a large spigot mortar which was immediately called the Bombard.

Black Hawk, UH-60A Sikorsky us

helicopter. American Vietnam during the l%Os and early 1970s was a baptism of fire for the helicopter, and in particular for the utility transport variety. About 10000 UH-ls were turned out by Bell alone, and the Hue\. as it is known, remtiins the standard of its type. But its technology is no longer new. and in August 1972 the US .Army launched a competition between Sikorsky and Boeing Vertol to design a successor. Both companies built a tactical

involvement

utility

in

Black

Hawk

One of six Sikorsky YUH-60A prototypes built for the US Army's UTTAS (Utility Tactical Transport System) competition. Sikorsky won the competition, and an initial order for 71 was expected to be followed by further orders for over 1000 UH-60 Black Hawks. The UTTAS mission, in which the Black Hawk will replace the US Army s UH-1 Hueys will involve the carrying of a squad Aircraft

of 11 infantrymen into a hostile landing zone, as well as the ability to transport a

105-mm<4

1-in)

howitzer plus crew and ammunition, a Tow antitank missile system or four stretcher cases plus attendants and equipment for in-flight treatment

t:^^

^

Black

Hawk

Black

Hawk

small number of prototypes which underwent lengthy evaluation, with Sikorsky finally being announced as the winner in December 1976.

The

basic requirement in this so-called Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) competition was for an aircraft capable of carrying a standard squad of troops, with a crew of three. However, the nvcral! size of the aircraft was governed by a further requirement of air-transportability in C- 130 Hercules without major disassembly. This has largely been achieved in the Black Hawk, in spite of a subsequent increase in the heiiiht of the main rotor mast in order to Utility

1

.:

^

overcome problems caused by

vibration.

Considerable effort has been put into the Black Hawk design to maximize the chances of survival under fire on a battlefield. The

crew

sit

on armoured

seats; the rotor blades

can stand up to a number of gunfire hits; the intermediate and tail-rotor gearboxes are grease-packed rather than oil-lubricated, which reduces both vulnerability and time spent on maintenance. The main rotor blades have titanium spars and glass-fibre skins, are filled with pressurized nitrogen and are equipped with gauges to indicate any drop in pressure caused by fatigue cracks or combat damage. Consideration is still being given to

retrospectively fitting all-plastics blades to the Black Hawk. The engines are a piiir of General Electric T700s, of \5?>(> shp. the same powerplant as on the US .Armys's new attack helicopter, the Hughes AH-64.

The US Army

is planning to buv at least Black Hawks. By late 1977 the were no export orders though at least five countries had expressed keen interest. 1

100

UTTAS

Main rotor diameter: 16.36 (rotors turning): 19.76

m

m

(64

(63 ft

10

take-off weiglit: 9707 kg (21 400 speed: 318 km/h (198 mph)

ft

8

in) lb)

in)

^^

^W Below: The Sikorsky YUH-60A Blackhawk utility helicopter Above: Blackhawk manoeuvrability demonstration

—='^'^^^^

~r

^''i^

I

a

»

J

I

J. 11

Lengthi

Maximum Maximum

\

Black Swan The Black Prince was developed by Vauxhall Motors in 1943 as an improved version of the Churchill. However, though it mounted a 17-pdr gun and had armour 152-mm (6-in) thick, its Bedford flat 12-cylinder engine was under-powered and only six were built

Black Prince British infantry tank, also called the Super Churchill or A43. The principal drawback to improving the Churchill tank was its restricted width, which resulted from the War Office's insistence that all British tanks had to be capable of being carried by rail within the standard railway loading limits. As it stood, turret of the Churchill would not take the 17-pdr gun. and a larger turret could not be fitted. One

attempt to improve the

armament was

remove

to

the

an armoured superstructure, and mount turret completely,

fit

a 3-in (76-mm) antiiiircraft gun in a limited-traverse mounting, but this was not a success. Eventually, in 1943, the width restriction was abandoned and work began on designing a widened Churchill with a turret mounting the 17-pdr gun. This was the Black Prince. At the same time work begiin on an entirely new tank design, also mounting the 17-pdr. which was destined to become the Centurion tank. Widening the Churchill meant an increase in weight due to additional metal and also to the need to strengthen the suspension and tracks, as a result of which the vehicle's speed was

reduced. Construction of the prototype Black Princes begim in January 1944 and six were built, being delivered for troop trials in May

By this time, however, the war in Europe was over and the Centurion prototypes had already appeared. It was obvious that the Centurion was the better design of the two and. after some desultory trials, the Black Prince was abandoned. \945.

Length: 8.81

m

11 in) Width: 3 A4

m (11

3 in) Height: 2.74 m (9 ft in) Weight: 50 tons Speed: 17 km/h (11 mph) Range: 200 km (125 miles) Armour: 25-152 (1-6 in) (28

ft

mm

ft

Black Swan As originally designed, ships were almost identical to the previous Egret Class except that the twin 4-in (102-mm) gun mounting in Y position was replaced by a quadruple 2-pdr pom-pom. The class falls into two groups: the Black Swan. Erne. Flamingo. Ibis. Jumna and Sutlej were constructed under the 1938-39 Programmes and completed during 1940-41; the second group, the Whimbrel, Wild Goose. British sloop class.

armament was modified progressively as the war continued and eventually all the RN vessels mounted six 20-mm (0.79-in)

these

(2x2-t-2xl)and four 40-mm (1.57-in) (2x2). The Indian vessels were similarly fitted but the 40-mm were not mounted in Jumna and Sutlej. The earlier ships were completed with a pole foremast which initially was replaced by a tripod and then a lattice mast. The ships of the second group were completed with lattice masts. All ships were fitted with air warning, surface warning and AA gunner\

Woodpecker. Wren. Godavari and Narbada were constructed under the 1940 Programme and completed during 1943. The ships of the first group were completed to the original

radar sets. The ships

design, the only exception being the Indian vessels, which mounted a quadruple 0.5-in (13-mm) gun mounting in place of the quadruple pom-pom. The ships of the second group were fitted with a heavier A/S armament and the

RN

pom-pom mounting was omitted sate for the additional weight.

to

The

compenlight

AA

proved very successful as antisubmarine escorts, the RN ships serving mainly in the North Atlantic, while those of the RIN operated in the Indian Ocean and Far East. Two of the class were lost: the Ibis. sunk in the Western Mediterranean on

November

11. 1942. by Italian aircraft: and the Woodpecker, which foundered in tow on February 27. 1944, seven days after being torpedoed by U764 in the North Atlantic. Four of the class were iransferred to other

HMS Narbada. a Royal Indian Navy Black Swan C\ass sloop. Completed in 1943, she was transferred to the Pakistan navy in 1948 and renamed Jhelm

V'

37-

SUmi^

Black Swan

Black

Swan

The Royal Indian Navy Black Swan Class sloop Sutlej with a fishing boat alongside in the Indian Ocean in early 1942. Two stem racks and four throwers for launching depth charges are mounted aft. with a number of depth charges positioned ready for action. The camouflage pattern is a typical dazzle type in tight and dark grey and dark green intended to mislead enemy submarine commanders as to the vessel's true bearing and speed

2^;-^^-—sL

Black Swan, modified ** navies: the Whintbrel was sold to Egypt in 1949 and renamed El Malek Faroiiq. the Flamingo was sold to West Germany in 1959 nd renamed Graf Spee. and the Godavari and Narhada were transferred to Pakistan in 1948. being renamed Sind and Jhelm respecdrillship tively. The Erne became the Wesse.x in 1952 and the remaining units were sold for scrap in 1956.

RNVR RN

HIack

Goose

Swan.

—

Flamingo.

Whimbrel,

Wild

by Yarrow by Fumess Jumna*. Sutlej*. Woodpecker. Wren built by Denny Godavari*. Narbada* built by Thornycroft * Royal Indian Navy vessels. built

Erne. Ibis

—

built

—

—

Displacement: 1250 tons, standard Length: 91 .3 (299 ft 6 in) oa Beam: 11.4 m (37 ft 6 in) Draught: 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) Machinery: 2-shaft geared steam turbines. 4300 shp= 19.75 knots Armament:&^-\n (102-mm) (3x2); 4 2-pdr(1x4) Crew: 180

m

Black Swan, modified These ships differed very from the Black Swan Class but incor-

British sloop class. little

porated

in their original design all the modifications which had been made to the earlier ships. These included a uniform close-range armament of ten 20-mm (0.79-in) guns (4x2. 2x1), although in the event these were not always available and the earliest units completed during 1942-43 carried a variety of weapons. These ships were later modified to the designed armament, and it was fitted as standard in the ships completing during 194344. Towards the end of the war several vessels were fitted with two twin 40-mm (1.57-in) in place of the two twin 20-mm amidships, and after the war two single 40were substituted for the remaining 20-

mm

380

mm.

this

outfit.

The

becoming the standard postwar Sparrow and Actaeon were not completed until after the war, while a further five, which were still under construction in 1945. were cancelled. Two of the class were lost during the war: the Kile, torpedoed by t/.?44 in the Greenland .Sea on August 21, 1944; and the Lapwing, torpedoed by U7I6 off the Kola Inlet on March 20. 1945. Two more were damaged beyond repair: the Chanticleer, torpedoed by 112.^8 in the Atlantic on November 18. 1943; and the Lark, torpedoed by V96S\n the Kola Inlet on February 17. 1945. Chanticleer wn^ scrapped in 1946 but Lark was raised by the Russians and repaired, serving in the Soviet fleet as Neptun until scrapped in 1960. The class contained two famous ships: the Starling, which shared in the sinking of 16 Snipe.

German submarines while part of the 2nd Support Group during 1943-44; and the Amethyst, which escaped from the Yangtse River in very difficult circumstances in 1949. having come close to being trapped and destroyed by the Chinese Communist army

on the banks of the river. Three ships, the Actaeon, Hart and Mermaid, were sold to West Germany in 1958 and renamed Hipper. Scheer and Schamhorst respectively. The remaining RN ships were sold for scrap between 1955 and 1963 while the German ships were sold for scrap during the late l%Os and early 1970s. The two RIN ships were still in service at the end artillery batteries

of 1976.

Actaeon. Magpie. Thornycroft

Peacock

—built

by

Chanticleer, Crane. Hind. Mermaid. Opossum. Snipe, Sparrow built by Alacrity.

Denny

—

— Lark —

Amethyst. Hart Cygnet. Kite

Lapwing.

—

by Stephen by Cammell Laird built by Scotts built

built

Modeste. dockyard

Nereide

—

by

built

Chatham

Pheasant. Redpolc. C«Mierv (RIN). Kistna

(RIN)— built by Yarrow Starling

—

built

by

Fairfield

Displacement: 1350 tons Length: 9^. 3 m (299ft in) oa Beam: 1 1 .4 m (37 ft 6 in) Draught: 2.7 m (9 ft) Machinery: 2-sha^X. geared steam turbines. 4300 shp= 19 knots Armament Q ^-\r\ (102-mm) (3x2); 1020-mm (0.79-in) (4x2+2x1) Cretv. 192 6

:

\

Black A Northrop

Widow of the 425th Night Fighter Squadron of the US Army's 9th Air Force, based in France in 1944 Early P-61 As

P-61 A Black

mounted a four-gun dorsal

turret,

but this

was

later

deleted

because of aerodynamic problems, the remaining armament being four belly-mounted cannon

Widow

with four broad paddle-type blades, and was carried on twin booms. This left lumpy fuselage free for the SCR-720 nose radar (an outstanding set developed with British help in the United States from January 1941) and for the crew of three and armament of four 2()-mm (().79-in) M-2 cannon in the belly. Most Black Widows also had a hard-hitting dorsal turret with four 12.7-mm Brownings, aimed via a complex (()..'^-in) lers

the the

tail

system by sighting stations either behind the pilot (the radar observer) or a rear-

control

facing station at the tail of the nacelle. If necessary the turret could be fixed fire ahead, with the cannon.

to

harmonized

the first XP-61 flew on 1942, and the last of the service-test YP models in October of that year, aircraft for the combat inventory did not follow as planned. No reached the Army P-61 A Air Force until January 1944, and the first units to become operational were the 18th Fighter

Though

May

Group in

26,

Southwest Pacific area 1944 and various squadrons of the 9th Air Force based in England immediately before in the

May

D-Day

1944. in June Scoring against the

Black Widow, P-61 Northrop US night fighter. This was the first aircraft ever designed from the start as a night fighter and was the largest fighter of its day. The US Army Air Corps, having been told by the Mission about AI radar, British Tiziird drafted a specification for a night fighter in October 1940. Eight proposals were submitted, from which the USAAC finally picked Northrop 's and ordered two XP-61 prototypes on January 11, 1941. An order for 13 test YP-61s followed in March, 150 P-61 As in September and

a

A P-61B

/

^/

Black Widow in characteristic all-black finish. The four-gun dorsal turret was reintroduced in the F-61B, which also had fittings for four drop tanks or bombs

further 410 in February were delivered.

1942. Altogether 941

The Black Widow is considered by some to have been built to a mistaken specification. It had two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engines, and it was the sheer power of these (40(X) or 5600 total hp depending on sub-type) that saved the Black Widow from being a complete failure. As it was, it was exceedingly complicated and costly, suffered protracted development problems, and only just got into the

Second World War

in time.

opinion of American pilots the Black Widow was in many respects not the equal of the Beaufighter or the Mosquito, \Vhich were mere lash-up conversions and not originally designed as night fighters. Technically, however, the Black Widow was superb. The broad wing was liberally endowed with advanced double-slotted flaps In the

and had modern as small ailerons.

roll-control spoilers as well

The engines drove

propel-

381

Blackwood Luftwaffe began on July 7. months of the war both Japanese air forces offered the Black Widow was often final

ing offensive straffing and

The P-6IB was

1944. but in the

the

few

German and and mak-

targets

reduced

to

bombing missions.

in fact a

A large number of the Class have recently been scrapped, and Keppel is in reserve. Only four (excluding Exmouth) now remain in service the Dundas. Hardy. Duncan and

—

Keppel.

formidable attack

maximum bombload

I

—

power

Blackwood. Duncan built by Thornycroft Dunda.s. Exmouth. Grafton. Kuthar (RIN). Khukri (RIN)— built by White Hardy. Keppel. Malcolm built by Yarrow Murry. Palliser. Kirpan (RIN) built by Stephen Pellew. Rus.sell built by Swan Hunter

Span;20.12

Displacement: 94.49 m (310 Draught: 3.04

aircraft,

with a

of no

less than 29(X) kg (6400 lb) on four underwing pylons which could alternatively carry large fuel tanks. To some extent the Black Widow

suffered from trying to do too much and being "designed by a committee", but its great

and superb handling would have enabled it to make a significant contribution had it been av;iilable earlier in the war.

m

(66

ft

in)

Length:^b^

m

(49

ft

7

P-61A, 14.92 m (48 ft 11 in) Gross weight: (A) 14 696 kg (32400 lb). (B) 17 237 kg

in):

early

(38000 speed: (430

18280 kg (40300 lb) Maximum B) 590 km/h (366 mph), (C) 692 km/h

lb).

(A,

(C)

mph)

Blackwood frigate class. The 15 ships of the Blackwood Class were constructed between 1952 and 1959. Described as Type 14 2nd Class antisubmarine frigates, they were

British

designed for a specialized role in order to provide a small vessel that could be built cheaply and in large numbers. The hull was of simple design using prefabricated construction, the majority of the useful loadcarrying capacity being turned over to antisubmarine weapons. Their A/S qualities were therefore comparatively good whilst their usefulness in other roles was poor. The gun armament, in particular, was very weak and was the cause of much criticism, while the restrictive hull left little room for any additional equipment. Apart from the designed role, the ships proved useful as fishery-protection vessels and they have been used extensively for this purpose. Modifications to the class have been few. In the late 1950s the hulls were strengthened after weaknesses were revealed in six vessels on fishery patrol off Iceland. Since then the ships have proved very seaworthy and able to stand up well to severe weather. The Blackwood. Exinouth. Malcolm and Palliser were

completed with twin torpedo tubes on each side of the upper deck (for A/S torpedoes) but these were later removed. The single 40mm .57-in) gun on the quarterdeck was removed from all ships, with the exception of those serving in the Royal Indian Navy. During 1966-68 the Ex mouth was reengined at Chatham dockyard with gas turbine machinery, the intention being that she would serve as a test-bed for the propulsion (

1

plants of ships then being designed. Two Bristol Proteus cruising turbines, each of 3250 hp, were fitted in the engine room while the main plant, a Bristol Olympus gas turbine of 22 5fK) hp, was fitted in the former boiler room. Apart from a new squat funnel, fitted further aft of the original, and the addition of a large engine room vent amidships, her appearance was little altered. The ship was given an extended work-up period, to allow

her engine room complement time to master complexities. Trials during 1968-69 the proved successful and led to the introduction of this type of machinery in the Sheffield nr\^\ Amazon Classes.

382

HMS 6roc/c/es6y steaming at high speed. Although a member of the BlankneyC\ass, the Brocklesby. along with Blencathra and Liddlesdale, was completed with the Hunt' Type armament of only four 4-in (102-mm) guns. These three also had a smaller complement 146 against 168 and displaced 50 tons less than the other members of the Blankney Class

—

—

—

—

—

1180 tons, standard Length: oa Beam; 10.05 m (33 ft) m (10 ft) Machinery: 1 -shaft,

ft)

geared steam turbines, 15000 shpx27.8 knots

Armament: 3 40-mm (1. 57-in) (3x1); 2 Limbo A/S mortars Crew: 111

Blanco EncaJada Chilean protected cruiser. This cruiser was built as Job No 605 at the Elswick yard of Armstrong- Whitworth for the Chilean navy, at a time when the 'Elswick Cruisers' were regarded as the most advanced warships in the world. Japan, Italy and the South American countries bought regularly from the Els-

wick catalogue, and with each year more refinements were added. The Blanco Encalada was flush-decked, and had higher freeboard than previous ships to improve her seaworthiness. She had a

handsome two-funnelled

profile

typical of

British designs of the day, but an unusual

HMS

Chiddingfold. a S/an/cney or Type

I

under tow in a British port In October 1944. In 1953 she was transferred to the Royal Indian Navy 'Hunt' Class destroyer

Blankney

feature was the siting of the foremast ahead of the bridge, to avoid blast from the 8-in

(203-mm)

giin.

She was

laid

down

in

training duties

1892.

launched the following year and completed

by the Second World War and

eventually became a harbour hulk, before being scrapped in 1946.

in

Displacement A5&B tons (normal) Length:^^2.6 (370 ft) oa Beam: 13.94 m (45 ft 9 in) Draught: 5.94 m (19 ft 6 in) max Machinery: 2-shaft vertical triple-expansion. 14 500 ihp = 22.8 knots (max. under forced draught) Protection :76-^02 mm (3-4 in) deck, 45 mm {M in) on flat; 152 mm (6 in) conning tower; 51-152 mm (2-6 in) gun shields Armament: 2 8-in (203-mm)/40 cal OF (2x1); 10 6-in (152-mm)/40cal QF (lOx 1); 12 3pdr (47-mm) QF (12x1); 10 1-pdr (37-mm) QF (10x1); 2 .45-in (11.4-mm) Galling machineguns; 5 18-in (46-cm) torpedo tubes (above water, 1 bow, 4 broadside) Crew: 427

April 1894. The ship was refitted in 1920, and lost a number of iicht euns. She was reduced to

m

Blankney British escort destroyers.

Ordered under the

Emergency War Programme, the Blankney Class were the second group, or Type II, of the "Hunt" Class escort destroyers. The original design was the same as that for Type I, the Atherstone Class, but the beam was subsequently increased by 0.76

improve the

level

of

m (2 ft 6 in) to

stability

deficient in the previous group.

which was Thus while

the Atherstone Class had to sacrifice a twin 4in

(102-mm) mounting to reduce topweight. Blankney Class retained the designed

the

armament of three twin

4-in

mountings. The

construction of three of the class, Blencathra. Brocklesby and Liddesdale. however, continued without the modification, and strictly speaking they belong to Type I although they number among the 36 ships of the second group. The ships were launched during 1940-42 and completed during 1941-43. The Bedale.

Oakley (1) and Silverton were commissioned by Polish crews and renamed Slazak. Kujawiak and Krakowiak respectively, but the name Oakley was retained in the Royal Navy by renaming the Tickham. The Exmoor (2) was originally named Burton but was renamed after the original Exmoor (of Type I) had been sunk. During 1943-44 the Avon Vale. Bramham. Cowdray and Hursley were transferred to Greece and renamed Aegean. J. ^ Themistoklis. Admiral Hastings and Kriti

^ i

respectively.

During the war the class served mainly

in

Mediterranean, where their AA armament was of great value, but also where seven of the class were lost. The first was Heythrop which, torpedoed and badly damaged oflf Solium by the German submarine Ufi25. had to be sunk by the escort destroyer Bridge on March 20, 1942. Four days later the Southwold was mined and sunk off Malta. On June 12, 1942 the Grove was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U77. The Kujawiak (ex-Oakley) was mined off Malta on June 15 and foundered on the following day while in tow. The Puckeridge was torpedoed and sunk off Gibraltar by the German submarine U6I7 on September 6. 1943. On October 22, 1943. the Harworth was mined and sunk off Kalymnos, and on November 13, 1943 the Silverton was sunk by a glider bomb off Kos. In addition to these war losses the Bridge became a constructive total loss after being torpedoed by a German MTB in the eastern Mediterranean in August 1942. She was subsequently used as an accommodation ship at Alexandria until scrapped in 1946. The Cowdray came close to a similar fate in November 1942 when she was bombed and beached in Algiers Bay, but she was later salvaged and towed home to Chatham for repair and refit. In 1945 the two remaining Polish-manned ships were returned and reverted to their original names. The four taken over by Greece were retained by that country to be joined by a fifth unit, the Lauderdale, which was transferred in 1946 and renamed Aigaion. All five were officially returned during 1958-59 and sold for scrap shortly afterwards. Three were sold to Norway: the Badsworth (renamed Arendal) in 1946, the Zetland (renamed Tromso) in 1952 and the Beaufort (renamed Haugesund) in 1954. Another three, the Blackmore. Bxmoor and Calpe. were sold to Denmark in 1952-53. being renamed Bsbem Snare. Valdemar Sejr and Rolf Krake respectively. Three were the

transferred to the Royal Indian Navy in 1953, the Bedale. Chiddingfold and Lamerton.

renamed

Godavari.

Ganga and

Gomati

respectively. The last unit to go abroad was the Oakley, which was sold to West Germany in 1958 and renamed Gneisenau. Of the ships that remained in British service the Liddesdale was scrapped in 1948 and

383

BCH

Blenheim

the majority of the remainder followed during 1955-59. However, the Brockleshy survived until 1968 as a trials ship. Most of the ships in other navies were scrapped during the 1960s, but the three in the Indian Navy were still in service at the end of 1976. See also Atherstone Class, Albrighton Class and Brecon Class.

—

Avon

Vale. Blankney built by J. Brown Badsworth. Beaufort. Blencathra. Brockleshy built by Cammell Laird Bedale. Bicester built by Hawthorn Leslie Blackmore. Bramham. Croome, Dulverton built by Stephen Calpe. Bridge. Exmoor. Famdale. Grove, Heythrop, Harsley. Lamerton built by Swan Hunter Chiddingfold. Cowdray built by Scott's Harworth. Liddesdale, Middleton. Oakley (1) built by Vickers Armstrong (Tyne) Lauderdale. Ledbury built by Thomycroft Puckeridge, Silverton. Southwold. Tetcott built by White Oakley (2), Wheatland. Wilton. Zetland built by Yarrow

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

— —

Note: Particulars of Blencathra. Brockleshy and Liddesdale as for the Atherstone Class. Displacement: 1050 tons (standard) Length: m (280 ft in) oa Beam: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in) Draught: 2.4 m (7 ft 9 in) Machinery: 2-shaft geared steam turbines, 19000 shp = 27 knots >l/-mamenr.6 4-in(102-mm)(3^2);4 2-pdr(1x4); 2 20-mm (0.79-in) (2x1) Crew: 168 85.3

Blenheim Mk

IV,

accommodation

384

with

its

Blenheim, Bristol fighter

stressed-skin construction, flaps, retractable landing gear and variable-pitch propellers, the RAF had fabric-covered biplanes without any of these refinements. It was the spur of the newspaper magnate Lord Rothermere that got Bristol to make the Bristol 142, with all the new features (Bristol were reluctant, because they thought it would offend their best customer, the Air Ministry, by highlighting the RAF's out of date equipment). Far from being offended the An Ministry asked to borrow the 142, and on test

asymmetric nose providing improved

for the navigator

bomber,

and attack airwere doggedly resistant to the concept of what might be termed 'modem' aircraft. While other countries bought combat aircraft with British light

craft. In the 1930s the British Air Staff

RAF

Martlesham Heath it reached 494 mph), some 80 km/h (50 mph) faster than the newest RAF fighters then at

km/h

(.^07

entering service

weeks

Bristol

(May

1935). In a matter of

were being pressed

142 into a military aircraft.

The

to turn the

result

was

the

I42M Blenheim. Powered by two 840-hp

Bristol Mercury the Blenheim I was a light bomber so small as to be cramped, but still utterly unlike anything the R.AF had previously possessed. L'nder the midwing was a small bay for a bombload of 454 kg ( 1000 lb);

VIII

radials,

was to rely on speed, but a (7.7-mm) Lewis or Vickers K was mounted in a prominent dorsal turret and

for defence

it

single .303-in

a single

Browning of the same

calibre

fixed in the left wing (originally the fixed was an old Vickers of 1918 vintage).

was gun

Above: The Tupolev Tu-22 Blinder B armed with the AS-4 Kitchen stand-off bomb. The Blinder has a crew of three and a top speed of Mach 1 .4

Below: A Bristol Blenheim Mk of 60 Squadron, based in India 1940-41 The Mk was converted into a night fighter and as I

I

the Mk IF it carried the first airborne interception radar

numerous aircraft of any type. In sporadic daylight raids on the German fleet Blenheims usually escaped interception but accomplished little. Harder work was done by the aircraft of the AASF in France, and from June 1940 the Fighter Command aircraft were also heavily engaged by day (when they were no match for a Bf 109) and by night. From December 1940 night intruder sorties over Europe were flown by various marks, while the IV was given armour, self-sealing tanks and a remote-control turret with two Brownings firing to the rear from under the nose, and sent on gallant missions far into Germany in daylight. Unfortunately the Blenheim was obsolescent by 1941, but Lord Beaverbrook had the type on his list of five 'super-priority' machines. Whilst trying to cancel the Mosquito, his ministry insisted on ever more Blenheims and the result was the Blenheim V (originally named Bisley), a bomber whose

XXX

to fly and highly manoeuvcrews nor airfields were yet suited to modern aircraft and between the 14 Squadron in March 1937 first delivery to and the outbreak of war in September 1939 more than i(X) of the precious machines were It

was pleasant

engines overstrained 950-hp Mercury could not pull it along even as fast as the earlier versions, and which inflicted itself on ten RAF squadrons in the North African and Far East theatres until replacements were found in 1942-43. Total production of all construction, marks, including foreign amounted to 6260. Blenheim/Bolingbrokes survive in Canada, Finland and (a Bolingbroke restored as a Blenheim) in Britain.

written off in landing accidents alone. By September 1939 Bristol, Avro and the new Rootes shadow factory had delivered 134 Mk I Blenheims, and some 200 had been converted after delivery into IF day fighters with four fixed .303-in Brownings replacing the bomb bay. It was these aircraft that served as the RAF's first long-range fighters and the first carriers of AI radar, trial installations of AI.III being completed in July1

October

1939.

Production switched in late 1938 to the Blenheim IV with a longer asymmetric nose giving better accommodation for the navigator. This reached the RAF in March 1939, and. from the 80th Mk IV aircraft, was also equipped with extra tanks in the outer wings, the greater weight being matched by 920-hp Mercury engines. The 'long-nose" aircraft had originally been planned as an interim coastal machine named Bolingbroke, and this name was retained for

XV

677 aircraft built in Canada by Fairchild, including sub-types with Cyclone or Twin Wasp Junior engines and examples with

From

Mk

Blenheims were exported to Turkey, Yugoslavia (which made Mk Is under licence) and Finland (which made the Mk I and Mk IV). At the start of the Second World War the R.AF had 1000 Blenheims, making it the most

floats or skis.

Bristol,

I

1

prototype, resulting not only in diminished performance but also in serious overloading of the wings, especially in dive-bombing manoeuvres. Its service career was therefore short, despite attempts at improvement.

Span: 23.20

m

(76

ft 1 \

in)

Length: 14.50

&l in) Gross weight: AA&Q kg (9846 lb) speed.- 221 km/h (137 mph)

m

(47

ft

Maximum

Tupolev Tu-22

Blinder,

Russian medium bomber. In designing a supersonic successor for the Tu-16 Badger the Tupolev bureau adopted a novel approach, mounting the twin engines in pods on either side of the base of the fin. The aircraft made its first public appearance in 1961, having made its maiden flight about two years earlier, and Blinder was at first credited to the Myasishchev bureau. The type's design-bureau designation is understood to be Tu-105, but as is usual with Soviet aircraft when they enter service, the Blinder was later given an official service designation and became the Tu-22. Early models, known as Blinder A, carried free-fall bombs, plus reconnaissance cameras, and entered service with the ADD (Long-Range Aviation) in the mid-1960s. A single radar-directed

rable, but neither

1

kg ( 102 to 2204 lb). Its gross weight, however, was far greater than that of the to 1000

23-mm

(0.9-in)

cannon

Span. 17.17 m (56ft4in) Length: (\) 12.2 m (39 ft 9 in), (most others) 13.0 m (42 ft 9 in) Gross weight: (I) 5550 kg (12250 lb), (IV) 6531 kg (14400 lb), (V) 7711 kg (17000 lb)

was mounted

Bleriot 127

tion.

French bomber. Reviving a configuration employed in the unsuccessful Bleriot 117

definitive production versions being Blinder

fighter

on a third ring-mounting in the extreme nose, forward of the pilot's and navigator's cockpit. Landing gear comprised twin fixed main wheels beneath each engine, and a fixed led

tailwheel.

As 10,

(first flown on January 550-hp Hispano-Suiza 12 Hb

the Bleriot 127/2

1928), with

engines, 42 examples were delivered to the French air force from April 1929, the principal unit being the 11th Regiment d'Aviation

de Bombardement

The

Bleriot

at

Metz.

127/2 had a range of 800

km

bombload varying from

.^(K)

(497 miles) and a

the

each produce about

The two unknown,

6(X) kg (26000 lb) of with afterburning, but the Tu-22 is thought not to have met its range specifica1

1

thrust

Blinder

of 1925, the Bleriot I27M prototype first flew on May 7, 1926, powered by two 500-hp Hispano-Suiza 12 Gb engines. Of fabric-covered wooden construction, it had a mid-wing layout, with long engine nacelles projecting beyond the wing trailingedge. The projecting portion of each nacelle housed a ring-mounted machine-gun position for rear and beam defence, and the wing centre-section was deep enough to allow the gunners to pass through it between fuselage and nacelle while the aeroplane was in flight. One or two more machine-guns were instalescort

turbojets,

a tail barbette. type of which is

in

A saw

only limited service, the

B and

C. The former carries a single AS-4 Kitchen air-to-surface missile partially recessed in the bomb bay. The nose radar is also larger than in previous Blinders, and a semiretractable refuelling probe is installed above the nose radome. Blinder C, which has been supplied to the AV-MF (Naval Aviation), again has a different nose profile and reverts to the original practice of carrying six reconnaissance cameras in the forward part of the weapon

bay and

bombs in the rear section. may have an FLINT (electronic

free-fall

This variant

and recently Blinders have been seen with cameras in the rear of the

intelligence) role,

undercarriage nacelles for recording bomb damage. Tu-22U or Blinder D, a version with a raised rear cockpit for pilot instruction, has been in service since 1968 or earlier. Blinder's three-man crew comprises a pilot, second pilot/missile controller and navigator/bomb-aimer. The pilot has an upward-firing ejection seat but the other two eject downwards. The minimum of cockpit glazing is provided, the co-pilot sitting behind the pilot and the navigator being accommodated in the forward fuselage.

385

Bliss-Leavitt

The undercarriage appears to have been designed to allow operations from rough fields, being similar to that employed on the later Tu-134 airliner. Some Blinders have been transferred to Libya, and it is reported that a heavy long-range interceptor variant has been developed to succeed the Tu-28P Fiddler. This should be treated with some

suspicion since despite

elegant appear-

its

and continued improvement of the engine intakes and nozzles. Blinder appears not to have come up to expectations. .nce.

(Blinder

B,

Length: 40.5

(185000

lb)

Span: 27.7 m (91 ft) Gross weight: 84000 kg Max speed: Mach 1.4 estimated)

m

(133

ft)

Bliss-Leavitt

us torpedoes. In 1892 the US Navy took up manufacturing rights for the Whitehead tor18-in (46-cm) pedo, producing its first Mk type during the same year at the works of E I

W

One

Bliss.

of the firm's senior staff.

F

improving what he regarded as the 'corny' Brotherhood comengine recomreciprocating pressed-air mended by Whitehead. He proposed using a Curtis turbine in place of the British Parsons type, and the first Curtis-driven US torpedo was called the Leavitt.

about

set

Bliss-Leavitt Mk 1. This entered service in 1905. and its dry heater used alcohol as fuel. From 1905 until the Second

November

World War

all

US Navy

torpedoes used

turbine propulsion, whereas the British retained the well-tried reciprocating engine, until electric drive became commonplace in both navies. The Bliss-Leavitt series ran through 15 Marks from 1905 to 1942. Full details of the whole series are lacking, but the Mk 8 21 -in (53-cm) was used in destroyers. It weighed 1381 kg (3050 lb), had a I75-kg (385-Ib) warhead and travelled 2 344 ( 3 500 yards) at 27 knots. By the end of the First World War, after considerable trouble with their turbines, the Bliss-Leavitt company had eliminated the problems. The turbine used in the Mk 10 had a speed of 13 800 rpm and developed 158 shp. It consumed 9.8 kg (21.6 lb) of fuel per hp per hour, and a weight of only 71.7 kg (158 lb) gave a weight power ratio of :00. This was about 539? higher than its equivalent, the British 21-in Mk 8, and about 1859?^ higher than the 18-in Whitehead. The last design

m

1

1

1

:

b>efore the Second World War was 13. Its turbine prothe aircraft-dropped (XX) rpm and the duced 95 shp at a speed of gas was generated at 395 psi at a temperature

produced

Mk

1

Type

Mk

1.^

Mk

14

1

A Tu-22

Blinder leads a formation of MiG-21 Fishbeds in a display at

of 840°, giving some idea of the operating conditions of torpedo motors at that time. Only three Bliss-Leavitt torpedoes were in front-line used in 1939, the 22.4-in (57-cm) Mk 13, used in torpedo-bombers: the 21-in Mk 14, for use in submarines; and the 21-in Mk 15 in the latest destroyers. However, as soon as America joined the war in 1941 older weapons were brought back into use, such as the Mk 10 in submarines and the Mk 8 in the old four-stacker destroyers. None of these torpedoes earned a good reputation during the Second World War. The US Navy, like the Germans and the British, had developed a magnetic fuze, and

experienced similar problems. At least one submarine is believed to have been lost with all hands as a result of the premature explosion of one of its Duplex torpedo-fuzes. However, the most bitter disappointment

US

was In

70%

the failure of the contact fuze. 1943 a top secret report showed that of American torpedoes fired in action

weight

warhead

speed

(kg/lb)

(kg/lb)

(knots)

range (m/yd)

56.9/22.4

874/1927

182/401

33i

5486/6(XX)

1488/3280

272/600

3li

S'(3()/9(HX)

46

4

26i

1372/ 15 (XX)

33i

9I44/I0(X)()

45

5486/6(XX)

1

had propulsion or fuze failures. The US Tinosa fired 15 torpedoes at the Japanese whaler Shonan Maru No 3. and her captain watched them 'porpoise' in and out of the water before hitting the victim's side without exploding. In

386

15

53/21

1742/3840

March 1944

the Tullihee tor-

pedoed herself when a gyroscope fiiilure caused one of her salvo to run wild. Morale sank very low in the US submarine service, and the scandal led to a fresh start being made on a generation of totally different torpedoes, the first of which was designated

Mk

81.

Bloch 131

1

1

5/45(X)

French reconnaissance-bomber. The Bloch 131 evolved from the fixed-undercarriage Bloch 130M Guynemer which first flew on June 29, 19.M. Forty of these, with retractable landing gear, were ordered in October 1935, but the contract was later amended to specify the redesigned Bloch 131, also with retractable landing gear, v^hich made its maiden flight in .August 1936. The fiist Bloch 131, a four-seater, uas followed b\ a fiveseal second prototype which, with two 87(V

Gnome Rhone 14K radial engines, flew on May 5, 1937. .Among modifications introduced on this machine were an entirely new hp

fuselage, with \entral turret; incre;ised-area wings and tail-fin; and a dihedral tailplane.

The Bloch

Mk

in July 1967

it

calibre (cm/in)

53/2

Domededovo

374/825

131

entered production

in late

Courbe\oie and Chateauroux the SNC.A du Sud-Ouest (a compan\ formed from the former Bloch and Bleriot companies), and the first deliveries to the .Armee de I'Air began in June 1938. 1937

the factories of nationalized at

Bloch 174-177 requirement had been for (Hombarclenienl-Chassc-Reconnaissance) miilli-piirpi)se aircraft, and an early The

a

original

RCR

was to employ the F}|»>fh HI as a high-speed day boniber replacement for the Pote/ 540. In the event, however, its perforfnance was inadequate for this purposc and only 121 were built of the 181 ordered. he first 14 were of the R4 (fourintention

I

seat reconnaissance) version, anil five others were completed as dual-control trainers

Hloch Ml Ins. However, the prinmodel was the Hloch 131 KIM four-seat reconnaissance/bomber aircraft. A twintailed development, the Hloch 1.3.3, with KKKV hp Hispano-Sui/ii 14 Aa engines, was flown on October I, 19.37, but did nt)t progress beyond the prototype stage. The production Hloch 131 RB4 was powered by X7(t-hp CInome-Rhone I4N 10/11 ilesignaleil

cipal

could

engines,

carry

a

maximum

internal

bombload of X
—

replaced in the daytime role by the faster Pole/ f>3/l and by the time of the Clerman assault on F-rance on May 10, 1940, only one (in)upe de Reconnaissance, CiR 1/61, based in North Africa, was still equipped with the type. About 20 were employed by the Vichy I

French

—

air force, as target tugs, in

1941-42.

Span: 20 27 m (66 ft 6 in) Length: 17.85 m (58 ft Gross weight: 7910 kg (17 438 lb) Max speed: 350 km/h (217 mph)

6^ in)

Bloch 150-157 [•rench single-seal fighter aircraft. Designed 1934 French Air Ministry specification, the Hloch 1.50 was an attractive, allto a July

metal low-wing monoplane fighter with a retractable landing gear. However, the original prototype was considerably overweight,

and two first-flight attempts, on .luly 17 and August X. 1936. both proved abortive. Both failures were followed by extensive structural redesign, and eventually, on September 29. 1937, with wings of increased area and a

more

eflicieni

94(^hp (inome-Rhone

I4N

engine, a successful first flight was made. Fven so. the design was considered unsuitable for mass production, necessitating yet further redesign (as the Hloch 5 ) in order to I

|

implement the initial ct>ntract for 2.'> aircraft. Ihe first Hloch 1,^1 (920-hp CInome-Rhone I4N engine) was flown on August IX, I93X, anil more than 2(K) should have been tlelivered to the Armee de I'Air from the SNC'A du Sutl-Oiiest factories by April I, 1939. In fact, only ime had been delivered by that date, and only X.*! by the outbreak of war. Proiluction was limited to 140 aircraft, and their tlisappoinling performance, combined with problems of c(mtrol and engine overI

I

heating, led to their relegation, after modifito a training role. Armament com1934 prised four 7.S-nim (0.29,5-in) machine-guns in the wings, outboard of the

cation,

MAC

propeller disc.

Ihe prototype of an improvetl version, Ihe Hloch 152, had been ordered in April I9^X. This aircraft, first flown on December 15 that year, was powered by a l()30-hp (inomeRhone I4N 21 engine. Production aircraft, built from 1939 in parallel with the Hloch |S|. were powered by either a lOXO-hp I4N 25 or ll(M>-hp I4N 29. Armament consisted of

two 20-mm (0.79-in) Hispano HS-404 cannon and two 7.5-mm MAC 1934 machineeither

MAC

guns, or four 1934s. Hy the outbreak of the .Sect)nd World War the Armee de I'Air had only one squadron equipped with the .Hloch 152. and even these were non-operational. Hy the beginning of 1940 the Armee de lAir had just over l(K)in flyable condition and nearly twice as many, lacking propellers, were non-operational. When Ihe Ciermans attacked on May 10.

French pursuit groups were equipped with Hloch 151 or 152 fighters. The eventual total of Hloch 152s delivered was 4X2. of which about twti-thirds were still efTective at the end of July 1940. Many of these were used by the Vichy French air force, and Ciermany supplied 20 to its ally. Rumania. At about the same time, nine Hloch 151s (of 25 ordered) were supplied by France to the Royal Hellenic Air F'orce. A third version, the Hloch 155, entered production following its first flight on December 3, 1939. but only nine had been 1940,

eight

delivered before the fall of France. This version, at

^i^^ ^^^^

first

armed

similarly

to the Hloch

152, was poweretl by an l(K)-hp (inomeRhone I4N 49 engine, increasing the maxI

imum

speeil (ilespite a higher gross weight) to 520 km/h (323 mph). The Hloch 155 was the first production liench lighter to incorporate both belt-feil cannon and an armoured-glass windscreen. About 15 were built altogether, these being useil later by the Vichy air force until seized by the l.tiftwalfe in 1942. The Hloch 153 and 154 designations were applieil to proposed versions of the Hloch 152. fitted, respectively, with American Twin Wasp and Cyclone engines. Of these, only the Hloch 153 was flown in prototype form. .Similarly. Ihe (inome-Rhone-engined Hloch I5(> remained only a project. The final tievelopment of this series of lighters was the Hloch 157. virtually a complete redesign by l.ucien Servanty. The prototype was still under construction when France was overrun, but its completion was approved by the (ierman authorities, and Ihe Hloch 157 eventually flew in March 1942, powered by a 1590-hp (inome-Rhone I4R 4 engine but without its inteniled six-gun armament (two cannon and four machine-guns). Subsequent test flights ct)nfirmed early impressions that the Hloch 157 was superior in all respects to its predecessors, performance incluiling a maximum speed of 7 10 km/h (441 mph). However, no further development was undertaken.

(Bloch 152) Span: 10 54 m (34 ft 7 in) Length: 9 10 m (29 ft 10 in) Gross weight: 2748 kg (6058 lb) Maximum speed: 509 km/h (316 mph)

Bloch 174-177 rench multi-purpose combat aircraft. This was derived from the Hloch 170, a 'solid-nosed". wo/three-seat light attack bomber and reconnaissance aircraft flown for the first time on February 15. 193X. The prototype Hloch 174 (first flight January 5, 1939) was ajtually a development of the second Hloch 170 fitted with a much-modified fuselage incorporating a long "greenhouse" canopy and an extensively gla/ed nose. It was followed by six pre-production and 50 production Hloch 174 A3 (three-seat army cooperation) aircraft, the first of Ihe latter batch flying on November 5. 1939. Powered by two 1030-hp (inome-Rhone I4N 20/21 radial engines. Ihe Hloch 174 A3 had a small internal weapons bay for up to 4(K)kg (XX2 lb) of bombs, and an armament of seven 7.5-mm I-

series

.1

(().295-in)

MAC

1934 machine-guns

—one

in

A Vichy French Bloch 174 A3

in the red and yellow markings of the post-Armistice French air force Developed from the Bloch 170 attack bomber the 174. with only a 68-kg (1500-lb) bombload, was intended mainly for reconnaissance and target marking missions, its bombing capability being only secondary

387

Bloch 200 loh winii. ivso (nnw;ible) in the rc;ir a>ckpil. :uk1 thrcf (scp;ir:itc ;ind nu>v;ible) in iindcrfiisehijio insl;ill;ilit»nN.

DclivcrieN. initi^illy lo rephicc vcrsi«>nN of no Pole/ 6^. hciiin in micl-M;irch l')4()loC;R ll/o.''.

ihc

oper;ition;il sortie bcini;

tirsi

made

M.iieh 24. Hloch 174s ;ilso p;irli;illy equipped live other (iroiipcs de Reeonn;iiss;ince, hut (iR \\/^^ rem;iine«.l the only group fully .|iiiprH."d with the type. he liloeh 174 h;indled well ;ind combiil li)sses were few. Indeeil, it w;is one of I'ninco's best w;irpl;mes of the period. ;illhout:h it bec;inie ;ivail;ible too laie and in numbers tt> resist the (ierman t«H> small onslaught. After the fall of F-Yance, (!R ll/^3 operated its MIoch 174s in North Africa until the\ were replaced by LIS aircraft in \^4^. .Si>me others were used as personal transoi\

I

pi>rts i>r for naviyatit>n training.

The RIoch \7>. a three-seat K>mber first flown in December I4>9, was essentially the same aircraft, apart from the use o( nn>re pt>werful

I

IS(>-hp

(inome-Rhone I4N

48/4*)

engines atul the airframe redesign necessary to inc«>rporate an enlarged internal bay able to accommoilate up to \>>0 kg (.^417 lb) of

bombs. An alternative version, the BU>ch I7fv was powered bv l()5(>-hp Pratt & WhitR-IX^()-,SCK; Twin Wasp radials. ne\ Altogether

RIoch

ll"^7

I7.'^/I7^

bombers were ordered, the examples flying in April

first

anil

three-seal

production May 1440

respeclivelv. Deliveries of the Hloch I7.S (to C.R ll/.^2) began in May 1*^)40. but by the time the Hi>rileau\ factors fell into (ierman hands only 2.^ RIoch \7>s and fi\e RIoch 176s were

an advanced stale of construction. l-'ifl\RIoch I7.^s were later ci>mpleted, with (Ierman approval, as l,uftualfe trainers. The ( ln(>me-Rhone "power eggs" were renH>ved

cessive batches were powered by (inomeRhone I4N M/5.^. (>6/67 and 70/71 engines, all .>f 11^0 hp.

A

(ierman M(i l.^l cannon each wing, with a third in the rear cockpit. F^ritish Mk XFI A.SV radar was installed, and offensive weapons included a 2(>-mni (().79-in)

was mounted

in

7.S(>-kg

(l^^^-lb)

charges

in the

torpedo,

or three depthfour '^(Vmm t.'^.^in) rocket prt>jectiles under each wing. Fhis production run ended in 19.50, and the last RIoch 17.^'rs were withdrawn from use (by then as trainers) st)me ten years later.

Irench

aircraft

llispant>-Siii/a

Me

Xo (iermany for ^23 transport, the

being refitted with X.'<()-hp _> engines and redesig-

I2^'

I

nated RIoch 177. in

]''>

back into

pr«>ducti4>n. as the

first

Ps'r was

RIoch 175

T,

as a lorpedi>-bt>mber. I'he

flinvn

on May

1^.

\^)4(^.

and SO

of this version were built, the final >()of them with lartier anil more rouniletl tail-fins .Suc-

Maximum

speed: 230 km/h (143

French hK)mh)cr. .A 19.3,^ development of the Bloch 200. Ihe Rl.>ch 210 made its first flight t)n NovemFx'r 2.^, 1934. Although scarcely less angular and unattractive, it did offer a low-mounted wing and retractable main wheels (though the prototypes wore nonretractable), and the redesigned fuselage, with its retractable dorsal and ventral turrets,

Bloch 200 I'rench bomber.

Fo find a successor lo the F.eO 20, six French- companies submitted eight designs to a 1932 F-'rench air ministry specification. From these, the RIoch 200 and |-arman 221 were chosen for development. Three prototypes were ordered from RIoch. the first flying in .June 19.^3, and at the end of that year an initial contract was placed for M) production RU>ch 200 RN4s (fi>ur-seat night bombers). Ihe first production bomber flew in

.Inly

I9'?4.

offered less drag. A single 7.5-mm (().295-in) M AC 1934 machine-gun was mounted in each of the nose, dorsal and ventral turrets, and up to I6(X) kg (3527 lb» of btimbs could be carried

Power plant comprised two 870-hp (inome-Rhone 14 Kirs/I<.jrs radial engines. Produclit)n. by Bloch (25) and seven other internally

an all-melal high-v^ing mono-

plane powered by twi) 870-hp (inome-Rhone 14 Kirs/Kjrs radial engines and having a nonretractable laniling gear. It was armed with three 7 s-nmi (0.295-in) machine-gims in nose, dorsal and ventral turrets, and couki carry up to 25(K) kg (5.^11 lb) of bombs

I

1

the

eventually totalled 253 for the 24 for Rumania, the first flight of a production aircraft taking place on December 12, 1935. The first 50 were built as BN4s Hdiiihanli'Dwnt du Nuit 4-place. or

Armee de lAir and

Second

\Vi>rkl

War. nearly KM) were

—

{

4-seat night KmiFxr). the remainder having an additional crew niemFx.'r and hieing desig-

nated RIoch 210 RN5. The first flig'ht of^i RN5 took place on May 3. 1937. Although sturdily built, the RIoch 2 10 was iMulerpovsered, its engines were prone lo overheating, and its control at low speed was

—

1

from satisfactory. .As a result, in 1937-38. existing examples were re-engined with tlie 910-hp (inome-Rhone I4N lO/ll.which proved more reliable as well as more pt>werful. A total of 155 were still in I'rench service 1939, with ahK)Ut a do/en in .September (iroupes de Rombanlement. .At first their obsolescence restricted them to nocturnal far

still

all

service in .September I9>9, though they witliilrawn shorll> afterwards. Propt>sed variants includeil Ihe l^loch 201 ((i50-hp Hbrs engines). Ihe fourHispano-.Sui/a engined RIoch 202 (240-hp ( inome-Rlione K7s) and tlie tvs in-Renaull-engined liloch 20.'?. However, ni>ne of these ileveloped beviMid the pmlolype. v\ere

leconnaissance battle

The Aero In

.

factories,

for

missions,

l-'rance

in

the

but during the following spring

MB 200. Czech version of the Bloch 200.

and a bombl'^ad of 1 400 kg (3086 lb) Czechs who built their own version which carried a smaller bombload but was 15 km/h (9 mph) faster than the French bomber carried a crew of five

388

lb)

Bloch 210

in

Wartime protluction endeil in late l'M2. but I44.'> the T'lench navy i>rdered the RU>ch

in a siop-g;ip role

kg (16050

mph)

I'rench pro(.luclii>n. excluiling prototypes, eventually totalled 20S (four by RIoch. 19 each by Rieguet and l.oire, 4.^ by Hanriot, by l\ile/. and 10 for the F-rench navy at Ri/erte— by the SN(".\ du Sudduest). Although succeeded bv the l^loch 2IOfx'fore

and sent

(Bloch 200 BN4) Span: 22 45 m (73 ft 71 in) Length: 16.00 m (52 ft 6 in) Gross weight: 7280

(Bloch 175 B3) Span 17.95 m (58 ft lOi in) Length: 12 43 m (40 ft 9!. in) Gross weight 7800 kg (17196 lb) Maximum speed: 540 km/h (335

internally

i>thers

;i

(

mph)

si\

from many

I

bomb bay and

in

installation in the giant

In mid- 19.^5 one Bloch 2(K) was delivered to Czechoslovakia, where the Aero and Avia factories subsequently built 124 as the Aero MR 2(M). These difl^ered in having Wallerbuilt 7(>0-hp (inome-Rhone I4K engines in long-chi)rd NACA cowlings, Mk >() machineguns, a 1400-kg (.30X(>-lb) maximimi K>mFv load, a gross weight of 7 SO kg 15 76 lb) and a maximum speed of 245 km/h (152 mph).

mid-1935 a Bloch 200 was delivered

fo the

Bloodhound I

The JVT-I was launched from a twin-railed ramp by a pair of 7..'^-in (19-cm) cordite rockets which separated well above the speed

hey were

pressed into use in their (>rigin;il

of sound, leaving the ramjet sustainers to continue to accelerate the vehicle. proper Bloodhound of Development (under the code name Red Duster) followed extensive tests with prototypes both in Bri-

desiytiiiled role.

Predictably, losses were he;ivy. but several survived and escaped to give some further service in North Africa. Thirty-seven were captured by the occupying (ierman forces, and these are said tt) have been passed l»> the Bulgarian air fi>rce, though it is unlikely that the Bulgarians

tain

used them

has a large

to assist

launch

pointed nose housing the semi-active radar seeker. Thor ramjets of 16-in (40.6-cm)

Variants (prototypes only) included the Bloch 211 Vcnliiii (two SW)-hp Hispano Sui/ii 12 Ydrs engines, first (light August 29, ly.^.S) and the Bloch 212 (two Hispano-Suizii first

fin

The missile takes the ft)rm of a cylindrical body with a dielectric

one was used as a VIP transport.

radials,

1

stability.

Several Bloch 2l()s became engine or propeller testbeds. and

Ha

Mk

Bloodhound is ramp-launched by four Bristol Aerojet strapon boosters, each of which

for operational duties.

14

and Australia. Bloodhound

entered service with the Royal Air Force in I9.'^8 and was subsequently ordered by Sweden and Australia.

flight

October

1936).

Span: 22.85 m (74 ft 11 i in) Length: 18.84 m 9^' in) Gross weight: 9745 kg (21486 Maximum speed: 300 km/h (186 mph)

ft

(61 lb)

diameter are mounted above and below the rear fuselage and flight control is achieved by all-moving wings in conjunction with fixed rectangular tail fins. The wings can move together or differentially to achieve control on the 'twist-and-steer" principle. The semi-active radar homing system responds to reflected radar energy from the target when illuminated by ground radar, and the high-explosive warhead is detonated by a proximity fuze. In the forepart of the body are flexible rubber tanks for kerosene fuel, pressurized by ram air from the rear. •So effective was the performance of the original missile that a 2 has been supplied to the air forces of Switzerland, Australia and

Mk

-Singapore.

The Mk 2 has greatly improved performance and is more effective at lower altitudes. Not only is it air-transportable for rapid deployment overseas in 1964 was it deployed in Malaysia but it has a more powerful Thor ramjet, more powerful boosters, and continuous-wave radar guidance. It would be wrong to suppose that this potent weapon system is limited to high and medium-altitude targets. Trials have shown that it can deal effectively with fast targets at altitudes below M)5 m (1000 ft).

— —

Bloodhound continues role in the

Bloodhounds

its important defence of Western

25 Squadron operates

at Briiggen,

Laarbruch and

Wildenrath, whilst No 85 Squadron has home defence responsibilities in Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire and elsewhere.

British surface-to-air missile.

One

of the world's most successful surface-to-air

Bloodhound employs

missiles.

ramjets to achieve long range. First evidence that Britain had embarked on research in this direction

when

RAF No

Europe.

Bloodhound

NATO

came

m

test

1)

Length (with boosters): 7.7

3i in) Diameter: 54.6

(Bloodhound Mk

free flight at supersonic speeds.

diameter

ft

cm

(21 .5 in)

I9.S2

in

JVT-I, was exhibited at the SB AC Show at Farnbiiroiigh. Developed by the old Bristol Aeroplane company from an RAE Farnborough design, its purpose was to obtain information on the behaviour of the ramjet in

The wingless

(25

Range: 80-96 km (50-60 miles)

a ramjet test vehicle,

(l.'>.2-cm)

Mk

(Bloodhound

vehicle had 'propulsive

two

6-in

2)

Length:!. &!

m

with boosters 8.45 m (27 ft 8 in) Diameter: 54.6 cm (21 .5 in) Wing span. 2.83 m (9 ft 4 in) Range .'96-1 61 km (60-100 miles) Speed; Mach 2 Gu/dance; target-illuminating (CW) Ferranti Firelight', vehicle ounted, and GEC/AEI Scorpion' (25

ft

2

in);

ducts'

mounted at the tail on aerodynamic stubs. The centrebody housed fuel, fuel-system controls and automatic measuring and radiotelemetry equipment.

A

Bristol

Bloodhound Mk

surface-to-air missile with

I

RAF

crew. It entered service in 1958, followed by the Mk in 1964 II

[^

^^

Blowlamp Blowlamp, llyushin

11-54

Russian experimental bomber. A development of the 11-30. itself intended as a successor for the 11-28 Beagle, the 11-54 in fact never entered service; the slightly smaller Yakovlev yak-28 Brewer was chosen instead. Blowlamp was built in 1954, and made its first public appearance in 1956. the year after its maiden flight. It was powered by two Lyulka

The armoured cruiser BliJcher (right and

far right)

was designed

at

the beginning of the twentieth century, but technological developments rendered her obsolete before she was launched. During the First World War she saw action in the Baltic and

bombarded the English east coast. In 1915at the Battle of the Dogger Bank she was chased by a Royal Navy battlecruiser force and sunk by gunfire and torpedoes

AL-7 turbojets. of 65(K)-kg (I4.3(X)-lb) thrust each, mounted in underwing pods. A large weapon bay could accommodate bombs or torpedoes, and a remote-controlled tail barbette containing two cannon was provided for self-defence. Span: 17.8 m (58 ft 5 in) Length: 21.8 m (71 ft 6 Gross weight: 29000 kg (64 000 lb) Range: 2400 km (1490 miles) Ceiling: 13000 m (42650 ft) Max speed: 1150 km/h (715 mph) in)

Blowpipe, Short British shoulder-launched surface-to-air

Blowpipe

is a dual-purpose for use by infantry units against low-flying aircraft and softskinned vehicles. The missile is normally operated by a three-man reserve section comprising aimer, aimer and driver; all three are fully qualified to fire the missile. The team travels in a Land Rover towing a

missile.

weapon

trailer

and carries with

it

an aiming unit, four

and have to be

ready-to-fire missile launcher/containers a

further

six

rounds

which

unpacked.

The operator carries the aiming unit and one round out to the firing position, selected to give the best vantage point and yet offer some concealment from the air. The No 2 brings a further two rounds and then returns to the vehicle to fetch a portable radio, while

the driver remains in the vehicle and maintains contact with the aimer and command positions. The operator clips the re-usable aiming unit to the slender barrel of the moisture-proof launcher/container and rests the complete assembly on his right shoulder. His left hand supports the front of the canister, while his right grasps the grip which carries a firing trigger protected by a guard to prevent thumbinadvertent operation and a operated missile controller. The aimer tracks

—

l(K) ft) into the flight, thereby protecting the operator from heat and blast. Guidance during the first 1.5 seconds of flight is automatic. .-Xn infrared sensor aligned with the optical sight in the aiming unit detects radiation fri>m flares mounteil on the rear of the missile. .Steering corrections to bring the ri>und back on to the operators line (

of sight are automatically computed in the unit and transmitleil to the weapon via a ring aerial mounted in the canister. The operator assumes contrt)| at the end of this uathcrinu

A Short Blowpipe ground-to-air missile at the moment of firing The rear fins have not yet been fully

deployed, but the front ones are visible

—

an approaching aircraft through his monocular sight and interrogates the target with IFF (identification, friend or foe) equipment. The IFF. which is an optional feature, automatically overrides the firing sequence if the aircraft is friendly.

When the operator pulls the trigger, a small e.xplosive charge initiates operation of a thermal batteryw hich in turn spins up an attitude gyro in the missile nose. The gyro aligns Blowpipe's cruciform fins, one of which is selected as a datum and kept vertical during launch. The canister's nose cap is blown oft by gas pressure resulting from the charge explosion. The missile's solid-propcllant boost motor then ignites, blowing off the four shear bolts which attach the rear supporting plate to the back end of the canister. Both ends of the tube are now open, and recoil is thus kept to a minimum. .As the missile moves forward, the rear

390

— —

which are folded for stowage inside the large-diameter forward part of the canisslide down the body until they meet a ter band of tape at the rear and are locked in position. The motor exhaust ports are skewed so that the missile spins as it emerges from the canister; this ensures that the round flies straight, and the centrifugal force unfolds the weapon's rear fins. The botist motor burns out while the round is still in its tube and the missile then coasts for 0.7 seconds until the sustainer ignites about M)m fins

^

Blucher

He keeps his sight on the target and the missile by means of a thumboperated joystick. The flares help him to pick out the round in flight, and commands are process. steers

transmitted over the radio link. Blowpipe uses a twist-and-steer control. The front section, on which the four moveable fins are mounted, is free to rotate about its longitudinal axis. Commands from the operator rotate the nose cone so that one pair of fins is aligned in the plane from the missile to the target, enabling the necessary pitching moment to be generated by the other pair. Blowpipe carries a capacitance proximity fuze, which senses perturbations in an electrostatic field caused by the proximity of a target. .Average miss distance is 3-3.5 m. (10 ft-1 ft 6 in). After an engagement the aiming 1

undipped and used again. Blowpipe is operated by the British .Army. the Royal Marines and the Canadian forces. unit can be

The

missile

is

also used in the Vickers

SLAM

(Submarine-Launched Airflight Missile) weapon system for defending submarines against helicopters and patrol vessels, and multi-round naval launchers for Blowpipe itself have been studied. Length: 1.34 m (4 ft 5 in) Span: 25.4 cm (10 in) Diameter: 7.6 cm (3 in) Speed: Mach 1 .5 Max range: 3 km (2 miles) Max alt: 1500 m (5000 ft) Warhead: 2.2 kg (5 lb) dual-purpose (fragmentation/shaped charge) Launch canister: Length: 140 cm (55 in) Weight: 14 kg (31 lb) including missile Aiming unit: Dimensions: 30.5x21.6x10.2 cm (11x9x4 in) Weight: 7 kg (16 lb)

BliJcher German armoured

cniiser.

Designed during

showed a substantial improvement on earlier armoured cruisers. Compared with the Schamhorst Class she was two knots faster, had thicker armour. 1904-05,

the

Bliicher

and, by substituting twin for single turrets in the wing positions, the number of main armament guns was increased by 509?^. However, she did have a much larger hull and was nearly 4000 tons heavier than the earlier class.

Unfortunately the construction by the Britof the Invincible Class battlecruisers rendered her obsolete before she was completed. She was nevertheless a more logical

ish

development of the armoured

cruiser, and for a while the Germans believed that Invincible was of a similar type. As a result she became a hybrid, lying midway between the battlecruiser and armoured cruiser types but

belonging to neither.

The

Bliicher

was

laid

down

at

Kiel

dockyard in 1907, launched in 1908 and commissioned on October 1. 1909. Until the outbreak of war she served as a gunnerytraining and trials ship, but when not being used to test new gunnery equipment she usually operated with the scouting force of the German fleet. In 1913 her pole foremast was converted into a tripod to support the

German navy's

gun director, which was fitted to control the port 15-cm (5.9-in) battery. Subsequent trials with this equipment were successful and by 1915 the starboard battery and the main armament had also been first

fitted for director control.

On

the outbreak of

war she was

in the

and in September 1914 led a raid into the Gulf of Finland, firing on the Russian cruisers Bayan and Pallada which retired Baltic,

without replying. Shortly afterwards she passed through the Kiel Canal and joined the battlecruisers of the 1st Scouting Group of the High Seas Fleet. With this force she took part in bombardment raids on the east coast of England on November 3 and December 16. On January 24, 1915, she took part in the Battle of the Dogger Bank, a stern chase with the 1st Scouting Group being pursued by the British Battlecruiser Force. The Bliicher.

being

and nearest the British and eventually which reduced her speed to 17

last in the line

ships,

heavily

suffered

received a hit knots. Due to a signalling error the British force began to concentrate its fire on the unfortunate ship while the remainder of the 1st Scouting Group escaped. Under the withering fire of four battlecruisers, and after being struck by several torpedoes, the Bliicher capsized and sank, taking all but 260 of her crew with her.

Displacement: 15 500 tonnes Length: 158.6 m (520 ft 6 in) oa Seam •24. 5 m (80 ft 6 in) Draught: 8.85 m (28 ft) max Machinery: 3-shaft, steampiston engines, 32000 ihp = 24.5 knots Protection: 80 (3.1 in) sides; 70 (2.75 in) deck; 152 (6 in) turrets Armament: 12 21-cm (8.2in) (6x2); 8 15-cm (5.9-in) (8x1); 16 88-mm (3.4in) (16x1); 4 45-cm (17.7-in) torpedo tubes

mm

mm

mm

(submerged,

1

bow,

1

stern, 2

beam) Crew; 880

Bliicher German heavy

cruiser.

The

Bliicher.

the

second ship of the Hipper Class, displaced 14000 tons standard, was armed with eight 20-cm (8-in) guns and had a maximum speed of 32 knots. She was laid down in 1935 by Deutsche Werke at Kiel and was launched on June 8, 1937. She was commissioned on September 20, 1939 and spent the next six months on trials and training in the Baltic. In March 1940 she was assigned to the naval forces preparing for the invasion of Norway and became flagship of Group 5. This group, consisting of the Bliicher. the

armoured ship Liitzow. the cruiser Emden. three torpedo boats, eight minesweepers and two whalers, was given the task of transporting and covering 2000 troops for the occupation of Oslo. The Bliicher took on 900 troops and sailed from Kiel with Group 5 on April 8, entering Oslo fjord later that evening. The long passage up the fjord to Oslo was 391

Blue Steel guarded by two groups of forts, the first of which the force managed to pass without being challenged. However, the second, which guarded the 550-m (600-yard) wide Drobak Narrows, were fully alert and allowed the Blucher. which was leading the German ships at 12 knots, to approach to

Displacement: 14050 tonnes (normal). 18200 tonnes (full load) Length: 202.8 m (665 ft) oa,

Machinery: 3-shaft geared turbines, 132000 shp = 32 knots Protection: 40-50 mm (1i-2 in) deck; 70-80 mm (2i-3 in) sides; 70-105

The Stentor rocket engine, developed by Bristol Siddeley, had two thrust chambers burning high-test peroxide (HTP) and

within point-blank range. At 0522 am on the morning of April 9 the Blucher was illuminated by a searchlight and two minutes later the shore batteries opened

mm

kerosene.

fire.

She began to suffer immediately, and

was soon badly damaged and on fire. Shortly afterwards she was hit by two torpedoes fired from a fixed torpedo tube battery ashore. Both struck the port side, causing extensive damage and bringing her to a stop. She drifted out of the narrows and beyond the range of the Norwegian guns, but all attempts the flooding and put out the fires failed. At 0623 hrs the forward 104-mm (4.1in) magazine exploded and the fate of the ship was sealed. At 0730 hrs on April 9. 1940 the Bliicher heeled over and sank. There were only 250 survivors from the crew and the troops on board. The wreck still lies at the bottom of Oslo fjord in 90 (300 ft) of water. See also Admiral Hipper Class. to stem

m

205.9 m (675 ft 6 in) with Atlantic' bow 21.3 m (69 ft 10 in) Draught:! 1^ m (25

Beam: ft

5

in)

max

(2a-4 in) turrets

in)/60

cal

(4x2);

Armament:^ 203-mm (88.9105-mm (4.1-in)/65 cal

12

(6x2); 12(reducedto8)37-mm(1.45-in)(6x2);8 (increased to 28) 20-mm, replaced by 15 40-mm

Bofors (15x1) in late 1944; 12 53.3-cm (23-ln) torpedo tubes (4x3) Crew: 1382

British winged air-to-surface missile. Blue Steel was part of Britain's first-generation nuclear deterrent before the Polaris submarines became fully operational. Developed

RN

by Hawker Siddeley Aviation (formerly A V Roe) as a means of increasing the penetrability of Victor 2 and Vulcan 2 aircraft of RAF Bomber Command, the weapon gave the parent bomber a stand-off range exceeding 320 km (2(X) miles). Blue Steel had a canard configuration. The

body had

ventral

fin

of larger area.

One served for cruise and the other for dash performance. Flight trials at the Weapons Research Establishment (WRE) in Australia concentrated on proving release of the missile at altitude and its precise control and guidance. After being released at a height of 1066812 192 (35000-40000 ft), the missile was capable of climbing to a higher altitude for cruise, control being applied through movable foreplanes, elevens and rudder. The

m

Blue Steel

cylindrical

aft-mounted delta wings were mounted in line with all-moving foreplanes. At the tail were a small dorsal fin and rudder and a folding

a tapered

nosecone and

Elliott Brothers inertial guidance system received initial course-setting data from the precision navigation system in the launch aircraft before release, then acted independently. Thus the bomber was able to veer from course to avoid close engagement with target defences. Development of Blue Steel got under way in 1954 and the first missiles began to enter service eight years later with No 617 Squadron. However, the increasing demand to reduce bombers' vulnerability in the face of modern missile defences led to modifications to both aircraft and missile which enabled them to make their attack at low level. In the end it was possible to slip Blue Steel under the effective radar screen by launching below 305 m (1000 ft). By 1971, however. Blue Steel was being phased out and only Nos 27 and 617 Squadrons of RAF Strike Command, at Scampton. continued to operate the weapon

from Vulcan

2.

m

Diameter: ^2^ cm (50 in) Propulsion: BS Stentor 2chamber rocket engine, with separate chambers for cruise and dash performance Range: 321 km+ (200 miles +) Speed: (at high altitude)

Length: 10.67

Above:F
Busters) of the

RAF

#R^

(35

m

(13

approx Mach

1.6

Span: 3.96

ft)

ft)

BIyskawica

Blue Water, English Electric British

battlefield-support

missile.

Blue

Water was intended to replace the USdeveloped Corporal as the British Army of

1

the Rhine's standard surface-to-surface ballistic missile. Development of the weapon

uas, however, abandoned in August 1%2, some two and a half years before it was scheduled to enter service. British hopes that the missile would be adopted by other countries had not been fulfilled, and it was

NATO

by the British government that alternauere becoming available. One of the most important was. ironically, the TSR.2 bomber which was itself cancelled in 1%5. Blue Water was intended to have a number felt

tive nuclear delivery vehicles

A Blue Water surface-to-surface missile is readied for a demonstration at Larkhill in May 1961.

BAG hoped

missile

by

that the

would be adopted

NATO

in

the 1960s

»

^^

The

Polish destroyer BIyskawica in service with the Royal

of advantages over the earlier Corporal. The fire unit comprised only two vehicles: a longwheelbase Land Rover, which contained the guidance computer; and a three-ton Bedford which acted as transporter and truck launcher. The complete fire unit could be carried in an Argosy transport aircraft, and reload rounds could be slung under large helicopters. Reaction time was a creditable ten minutes, achieved by simplifying the prelaunch setting-up process and by a solidpropellant rocket motor, obviating the need to fuel the missile before firing.

BIyskawica Polish

destroyer

class.

The Polish BIys-

kawica Class destroyers, ORP BIyskawica (Lightning) and ORP Grom (Thunderbolt), were laid down at the shipyard of J Samuel at Cowes in the Isle of Wight, late in Both vessels were launched in 1936 and completed in 1937. ORP, the prefix to Polish warship names, stands for Okret Rzeczypos-

White, 1935.

politej Polskiej (ship of the Polish navy).

During trials both ships exceeded their designed speed, Grom achieving 39.26 knots and BIyskawica just over 39 knots. Gram's radius of action at 15 knots was 5550 km (3448 miles), while Blyskawica's was 5750

-'^^

ma

ik.-

f(g(*iP--

zTTW"^^^

Length: 7.6 m (25 ft) Diameter: 60 cm (2 ft) Range: 110-160 km (70-100 miles) Control: Pivoting mid-body cruciform wings Guidance: Inertia! Warhead: Nuclear

.^"^^^

A *m Navy

early in the Second

World War

km (3573 miles) at the same speed. The bows of both vessels were strengthened for navigation through ice.

After

fitting

for the Baltic.

out at Cowes, both ships sailed

They were based

where they remained

until shortly

Gdynia, before the

at

outbreak of hostilities between Germany and Poland. They were then ordered to proceed to Britain. This decision to remove the ships from the Baltic robbed the short Polish coast of the major part of its protection. BIyskawica and Grom were built for the shallow and comparatively quiet waters of the Baltic, and when they were set to work in the more turbulent waters of the Atlantic and the North Sea, it was found that the ships were top-heavy, losing some of their seakeeping qualities. Suggestions for improving matters were made by the original builders, but no alterations were made until 1942-43, and then only to BIyskawica.

Grom arrived at Leith in September 1939 and took part in three major operations, 24 patrol-boat and three submarine actions. She also escorted seven convoys, fought off three air attacks, and fought in one coastal engagement. She was finally lost in action with enemy aircraft off Narvik on May 5, 1940. She was sunk by what has been called 'a freakish chance of war'. A German bomber scored a direct hit on her from a height of about 5105 m (16 750 ft), at a time when the chances of deliberately hitting a moving target from such a height were remote. Two bombs, from a stick of six, hit the Grom. one

«

393-

BM, Martin The US Navy's Martin BM-1 two-man carrier dive-bomber, which entered service in July 1932, could carry up to 454 kg (1000 lb) of bombs and had two .30-in (7.62-mm) Browning machine-guns. The prefix B was an innovation used to indicate that the aircraft type was a bomber

3B5 rons, one on Lexington (from June 1932) and the other on Saratoga.

Span. 12.5 m (41 ft in) Length: 8.65 m (28 ft 5 Gross weight: 2805 kg (6183 lb) Max speed: 235 km/h (145 mph) in)

BM/BMD Soviet artillery rocket launchers. The BM and launchers are a series of Soviet mobile rocket launchers developed after 1945 as replacements for the Katyusha launchers first unveiled during the Second World War. They are essentially tactical short-range support weapons, with no form of guidance. Basically, all the rockets are of the same

BMD

landing on the torpedo casing and exploding the compressed-air reservoir, the other hitting the side of the ship. She broke in half and sank with extraordinary rapidity in the entrance of Rombaksfjord. Boats from Aurora,

Faulknor and Bedouin picked up the survivors. Fifty-nine of her crew were killed and 24 were wounded. In

1942,

after having taken the

Grom's

place on the Rombaksfjord patrol for a short time, followed by service in the English Channel and the Atlantic, Blyskawica was taken into the yard of J Samuel White for modifications. To increase her stability, recommendations were made for the removal of the forward gun turret and other armament. However, the Polish naval authorities rejected these, and the armament was retained while alterations were made to the superstructure instead. The principal modification was the exchange of her heavy tripod mast for a lighter pole mast abaft the bridge. Her funnel was also cut down to improve stability.

Blyskawica survived the war, having taken part in about 400 operations. In one of her last operations she was hit by a U-Boat while escorting US I.ST 3 out of Plymouth. As a result of this action her steering was damaged and she returned to Cowes for repairs. Shortly after the war Blyskawica was turned over to the Communist regime in Poland, and she served in the Polish navy until I9.'^8. During 19.S9-60 she underwent substantial modifications, the superstructure was entirely rebuilt and her armament was altered. A\ the same time a new tripod mast was fitted to carry radar and other modern electronic equipment. Blyskawica was withdrawn from active

394

service in 1974. She began conversion to a museum ship in 1975 and is now based in the

harbour

at

Gdynia, Poland.

Displacement: 2144 tons (standard), 3383 tons load) Length: 114 m (374 ft) Beam: M. 3 m (37 ft) Draught: 3.1 m (10 ft 6 in) Machinery: 2shaft Parsons single-reduction geared turbines, 54 500 shp = 39 knots Armament: (As completed) 7 4.7-in (120-mm) DP (1x1, 3x2): 4 40mm (1.57-in) AA (2x2): 8 13.2-mm (0.5-in) MG AA (4x2): 6 21 -in (53-cm) torpedo tubes (2x2): 2 depth-charge chutes for 40 depth charges: 44 mines (As refitted 1959-60) 8 3.9-in (100-mm) DP: 10 37-mm (1.45-in) AA: 3 21-in (53-cm) torpedo tubes (1x3); 4 depth-charge throwers Crew: 180 (full

BM, Martin American dive-bomber. The accuracy of dive-bombing having been demonstrated by

XF8C,

the original Helldiver, it was logical for the US Navy to build purposedesigned dive-bombers for use from its carriers. In 1928 two prototypes were ordered, the Martin XT5M-1 and Naval Aircraft Fac-

the Curtiss

tory

most

XT2N-I. After

testing these aircraft, al-

from the choice of enwas given a contract for 17 production machines designated BM-I. followed by 16 slightly improved BN-2s. This was the first use of the new Navy B (Bomber) prefix. The BM scries were strong all-metal singlebay biplanes powered by a 6(K)-hp Pratt & Whitney R-I69(V44 Hornet engine. They identical apart

gine, Martin

were two-seaters, and a bomb of 4.'^4 kg (1000 lb) could be carried under the belly on hinged crutches which swung the bomb clear of the propeller on release. There were two squad-

type: solid-fuel, single-stage, spin-stabilized,

conventional high-explosive/fragmenwarheads, incendiary warheads, or smoke warheads, actuated by simple impact fuzes. The launchers are, similarly, variants on a basic design, a cluster of tubes which may be solid-walled or open-frame type, mounted either on a simple wheeled artillerytype carriage or on a wheeled \ehicle. At the end of 1977 it was not clear precisely which models were in service with the Soviet Army and with armies of other Warsaw Pact countries. Current models, in ascending order of calibre, were as follows: with

tation

BM-21 The rocket calibre,

is

of

122-mm

(4.8-in)

weighing either 46 kg (101.41

lb) in

the light version or 77 kg (169.76 lb) in the heavy version. Thrust is provided by six nozzles in the base; spin is induced by twisted grooves in the launch tube, and spring-loaded fins are deployed after launch to sust;iin the spin during flight. Maximum range of the light rocket isl4 (XX) m (45 93 .76 ft), of the heavy rocket 20 (XX) m (65 616.8 ft). The Soviet version of this rocket is fired from a cluster of 40 tubes, in four layers of ten, mounted on the rear deck of a URAL375 truck. The Czcchoslovakian army has its own launcher, the BM-2I/M-I972 a similar 4()-tube cluster but mounted on the rear of a Tatra 813 8x8 heavy truck chassis and carrying a second batch of forty rockets in a special fast-reloading assembly. 1

BMP BMP Soviet Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle (MICV). This vehicle was first seen in 1967 and was originally known in NATO as the BMP- 76 (M 1967) since it was then thought to be armed with a 76-mm (3-in) gun. BMP means Boievaia Machina Piekhoty (infantry combat vehicle). Since its first appearance there have been various minor improvements and it has generally replaced the BTR-152 and BTR-50 armoured personnel carriers in Soviet motor-rifle regiments. It has also been quantity to the East German army, to various elements of the Polish army, and to several Arab countries. is a light, tracked, armoured The vehicle which combines in one package the features of a light tank, a guided-missile carrier, an infantry personnel carrier and supplied

in

BMP

vehicle. reconnaissance amphibious an Moreover, it manages to do all this while remaining smaller, lighter and simpler than any competitive vehicle; in short, the BMP is a major achievement. The basic construction is of a long, low hull

d

with doors at the rear, in which an eight-man infantry squad and their personal weapons can be accommodated. Above the hull is a turret, mounting a 73-mm (2.87-in) high/low pressure gun and a launcher rail for an AT-3 'Sagger' antitank missile. This turret accommodates the gunner. The infantry squad commander is also the vehicle commander, and has his own cupola, forward of the turret. Ahead of him in this position is the driver. The hull is provided with four firing ports at each side and to the rear of the turret,

through which the squad can rifles,

while a

PKT

fire their

machine-gun

is

AKM

carried in

the turret.

Suspension is by two tracks which are carried on six wheels and propelled by a 280hp V-6 diesel engine located alongside the driver in the front of the hull. The vehicle has a maximum road speed of about 55 km/h (35 mph), and a cruising range of about 300 km (185 miles). Water obstacles are no problem to the

—

BMP it simply dives in and swims across at about 10 km/h (6 mph), paddling itself along by specially shaped track links. Previously,

BM-I4 This rocket

is similar to the BM-21 but of l4()-mm (5.5 l-in) calibre and weighs 39.6 kg (87.3 lb) with a maximum range of I06(X) (34 776.9 ft). Four different launchers are available: a two-wheel, split trail, 16-tube launcher used by airborne troops; a twowheel, pole trail, eight-tube launcher used by the Polish airborne troops; a i7-aibe (eight and nine in two rows) launcher unit on the rear of a GAZ-63 truck; and a 16-tube (two rows of eight) launcher on a ZIL-I51 truck. is

m

BMD-20

This is a 2(X)-mm (7.87-in) rocket weighing 194 kg (427.7 lb) and with a range of about 8 (XX) m (59 055. 12 ft). The launcher is an open frame unit holding four rockets and is carried on the rear of a ZIL-151 truck. 1

BM-24 A 24(Vmm 1

13

m

kg (249.

(9.45-in) rocket weighing and with a range of 1(XX)

12 lb)

(.^6(189.24

ft).

1

The launcher

is

a

12-unit

open frame arrangement which is mounted either on the ZIL-151 or ZIL-157 trucks, or on the AT-S tracked carrier. The launcher vehicles

provided

are

with

screens

blast

which are folded up and cover the vehicle cab windows and windscreen before firing.

BMD-25 This is 250-mm (9.84-in) calibre, weighs 455 kg (1003. lb) and has a range of 30000 m (98 425.2 ft). The launcher is an open tube type holding four rockets and mounted on the JAAS-214 6x6 truck. This rocket is notable for having fixed fins which ride on helical rails in the launch unit, in the 1

same

manner

(76-mm)

UP

as

the

British

><<^

^a

3-in

(unguided projectile,

ie

rocket) of 1939-45.

Above right: A BM-24 launcher for 12 20-mm solid-fuel rockets mounted on a ZIL-151 /1 57 truck. Captured BM-24S were used by the Israelis during the 1973 Middle East war, and the system is still in service with the Egyptian, Syrian and East German armies. The BM-21 122-mm fin- and spin-stabilized rocket system (right) uses 40 launching tubes mounted here on a URAL-375 truck

—

395

B0105 Soviet amphibians have used a water-jet propulsion system, but the BMP uses a new type of track with a water scoop built in. Additional thrust is obtained from a set of water deflector plates built in to the end of the track guard. These t;ike the water scooped up by the final run of track, turn it, and eject it to the rear to add to the propul-

carried, and it seems probable that this is a specialist artillery observation vehicle, since

due

recent information speaks of it being seen in self-propelled gun regiments.

improvements

sive force.

diesel

The primary armament is the 7.^-mm gun, a smooth bore low-pressure gim firing finstabilized projectiles which are believed to have rocket boost. The hollow -charge

Road speed: 55 km/h (35 mph) Range: low pressure 300 km (186 miles) Armament:73mm (2.87-in) gun and Sagger' ATGW; 1 x 7.62mm PKT MG plus squad weapons Armour: 14-

MAN-Turbo

mm

light utility

antitank projectile should be capable of (12 in) of armour, and piercing up to 300 40 rounds are carried inside the vehicle. Mounted above the gun barrel is a single rail from which an AT-3 Sagger missile can be launched. This is a wired-guided hollow(3280 charge missile with a range of 3000 yards) and the capability of penetrating about (19.7 in) of armour. Four 'Sagger" ."^OO missiles are carried. To give the gunner the best possible chance, he is provided with infrared and white-light searchlights, imageintensifying sights and, it is believed, a laser rangefinder. In 1970 the basic design was improved by lengthening the bow section and changing the contour of the mudguard and reducing the

mm

m

mm

number of water deflectors, all aimed at improving the swimming capability. Minor changes were also made to the firing ports and periscopes were

fitted.

In 1975 an entirely new model appeared, without gun or missile but with a small radar reflector mounted at the rear of a new, enlarged turret. This reflector folds down for

Weight 2

In action: 12.5

Width: 2.97

in)

turret): 1.98

(0.55-in)

m

(6

m

6

ft

Crew:

tons Length: 6.75rT\ (22 ft ft 9 in) Height (top of

(9

in)

compartment periscopes and

11

West

German

light

utility

helicopter.

Although design of the BO 05 started as far back as 1962 and a full prototype was flying in 1967, it was not until the mid-1970s that this completely indigenous design emerged in true military form, spurred on by German army requirements for two basic versions of the machine. The first of these is a light communications and observation helicopter, designated BOI05M and due to enter service in 1979. The German army is heavily committed to helicopters and specific missions for this 1

version will include artillery spotting, casualty evacuation, forward air control and camouflage evaluation. Some 100 were ordered initially but this number will be

boosted later. The second variant under development is an antiarmour vehicle, to be armed with six Euromissile Hot wire-guided antitank mis-

firing

A Soviet BMP-1 with a Sagger missile mounted above the 73-mm gun barrel The BMP-1 is an efficient amphibious vehicle capable of carrying an eight-man infantry squad. The BMP has been updated since it first appeared in 1967 and mortar

396

first

of 227 are

to the basic

model which are

being incorporated in the 105M. Tested originally with two .Mlison 250-C18 turboshaft engines and then with indigenous

6022s, the BO 105 was the first helicopter in the world with twin

The standard production aircraft is powered by Allison 250-C20s of 400 hp but the I05M will have a strengthened transmission to cope with 425-hp C20Bs. The entire electrical system, navigation and flight instruments will also be new. The rotor system, too. represents a pioneering effort, having a rigid titanium hub

turbines.

BO105, MesserschmittBolkow-Blohm (MSB)

ports have been removed, and a number of sophisticated optical-sighting devices are fitted on the turret. A five-man crew is

locating, artillery observation

Designated BOI05P, the

to enter service shortly after the observation version and will also include all the

Engine: 280-hp V-6

travelling and appeared to be either a ground surveillance or mortar-locating radar. The

troop

siles.

and antitank versions have been developed

with feathering hinges only instead of the conventional fully articulated layout. The blades are also unconventional in being hingeless and flexible glass-fibre-reinforced plastic. In addition to the virtue of simplicity, this confers a virtually unlimited fatigue life. The rotor design has been taken up by Boeing Vertol in the US and a scaledup version of it was used in that company's unsuccessful UTTAS submission, the YUH6IA. In the BO105, the two-bladed tail rotor

Boadicea The Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm B0105 designed

in

the early 1960s

Its

light utility helicopter

was

roles include artillery spotting, casualty

evacuation, forward air control, liaison and camouflage evaluation. An antiarmour version, the B0105P (Panzer), will carry six Hot antitank missiles By contour flying, these small helicopters can shoot and scoot when attacking armoured vehicles m open country

mates, was the

first small cruiser to be laid for the Royal Navy since the Sentinel Class of 1903, the construction of larger vessels having been given priority during the intervening period. Her designed speed was the same as that of her predecessors but turbines and combined coal- and oil-fired small tube boilers were adopted to save weight. Nevertheless she was slightly larger than the earlier scouts, despite a lighter armament and reduced protection, but had the advantage of a greater fuel capacity and radius of action and improved sea keeping

down

is

also

and

semi-rigid

made

of

plastics.

In its current production version, the 105

can carry up to three people on a bench seat behind the two crew positions but this space can equally well be occupied by two stretchers in the casevac role which will form part of its army duties. In its missile-armed form, the stabilized sight for the 'gunner" will be mounted in the roof, allowing the hull of the helicopter to be kept low behind any cover during a missile engagement. MBB has conducted several design studies of a specialized antitank helicopter based on the BO 05 rotor system and transmission but having a totally new, slimmed-down and armoured fuselage. Although the B01I5 proposed along these lines is no longer a live project, continuing studies in association with Aerospatiale of France may well bear fruit in order to meet the Germany army's requirement for a heavier BO 105 follow-on in the mid-1980s. 1

Rotor diameter: 9.82

m

m

(32

ft

3

in)

Overall

Maximum takeoff weight: (BO105M) 2395 kg (5280 lb) Maximum speed: 270 km/h (167 mph) Maximum range: 1158 km (720 miles) with auxiliary fuel. length: 11.84

(38

ft

11

in)

Boadicea cruiser class. The scout cruiser Boadicea, constructed under the 1907 Esti-

British

The armament was equally disposed, with three 4-in ( 102-mm) guns and one 18-in (46-cm) torpedo tube on each beam. A sister, the Bellona, was provided under the 1908 Estimates and another two, the Blanche and Blonde under the 1909 Estimates. All four were constructed by Pembroke dockyard, the Boadicea being completed in 1909, the Bellona in 1910 and the remaining pair in 1911. qualities.

The

last two differed from the earlier pair mounting four more 4-in (102-mm) guns, two on each side amidships, and 21-in (53cm) torpedo tubes instead of 18-in (46-cm). By 1916 the Boadicea and Bellona had also had their main armament increased to ten 4-in (102-mm) guns, and had been fitted with a single 3-in (76-mm) A A gun while the Blanche and Blonde were fitted with a 4-in (102-mm) A A gun. Only one more class of scout cruiser was built, the Active Class, which were

in

almost identical to the Boadiceas. Thereafter the type was superseded by the 'Town" Classes which although of similar design were larger, better protected and more heavily armed. Throughout the First World War the four ships served with the Grand Fleet, each being attached to one of the Battle Squadrons. All except Blonde took part in the Battle of 397

Boarhound i The Boarhound armoured car was built by the Americans to a British specification. In 1943, 30 vehicles were sent to England for testing but by 1944theareaof combat had switched to Northern Europe, where conditions were unsuitable, and so they never saw service

\Q\^.

m fl

fl fl|

B|

-

^

J

^MihA^'lfj^k~'->r^

?^u

^V.

•;'

^ ^^^^^

r^

^^VS.

\

.

^G «>

Jutland in 1916. The Blonde was sold for scrap in 1920, the Bellona and Blanche in 1921 and the

Boadicea

Name

in

1926.

launched

completed

Boadicea

5/1908

1909

Bellona

3/1909

1910

Blanche

11/1909

1911

7/1910

1911

Blonde

Displacement: 3350 tons (normal); Boadicea 3300 tons Length: ^23A m (405ft) Beam :^2.5 m (41

ft)

m

Draught: A.27

(14

ft)

/Wac/7/nery-2-shaft

steam turbines, 18 000 shp=25.5 knots Protection: 25 mm (1 in) deck Armament: 6 4-in (102mm) (6x1); 2 18-in (46-cm) torpedo tubes (surface) Crew: 300

than the

Boarhound American-built armoured car in British ser-

armoured car projects US, largely at the request of the British Army and as a result of their experience in the Western Desert. Among these was the T18, a heavy eight-wheeled car developed by General Motors Truck & Coach Division. It used a welded hull with cast nose and was driven by two Chevrolet engines mounted side by side. A light tank turret with .37-mm .45-in) gun was fitted. At British request this was changed to a 6-pdr (57-mm) gun, and the vehicle became the TI8E2. By early 1942 there were so many competing designs of armoured car being developed in the U.S that the programmes were beginning to clash, and a special board was set up to evaluate the projects and make recommenvice. In

1941 several

were begun

in the

(

1

1943 this board duly dations. In early reported, and one of its recommendations was that no armoured car should weigh more

398

63.';0 kg (14 000 lbs); unspoken conclusion

was

that

anything heavier should be a tank. This ruling put an end to many projects, among them the T18E2, but 30 vehicles were completed and sent to Britain where they

became known as the Boarhound armoured They were extensively tested in Britain but never saw service. By 1944 the desert car.

conditions for which they were originally intended were no longer an area of combat, and the Boarhound was too large and too high for the close conditions of the war in Europe.

One specimen still exists, at Museum, Bovington, England.

the

Tank

Weight: 24040 kg (53000 lb) Length: 6.25 m (20 6 in) Width:3.073 m (10 ft i in) Height:2.622 m (8 ft 7i in) Maximum speed: 80 km/h (50 mph) ft

Range: 400 km (250 miles) Armour: 50-mm (2 in) Armament: 57-mm (2.24-in) gun; 7.7-mm (0.303in) mg Crew: 5

Bob Retrospective h4)mbcr

code-name

for

.Soviet

.See II-4, ilvushin

The Bodeo Italian service revolver was designed at the end of the nineteenth in remained century, but service until the Second World

War, the design improved slightly

having 1894

been

In

Bodeo 'Revolver Italian service revolver. The Ordinanzii. System Bodeo. Modello 1889" became the standard Italian service revolver in 1891 and remained in service until replaced by the (ilisenti automatic pistol in 1910. Thereafter it remained in reserve service, and to a lesser extent in production, until the outbreak of the Second World War.

Bofors The Bodeo was a solid-frame, six-shot, double-action revolver of 10.4-mm (0.409-in) calibre, with gate loading and rod ejection. The loading gate, at the right rear of the cylinder, was interconnected with the hammer so that as the gate was opened to load or the pistol the hammer was brought to half-cock and locked there, preventing it from accidentally falling on to a loaded chamber during the loading operation. Such an interlock had already been used in other pistols and, generally speaking, there was nothing very original in the design. The name of Bodeo attached to it because Bodeo was the head of the commission which recommended the revolver for service. The original Modello 1889 had an octagonal barrel, a folding trigger and no trigger guard. It was made at a number of factories: Castelli of Brescia, Fabbrica d'Armi of Brescia, Siderurgica Glisenti of Turin were the principal Italian makers; and during the First World War quantities were also made, on contract,

empty

by Antonio Errasti and Eulogio Arostegui, both of Eibar, Spain. Shortly after production had begun, the design was improved by using a normal pattern of trigger guard and trigger, and a cylindrical barrel. This version is sometimes called the 'Model 1894', but there seems little

for this as both designs reproduction alongside each other

justification

mained for

in

many

years.

W

A mm (0.41 in) Length: 235 mm (9.25 Weight:950 gm (2.09 lb) Sarre/.l 15 mm (4.52 In) Muzzle velocity: 250 m/sec (820 ft/sec) Magazine: 6-shot cylinder Calibre.

in)

weapons

for the Swedish army, as well as exporting widely to other former customers of Krupp. Among the more notable of their interwar weapons were the .37-mm (1.46-in) antitank gun, used by the Sudanese army and adopted by elements of the Eighth Army in the Western Desert; the 75-mm (3-in) field gun

M40 and 105-mm

US

aircraft See AMST, B-9, E-3, E-4, F2B/F3B, F4B, Fl>ing Fortress, GA-1. P-26, PB, PW-9. Stratofortress, Stratojet, Sfratolifter, ,Stratotanker, Superfortress

Boeing

EC- 135,

Boeing-V'ertol

US

helicopters See Chinook,

Sea Knight,

Work Horse

Bofors Swedish

field artillery

and

antiaircraft guns.

TTie Aktiebolaget Bofors of Sweden entered the armaments business in 1883, and for

several years concentrated on building up a specialized export business in field and naval ordnance. Until 1914 the Swedish army had relied largely on German gunmakers principally Krupp for their service armaments, but after 1914, when this source dried up, the Bofors company began producing service

—

—

(4.1-in) Field Howitzer M40, partner pieces which used the same carriage and were the standard Swedish weapons; a 105-mm howitzer supplied to the Dutch East Indies; the Swiss field gun MI935; and the Swedish 152-mm (5.9-in)gun MI939. These were all workmanlike and

reliable

designs,

using

split-trail

carriages,

which served their owners for many years. Since the Second World War the company has continued in the forefront of design and has produced numerous weapons, including three quite outstanding equipments. The first of these was the 105-mm (4.1-in) field howitzer 4140, which replaced all the older field howitzer designs in Swedish service. This model appears to have been influenced by the Skoda le FH 43 design prepared for the German army in 1944, insofar as it uses a four-legged mounting. In transport, the towing trail is formed by two of the legs while the other two are folded beneath the barrel. On

The Bofors 155-mm Field Howitzer 77, which entered service with the Swedish army in 1977. The carriage has an auxiliary engine to power the main wheels giving the gun an improved cross-country capability

399

Bofors

going into action the four legs are spread equidistantly and the wheels lifted from the ground, giving the weapon a 360° field of fire over its maximum range of over 14.5 km (9 miles).

Swedish army stated a a medium-calibre, selfpropelled gun with a high rate of fire. To meet In the late 1950s the

requirement this

for

requirement Bofors.

in

cooperation with

Volvo and Landsverk companies, developed their 155-mm (6. 1-in) Bandkanone A or L/50 gun. first produced in 1960. This remarkable weapon used a full-tracked chassis with hydropneumatic suspension, incorporating components from the revolutionary the

1

S-Tank.

On

the hull a semi-turret structure

was mounted which

carried the 155-mm giin and a fully-automatic loading mechanism feeding from a 14-round magiizine. The contents of this magazine can be fired off in one minute, after which a specialist support vehicle backs up and changes the empty magazine for a full one in less than two minutes. The

Bandkanone is very rapid into action, since no spades need to be dug in. Tine suspension can be locked solid so as to form a firm firing base for the weapon. While a number of Bandkanone were purchased for the Swedish army, they were expensive and complicated, and in recent 4()()

Above: A Bofors 40-mm (1.57-in) L/60 medium .\.\ gun in a field empjacemt-nt of almost drill book ijerfection. .Ammunition is stowed in the bays in the side walls. Below: \n Arm> Bofors gun shackled down on the deck of a landing craft for .\.A defence in the .Mediterranean

Bofors Guns (Naval) years a simpler weapon has been developed, intended to launch a new generation of artillery for the Swedish army. This is the Bofors FH 77 155-mm howitzer, a split-trail carriage weapon which is provided with a Volvo power pack allowing the gun to be selfpropelled for short distances. It is normally

towed

into action,

and the Volvo

unit also

provides hydraulic pressure for disconnecting the trail, lowering the trail to the ground, folding the trail dolly wheels and traversing the gun. It can also be used to lift the trail onto the dolly wheels and slew the whole gun round for changes in traverse greater than can be accommodated by the normal limits.

For small movements, the dolly wheels are trail ends lifted from the ground and the power pack engaged with the main wheels. The gun can then be driven at speeds up to 8 km/h (5 mph) with adequate crosscountry performance. Trials of this weapon were carried out in 1974-75; it has since gone into production and by 1977 was on issue to the Swedish army. The company have also begun working in the missile field, and in 1%9 they were given a contract to develop a low-level air-defence missile system, which is now known as the RBS-70. Despite the many achievements of the Bofors company, their fame rests almost entirely on one gun the 40-mm (1.57-in) L/60 antiaircraft gun and its descendants. Indeed, for most people, the words 'Bofors Gun' means only this weapon, the company's

COMPARATIVE DATA— Bofors Weight

Range

Shell weight

(kg/lb)

(m/yd)

(kg/lb)

gun

1500/3306

14000/15 320

6.3/13.8

7(K)/2295

Gun

75-nim Model 40

field

field artillery

Muzzle

velocity

(m/sec/ft/sec)

105-mm

field

howitzer L/22

1650/3637

10500/11480

14/30.8

475/1558

105-mm

field

howitzer

M40

1840/4056

10000/10935

15.4/33.9

460/1510

75-mm mountain gun M30

800/1760

9200/10060

6.5/14.3

405/1328

335/736

4500/4920

0.700/ .54

800/2625

2600/5732

14600/15 965

15.2/33.5

610/2000

51980/114600

24650/26950

43.0/94.8

22 000/24050

43.0/94.8

37-mm

antitank gun L/35

1

lowered, the

—

other products being virtually unknown to the general public. Bofors began studying antiaircraft guns in the 1920s, and by the early 1930s had produced a number of 7.'^-mm (3-in) and 80-mm

guns which were widely used throughout the world. At the same time they were studying the need for a fast-firing lightweight gun for use against low-flying aircraft and in 1929 they produced two guns, a 25-mm (1-in) and a 40-mm (1.57-in), both basically similar. The 25-mm model had little success, but the 40-mm was accepted by the Swedish (3.15-in)

navy. In 1932, when it was offered for export, orders flooded in from all over the globe, and by 1939 it was in first-line service in 18 countries.

design

mounted

was the 'auto-loader' gun body above and

in the

unit,

to the

Three curved guides extended upwards from the auto-loader and into these a four-round clip of ammunition was dropped. TTie first round was loaded into the breech by operating a hand lever. The two gunlayers, one on each side, one operating the traverse and the other the elevation, then layed the gun on to the target through a simple open sight. Firing was by a foot-pedal, and as the gun recoiled from the first shot the breech block dropped open, the empty cartridge case was extracted and flung clear, a linkage to the auto-loader stripped the next round from the clip and rammed it into the breech, and the rear

of

the

breech.

breechblock closed. If the foot pedal was still pressed, then as soon as the recoil and counter-recoil stroke were completed, the

field

howitzer 4140

155-mm Bandkanone lA 155-mm FH 77

1

1

000/24 250

fired again and the cycle was repeated. Clips of ammunition were passed up to the loading gunner, who dropped them into the auto-loader. The gun could thus keep up a rate of fire of 120 rounds a minute. This rate of fire soon heated the barrel, and to keep down the rate of wear it was possible to change the barrel for a cool one during any short lull in firing. In the mid- 1930s the British Army was looking for a short-range antiaircraft gun, and after considering various alternatives, the decision was taken in April 1938 to buy 100 Bofors guns and half a million rounds of ammunition. This gun became the '40-mm

gun

Mark

', in British terminology, and was later supplemented by a number of guns bought from the Poles, who had adopted the gun in 1936 and were producing a slightly modified version of their own. In the years which followed, some 17 different marks of gun. 18 marks of carriage, five static mountings and two self-propelled carriers were developed 1

for British service, plus a great variety of naval mountings. The gun was built in Britain under licence, manufacture beginning in 1939, and it was also built in Canada.

company approached government, but the negotiations foundered on a misunderstanding. The US Army received the impression that the gun In

There was nothing magical about the Bofors gun; it was just a triumph of good design. The performance and weight of shell were ideal for coping with low-flying aircraft, and it was robust and reliable. The heart of the

105-mm

the

1937 the Bofors

US

was to cost ten times its actual price and, not unreasonably, they refused to consider it. satisfying themselves with their own 37-mm (1.45-in) gun. The US Navy were having trouble with their I.I-in (28-mm) Hudson machine-gun, but the price of the Bofors, reported by the Army, put them off too. It was not until late 1940 that the mistake was realized, and the Americans obtained two guns from Britain for

test.

A

licence

was

granted by Bofors, and in 1941 contracts were given to Chrysler, Firestone, and the Pontiac division of General Motors. Between them they were to turn out over 34 000 guns and mountings before the war was over. After the war the gun continued in wide use. though by this time it was beginning to fall behind in the race to deal with faster

The British Army had been experimenting with power-controlled guns which could track targets faster, and in the early 1950s produced the Bristol-Bofors, a stanaircraft.

— —

Bofors gun with high-speed powermade by the Bristol Aircraft Company. At the same time the Bofors company were overhauling their design and produced the L/70 version of the gun, with

dard

control units

basically the same mechanism but with a longer barrel, firing a more effective shell and with a much faster rate of fire. This entered service in 1951 and has since been adopted all over the world.

The

third generation of the or 'System 75',

Bofors gun, the

40-mm BOFI

was announced While adhering to the same general appearance as the original weapon, the rate of fire has been stepped up to 300 rounds a minute and the mounting altered to carry its

in 1976.

own

laser

sight

and fire-control computer. In order to

obtain

rangefinder,

the

maximum

image-intensifying effectiveness

the

ammunition has been radically redesigned and the shell now carries a payload of high explosive surrounded by high-density metal balls capable of penetrating 14-mm (0.56-in) of duralumin, with a miniaturized proximity fuze of great sensitivity. With the improved rate of fire and ammunition of increased lethality, it is now possible to deploy these guns singly and still enjoy the degree of protection which was previously obtained from a combination of two or three of the original weapons.

Bofors

Guns

The 40-mm

(Naval)

(1.57-in)

Bofors antiaircraft gun

has had the longest operational life of any shipboard weapon in modem times. It owed its fame to the Royal Navy, who first ignored

when it arrived in Britain for testing in 1937-38, and then begged, borrowed or stole as many as they could from the Army during the Norwegian Campaign in 1940. it

The original objection to the Bofors had been a technical one, that the breech was open during the run-out, but it soon became clear to the RN ordnance experts that this was the only way in which rate of fire could be maintained. The ex-Army guns were initially Mark Is. simply secured on deck, but the Mk 3 was given a modified mounting to conform to naval safety practice. The performance of the Bofors 40 mm, particularly with tracer ammunition, was a marked 401

Bofors

Guns

(Naval)

COMPARATIVE DATA— Bofors Gun

Weight

antiaircraft

guns

Effective

Rate of

Shell

Muzzle

ceiling

fire

weight

(kg/lb)

(m/ft)

(rds/min)

(kg/lb)

velodtv (m/sec/ft/sec)

75-mm L/52 (M1929)

4000/8820

10500/34 500

12

6.3/13.9

840/2755

80-mm L/50

3500/7715

9000/29 500

12

8.0/17.6

750/2460

1850/4078

5200/17 050

120

0.955/2.10

900/2952

40-mm L/70

4800/10580

6000/19685

240

0.%0/2.12

1000/3280

40-mm BOFI

5300/1! 684

1500/4921

300

0.88/1.94

1035/33%

Static

40-nun L/60 (original Swedish gun data)

still

impro\ement over the under-powered 2-pdr pom-pom. and even if only one Bofors was provided (as

gun was far as

is

in

allotted

HMS its

Prince of Wales) the control officer. As

own

known, gbout 5500 Army Bofors

guns, including barrels manufactured in Australia and Canada, were transferred to the Royal Navy between 1940 and 1945. The first .'naval' Bofors were a batch of 136 lent for arming merchantmen and a few warships in 1941. Most were in hand- worked

latest in the line of Bofors 40-mm Naval AA guns, the Italian-designed Model 1971 The L/70 system can range from the basic manuallyoperated gun to this power-operated mounting with 144-round automatic belt feed. The gun has a gyro-stabilized mount and can be operated under local control, when it uses reflex sights with speed rings

The

402

.Army Mk 3 and 3* mountings, but the Canadians produced an improvised power-worked mounting, using a 20-mm (0.79-in) twin Mk 5 mounting. This was known as the "Boffin". In Britain a similar-looking gun appeared late in the war. but this Mk 7 mounting was a properly designed job which merely made use of common components from the 20-mm mounting. Unlike the Boffin, the Mk 7 lasted a long time in naval service, and e.xamples are afloat.

US Navy took the British Technical Mission's recommendations about the 40-mm Bofors to heart, and in 1942 a water-cooled version was put into quantity production. The need was acute, not only for their British allies but for the Pacific Fleet, for the 1.1-in (28-mm) quadruple automatic had proved a dismal failure in action. Whereas the British continued to use the bulky 2-pdr in four- and eight-barrelled mountings, the US Navy went for a big quadruple Bofors mounting. It was also produced in a twin version, basically half the quad mounting. Battleships of the Iowa Class, for example, had no fewer than 20 quads; the Essex Class carriers had 17 or 1-8, and the record was held by the old carrier Saratoga, with 23 quads and two twins. The Royal Navy followed the US Navy's The

Bogatyr

A

40-mm Mk

Mk

9 gun mounting on a Royal Navy vessel. The two-man crew, light weight and compact design makes the 9 and examples are still in service. Clips of ammunition are stowed in the racks on the side of the mounting within easy reach of the loader, while a joy stick control obviates the need for the second layer single-barrelled Bofors

ideal for

FPBs

as well as other light vessels

lead, and once the production of single aircooled Bofors was in hand, switched to a twin water-cooled version similar to the US pattern. It was used first in the Mk IV Hazemeyer AA mounting, which was a 'Chinese copy' of the Dutch tri-axially stabilized mounting first seen by the British in the spring of 1940, when the minelayer Willem van derZaan put on a convincing demonstration at Harwich.

Mk

IV was too delicate a beast for shipt)oard use, and so the British decided to produce a 'utility' twin mounting. This was the reliable and sturdy Mk V, which

The Hazemeyer

became a standard post- 1945 close-range gun, but it appeared too late to be of much use to the RN in action. The Bofors did not last long in the US Navy. The shocking experience at the hands of kamikazes in 1944-45 showed that the 40shell lacked sufficient killing power against a heavily armoured aircraft manned by a determined or dying pilot, and as soon as the automatic 3-in (76-mm)/50 cal twin

mm

appeared the 40-mm was phased out. For the Royal Navy and European navies, on the other hand, the Bofors 40-mm has continued to be a useful weapon. The original manufacturers still market a single mounting for light craft, and most NATO navies use one version or another. A recent scandal unearthed during the witch-hunt for standardiziition was the fact that Britain, Holland and West Germany had made slight improvements to their Bofors ammunition, with the result that the ammunition was no longer interchangeable. The Italian firm Breda Meccanica has produced a 'hot' version with beltfeed and much higher muzzle-velocity, for

use as a point defence system against seaskimming missiles. A demonstration is most convincing, with about 20 rounds in a threesecond burst, but the life of the barrels limits each engagement to seconds, regardless. The ultimate development of the automatic Bofors was the British Mk VI, with six

and auto-feed. The battleship Vanguard had 10 of these massive blast-proofed mountings. It used the Mk 9 gun and had RP50 metadyne remote power control. The early marks of Bofors all had the

barrels

original 60-cal length barrel, but subsequently

M48

land version was produced. It was intended to replace the Royal Navy's 40/60 guns, as it had much improved ballistics, a muzzle velocity of around 1000 m/sec (3280 ft/sec) and a rate of fire of up to 240 rds/min, twice that of the original gun. Although 40/70 guns were adopted by foreign navies the Royal Navy never adopted it, and all the guns now afloat in Ships are 40/60s. See also STAAG. a 70-cal version of the

HM

Name

laid

down

launched

Bogatyr Russian light cruiser class. Five protected, or 2nd Class, cruisers were ordered for the Imperial Russian Navy between 1889 and I90I. They followed the trend set by the Askold and Variag, being 23-knot ships of medium displacement and reasonable endurance for commerce-raiding.

The design was entrusted to the German firm of Vulkan, who built the lead ship and supplied material for another four to be built Russian yards. They were unusual in being first cruisers to have twin 6-in (152-mm) mountings, one forward and one aft,

in

the

altTiough the rest of the

main armament was

conventionally mounted in open-backed shields in broad-side sponsons.

The original intention was to build three ships for the Baltic and two for the Black Sea, but the Vitiaz caught fire during her construction and was so badly damaged that she had to be scrapped. The Bogatyr helped to drive the

completed

German

builder

AG

Bogatyr

5/1898

Vitiaz

5/1901

—

—

Ochakov

3/1901

10/1902

1905

Sevastopol naval yard

kagul

9/1901

6/1903

1905

State yard, Nikolaiev

I1/I90I

8/1903

8/1904

Oleg

1/1901

1902

Vulkan. Stettin

Galernii Island yard, St Petersburg

New

Admiralty Works, St Petersburg

403

Bogue m

Stufideburg ashore. 500 (574 lighthouse, yards) from Odensholm on .August 26. 1914. In November 1914 she was light cruiser

refitted

for minela\ing

and on January

12.

100 mines east of Bornholm. A month later she was involved in a decisive action u ith the German cruiser Munchen off Libau. In December, with her sister ship Oleg and the battleships Gangut and Sevastopol. she covered a minekuing raid east of Gotland and laid mines off Lyserort. One of her last operations before the Revolution was to cover a convoy with the big cruiser Rurik in 1915

June

laid

1916.

She was found

to

be

in

bad

condition after the Revolution and the Civil War. and was stricken in 1922 and scrapped

Bremen. The Oleg was interned during the RussoJapanese war but returned to the Baltic after the end of hostilities in 1905. She was conat

verted for minelaying in November 1914 and mines, in company with the Bogatyr. in

laid

January and February 1915. She was also involved in the skirmish with the Munchenon May 7. 1915 and accompanied her sister ship in most of the operations of 1915-17. She became part of the Red fleet in 1918 and took part in operations against the British during the War of Intervention in 1918-19. She was torpedoed in Kronstadt by British coastal motor boats (CMBs) on June 17. 1919.

The Kagul was renamed Pamyat Mer-

memory of the Merkurya, after the Russo-Japanese war. TTie Merkurya and the Kagul {e\-Ochako\) were active in the Black Sea during the First World War. and on January 4. 1915 A/erfe«rya damaged the Turkish cruiser Hamidieh in a skirmish west of Sinope. In early May both ships patrolled oflf the Anatolian coast and the Pamyat Merkurya sank two ships at Kozlu. Between August and November they bombarded the Turkish coast at various points. In January kurya. in

1917 the Pamyat Merkurya again raided the Anatolian coast in company with the battleship Ekaterina II and three pre-Dreadnoughts. In 1905 the Ochakov's crew joined the mutiny in the Black Sea Fleet and for a time she served as the rebels' "flagship". She was sunk in shallow water by gunfire from the loyal battleship Rostislav but was refloated and repaired. As a mark of the Tsar's displeasure her name was removed from the record, and on April 7, 1907 she was renamed Kagul.

On

April 1.1. 1917. to commemorate her revolutionary fervour, and to wipe out the 'stain' of the censure, she was given back her old name, but was soon out of commission. She was recommissioned by the White Russians in February 1919 and renamed General Komilov in September. In 1920 she was the last ship to leave the Crimea for Constantinople, but two months later she sailed for Bizerta. arriving there on December 29. 1920. The French government seized her as compensation for outstanding debts and she was

scrapped in 193.''. During the First World War, as supplies of the new Vickers-designed 13-cm (5.i-in) gun became available, the class was rearmed. The Oleg and Bogatyr received 16 of the new

aged by German air attack at Novorossisk on 2. 1942 and limped to Poti. only to be hit agiiin on July 16. A total loss, she became part of a breakwater in Poti harK^ur. July

Displacement: 6750 tons (normal) Lengfh. 134.2 (440 ft 2 in) oa Beam: 16.6 m (54 ft 6 in) Draught: 6.8 m (24 ft 9 in) Machinery: 2-shaft triple-expansion, 19500 ihp = 23 knots Protection: 38-70 mm (1i-3J in) deck; 76 mm (3 in) turrets and casemates: 140 mm (65 in) conning tower Armament: (As built) 12 152-mm (6-in)/45 cal (2x2.8x1): 1276-mm (3-in)(12x1);847-mm (1.8-in) Hotchkiss OF (8x1); 2 37-mm (1.45-in) OF (2x1); 6 45-cm (17.7-in) torpedo tubes (2 submerged; 2 above water broadside; 1 bow; 1 stern); 100 mines (1914 onwards) Crew. 573

m

guns, some of them replacing 7.*;-mm (.^-in) guns. The Black Sea ships were supp'iied with different guns; the /Cagw/ received 12 13-cm guns in 1917, but her sister ship was merely given four more 15.2-cm (6-in) guns to replace some of the 75-mm guns on the broadside. The Baltic ships were given four 7.S-mm antiaircraft guns but the Black Sea ships had only two. The torpedo tubes were removed from the Oleg and Bogatyr. while the others were reduced to two beam under-

water tubes. .After the Revolution the Pamyat Merkurya had a chequered career. While lying at Sevastopol in 1919 she was taken over by British forces, and when they withdrew in April they destroyed her machinery. The Red .Army recaptured her in 1920. after the evacuation of Wrangel's forces, and in 1923 renamed her Komintem. With rebuilt machinery and some alterations to her armament she recommissioned on May 1, 1923. but as her speed was now only 20 knots she was of little use except for training. It was later proposed to convert her to a seaplane carrier, but this was uneconomical even by Russian standards. In 1941-42 she took part in the defence of Odessa and Sevastopol. She was badly dam-

Bogue .American escort carrier class. During the Battle of the .Atlantic it rapidly became obvi-

ous that aircraft were vital for the struggle agiiinst the U-Boats. One way of providing air cover over a convoy was to convert a merchant ship into a small aircraft carrier. The Royal Navy proved how effective this could be with the Audacity, and before she was sunk the .Americans were already building the

Long

Island, their

first

escort carrier,

and accepting orders from the British for more (Archer. Avenger etc). A large class of 21 improved versions of the Avenger were ordered in May 1942. but soon after the order were transferred to the Royal Navy, becoming the Attacker and 1

1

her sisters. The remiiinder served with the

US Navy

as the

Bogue Class.

rni M 404

I

in

i Though

the ships of this class utilized

their bigger hangars these ships could operate

Sea, one of the raids on the Bonins, and the

which had already been laid down, they were not very far advanced, and so a more satisfactory conversion was

28 aircraft, or accommodate up to 90 when in use as aircraft transports. Altamaha, Barnes, Breton, Copahee, and Nassau all spent their war service in the unglamorous but essential aircraft-ferry role in the Pacific, though most contributed aircraft to one or more of the raids in support of landings. Breton^ for example, helped in the capture of Saipan, the Battle of the Philippine

bombardment of Okinawa. However, she was the only one of her class to see any

all

merchant ship

hulls

possible than with the original escort carriers. The hangar ran for most of the length of the vessel and was served by two lifts. Bogue. Card and Core had the luxury of two catapults. A raised forecastle made for better seakeeping, and the amount and distribution of the armament was an improvement on the earlier ships. Radar was incorporated in the design from the start. The original two 5-in

(127-mm). four twin Bofors 40-mm (1.57-in) and 12 single Oerlikon 20-mm '0.79-in) were later supplemented by the addition of four twin 40-mm and up to ten more 20-mm. With

The Bogatyr, lead ship of a class of five German-designed Russian ships of their type to have twin 6-in (152-mm)

light cruisers, the first

mountings. Soga/yr served in the Baltic during the First World War

in the Pacific, most of the close support to landings being supplied by the later classes of escort carrier. Those ships of the class to serve in the Atlantic also did some ferrying of aircraft to Europe, but their main contribution to victory was a more active one. They made ideal centres for a hunter-killer group of escorts, and achieved a good score of U-Boats sunk, particularly in the Central Atlantic, aided by the decoding of German messages. Aircraft from these carriers sank the following submarines (some of the claims were shared with surface escorts, who also sunk a number themselves):

action

U 118, U527, U575, U1229, t//52(Japanese), U86, U 172, U850. Card— U 177, U664, U525, U847, U460, U422, U402, U584. Core— U 487, U67, U 84, U 185, U 378. Block Island— U 220, U 1059. U801, U66. Croatan—U 856, U490, U 154. Bogue— U 569, U217,

405

n Boje Block Island was torpedoed and sunk in 1944 by U549, which was promptly sunk herself by the carriers' escorts. Croatan distinguished herself by initiating the first night flights from an escort carrier in late 1943. The Atlantic escort carriers were trans-

May

Hull no

A\G.9

name

launched

completed

builder

Bogue

1/1942

9/1942

Seattle-Tacoma

(ex- Steel

ferred to the Pacific in 1945, in time to take part in Operation Magic Carpet, the return of prisoners of war and troops to the US at the end of the war. In 1955 the class was reclassified as escort helicopter carriers (CVHE). In i%0-61 five were scrapped, but the Breton. Card. Core

and Croatan had already been converted to iiircraft and cargo ferry ships (designation CVU, later AKV) equipped with large der-

Advocate)

AVC.ll

Card

2/1942

11/1942

Seattle-Tacoma

.\\C.12

Copahee

10/1941

6/1942

Seattle-Tacoma

A\a.l3

Core

5/1942

12/1942

Seattle-Tacoma

A\G.16

\assau

4/1942

8/1942

Seattle-Tacoma

AVG.18

Altamaha

5/1942

9/1942

Seattle-Tacoma

ricks for handling aircraft. In this role they transport were operated by the US service until the early 1970s, and then scrap-

AVG.20

Barnes

5/1942

2/1943

Seattle-Tacoma

A \G.2l

Block Island

6/1942

3/1943

Seattle-Tacoma

ped. The Card had been mined at Saigon by the Vietcong and sank, but was later raised

.4VG.25

Croatan

8/1942

4/1943

Seattle-Tacoma

MSTS

and repaired. Displacement: 11000 tons (standard), 15400 tons (full load), 7800 GRT LengfA); 151.1 2 m (495 ft 9 in) Beam: 21.12 m (69 ft 6 in) hull, 33.98 m (111 ft 6 in) flight deck Draught: 7. 92 m (26 ft)

max Machinery: 1 -shaft geared steam turbines, 8500 shp-18 knots Armament: 2 5-in (127mm)/38

mm

AA

DP (2x1); 8 40-mm AA (4x2); 12 20(12x1); 28 aircraft (90 as ferry carrier) cal

Crew: 890

German homing torpedo Zaunkonig, known to the Allies as

GNAT

Mercury XV engines, and American instruments and equipment), 15 Mk IV-Ws (825-hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp Junior SB4G engines), one Mk IV-C (900-hp Wright Cyclone G3Bs), and 457 Mk IV-Ts (920-hp Mercury XX). A further 51 airframes were built, but were not delivered. The Mk II and twinfloat Mk III were prototypes converted from

Mk

Boje German

comprising 18 Mk Is (two 840-hp Bristol Mercury VIII engines), 135 Mk IVs (920-hp

torpedo. The

(German Naval Acoustic Torpedo),

suffered from several disadvantages. The worst of these was its susceptibility to highfrequency noise generated by the "Foxer' noisemaker used by Allied escorts. In 1942, therefore, work began on an active-homing head, code-named 'Boje' (buoy). Boje never entered service but the programme generated a great deal of valuable research into the problems of reverberation and radiated noise. Once these problems were tackled, the advantages of active homing became apparent. Despite the lower range of the active homing head, it can be used more effectively in the face of noisemakers and against slow-moving or stationary targets. Much of the research was done at sea and in water tunnels at Gotenhafen (Gdynia), and the results fell into Allied hands in 1945. Its importance can only be guessed at, as information on the subject is still classified. The Boje head was developed into the 'Geier' (vulture) system, which became operational later in the war. .See also Torpedoes. Geier imd Zaunkonig.

Is.

The first Bolingbroke I for the RCAF was accepted by No 8 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron

in

mid-November

1939, deliveries

of the 'Mainstream' Mk IV (to the same unit) beginning in January 1941 and of the Mk IV-T in early 1942. The Mk IV, with interchangeable wheel/ski landing gear, was employed for general reconnaissance duties, and the Mk IV-T for navigation and gunnery training. A Mk IV of No 15 Squadron, based in the Aleutian Islands, made the first successful attack by an RCAF aircraft against an enemy submarine, the Japanese Ro 32. 1

(Bolingbroke IV) Span: 17.17 m (56 ft 4 in) Length: 13.03 m (42 ft 9 in) Gross weight: 6532 kg (14 400 lb) Ceiling: 670b m (22000 ft) Maximum speed: 475 km/h (295 mph)

The

Italian

heavy cruiser Bolzano. Too

lightly

Bolzano heavy cruiser. Before the First World the Italians had a reputation for building impressive heavy cruisers, and the 'Treaty cruisers', built ostensibly to the limitation of 10000 tons, maintained this reputation in the interwar years. The Trento Class, completed in 1928-29, Italian

War

were fast and well-armed, if somewhat lightly armoured, ships. TTiey were followed by the slower, but better armoured, and probably better balanced, Zara Class. In 1928, while these ships were under construction, another 8-in-gun (203-mm) cruiser, the Bolzano, was

ordered. It

was decided, mistakenly,

The form

of the hull

armoured, she was sunk

British/Canadian general reconnaissance and

I.

the prototype of

which

Type 149) first fleu on September 24. 1937. As developed for the R.AF, it was renamed Blenheim IV. but the name Bolingbroke was retained for the equivalent version (Bristol

produced under licence for the Royal Canadian Air Force by Fiiirchild .Aircraft at Longueuil, Quebec. This

406

company

built

fi77

Bolingbrokes,

-

,

similar, but the flush

earlier ships

training aircraft. The. name Bolingbroke was given originally to a long-nosed version of the

Blenheim

was

was abandoned for the raised forecastle deck of the Zara Class, improving their seaworthiness. As the stability of the earlier classes had proved satisfactory, the new design had less intensive subdivision and, in another attempt to cut down weight, carried fewer shells for the guns. Tlie position of the main fire control was changed to avoid the excessive vibration experienced in the Trento Class. deck of the

Bolingbroke, Bristol

Bristol

to revert to the

7>^/i/o design, but with certain modifications.

1^

—

at

La

.Sj>ezia in

1944

Bomarc Bolzano was launched in 1932 by Ansaldo Genoa and was a large and handsomelooking vessel, well over the Treaty limit of 10000 tons to keep the official totals down, the weight of her torpedo tubes had not been counted. She would have been well suited for

Powered bv

its

.Aerojet booster a

Bomarc

surface-to-air missile

lifts off

from

its

launching ramp

at

—

her designed theatre of operations, the Mediterranean, if only her armour had been better, but 70-mm (2i-in) maximum vertical. and 50-mm (2-in) horizontal protection did not compare well with the better-armoured foreign heavy cruisers, or with the Zaras. Her high speed, for which protection had been sacrificed, was not as great as would appear at first sight. Designed for 36 knots, she made 36.81 on trials, but as was usual with Italian ships, this was done without guns aboard and with most of the top hamper yel to be added. In service her maximum speed would not exceed 34 knots. In 1937 her aftermost pair of twin 3.9-in (100-mm) antiaircraft guns were replaced b\ four twin 37-mm (U-in)guns. It seems that no other major modifications were made during her life, apart from some alterations to the bridge. However, in 1942 she did display a very dramatic 'dazzle" paint scheme. After Italy joined the war in 1940. Bolzano did a lot of steaming, 21 785 miles in all. but suffered more damage than she dealt out. In the action off Calabria agiiinst the British fleet, she suffered three shell hits, though she kept her guns in action despite a list. In 1941 she was torpedoed by the British submarine Triumph. A year later the Unbroken hit her with one torpedo. She suffered a bad fire and eventually had to be towed to La Spezia for repairs. She was still there at the time of the Italian armistice, and though she was not scuttled then, she was sunk in 1944 by a team of British and Italian human torpedoes. The hull was raised and scrapped after the war. Displacement: 1 1 065 tons standard. 13885 tons load Length 197 m (646 ft 4 in) oa Beam: 20.6 m (67 ft 7 in) Draught: 6.1 m (20 ft in) Machinery: A-shafi geared turbines 173772 shp Speed: 34-36 knots Protection: 75-mm (3-in)

full

sides:

50-mm

mm); 16

(2-in)

(later

(1.57-in); (later) in)

Aircraft: 3,

deck Armament: 8

8-in (203-

12) 3.9-in (10O-mm); 4

8

37-mm (IHn);

40-mm

8 13.2-mm

(0.5-

one catapult Crew: 725

Bomarc us

surface-to-air missile. Bomarc is perhaps better described as a pilotless interceptor. It had its origins in the mid- 1940s when the Boeing .Airplane company, under US Air Force sporvsorship. began extensive research into the potential of high-speed aerial weapons. TTie project name (Groundto-Air Pilotless Aircraft) covered a family of missiles, employing both rocket and ramjet propulsion, produced on a purely research basis. Examples ranged from comparatively small wingless rockets to winged missiles

GAPA

with

full

electronic guidance.

The technology evolved gramme, which ended in

in the

1949.

GAPA led

to

prothe

development by Boeing of the ramp-launched F.99 Bomarc. The project also profited from studies by the University of Michigan Aeronautical Research Center (MARC) under project 'Wizard", and the General Electric 'Thumper" research programme. The name came from BOeing and MARC.

407

Bombay,

Bristol

Powered by twin Marquardt supersonic ramjets, Bomarc had the appearance of a long jet fighter with clipped delta wings and tail surfaces. In the tail was an Aerojet liquidpropellant boost motor. The objective was to operate at Mach 2 at altitudes of up to 18 290

m

and at a range far exceeding contemporary surface-to-air missile. Bomarc was controlled by a commandguidance system acting through conventional control surfaces. At the time of interception it responded to an active radar seeker. The first flight, with only the boost motor live, was made on September 10. 1952 but the first flight in which the ramjets operated did not come until February 1955. Impressive results followed. On October 23, 1957 a Bomarc intercepted a target drone at an (60 (XX)

ft),

that of an>

some

km

(12 miles), at a range exceeding 161 km (100 miles). In operational service with the US Air Force it had a nuclear altitude of

19.3

warhead.

By 1965 an improved version, Bomarc B, had replaced the A model, some 200 of the being relegated to the role of supersonic target drones. Bomarc B (CIM-lOB) weighed about 7270 kg (16030 lb), and had a range of 724 km (450 miles). It had more powerful ramjets and a solid propellant booster. Six US Air Force sites had about 20 missiles apiece in separate launch shelters. The system was fully integrated into the SAGE network of North American Air Defense Command, and could be held at instant readiness. The Royal Canadian Air latter

during the Second World War. on duties including night bombing, transportation of supplies and casualty evacuation. The Bom-

bay was withdrawn from service in August 1944.

RAF

operational

Spa/1. 29.18

m

(95

ft

9

in)

Length:2^.^^

Gross weight: 9072 kg (20000 speed: 309 km/h (192 mph)

in)

lb)

m

(69

ft

Maximum

Bonaventure Canadian

sion

is

(Bomarc CIM-10A) Length: 14.25 m (46 ft 9 in) Launch weight: 703^ kg (15500 lb) Range: 386

km

(240 miles) Altitude: 1524-20726

68000

m

(5000-

ft)

13.7

m

(45

ft

in)

Diameter: 88 cm (34.6 in) Span: 5.55 m (18 ft 2 in) Launch weight: 7270 kg (16030 lb) Range: 724 km (450miles)>1/f/ftyde;30480m(100000ft)

Speed: Mach

Bombay,

2.7

Bristol

British bomber-transport aircraft.

Designed

Air Ministry Specification C. 26/3 1, the Bombay was intended to carry 24 fully-armed troops and also to double as a bomber, carrying a 907-kg (2000-lb) bombload. The prototype first flew on June 23, 1935, and in 1937 Bristol received an order for 80 Mk I production aircraft (later reduced to 50). to

These were powered by two 890-hp Bristol Pegasus XXll radial engines, carried a crew of four, and were equipped with hydraulicallyoperated Bristol turrets in the nose and tail, each mounting a single Vickers 0.303-in (7.7mm) Type K machine-gun. They were built by Short Brothers and Harland, as Bnstol was by then fully occupied in building the Blenheim.

The 19.39,

first

production aircraft

and

six

months

later

flevv in

the

March

first

RAF

squadron. No 216 in Egypt, began to equip with Bombays. Nos 17, 267 and 271 .Squadrons also flew Bombays, and they served mainly in North Africa, -Sicily and Italy 1

408

fighters

from

or the United States, and self-help seemed the only solution. But they had little time, and did not possess the requisite hardware, equipment or experience. It was even-

family) that

in

manager.

Originally

laid

down

as the Powerful on November 27, 1943. vessel was one of the Royal Navy's Afa;Vsn'c Class light fleet carriers of the 1942

this

Programme.

at the Harland Belfast on February 27, 1945, but shortly after the end of the war her construction was suspended and her hull laid up at Belfast. In 1952 she was purchased by Canada and renamed Bonaventure, construction, to a modified design, being resumed in July of that year. Alterations were mainly aimed at making her suitable for the operation of modem jet aircraft and included a 75°-angled flight deck, improved arrester gear, steam catapult and a mirror landing sight. In addition, her flight deck and elevators were strengthened so that she could operate heavier aircraft, the funnel and bridge were

,She

and Wolff yard

was being built

was launched

carrier.

from the US. They also expanded their anti-submarine capability with the manufacture in Canada of 70 Grumman S2FI Tracker aircraft, some of which were intended to operate from the Bonaventure. The ship completed on January 17, 1957, replacing the carrier Magnificent (which had RN since 1946), and her first aircraft joined her while on acceptance trials. In 1962 it was decided that Canada's maritime air force should turn over to antisubmarine work only. The Banshees were abandoned and the Bonaventure was, reequipped to operate as an A/S carrier with ten Tracker aircraft and ten helicopters. At about the same time two of her twin 3-in (76mm) gun mountings were removed. She operated in this role for a few years before being placed in reserve and eventually was sold for scrap in 1971. See also Majestic ,C\i\.v,%.

been on loan from the (Bomarc CIM-10B) Length:

the gap in their armoury. There

in Australia as the Aircraft Wirraway. This was often called the Commonwealth-Wackett Wirraway because of the work done by Wing Commander L J Wackett, the Comonwealth Aircraft corporation aircraft division general

aircraft

fighters

in charge of 'authentication officers'. Neither vernow in service.

fill

tually decided to develop the North American trainer design (iikin to the T-6/Harvard

USAF

North Bay and La

to

BritJiin

Macaza with nuclear warheads

sites at

own

was scant hope of receiving

remodelled, lattice masts were fitted, and US-pattern fully-automatic twin 3-in (76-mm) dual-purpose guns were substituted for the designed armament. To equip their new carrier the Canadians purchased 39 McDonnell F2H-3 Banshee

Force had Bomarc

notable contribution to .'Mlied victory. After Pearl Harbor in December 1941 the Australians had to develop a fighter of their

Displacement: 16000 tons Length: 219.45 m in) max, in) Beam: 39.01 m (128 ft ft flight deck; 24.44 m (80 ft 3 in) hull Draught:!. &2 m (25 ft in) Machinery: 2-shaft geared steam turbines, 42000 shp = 24 knots Armament:8 3-\r\ (76-mm) AA (4x2); 3 6-pdr (3x1) saluting guns Aircraft: 34 max Crew: 1370 (720

Commonwealth

Wackett then found he had to create a fighter in a matter of weeks. There was only one possible engine, the proven but otherwise inadequate Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp of 1200 hp. The rest of the aircraft was mainly a strengthened and redesigned Wirraway, with single-spar stressed-skin wing, steel-tube fuselage with covering of fabric or removable metal panels, and fabric-covered light-alloy control surfaces. The armament was the same as the Spitfire V: two 20-mm (0.79-in) Hispano cannon and four 0.303-in (7.7-mm) Brownings. TTie cockpit was comfortable and well arranged, the radio was good, there was a bullet-proof windscreen and back armour and the tanks were self-sealing. All this ensured a robust machine, well suited to combat duty in the harshest conditions. Nobody could do more, and when the prototype CA-12 Boomerang flew on May 29, 1942 just as the Japanese were hammering at the gates of .Australia the Boomerang was found to have

—

—

outstanding manoeuvrability. By 1944 Commonwealth Aircraft's Fishermen's Bend factory had delivered 250 of the tough little fighters. They achieved much in the difficult campaign in New Guinea and countless other southwest Pacific islands. The total comprised 105 CA-12, 95 CA-13, one CA-14 with turbosupercharger, and 49 CA-19. Most could carry a 227 kg (500 lb) bomb, and varied other loads including cameras, smoke apparatus, target markers and, in 1944, rocket projectiles. Even after the availability of much faster fighters the nimble Boomerangs were kept in service, flying all kinds of close-support and attack missions and what a later generation would call Forward Air Control. On many occasions they tangled with Japanese fighters, and not only held their own against them, but also proved exceptionally suited to destroying Axis bombers. Never has a stop-gap fighter, that on paper looked hopeless, been such a popular machine with the men who

went

to

war

in

it.

(CA-12) Span: 110m (36 ft 3 in) Length:?. 77 m ft 6 in) Gross weight: 3450 kg (7600 lb) Maximum speed: 474 km/h (296 mph)

(25

Boomerang, Commonwealth Australian fighter and attack aircraft. In comparison with the other leading fighters of the

Second

World

War

the

Boot NATO code-name for Tupolev Tu-91 .See .Slormovik ground-attack aircraft

Boomerang may

appear to have been obsolete before it even started. However, this aircraft was an incredible achievement under extremely difficult conditions, and despite all odds it made a

Borodino Russian battleship class.

unlucky group of

If

ships

ever there was an it

was

the

five

Borodino Conceived as a stop-gap fighter and ground attack aircraft, the Commonwealth Boomerang proved to be an efficient, tough and much-respected fighter which served from 1942 to the end of the war

Borodino^, begun for the Imperial Russian at the turn of the century. Even before they betrayed their poor design in battle they had suffered a series of mishaps. During the launching of the Aleksandr III a flagstaff collapsed, killing an officer and injuring her captain-designate and several cadets. The Orel was nearly burned out when the Galernii Island shipyard caught fire in June 1901. and then ran aground in the Neva River and strained her hull The design was an improvement on the French-built Cesarevitch, but retained all the worst features of contemporary French design excessive topweight. gunports too close to the waterline and an exaggerated 'tumblehome" or sloped sides. TTie tumblehome was intended to allow the beam guns to fire ahead or astern but in practice it did nothing but worsen the seakeeping of the ships. The French system of distributing the

Navy

Name

laid

Borodino

down

launched

completed

9/1901

1904

5/1900

a rapid loss of stability if flooding occurred and this, in conjunction with the tumblehome. made them liable to capsize easily. Work on the ships was accelerated when the Russo-Japanese war broke out in January 1904, but only the first four were ready by September 1904. and they left for the Pacific with Vice-.Admiral Z P Rozhestvensky's 2nd

Squadron between October 2 and 15. Being heavily laden with coal and stores they drew too much water to pass through the Suez Canal, and had to go round the Cape of Pacific

Good Hope. The expedition got

bad start when over-excited lookouts mistook the British Dogger Bank fishing fleet for Japanese torpedo boats and fired on them. The British were furious, and only the intercession of the French, who were linked by alliances to both countries, prevented the Russian squadron from being attacked. Only the French would provide any base facilities and so the battleships had to coal at Nossi Be near Madagascar. The 28968-km (18000-mile) voyage was a remarkable achievement, but the Japanese fleet was waiting in the Tsushima Strait, and won an overwhelming victory on May 27, 1905. The Imperatnr Aleksandr III was the second ship in the 1st Battle Division at Tsushima, flagship behind the Kniaz off to a

New

Admiralty works. St Petersburg

Imperator Aleksandr III

9/1899

8/1901

1903

Baltic works, St Petersburg

Orel

6/1900

7/1902

1904

Kniaz Suvorof

9/1901

9/1902

1904

Galernii Island shipyard, St Petersburg Baltic works,

St Petersburg

—

armour meant

builder

Slava

11/1902

8/1903

1904

Baltic works,

St Petersburg

Suvorov. After the flagship left the formation she took the lead and tried to set a course for Vladivostok. She came under heavy fire from Japanese ships at about 1500 and soon caught fire. Having taken several hits from largecalibre guns she started to circle to port with an increasing list. Suddenly she lurched to port and turned over, floating keel upwards for some minutes. At 1850 she sank in position 34° 37 N/129° 57 E, with the loss of 823 officers and men, her entire crew. TTie Borodino was third in line in the 1st Battle Division, but she took the lead after the Aleksandr III sheered out of line. She

came under heavy

shelling

from about 1420

and also caught fire. At about 1920 she was engaged by the Japanese battleship Fuji. which poured 12-in (305-mm) shells into her. one of which caused a big explosion forward, although she continued in formation at top speed. Then she capsized to starboard very suddenly, taking with her 830 of her crew and leaving only one survivor. The Orel was the fourth ship of the 1st Battle Division, but she escaped the fate of the other three ships. She was hit 150 times, and about 47 of these hits were from large-

Her upperworks were riddled splinters and gutted by fire. Althojjgh

calibre guns.

by

shell

not hit underwater, the concussions had loosened the fastenings of the armour plates and she was leaking badly. With three other

Russian warships which had escaped the holocaust she found herself off the Liancourt

Rocks on the morning of May 28. surrounded by Japanese warships. .Admiral Nebogatov ordered his pathetic remnant to surrender and so the Orel was towed to Sasebo dockyard and arrived there two days later. Renamed the Iwami. the ship was incorporated into the Imperial Japanese Navy. But first she had to be completely rebuilt at Kure dockyard, where curious British technical advisers enjoyed themselves reporting and photographing all that they could find. Most of her top hamper was cut down, and her Obuchov guns w ere replaced by British Armstrong-pattern 12-in (305-mm); the 6-in (152guns in their individual turrets were replaced by 8-in (203-mm) .Armstrong quickfirers in shields. The fighting tops were removed and most of the upperworks were cut down. She recommissioned in June 1907 and proved quite successful. As a 1st Class coast defence ship (from September 1912) she took part in the capture of Tsingtao from Germany in 1914 and in the occupation of

mm)

Vladivostok in 1920. She was disarmed in .April 1921 and used for a while as a depot ship until stricked in 1923. She was scrapped in

1924-25.

The

Kniaz Suvorov led the line as Rozhestvensky's flagship at Tsushima, and \\as marked down by the Japanese. She bore the bnint of fire from the Japanese flagship Mikasa. three other battleships, and eight big cruisers. Firing begim about 1350 hrs, and a hit in the conning tower at 1445 hrs 409

Borodino wounded Rozhestvensky and

disabled the

unconscious admiral was taken off by a Russian destroyer, having been rolled over the bent backs of his sailors, the surviving officers and men refused to abandon their ship. By 1920 only one 75-mm (3-in) gun was still firing, and three torpedoes from the Japanese destroyer Murasame hit amidships. No survivors were picked up. The Slava was fortunate to miss the RussoJapanese war as she was still only two-thirds complete in October 1904. She spent most of her time with the Baltic Fleet on training, but in 1908 she was cruising in the Mediterranean when Messina was devastated by an earthquiike, and her crew took part in the rescue work. While in the Bay of Biscay in July 1910 the engines broke down and she was towed to Toulon for repairs. In the winter of 1911, while lyingat Toulon, mutiny was discovered, and 20 conspirators were arrested for plotting to sail the ship to South America. steering. After the

The ship saw considerable action in 1915 being sent to the Gulf of Riga to block the advance of the German

fleet.

On August

16

she fired at the German battleships, listing to increase the range of her guns. Later that month, she was damaged by 11-in (280-mm) hits, but was repaired and saw action again the following year, when the thaw came. Although not as badly affected as other ships in the Baltic Fleet by the Kerensky revolution,

discipline

began

to deteriorate.

How-

ever, this did not prevent her from giving valuable support to the Russian army's right flank in the gulf of Riga. The Shiva's last fight began on the morning of 17 October, 1917 when she was brought to action by the German battleships Kronprinz and Kfinig in Moon Sound (Moensund). She was hit by three 12-in (305-mm) shells and soon began to list. By now she drew too much water to escape through the dredged channel and so Admiral Bachirev ordered her to be scuttled across the channel. The destroyer Turkmenetz-Stavropolsky torpedoed her forward and she sank upright with her upperworks above water, west of the island of Papilad. She burned for two days, and the wreck lay there for another 18 years.

Displacement: 13 516 tons (normal) 15275 tons load) Length: 121 m (397 ft) oa Beam :22.2 m (76 ft 1 in) Draught: 8 m (26 ft 2 in) mean Machinery: 2-shaft triple-expansion, 16300 ihp=18 knots (actual maximum 17.6) Protection: 64-229 mm (2^9 in) belt, 280 mm (11 in) turrets, 280 mm conning tower, 51-76 mm (2-3 in) deck (increased to 102 mm (4 in) maximum in Slava) Armament: (ks built) 4 12-in (305-mm)/40 cal (2x2); 12 6-in(152-mm)/40cal (12x1); 20 75mm (3-in) (20x1); 20 47-mm (1.9-in) (20x1); 8 37-mm (1.45-in) (8x1); 6 45-cm (17. 7-in) torpedo tubes (1 bow and 1 stern above water and 4 broadside 2 above water and 2 submerged) Crew: 825 (full

Borodino batllecruiser class. Four battlewere authorized for the Imperial Russian Navy by the Duma, under the socalled 'Little Programme" of June 1912. They were to be fast versions of the T/m/i^'m/ Class Dreadnought battleships, and their scale of protection would have made them more com-

Russian

cruisers

parable to fast battleships than to the over-

410

Name

laid

down

launched

builder

Borodino

12/1912

7/1915

New

Admiralty yard, Galernii Island

Ismail

12/1912

6/1915

New

Admiralty yard. Galernii Island

\'avarin

12/1912

11/1916

Baltic works, St Petersburg

Kinbum

12/1912

10/1915

Baltic works, St Petersburg

gunned armoured cruisers of the Invincible type.

To avoid delay the steam turbines were ordered from abroad, those for Navarin and Ismail from the German Vulkan works and those for Borodino and Kinhurn from VicThe British machinery was delivered by sea to Archangel and then by barge, but the German turbines were still at Stettin when war broke out in 1914. They were subsequently used to.pow,er two minelaying cruiskers.

ers, the

Brummer and Bremse.

The hull form was unusual, with a bulbous bow, a long, narrow forepart and a long, narrow centre-section. The designer was the talented

who

later

Vladimir Ivanovitch Yourkevitch, achieved fame for his work on the

liner Normandie when exiled from The Russian admiralty had calculated

French Russia.

Borodino Class would need 75 000 horsepower to make 26\ knots, but tank on the Yourkevitch hull form showed

that the

shaft tests

that this could be cut to 65 (KK) shp.

The

guns designed for use were a special type, developed for the Russian navy by Vickers. The 14-in Mk VI was a 50.4-calibre weapon in British service, calculated on its bore length of 1793 cm (705.8 in). However, the Russians, like the Germans, calculated on the overall length; at 1849 cm (728 in) it was 52 calibres in length. It weighed 88 329 kg (82 tons 28 lb) with its left-handed breech mechanism, and the rifling had 84 grooves. Shortages and delays prevented the ships from being completed, and work stopped early in 1917. After the Revolution and the 14-in (35.6-cm)

in this class

The Bouclier Class French destroyer Fourche served in the Adriatic during the First World War and on June 23, 191 6 she was torpedoed by the Austrian submarine U 75and sunk. She was subsequently awarded a posthumous 'Croix de Guerre' pennant

War the hulls were examined with a view to completing them for the Red fleet, but the design was obsolete and the hulls were in bad condition. Three were sold to German shipbreakers in 1923 and broken up, Borodino at Bremen, Navarin at Hamburg and Kinburn at Kiel, while the hull of the Ismail was scrapped at Leningrad in 1931. See also Bremse Class. Civil

Displacement: 32000 tons (normal) 34500 tons load) Length: 222 m (728 ft 3 in) oa Beam: 29.87 m (98 ft) Draught: 8.77 m (28 ft 9 in) mean Machinery: 4-shaft steam turbines, 65000 shp = 26} knots Pro tecf/on; 100-305 mm (4-12 in) belt; 305 mm (12 in) turrets; 305 mm conning tower Armament: 12 14-in (356-mm)/52 cal (4x3); 24 5.1-in (130-mm) (24x1); 4 4-in (102mm) AA (4x1); 4 47-mm (1.85-in) saluting guns; 4 MGs; 6 18-in (46-cm) submerged torpedo tubes (1 bow, 1 stern, 4 beam) Crew: 1250 (full

Bosun, Tupolev Tu-14 Russian light bomber. Bosun entered service with the Soviet Navy in 1951, having undergone a long and tortuous development. The project started life as the Tu-72, work on which began soon after the end of the Second World War. At the design stage a rearmounted Rolls-Royce Derwent turbojet of 1600 kg (3500 lb) thrust was added to the planned powerplant of two Rolls-Royce Nenes, and the project became the Tu-73. In

form the aircraft made its maiden flight in October 1947. The second prototype, designated Tu-78, this

1

BoucNer a number of differences. It was decided omit the third engine from the l'u-81 production version; the space thus gained was occupied by a rear gunner, responsible for operating the tail turret with its twin 2^(.ytwin) cann»>n. A fifth crew member. ti> operate the PSB-N bcimbing radar, was accommodated in the former rear-gunner

had

to

mm

position.

The dorsal and

(Tu-MT) Span. 21.7 m (71 ft 1 In) Length:21. 9 m (72 ft) Gross weight: 25350 kg (55900 lb) Maximum speed: 845 km/h (525 mph)

down

launched

completed

builders

Normand

Houclifr

1909

6/1911

8/19II

Hitutefeu

1909

5/1911

9/1911

Dyle

i

usque

1909

8/1910

5/I9I1

F et Ch de

C

imeterre

1909

4/191

-/1912

F

et

Ch de

la

Gironde

Daguf

1909

4/1911

2/1912

F

et

Ch

la

Gironde

Faulx

1909

2/1911

9/1912

De

la

Brosse

&

Fouche

Fourche

1909

10/1910

-/I9I2

De

la

Brosse

&

Fouche

1910

4/1912

6/1912

A & Ch

Commandant Bory

1910

9/1912

11/1912

Dyle

Commandant

1910

10/1912

11/1912

IMIO

4/1912

11/1912

Penhoet. Rouen

1910

10/1912

-/I913

Normand

bomber and general recon-

naissance aircraft. Designed to Air Ministry Specification M. 15/35, the Botha was. with the Bristol Beaufort and Saunders-Roe Lerwick, one of three major types intended to reequip RAF Coastal Command from 1939. Contracts for 486 aircraft 'off the drawing board' were placed in December 1936. the first two serving as prototypes. The first flight 28. 1938

CapitaJne

by the

Mehl

Riviere

Dehorter Francis

Gamier

production Botha, no having been produced.

An

Botha, Blackburn

was made on December

laid

&

Bacalan. Bordeaux

Mediterranee

la

ventral gun barbet-

tes were removed, but nose armament was increased to a pair of 2.^-mm cannon. In this form the aircraft entered service as the Tu-14. The navy also operated the Tu-I4R, formerly Tu-79. in the reconnaissance role. Additional fuel capacity was built in. extending range to .V^tX) km (2I7.S miles). The later Tu-I4T torpedo bomber had VK-I turbojets of 27(K) kg (6(XX) lb) thrust each, together with a number of other improvements. The straight-winged Bosun, a contemporary of the air force's swept-wing 11-28 Beagle, remained in service until the early I%Os. It had a range of .^(XX) km (1870 miles) with a MXX) kg (22(X) lb) bombload.

British torpedo

Name

separate

prototype

monoplane with a the Botha was powered by two

all-metal high- wing

crew of four, 880-hp Bristol Perseus X radial engines (subsequently 930-hp Perseus XA), had an internal bay for a torpedo, bombs or depth charges, and was armed with a single 0.303-in (7.7-mm) fixed machine-gun in the nose, with two similar guns in a powered dorsal turret. The Botha entered service in the autumn of

F

et

de

de

&

Ch de

la

Loire

Bacalan la

Gironde

1939, just after the outbreak of war, serving

Nos 502 and 608 Squadrons of Coastal Command, primarily on patrols over the with

North Sea. However, even with the Perseus XA engines, it was underpowered, and this, combined with recurrent control problems, led to its early withdrawal from first-line duties in April 1941. Transferred to operational training units, it continued in service, chiefly with navigation and gunnery schools, until 1944. Of a total of 1256 ordered, only 580 were built, the remaining 676 being cancelled with the end of the war.

first

Span: 17.98 m (59 ft in) Z.engf/7.- 1 5.58 m (51 ft Gross weight: 8368 kg (18450 lb) Maximum speed: 401 km/h (249 mph)

1^ In)

Bouclier class. By 1909 France was behind in destroyer development, particularly when her latest vessels of the 450- ton type were compared with the much

French destroyer being

left

larger equivalent types building in Britain.

So

411

Bounder year the first of a series of SOO-ton destroyers was laid down. The French admiralty specified the displacement, the armament, turbines, oil fuel, and a trial speed of 30 knots, but little else, the result being a group of ill-assorted designs. Four different types of turbine and boiler were used; there was nearly 6 m ( 19 ft 7 in) difference in length between the longest and the shortest ship; and whilst two, Bouclier and Casque, were equipped with triple screws and made their speed comfortably. Commandant Bory, equipped with twin screws like the other ships in the class, could make only 24 knots. The Casque, with her three funnels and turtle deck forward, looked very different from her four-funnelled sister ships, though they all differed in appearance. Dague acquired an extra, although temporary, distinction for a while by being fitted with an experimental tripod mast. Apart from the complete lack of uniformity, which made it very difficult to operate these ships together, txith hulls and machinery proved to be fragile. It was probably a ship of this class wnich had to send the classic signal to a British destroyer, 'Can go no more, boiler go bang". It is difficult to escape the conclusion that French destroyer design was at a very low ebb. However, the French navy had to make do with these ships, so their hulls were strengthened and the armament, considered too light, was increased. A 75-mm (3-in) or in that

The Bouclier Class French

Commandant

destroyers, Capitaine Mehl (above) on patrol in the Channel, and Ri\iere (below) in the Mediterranean. Both were active in the First World \^'a^

gun was added machine-guns increased the antiaircraft armament, and before the war had ended they were also

47-mm

(I.45-in) antiaircraft

two

aft,

8-mm

(0.30.3-in)

carrying eight depth charges. An extension or cowl on the fore funnel kept the smoke away the bridge, which had also had to be strengthened because of experience in service. The result of all these alterations was to increase the displacement by 100-150 tons and to reduce the speed of even the fastest ship to below 26 knots. Despite these drawbacks, these ships took an active part in the war, several serving in the Adriatic against the Austrians, and others in the Straits of Dover. Casque was rammed twice by 'friendly' ships, but survived, whilst Faulx was rammed and sunk by another French destroyer. Bouclierb\ew off her own stern with a depth charge, and also took part in the raids on Dunkirk and Ostend. Boutefeu and Dague were both sunk by mines, whilst Fourche was torpedoed by an Austrian UBoat. The vessels which survived the war were scrapped between 1926 and 1933.

from

Displacement: 800 tons (as designed) Length: (Bouclier) 72.32 m (237 ft 3 in) oa, (others) 7478.28 m (242 ft 8 in-256 ft 9 in) oa Seam. 7.57-

8.05 (9

ft

Russian practice and should have conferred a high-subsonic cruise speed.

13000 shp=30 knots 100-mm (3.9-in) Model

However, transonic drag was greater than predicted, and the last prototype designated M-52 had the two outboard engines moved to wingtip pylons and afterburners were

shaft

steam

turbines,

(designed) Armament: 2

1893(2x1);4 65-mm (2.5-in) fWlodel 1902 (4x1); 4 45-cm (17.7-in) torpedo tubes (2x2); (added 1915-16) 1 47-mm (1.45-in)or1 75-mm (3-in) AA; 2 8-mm (0.303-in) machine-guns; 8-10 depth charges Crew: 83 approx.

It

412

Hustler.

It

is

added to the remaining pair. The M-52 was probably capable of about Mach 1.4 for

short

periods, but it is unlikely that the specified range could

Soviet

Both versions of Bounder had a shouldermounted delta wing on an area-ruled fuselage. The bicycle undercarriage retracted into

capability.

weapon bay, and outriggers were fitted at the wingtips. The M-52 was first seen by Western

bomber. Bounder experimental appears to have been an attempt to combine the Tu-95's long range with a supersonic dash

The

original version

was

the

M-

which several prototypes were built. Four non-afterburning Soloviev D-15 turbojet engines, producing about 13000 kg(28600 lb) of thrust each, were mounted on underwing pylons a departure from normal 50, of

—

similarities to

probably capable of about Mach 1 .4 for short periods, but whether has the range for successful employment as a tactical bomber is unknown

US Convair B-58

—

—

anything near be achieved.

Bounder, Myasishchev M-50/M-52

The Myasishchev M-52 Soviet experimental bomber, code named Bounder, has some the

—

m (24 ft 9 in-26 ft 5 in) Draught: 2.9-3.26 m 6 in-10 ft 8 in) mean Machinery:2-shaft or 3-

the

fuselage

observers

in

in

front

of and behind

the

1957.

(Estimated data) Span: 25.3 m (83 ft) Length: 56.2 m (185 ft) Gross ive/g/7M 35 000 kg (300 000 lb)

Maximum

speed: Mach

1.4

Bo u vet

\

The French

Bouvet

battleship Bouvet seen in her early black and white finish (below and in ser\ice grey 1910 (above). She was a good steamer with efficient triple screws, but by the First World War her performance had fallen off and she was reduced to convoy escort and bombardment work )

in

French battleship. In the 1890s the French building programme was directed against the Royal Navy. Unfortunately for the French, however, they were incapable of matching the building times or the uniform classes of the larger navy. One of their 'fleet of samples' was the battleship Bouvet. laid down in Lorient dockyard in 1893 but not completed until 1898. She was therefore a contemporary of the British Majestic Class, but looked very different, with a single 305-mm (12-in) gun mounted high fore and aft. two 274-mm ( 10.8-

navy's

chiefly

guns mounted in broadside turrets amid138.6-mm (5.5-in) guns mounted in turrets clustered near the bigger guns, and the extreme 'tumblehome' (inward slope) of the sides above the waterline. She was one of the first French battleships with triple screws, and was noted as a good steamer in the days when performance fell off rapidly in)

ships, eight

with time in service. Her protection was conventional, a narrow belt of armour running from end to end on the waterline, being thickest 400 15.7 in) amidships, with a thin protective deck 100 (3.9 in) and armoured towers around the ammunition

—

mm

(

—

—

—

mm

TTie principal difference between Bouvet and her French and foreign contem-

hoists.

poraries

was

the

medium-sized guns

installation

of

all

her

in turrets instead of the

more usual casemates. By 1914 she was obsolete and in bad condition. However, she was still considered to be capable of convoy escort and shore bombardment. In January 1915, after cover-

ing the transit of troops to France across the Mediterranean, she was sent to form part of the Anglo-French force collecting to attack the Dardanelles, and took part in two preliminary bombardments. On March 18 came the crucial engagement as the Allied fleet gradually battered the Turkish forts into rubble.

Then came

disaster.

The Bouvet. already

hit

several times near the waterline, suddenly

exploded and sank, taking down with her some 600 of her complement of nearly 700. The most likely explanation is that she had struck a mine, but it is also possible that a shell, piercing the thin decks, had the Turks claimed that the hit a magazine explosion was caused by the combination of a mine and a shell. Whatever the explanation, the end was very rapid indeed the ship

howitzer

—

—

413

Bouvet The French battleship Bouvet at sea in her original form. Built in the 1890s. her armament of a single 305-mm (12-in) gun fore and aft left her hopelessly outclassed by later Dreadnought battleships, though in 1914 she was considered effective enough for convoy escort and shore bombardment work. It was while engaged in the latter role that she met her end, being sunk in the Dardanelles while taking part in the Allied bombardment of the Turkish forts on the Gallipoli peninsula in March 1915

Bouvet

,l>

-*-«;'^r: '

•

Bowler was 9 .4 cm (36 was 161 cm (63.5 weight 16.5 kg (36 lb), which

The

capsized immediately after the explosion and sank within a minute, the few survivors running down the ship's side and bottom 'like squirrels on a wheel'. The two old British battleships mined soon afterwards took much longer to sink, and the Bouvefs sudden end seems to confirm the reputation for a low margin of stability shared by French battleships of her period.

yards). Unfortunately there were practical limitations to this method; unless the firing angle was limited to within 20° of the target's

in) long, the overall

bow

made

Displacement: 12205/14 000 tons (normal/full load) Length: 121 m (397 ft) Beam:2^ .37 m (70 ft 2 in) Draught: 8.65 m (28 ft 4 in) Machinery: 3shaft triple-expansion engines, 32 boilers, 14000 ihp=18 knots (speed had dropped considerably by the time of her loss) Armament: 2 305-mm (12-in); 2 274-mm (10.8-in); 8 138.6-mm

could have been successful in antishipping strikes at a time when aircraft losses were causing the Allied air forces considerable anxiety. The basic torpedo, the 40-knot 18-in (46-cm) Mk 17, was a very good weapon and, given even a modest homing capability,

100-mm

(5.5-in);8

(3.9-in);

14

47-mm

(1.9-in);10

37-mm (2

(1.45-in); 4 45-cm (17.7-in) torpedo tubes submerged) Crew: 600 (peacetime)

was

chance of achieving a hit, and depth-charge ex. losions caused Bowler to alter course prematurely. If more than one torpedo was fired, the first detonation was there

little

likely to deflect the second.

However, these problems affected

homing torpedoes of the period, and Bowler all

would have been even more effective. Bowler was dropped in 1943 to make way for a more advanced weapon called Trumper.

robust and heavy. in)

and the it

total

work started on a British fiir-dropped homing torpedo, and the project was given the code-name Bowler The torpedo's running speed was to be only 20 knots, as the torpedo was intended to follow a course along the target's track. The reason for this was that a torpedo bomber's safest angle of attack was along the ship's course, though this was also the angle at which the likelihood of a torpedo-hit was 1942

very low.

The active homing head used quartz crystal transmitters emitting pulses of 26.7 kc/s at right-angles to the torpedo's axis. When an echo was received, the torpedo swung towards the source, theoretically putting it on course for a 90° impact with the target. A pursuit course was found to be impossible because the ship's wake gave false echoes, and so Bowler was

to be dropped from ahead. Trials showed that echoes could be obtained at a range of about 91.44 m (100

yards),

which meant that the theoretical was increased by 182.88 m (200

'target width'

Bouvet, as she was before being hit by a combination of mines and shore fire during the bombardment of Turkish positions on the Dardanelles on March 18, 1915 She sank in one and a half minutes taking 600 men with her. She had Sustained eight hits above the water! ine, but the mine blast was too much for her rusty and antiquated

bulkheads

416

British antitank

rifle.

The Boys was

British antitank

rifle

to enter service.

the only It

was

to

The slide

barrel and breech were mounted on a which recoiled along the top of the stock

and so absorbed some of the considerable force from firing the 0.55-in (I4-mm) round. Another recoil reducer was fitted in the form of a muzzle brake. The weapon was sup*ported on a monopod at the front of the slide, and this too had a form of shock absorber built into

it.

The round, developed from a big-giime rifle cartridge, was specially designed and used a belted cartridge case to withstand the considerable firing stresses. The bullet was steelcored and later versions had a tungsten core. Armour penetration was never impressive, virtually obsolete before

it

was replaced by the PI AT in 1942, but saw some action in France in 1940. in Burma and Malaya in 1941-42, and in armoured cars in Egypt and Libya in 1941. into use.

It

mid- 1930s when this type of weapon was popular everywhere. TTie Boys was a bolt-action rifle feeding from a top-

Barrel length:9-\A

mounted magazine and

mm) Muzzle

designed

man

carry.

came

Boys

Bowler

1

a substantial load for one

and the Boys was

British torpedo. In

barrel

length

in the

all

its

parts

were

Weight: ^6.5 kg (36

lb)

cm

Length: ^6^

cm

(63.5 in)

(36 in) Calibre:0.55 in (14 velocity: 990 m/sec (3250 ft/sec)

B.R.1, 2

and

3, Fiat

^m The

0.55-in

Boys Mk

who developed

1

m

antitank

rifle

was named

after

its

principal designer

mid-1 930s. Although its harsh recoil and ineffectiveness against modern tanks made it unpopular it was used as armament for Bren gun carriers and armoured cars in North Africa during 1940-41. It proved a good antipersonnel weapon in rocky terrain when it

the

rock fragments were produced by indirect

B.R.1, 2 Italian

and

fire

3, Fiat

bomber and reconnaissance

aircraft.

Throughout the interwar period IngCelestino Rosatelli was the best-known designer of Italian military aircraft. He had worked for Fiat's subsidiary, SIA, during the First World War, and in 1918, when the company was reformed as Fiat Aviazione, he begjm the famous series of B.R. (Bombardamento Rosatelli) and C.R. (Caccia Rosatelli) aircraft that equipped the Fascist Regia Aeronautica and several other air forces. The BR. series stemmed from the original Fiat B.R., a biplane bomber flown in 1919 on the 700 hp of a single Fiat A- 14 water-cooled V engine. Only about a dozen had been ordered when Mussolini began to rebuild the Italian armed forces in 1923-24. In 1924 Rosatelli flew the first B.R.I, an improved

BR.

with the Warren (W-type) interplane almost all his subsequent biplanes. Despite the fact that on struts that characterized

Above

right: A Fiat B.R. (Bombardamento Rosatelli) bomber. The original bomber designed by Celestino Rosatelli was first flown in 1919 and was the beginning of a line of biplane bombers. Centre: A torpedo laden B R.1 This type .

1924 and in December gained a world record for a 1500-kg (3310-lb) lift. Below right: The B.R. 2, which in 1925 was one of the best

first

flew

in

single-engined load carriers in the world

417

Bragadin December

23. 1924

it

gained a world altitude

Taranto. to the Bernadis single-hulled design already used for other classes of submarine. The minelaying apparatus consisted of two tubes in the after part of the submarine containing 16 to 20 mines, which were laid from beneath the stern of the boat, just aft of

a 150ft-kg (?307-lb) load to 5516 (18 197 feet), the B.R.I was not a major service type.

record by

lifting

m

However, subsequent B.R. developments saw service in larger numbers. The B.R. 2 of 1925 used the 950-hp Fiat A-25, the most

the propellers. There was little else to distinguish the Bragadin and Corridoni from

powerful fully-developed engine in use at that time in any country. Extremely strong and well designed, the B.R. 2 was probably the most capable single-engined load-carrier in the world in 1925. with a bombload of up to 1500 kg (3.307 lb). The only gun was a manually-aimed Lewis or Revelli in the rear cockpit. Like most Rosatelli designs it had prominent park bench" aileron balances, which in front view looked like slats: slats were in fact fitted to some late models. The B.R. 3 of 1930 was the main tactical bomber of the Regja Aeronautica until 193435. over 100 being built. In this role a fixed gun was added, as well as two prominent windmill electric generators on the upper wing. During 193.'^-40 the B.R. 3 was the main

bomber

other medium-sized submarines of their day, though the shape of the hull had been modified from the original Bernadis design to

ensure better stability. It was found that the form of the bow resulted in a tendency for it to go under while the submarine was steaming on the surface, and shortly after completion it was raised and altered.

^^^.C^'^

these early B.R. biplanes could carry a reconnaissance camera in the belly in place of fuselage bombs. A total of 300 B.R. 1. 2s and 3s were Italian

finally

training aircraft.

All

'?.*

us

produced.

mm

Span; 17.3 m (56 ft 9 in) Lengf/i.- 10.55 m (34 ft 7\ in) Gross weight: 4350 kg (9591 lb) Maximum speed: 230 km/h (143 mph) (B.R. 3)

BR. 20

Italian (Fiat) light

1935 there

In

was

a

more

radical

alteration, the minelaying installation having

-.'

3

soldiers check the alignment of their 81-

Ml mortar. The pads on their shoulders balance the mortar tube, base and bipod

bomber See Cicogna

Bragadin ^'" submarine class. The two ^'ifl^ submarines of the Bragadin Class ^^\m^ were the first minelaying submarines ku'" built to an Italian design earlier. Vj smaller boats had been copies of a cap-

proved unsatisfactory, if not positively dangerous, and as a consequence the stem was completely rebuilt, the exit for the mines being placed on the transom (right at the stern) instead of beneath it. Despite these improvements, these submarines were considered to be inadequate for their intended role as minelayei.-., and were never used for this purpose after Italy joined the war. Both made a number of voyages carrying fuel and other supplies to the Axis armies in North Africa, but played no other part in the conflict. Both were to the Allies in 1943 at the time of the Italian armistice and were finally discarded and scrapped in 1948. significant

handed over

Name

laid

down

completed

Marcantonio Bragadin

2/1927

11/1931

Filippo Corridoni

7/1927

11/1931

Italian

—

tured

German

marines were

design.

laid

down

1927 two subby the Tosi works, at In

The Brandt 60-mm mortar, used in large numbers by the US Army only. Though grouped with 50-mm mortars it was more powerful and had a longer range

Displacement: 981/1167 tons (surfaced/submerged) Length: 71 .47 m (234 ft 6 in) oa Beam:

m

in) Draught: 4,98 m (16 ft 3i in) (surfaced/submerged) 2 Tosi Diesel/2 Marelli electric motors. 1500/1000 hp = 14/7.29 knots Armament: ^ 102-mm (4-in)i 2 13.2-mm (0.5-in) machine-guns; 4 53.3-cm (21in) torpedo tubes Crew: 56

6.15

(20

ft

2

Machinery:

Brandenburg German aircraft See Hansa-Brandenburg

Brandt French mortars. Edgar Brandt was an ordnance engineer who set up a design bureau in France in the 1920s. He was responsible for much of the early work on sabot ammunition, developing a system of mounting smallcalibre shells into 'sabots', or sleeves, so that they could be fired from larger-calibre guns.

leaving the muzzle, the sabot fell away shell continued, propelled by a larger-than-normal cartridge, to a considerable range, greater than would otherwise have been possible for the parent weapon. Although various countries experimented with his designs, none adopted them, and it was not until the war that the idea, by then in other hands, was brought to a workable state and adopted in service. He also produced designs for full-calibre long-range shells, using ballistic caps and false bases to obtain

On

and the small

418

Brandt The Brandt 81 -mm Light Mortar M-44 was bought by Italy, Japan and the USA prior to the Second World War: as a result each had weapons with a similar performance. It fired smoke, HE. and illumlnant bombs and had a maximum range of 3500 yards and a rate of fire of between 18 and 30 rounds per minute. It is in service in Africa and the Far East

short-barrel versions. In addition there

is

a

breech-loading version of the 60-mm (2.36-in) mortar for use in armoured vehicles. At the top end of the scale the !20-mm (4.7-in) is available in four models: a light', a "light, strengthened', a 'heavy' and a 'heavy, rifled" model. The first three are conventional types using bipod and baseplate, while the heavy rifled model fires from a baseplate but has the barrel supported on the wheels of the transport axle. All these mortars have a range of conventional ammunition augmented by a rocketboosted bomb. In these btimbs a rocket motor is located in the centre, surrounded by the explosive filling. It is ignited by a thermal delay which is set in action when the bomb is fired. After about ten seconds of flight, the rocket comes into action, boosting the range to almost double that reached by the unassisted

bomb.

The

rifled mortar is muzzle-loaded, in the usual manner, but the bomb has no fins and is provided with a pre-engraved driving band which has to be engaged with the rifling when loading. Both the smooth-bore and rifled versions of the mortar have been adopted in several countries. (For data see next page.)

optimum aerodynamic shape. Some of these were

briefly tried in 1939-40 in Britain and France, but were not adopted for use. However, Edgar Brandt is best known for the range of muzzle-loading smooth-bore infantry mortars developed by his bureau in the late 1920s and widely licensed for production throughout the world. As well as being

used by the French army the 60-mm (2.36in) Model 1935 and the 81-mm (3.2-in) Model 27/31) they were used principally by Italy (81mm Model 35), Japan (81-mm Type 97) and

US (60-mm M2and 81-mm Ml) during the Second World War. They were all simple and robust designs, little more than improvements on the original Stokes pattern, and all

the

A Brandt 81-mm Mortar M-61. This weapon has two barrel lengths: though both versions can fire smoke, HE, illuminant and practice bombs, the Mk 61 ammunition used in the M-61 L (long-barrelled) mortar has a longer range and greater power

with similar performance. After the war, the design bureau was absorbed by the Hotchkiss company, and since then the designs have been known as Hotchkiss-Brandt mortars. A wide variety have been produced, ranging from 60-mm

120-mm (4.7-in), in an integrated family which gives complete range coverage from l(K) m (328 ft) to 3 OCX) m (42 650 ft). The 60-mm and 81-mm models are little more than updated versions of the prewar designs, the 81-mm being available in long- or (2..36-in) to

1

419

Branlebas COMPARATIVE DATA bomb

weight

max range

(kg/lb)

(m/yard)

(kg/lb)

(m/sec/ft/sec)

17.8/39.25

17(XVI860

1.3/2.86

160/525

19.05/42.0

181.VI

1.36/3.0

160/525

.Model 27/31, French

59.7/131.6

2850/3116

3.25/7. U.

175/575

81 -mm

Ml. US

61.7/1.^6.0

3008/3290

3.11/6.87

227/745

60-mm

Hotchki.s.s-Brandl

14.8/32.5

2(XX)/2187

1.62/3.58

—

41.5/91.5

s(XX>/5470

4.32/9.52

—

.Model

60-mm

.Model 35. French

60-mm

.M2.

81

mm

US

985

muzzle velocity

weight

81 -mm Hotchkiss-Brandt (long-barrel model)

ships designed for the first time for operation overseas, unlike the existing coast defence ships of that time. The immediate result of this strategy was the Braunschweig Class, the first German battleships which could compare with frontline British ships. In general they followed the pattern of the standard British pre-

Dreadnoughts, with twin gun turrets forward and aft, although they had 28-cm (ll-in) rather than 30..s-cm (12-in) guns, and the adoption of triple screws was more in line uith French practice. They had three funnels and an unusually heavy secondary armament of 17-cm (6.7-in) guns instead of the l.'>-cm (5.9-in) gun

mounted in The 28-cm

the previous Wittelsbach Class. 1-in) had 30° elevation and could range to 2093 (26(X) yards). An important innovation was the provision of turrets with (

m

120-mm Hotchkiss-Brandt Light 1)

2)

Conventional Rocket assisted

1

5500/6014 6550/7160

94.0/207.0

—

13.0/28.6

good command for four of the 17-cm guns

15.5/34.2

at

the corners of the superstructure.

120-mm Hotchki$.s-Brandt 1)

2)

rifled

Conventional Rocket assisted

8135/8896 13000/14217

.-^82/1283

Branlebas French destroyer class. This class of ten small destroyers was the last in a series of 55 ships built for the French navy during the early years of the century. They were all built to a basic design by the most important and successful French builders of torpedo craft, A Normand of Havre, and were given names associated with either weapons or combat (branlebas means a brawl). The most significant and unusual feature of the design was the low, rounded hull with the light caillebotais", a grating or hurricane deck built over the hull to keep crew and weapons clear of the water. .Surprisingly, this concept worked well, producing a seaworthy design unique to the French navy, though not capable of enlargement. It did make for extra structural weight, but these destroyers were sturdy and reliable, unlike their immediate successors, for example the Bouclier Class.

The Branlebas Class were slightly larger than their predecessors, the Claymore Class, with the addition of- a belt of thin 20-mm (0.79-in) armour protecting the machinery, an unusual feature for a destroyer class. By 1914 these ships were obsolete as destroyers, but were still very useful as patrol craft. Their average speed had fallen to 22-23 knots. During the war they were modified for antiaircraft and antisubmarine work. In 1915 the after pair of 47-mm ( .85-in) guns were converted for high-angle fire, and some of the class were given an army-type 75-mm (3-in) gun in place of the 65-mm (2.5-in). In 1917 an 8-mm machine-gun was added for antiaircraft use, and by the end of the war some ships had two of these weapons. The after torpedo tube was removed and the forward torpedo mounting was paired, so space was available for fitting depth charges and a depth-charge thrower, though in 1918 the latter was removed and the stern torpedo tube replaced. Hy the end of the war, as a result of these modifications and hard service, the average speed had fallen below 20 knots. •Some of these ships served in the Channel.

The increased dimensions over the previous class (nearly .8 m [6 ft] on the beam and 129r on tonnage) allowed the designers to

—

18.7/41.2

1

18.7/41.2

others in the Mediterranean, off the Dardanelles and in the Adriatic. Etendard was sunk by German destroyers in 1917, and Branlebas was mined in 1915. The others were scrapped soon after the war, though Sape survived till 1926.

Displacement: 344 tons Length: 58 m (190 ft in) pp Beam: 6.28 m( 20 ft 7 in) Draught: 2 37 m (7 ft 8 in) Machinery: twin-shaft tripleexpansion, 2 boilers, 6800 ihp = 27.5 knots 4

Armament:

(original) 2

65-mm

(2.5-in);

6

47-mm

converted for high-angle fire in 1915; 2 45-cm (17.7-in) torpedo tubes Crew: &Q (1. 85-in),

incorporate heavy armour as well as bigger guns, and the design was much admired outside Germany. The rapid change in naval technology made the class obsolescent by 1914. They served with the high seas fleet until 1916, but only the Hessen took part in the Battle of Jutland (the Skagerrak), in Admiral Mauve's Squadron II. The Braunschweig and Elsass became

accommodation

ships at Kiel, the Hessen a depot ship at Brunsbiittel, and the Preussen and Lothringen guardships in the Sound. In 1919 the Lothringen and Preussen were disarmed and under .Allied supervision were converted to depot ships for F-Boats (minesweepers) at Wilhelmshaven.

Under

Braunschweig German

battleship class. At the beginning of the twentieth century the Imperial German navy was attempting to challenge the British navy by creating a 'risk fleet", which, although not capable of defeating the Grand Fleet, would, by its presence alone, force Britain into allying herself with and making

concessions to Germany. The method was to create an effective high seas fleet, with battle-

Name

laid

down

the Versailles Treaty,

Germany was

allowed to keep only six coast defence ships, and so the four Braunschweig Class and two Deutschlands were reprieved. Shortages of personnel prevented them from being recommissioned quickly, but between 1921 and 1925 they were refitted for the new Reichsmarine. The two minesweeper depot ships were stricken during 1929-31 but the midship section of Preussen was retained for trials under the name Vierkant. It was sunk

by Allied bombs

in

1945.

completed

builder

Normand

Branlebas

11/1905

7/1908

Etendard

12/1905

2/1909

Fanfare

11/1905

9/I90X

Fanion

12/1905

2/1909

Gabion

11/1905

11/1908

Pen hoi?

Glaive

5/1905

9/1910

Rochefort dockyard

OriHammv

('./I9(X>

9/1

Poi^nard

5/1905

11/1910

Sabretagne

6/|9(Xi

9/|*)0S

M/1905

I1/I90S

Dyle

et

Bacalan

1

420

S.ipe

90S

Normand Dyle

el

Bacalan

De La Brosse

t

et

Fouche

Rochefort dockyard

De La Brosse

ol

Pen hoe

Fouche

Braunschweig Name

laid

down

launched

builder

completed

10/1901

12/1902

10/1904

Krupp, Germania

Elsass

9/1901

5/1903

11/1904

Schichau, Danzig

Hessen

4/1902

9/l9(B

9/1905

Krupp, (iermania

12/1902

5/1904

5/1906

Schichau, I^anzig

Braunschweig

Lothriiifivn

Preussen

The

Braunsihweifi.

were stricken on March

6/1902

Hlsass

10/1903

and

31. 1931 to

7/1905

AG

Vulcan. Stettin

Below:

The

German

Braunschweig

("lass

battleship Hessen, despite being obsolescent b> 1914, served at the Battle of Jutland and remained in service into the 1930s as a radiocontrolled target ship. She was later taken over

by the Russians and renamed Tsef. Bottom: The Braunschweig passing through the Kiel Canal. She served with the high seas fleet but did not take part in the Kattle of Jutland and became an accommodation ship. She was retained by Germany after the Versailles Treaty as a coast defence ship, and stricken c»n March 31, 1931

was eventually

Hessen

make way

for the three Panzerschiffe of the DeutschUind Class. The Hessen was converted at

Wilhelmshaven to a radio-controlled target ship, and the others were scrapped. The Russians took over the Hessen and renamokl her Tsei. her subsequent fate is not known. See also Admiral Graf Spee, Deutschland. Displacement: 13200 tons (normal), 14390 tons load) /.engf/?.127.7m(418ft11in)oa Beam: 22.2 m (72 ft 10 in) Draught: 8^3 m (26 ft 8 in) mean Machinery: 3-shaft triple-expansion, 16000 ihp = 18 knots Protection: ^ 02-222 mm (48i in) belt; 76 mm (3 in) deck; 254 mm (10 in) turrets; 152 mm (6 in) secondary turrets Armament: (As built) 4 28-cm (11-in) L/40 (2x2); 14 17-cm (6.7-in) L/40 (14x1); 18 88-mm (3.4-in) L/35 (18x1); 4 machine-guns; 6 45-cm (17.7-in) torpedo tubes (1 bow, 1 stern, 4 broadside, all submerged) Crew: 743 (full

421

Bra unsch weig

4^-

Braunschweig The German Sraunscftive/g Class

battleship Preussen at speed in 1910.

The Braunschweigs v^ere and armament with British and other foreign battleships. However, their pre-Dreadnought design rendered them obsolescent by 1914: the Preussen was reduced to a guard ship in the Sound in 1916, and disarmed in 1917 for service as a depot ship for F-boats. However, her midships section survived as a pontoon for target trials until being sunk by Allied bombing in 1945 the

first

class of

German

capital ships to

compare favourably

in size

f-w •

.

42.^

Bravo

HMS

Thorn showing the turtleback bow which was a feature

Bravo Soviet patrol submarine class. propelled Bravo Class patrol

The

diesel-

submarines made their first appearance in 1968. At least four were built at Soviet northern and Baltic yards between 1968 and 1974, with a possible two more reported as having been built since. No photographs of the Bravo Class submarine have been released, but drawings giving an indication of the general shape which this class may be expected to take have appeared in a number of authoritative Western naval publications. These drawings

show that the beam-to-length ratio is larger than normal for a conventionally-powered submarine, which, it is estimated, accounts in part for the large displacement for such a comparatively short hull length. However, the role of the Bravo Class submarine is not clear. As one is attached to each of the main Soviet fleets, it is believed that these vessels are used as 'padded targets' torpedo and antisubmarine for weapon firings during manoeuvres. Displacement: 2500/2800 (surfaced/submerged) Length :70 m (229 ft 7 in) Beam:?. 5 m (24 ft 9 in) Draught: 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in) Machinery: Diesel/electric Speed: 16 knots submerged Armament: & 21 -in (53-cm) torpedo tubes

what had been a specialized class of aircraft. The 11-40 was powered by two Mikulin AM-5F turbojets producing 2700 kg (6000 lb) of thrust each. Air was ducted from twin intakes in the nose to the engines buried in the fuselage, and the exhaust emerged from ducts behind each wing. The two crew members sat back-to-back over the engines, the rearward-facing radio operator also being responsible for directing the remotelycontrolled tail barbette containing twin 23(0.9-in) cannon. Offensive armament comprised four forward-firing 37-mm (1.4.'^in) cannon in the wing leading edges. A number of prototypes were built in 1953, but the project was abandoned two years later. The aircraft achieved a creditable top speed, despite carrying the Stormovik's heavy armour plating to protect the crew, fuel tanks and engines, and the same basic principle has since been utilized in the Fairchild A- 10.

mm

Dimensions and weight unknown speed: 965 km/h (600 mph)

Brawny, llyushin

11-40

424

Maximum

added

to protect the bridge

Brazen Known more commonly as the 'C Class, these 40 vessels were

from the 6-pdr

and boilers employed, the hull dimensions and the number of funnels. In 1913 the whole group was reclassified, those engines

with three funnels becoming the 'C Class. During trials the. standard boats managed either a little over or under their designed speed of 30 knots. However, these trials were usually run 'light' and the best service speed was about 27 knots. They handled well and. despite being lightly constructed, were tough and seaworthy, but being very lively in any sort of sea, they were also uncomfortable ships in which to serve. The class contained three 'specials', the Albatross. Viper and Velo.x. The Albatross was built to an Admiralty requirement for a 32-knot vessel to match high-speed foreign destroyers. However, she did not achieve her designed speed and was accepted for service on a maximum trial speed of ?\.55 knots. In 1898 the Admiralty accepted an offer from Parsons to construct a 31-knot turbinedriven destroyer. This vessel, the Viper, was

with eight screws, two on each shaft, trials achieved an incredible 36.58 knots with 12 500 shp a rare example of a ship being over-designed. This remarkable vessel was wrecked on the Renonquet Reef. Burchow Island, during fleet manoeuvres on fitted

and on

British destroyer class.

August

—

3,

1901.

outline design and left the detailed design to the builders. This resulted in several variations between the ships of different builders,

However, the Viper was not a complete success, for her fuel consumption at all speeds was well above that of a standard destroyer, and for this reason the economyminded .Admiralty concluded that turbines were unsuitable. To solve this problem Par-

had a common general layout, speed and armament. The main differences were usually in the type of

sons submitted a design for a similar vessel which, besides the main turbine machinery, carried two small steam piston engines for a

part of a large group of 30-knot, turtleback

destroyers

Russian ground-attack aircraft. Brawny was an attempt to carry the successful .Slormovik formula into the jet era; it failed because the development of fighter-bombers such as the MiG-1.5 obviated the need for

of her class. Blast screens have been

constructed

between

1894 and

1901. At this time the Admiralty specified the

but they

designed

all

Brazo

'C^^'-'^. HMS

tulcitn in \^17 with the

DoNer Patrol escorting

drifters.

A

lookout

is

Bat. Crane. Chamois. Fawn. Flirt. Flying Fish. Star, VV?ij/mg— built by Palmers (360 tons) Bullfinch. Dove— huih by Earle (345 tons)

cruising speed of ten knots. The Admiralty rejected the design but Parsons went ahead and built the ship. Following a decision that turbines should be given a thorough trial, the vessel was purchased by the Admiralty in 1900 and named Velox. On her first trial, which was run "light", she made 34.25 knots, but on her official one-hour trial she achieved only 28 knots. In 1906 her cruising engines were replaced by cruising turbines, but the alteration was not a success. The Viper was mined and sunk off the Nab hght vessel on

Vickers (350/355 tons) Vixen built by Vickers (400 tons) Brazen. Electra. Recruit. Kestral. Vulture —built by Thomson (345/350 tons)* Thorn. Tiger. Vigilant built by J Brown

October 25, 1915. During the First World War the class were employed mainly on patrol and escort duties

(380 tons)* Mermaid Cheerful. Leslie (355 tons)

home waters. The Albatross served in the Mediterranean and the Whiting in the Far East throughout the war. The Otter was in commission for a short period in the Far East, and was sold for scrap at Hong Kong in 1916. Four of the standard boats were lost ia action the Recruit, torpedoed by UB 16 on May 1. 1915 off the Galloper light, the Flirt. sunk in action with German destroyers in the Straits of Dover on October 27. 1916. the Cheerful, mined off the Shetlands on June 30. 1917. and the Fairy, which, due to damage received in ramming and sinking the UC75. foundered on May 31. 1918. The Chamois. Tiger and Lee were lost in in

—

accidents in

19(M,

1908.

1909 respectively.

Two

others, the Falcon and Bittern, were in collisions in 1918. The remiiinder of the class were sold for scrap during 1919-21 but the hull of the Gypsy was subsequently

sunk

employed as

a jetty at

Dartmouth where

it

survives to this day.

See also Quail CB' Class). Desperate CD' Class).

Lee. Sylvia. tons)

Avon.

Violet— huih by Do.xford (350

Bittern.

Leopard.

Otter

—built

—

built

by

Greyhound. Racehorse. Roebuck Fairfield (355 tons)

Fairy. Falcon. tons)

Hawthorn

—

built

by

—built by Fairfield (355

Gypsy

—

Leven. Osprew Ostrich built by Fairfield (370/380 tons)' Albatross built by Thomycroft (430 tons) Velox built by Hawthorn Leslie (400 tons) Viper built by Hawthorn Leslie (477 tons) *The Thomson yard was taken over by J Brown in 1899. Ships by John Brown were built on spec and purchased by the .Admiralty

— —

in

—

1900.

m (215-224 ft) oa (Albatross (230 ft)) oa Seam; 6.07-6.40 m (20-21 ft) Draught: 2 A4-2.74 m (8-9 ft) Machinery: 2-shan. steam piston engines, 5800 to 6300 ihp = 30 knots; (Specials) direct-drive steam turbines i.e/igf/7;

70.10

Brazo us

antiradiation missile.

The development of

interceptors like the high-performance MiG-25 Foxbat A. which embody long-range

US designers to invesmerits of antiradiation missiles

fire-control radar, led

by

—

—

and canvas screens are against the spray

in position ab
65.53-68.27

m

Albatross—2-shan. 7500 shp = 31.5 knots; Viper: 4-shaft, 10000 shp = 32 knots; Velox: 4shaft. 8000 shp = 27 knots Armament: 1 12-pdr; 5 6-pdr (5x1); 2 18-in (46-cm) torpedo tubes (2x1) Crew.- 63

tigate

the

(ARM). (the Spanish word for arm) began as a US Navy project for an air-to-air missile able to home onto the radiation of fire-control radar in the target aircraft as distinct from semi-active radar homing missiles v.hich respond to the target reflections from their own aircraft's target illuminating radar which can be vulnerable to (electronic countermeasures). The programme has involved the close investigation of the range-finding characteris-

Brazo

life

—

ECM

tics

of fire-control

equipment

in

Russian

interceptors. Foxbat .A, for example, carries a large 'Fox Fire" pulse doppler radar. The existence of the Brazo project became known in 1972 when the US .Air Force merged into it their own programme. Pave .Arm. The result was a test missile based on the airframe and solid rocket motor of the Raytheon Sparrow in which the existing semi-active" radar-guidance system was replaced with a broadband passive radiation seeker from the US Naval Electronics

Center. The Hughes .Aircraft Company is responsible for systems integration. In .April 1974 a Brazo test missile launched from an F-4D Phantom successfully intercepted a BQM-34 drone in a head on. "look-

down" engagement. Subsequent

air trials at

White Sands Missile Range. New Mexico have included both look-down attacks from 425

Brd

1,

Blanchard

the rear and head-on attacks at long range. Aircraft considered as mounts for Braze include the F-15 and F-16.

could be carried on Michelin

gun Length: 3.66 m (12 ft) Diameter: 20.3 cm (8 in) Span. 102 cm (40 in) Launch weight:200 kg (440 lb) approx Propulsion: solid-propellant rocket motor flange: 24 km (15 miles)

Brd

Blanchard

1,

French bomber flying boat. This rather uninspired machine was the first to be used in the bomber role by the French naval ;iir service (later the Aeronavale) after the First World War. The category was called HB3 (Hydravion, Bombardement, three seats) and only a small batch was built. Several aircraft were one-offs, with various engines such as the 260-hp Hispano V8, but the usual service engine was the new 420hp Jupiter built by Gnome-Rhone as the GR9. Of mixed construction, with hardwood hull, the Brd had open cockpits for the nose gunner/observer, pilot and rear gunner (who probably had a radio). The gunners usually had twin 0.303-in (7.7-mm) Lewis, and a bombload of four 50- or 100-kg (1 10- or 220Ib) bombs could be attached under the lower wing. At least one squadron of 14 aircraft was based at the Etang de Berre and St Rafael in 1924-27. I

Span. 19.00 m (62 ft 41 in) Length: 13.27 m (43 ft Gross weight: 3930 kg (8664 lb) Maximum speed: 170 km/h (106 mph)

6i in)

Bre

14,

Breguet

French bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. Louis Breguet not only designed the Type but flew the prototype himself when it Villacoublay on first flight at 21, 1916. A large two-seat biplane with impressive lines, it made considerable use of duralumin in its sturdy construction, and was powered by a 220-hp Renault engine. The Breguet 14 was produced in considerable numbers, beginning in the spring of 1917 with an order for 580 of the Bre I4B.2 daybomber version. This could be distinguished by the transparent panels in the sides of the rear (observer's) cockpit, to facilitate aiming of the 10-kg (22.04 lb) bombs, 32 of which

XIV

made its November

bomb

racks

attjjched bleneath the lower wings. Armament consisted of a single forward-firing Vickers

the front cockpit, operated by the pilot, and a pair of 0.303-in (7.7-mm) Lewis machine-guns on a ring mounting in the rear cockpit. On some B.2s an additional in

downward-firing Lewis gim

was

fitted

to

protect the vulnerable blind area below and to the rear of the aircraft. Entering service in the summer of I9I7, the Bre 14B.2 served with 17 Escadrilles de Bombardement of the Aviation Militaire, and 47 of this version were supplied in 1918 to the American Expeditionary Force. The Bre 14BN.2 was a night-bombing equivalent, and the Bre 148. a single-seat day bomber. Contemporary with the bomber versions, entering service at about the same time, the Bre I4A.2 was a two-seat reconnjiissancebomber, lacking the side windows of the B.2 but able to carry four small bombs when required. Standard armament was similar to that of the B.2, though on some aircraft an overwing Lewis gun was fitted instead of the front-mounted Vickers. In 1918 the AEF received 229 Bre l4A.2s, and also 100 examples of the other major variant, the Bre I4E.2 1

unarmed

By

trainer.

more than 2000 Breguet 14s had been ordered, from six French constructors; in all, approximately 5500 were ordered during the war period, and when production eventually ended in 1926 more the end of 1917

than 8000 had been built. During the First World War they served with no fewer than 71 French escadrilles on the Western Front, three in Greece, eight in Macedonia, six in

Morocco and five in Serbia. In addition to those serving with the AEF, two escadrilles of the Belgian Aviation Militaire also flew Breguet 14s, and during the final year of the war the type was used widely for both day and night bombing. Inevitably, with long-running production on such a scale, a number of alternative or experimental engine installations appeared,

including various Renault or LorraineDietrich units, the Italian Fiat A-12bis and the American Liberty 12, varying from 260 to 400 hp, with corresponding variations of weights and performance. A typical power plant for the Bre I4B.2 was the 30O-hp Renault 12 Fcx water-cooled V-engjne, and

the weight and speed figures

relate to

An

enlarged development for night bombBre I6BN. 2. appeared in some numbers during the war; and the Bre I7C.2. too late for wartime service, was a two-seat escort fighter version with a 400-hp Renault I2K engine, mounting a pair of forward-firing Vickers machine-guns. On a modest scale in 1918, and much more extensively in postwar years, the Bre I4S was employed in a casualty evacuation role, and other Breguet 14s entered the commercial sphere as mail or passenger transports. The mainstream military versions enjoyed a long postwar career with the French Aviation Militaire. and during the 1920s the Breguet 14 was also supplied to the air forces of Brazil. China. Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, Greece. Japan, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Siam and Spain; Japan and Spain

ing, the

also built the aircraft under licence. (Bre 14B.2) Span: 14.86 8.87 lb)

m

(29

ft

m

(48

ft

9

in)

Length:

Gross weight: 1765 kg (3891 speed: 177 km/h (110 mph)

II in)

Maximum

Bre 19, Breguet French bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. Probably the best-known Breguet 19 is the 'Point d'Interrogation" (Question Mark), a civilian aircraft in w hich Costes and Bellonte made the first East- West .Atlantic crossing by aeroplane in September 1930. However, the liircraft was evolved originally to succeed the Breguet 14 bomber, making its first public appearance at the Salon de T.Aeronautique in Paris in 1921. The first flight followed in 1922. with a 420-hp Renault engine, production began in 1925.

May and

Of fabric-covered metal construction, the Breguet 19 enjoyed some 15 years of opera100 tional life, during w hich approximately were built, powerplants including Farman, 1

Hispano-Suizii. Lorraine, Renault, Salmson and Bristol Jupiter engines, ranging from 400 to 860 hp. The normal wheeled landing gear could be replaced by twin floats, and there were several variations of armament, a typical installation comprising a single 7.5-mm (0.295-in) Darne or 0.303-in (7.7-mm) Vickers fixed machine-gun in the upper front fuselage, one or two similar but movable guns on a

A Breguet 693-AB2 GBAI/51

426

below

this installation.

in

of the ler Escadrille

Vichy French insignia

de

Brecon

HMS

Ifffs'.cinkn o\

ilu'

Urccoii

ring in the rear cockpit,

•lliiiit"

Class dfsltovci

and one mounted

ventrally to fire downward and rearward. Up to 440 kg (970 lb) of small bombs could be carried below the lower wings and fuselage.

The various engine/landing gear/armament permutations produced a crop of differently designated versions, but the main military variants were the Bre I9A.2 (two-seat observation/reconnaissance), Bre I9B.2 (two-seat bomber) and Bre I9GR (Grande Reconnaissance, with longer range), all three serving with the French Aviation Militaire. Many A. 2s and B.2s were exported to Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, China. Greece, Persia, Poland, Rumania and Yugoslavia; licence production was undertaken in Belgium, Greece, Japan, Spain and Yugoslavia.

m (48 ft 7i in) Length: Gross weight: 2200 kg (4850 speed: 230 km/h (143 mph)

(Bre 196.2) Span: 14.83 9.50 lb)

m

(31

ft

Maximum

2

in)

Bre 41, Breguet French reconniiissance bomber. In 1929 Louis Breguet studied the practicality of designing combat aircraft with the fuselage in the form of a short nacelle and the tail carried on a slim boom. First flown on the Bre 27, this scheme was next scaled up into a multiplace de cowfoaf designated Bre 41. Powered by two water-cooled V-12 engines (usually Hispano-Suiziis or Lorraines of 600-680 hp) mounted above the short lower wing, the Bre 41 had a crew of 4 or 5 and was armed by three 0.30.'<-in (7.7-mm) Vickers or 7.5-mm

s.

l^miKlu'd

in

October 1942, she formed part

MAC

1934 machine-guns. Normal mission load comprised 1000 kg (2205 lb) of bombs or cameras. (0.295-in)

Span: (upper)20.M m (66 ft 1 in) Length:^^.3m ft in) Gross weight: 7200 kg (15840 lb) Maximum speed.' 310 km/h (193 mph)

(37

Bre 690-695, Breguet French multi-purpose military aircraft. The twin-engined, twin-tailed Breguet 690 was designed to a 1934 specification, the pro14 radial totype (650-hp Hispano-Suizii engines) flying for the first time on March 23,

of the naval force at the

Length: 9.67 kg (9921 lb)

m

Normand>

landings

ft 8J in) Gross weight: 4500 speed: 490 km/h (304 mph)

(31

Max

Brecon British escort destroyer class. In 1938, at the

request of the Admiralty, Thomycroft produced a design for an escort destroyer of similar type to the 'Hunt' Class, which was then in the early design stage. Thomycroft's design was rejected by the Admiralty, but in 1940, after being reworked several times to meet official requirements, a mutually acceptable design was produced. However, it was of a mildly innovatory nature, which is pos-

well-streamlined mid-wing monoplane of metal construction, the aircraft entered production in 1938 as the Breguet 691 AB2 (two-seat attack bomber) a change of role from the prototype, which had been designed as a three-seat 'heavy' fighter. Eight 50-kg (110-lb) bombs could be carried inter-

sibly why the conservative Admiralty ordered only two of what was to become Type IV of the 'Hunt' Class. Constructed under the 1940 Programme, both vessels were laid down in February 1941 at the Thornycroft yard in Southampton and launched in 1941. The Brecon was completed in December 1942 and the Brissenden in

armament comprised one 20-mm (0.79HS 404 cannon and two 7.5-mm

February 1943. The most marked departure from previous

1938.

A

well-built,

—

nally; in)

Hispano

MAC

1934 machine-guns in the (0.295-in) 1934 in the rear nose, one movable cockpit, and another under the fuselage. The first Bre 691, of 78 built, was flown on May 15, 1939, early production aircraft having 700-hp Hispano-Suiza 14AB10/11 engines

MAC

and

later

examples 800-hp 14AB12/13s.

Dissatisfaction with the Hispano engines led to the Breguet 693, first flown on October 25, 1939, fitted with 700-hp Gnome-Rhone 14M6/7 radials. This model replaced the Breguet 691 in production from 1940; 254 were built, and it proved to be the most successful model of the series, though only about 130 had been delivered before the German occupation of France. The Breguet 695 was essentially the same

powered by 825-hp American Twin Junior engines, with which it first flew on March 3, 1940. Despite a poorer performance than the 693, a total of 50 were built, of which 33 were delivered, entering service with the Armee de I'Air in June 1940. The Breguets served initially with the 5le and 54e Escadres de Bombardement d'Assaut (Bre 691), from which in April 1940 were formed Groupements 19 18 and (Bre 691/693). About two dozen Breguet 693/695s were seized from the Vichy French air force by Germany in November 1942, some of them being transferred to Italy, where they aircraft

Wasp

were used as

trainers.

practice for destroyer-type the lengthening of the forecastle deck which extended as far aft as X gun mounting. This was intended to provide protection from the weather for men working on the upper deck and particularly to allow covered access to the armament for the gun British

design

vessels

was

crews. The arrangement had another advantage in that it eliminated the weak area produced by placing the forecastle-break abreast the main mast. Thus, with greater strength stresses

at

Span: 15.36

m

(50

ft

42

in)

deck

level

the

hull

considerably reduced and allowed for the use of mild instead of HT steel in the hull structure. This arrangement was used extensively in postwar ships in preference to the standard destroyer hull design with short forecastle. The hull also included a new bow form, designed to reduce spray, which consisted of a double flare with a knuckle at upper-deck

Another new feature was the pearwhich was specifically shaped funnel, designed to keep smoke clear of the superstructure and in particular to prevent the level.

funnel gases being drawn down into the bridge in a following wind. It contained a centre-division plate of spiral form, to prevent the glow of the boiler fires being

observed

from

aircraft.

The Brecon was

with stabilizers, but these were omitted from Brissenden and the space utilized for

fitted

additional (Bre 693 AB.2)

forecastle

were

oil fuel

Compared with

storage. the earlier 'Hunt' Classes

427

Brecon they were more seaworthy and less prone to weather damage, but were more difficult to handle, with the new bow form causing

bumping stiffening

in

heavy seas, resulting in additional being

incorporated

in

the

hull

below the forward magazines. Brecon was completed with two single 20-mm (0.79-in) guns in the bridge wings and two twin 20-mm abreast the searchlight platform, but Brissenden was completed with

HMS

Brecon, one of the Type FV 'Hunt' Class known as the Brecon Class. The Brecon served in the Mediterranean and covered the landings at and the South of France and operations in the Aegean before ending the war in the East Indies. She was sold for scrap in 1%2

Sicily, .\nzio

428

—

Breda

Breda modello 30. This 6.5-mm (0.256-in) gun was the standard machine-gun during the Second World War. Its oil-pump and fixed hinged magazine made it a poor weapon in the field the pump clogged with dirt and if the magazine lips were damaged the gun became unusable. Though it had a good quick-change barrel there was no carrying handle, which left the No 2 on the gun juggling with a painfully hot barrel while under fire. In this illustration the magazine has been swung forward into the safe' position

The Fucile

Mitriagliatori

Italian light

The bolt locked to means of a rotating

the barrel extension by collar with interrupted threads on the inside surface. On firing, the barrel and bolt recoiled a short distance locked together, then a cam disconnected them and the bolt moved rapidly backwards, jerking the empty case out of the breach. This arrangement is highly susceptible to stuck cases, which then jam the gun. To counter this the Breda had a small oil pump in the body, and as each cartridge appeared at the mouth of the magazine it was given a squirt of oil just before the bolt pushed it into the breech. This also ensured that there was plenty of oil for the bolt to work in, but in the Western Desert during 1940-41 it was quickly

twin 2()-mm in all four positions. Brecon had her twins replaced by single 40-mm (1.57-in) Bofors in 1945 and Brissenden mounted a single 2-pdr pom-pom at the forecastle head while operating in the Channel during 1943-45.

Both vessels took part

in the

invasion of

which Brissenden returned to home waters while Brecon remained in the Mediterranean. Brecon subsequently supported the landings at Anzio and in the South of France,- covered the occupation of the Aegean Islands, and ended the war in the East Indies. Brissenden served mainly in the Channel and was part of the Sicily in July

194.3,

after

support force for the Normandy invasion; in 1945 she went to the Mediterranean. The Brecon and Brissenden were sold for scrap in

1%2 and

1965 respectively.

See also Alhrighton. Blankney Classes. Displacement:

Atherstone

and

1170 tons (standard) Length: oa Beam: 10.13 m (33 ft 3 in) m (9 ft) Macfiinery:2-s\r\aH, geared steam turbines, 19000 shp = 27 knots Armament: 6 4-in (102-mm) (3x2); 4 2-pdr (1x4); 6 20-mm (0.79-in) (1x2, 2x2); 3 21-in (53-cm) torpedo tubes (1x3) Crew: 170 90.22 m (296 Draught:2.74

ft)

Breda machine-guns. The Brescia locomoworks, known as the Societa Italiana Ernesto Breda, built machine-guns under licence during the First World War. After the war the firm produced its own designs. A light machine-gun appeared in 1924, and though it did not attract a production order, it was refined and improved, and by 1930 it had been adopted by the Italian armed forces as a service weapon (Modello 30). It was essentially the same as the 1924 model, and both were unusual in being operated by delayed blowback. Both also had a box magazine on the right-hand side which held 20 rounds. Italian

tive

The Mitragliace Breda M37 was a robust and relatively efficient design, but it had an unusual feed and included the oil pump wfiich collected dirt in dusty conditions, making it a poor combat weapon

found that the oil picked up grit and sand, and jams were frequent for that reason. The magazine was fixed to the gun and hinged forward so that fresh rounds could be fed in by the gunner's right hand. The ammunition was packed in 20-round clips which were easily pushed in to load. A box of ten clips was packed in a portable cardboard box and carried by a strap. Breda claimed that the gunner had a lighter load to carry, and that the magaane was both strong and reliable, thus improving efficiency. This may have been true, but loading was not always easy in the field, and the overall rate of fire of the Breda was lower than contemporary guns which used replaceable magazines. In 1931 Breda made a large-calibre, gasoperated machine-gun for tanks (Modello 31). In 1937 they lightened it and brought it out in rifle calibre for infantry use (Modello 37). It was by now a fairly conventional gasoperated weapon, but it still used the oil pump for the ammunition, and the rounds were fed in from the left side in 20-round flat clips. The extraordinary feature of this gun was that it put the empty cases back into the clip, and so dropped a neat clip of empties out of the right-hand side of the body. There were minor variations on all types of Breda, and they were the issue machine-guns of the Italian army throughout the Second World War. However, even by the standards of their time, they were unsatisfactory designs. In the autumn of 1930 Breda took over SAFAT, the arms-manufacturing subsidiary of Fiat. This brought the company into the of aircraft armament. field A S.AFAT engineer, Mascarucci, had developed an excellent lock which by 1930 was the basis for an air-cooled belt-fed machine-gun of 7.7(.303-in) calibre, with recoil operation and a gas booster at the muzzle. It weighed 2.25 kg (27 lb) and was quickly developed to an acceptable level of reliability with a cyclic

mm 1

429

Breda 800 rds/min. From 1933-43 the 7.7-inm, and its scaled-up 12.7-mm (0.5-in) version, were the standard Italian aircraft machine-guns.

rate of fire of

Breda-SAFAT

r!?r!^r;yjyjyj:7t7:; (Modello 30) Calibre: 6.5-mm (.256-in) Length: 123.2 cm (48.5 in) Barrel length: 52 cm (20.5 in) Weight: 10.24 kg (22.75 lb) Muzzle velocity: 629 m/sec (2063 ft/sec) Rate of fire: 450-500 rpm

r—

/^boi/e. The Breda 7. 7-mm Ml 935 aircraft machine-gun. Se/ow.The Mitriaglice Breda calibre 8 modello 38 per carri armati Produced in 1938 this was effectively an M37 with the top mounted curved box-magazine mounted In Italian tanks. Captured guns were used by the Germans as the 8-mm Kpfw MG 350 (i)

(Modello 31) Calibre: 12 7-mm (.50-in) Weight: 19.3 kg (42.5 lb) Muzzle velocity: 793 m/sec (2600 ft/sec) Rate of fire: 450-500 rpm (Modello 37) Calibre:8-n\m (.315-in) Length:127 cm (50 in) Barrel length: 74 cm (29.1 in) Weight: 19.3 kg (42.8 lb) Muzzle velocity: 790 m/sec (2600 ft/sec) Rate of fire: 450 rpm

5

rr

Breda compact gun mounting. The concept of throwing a missile off course by damaging or destroying its 'brain" is well known, and seems more realisable than destruction by impact of the warhead of so small Italian 4()-mm/70-cal

either by impact-fuzed shell or antimissile-missile. In fact tests have shown

a

target,

even when impact does occur detonation does not inevitably follow, and more than one impact may be needed. When detonation does follow it may not occur for seconds after impact, and by that time the missile has hit the ship. But obviously the course-change must take place at sufficient range to take the missile safely clear of the ship, and to bring this about a 40-mm (l..'^7-in) proximity fuzed shell is needed. This shell, perfected by Bofors AB, is prefragmented in such a way as to cause maximum damage to the target, and activation of the fuze is reduced automatically from a range of about 4.5 m (1.'=! ft) at \2.5 m (40ft) above sea level to about m (3 ft 3 in) at m (16 ft) above sea level to avoid premature detonation by sea clutter. It should be observed that whilst aiming for disorientation by a burst or bursts within metres of the target, the chances of destruction by impact that

1

.'^

are at least as great as those for other gims, but it is easy to see that the target area for the Breda 40-mm ( ..'^7-in) Bofors gim using proximity-fu/ed shell is immense in comparison with thai of those relying only on impact. 1

Bretia and Bofors set about testing this concept methodically to see what the kill probability might be. Through an exacting series of static and dynamic burst tests,

effective penetration into the various known thicknesses of missile plate covering vital for many types of burst, care being taken to exclude rigorously all splinters other than those having positive lethal effect. It was accepted that only a percentage of such splinters would cause failures resulting in loss of steering, velocity of shell, target, and spread of effective splinters being taken into consideration Here it at various burst miss distances.

components was determined

remarked that pre-fragmentation is so designed as to have the optimum lethal effect, taking into account velocity of shell and target and having regard to where on the circumference of the radius of activation the bursts lend to occur, usually near the forepart of the missile. What transpired therefore was that. sht)uld be

430

A A mounting. Each barrel has a separate hoist which takes ammunition from seven horizontal magazines holding up to a total of 736 rounds. The onl> manual loading is filling the magazine prior to an action, all other operations being automatic Below: The Breda Twin 40/L70 naval

Breda favoured in acquisition time, down to a range of about 9(K) m (985 yards) the kill probability extends from 99^ down to 3(X^, depending on the weapon system's error, the 3()9J based on an error of 3 m ( 10 ft) radius, unlikely, it is contended, in a system including the Breda gun. Nine hundred metres (980 yards) is far enough to give time for destruction of the missile after disorientation through damage In alignment with to vital components. today's operational concepts it is estimated that the minimum alteration required must be sutlicieni to carry the missile at least 32 m 195 ft) abt>ve the ship and at least W) m ahead or astern, or port or starbcKird, depending on the ship's course in relation to the missile's line of approach. Ihe actual effect of several penetrations is likely to be very complex indeed. Based on these assumptions and statistical evaluation of missile-design data, times to loss were show n to vary between one second a downward plunge and three secornls hence the 9(X) metres, an outside and cautious figure which nevertheless brings home vividly the need for the gim's exceptional accuracy as well as its ability to place in the short combattime available ten rounds in the target's path in each second. .At ranges below 900 m (980 yards), there(

105

Below: The effectiveness of proximity rounds compared with standard impact ammunition

(

ft)

—

when damage to

— —

conservatively estimated that vital components might not carry the missile safely clear of the ship, to the fore,

it

is

is left exactly the same option of destruction of the warhead by impact, except that here it is still estimated that bursts within 10 cm (25 in) would be equivalent to impact. Taking into consideration accuracy and rate of fire, high effectiveness is claimed since it can be shown that the weight of shell

Breda gun

impacted on the target is sufficient in relation to embarked weight over a given period of time. All automation dispenses with a gun crew, and since the magazine has 736 rounds (444 in

another version), ready for automatic loading into the breech, many missile attacks can be

^

431*"

-

Breda Taking into consideration the few seconds of combat time avtiilable in each

faced.

enough time before replenishtwo sections of the mag^izine (which train v\ith the mounting and are individual to each gun) becomes necessary. And when this is done, it is done fast and in a attack, there ment of the

is

protected pkice below deck. Where belowdeck space is not available, the magazine and the whole complex can be installed above deck, with the magazine still protected, since the weights involved are not critical except for the very lightest of craft.

The Breda 40/L70 Compact

is

used on the

Italian

is

specified

a

Lwpo Class frigates and number of shipbuilders for

their designs.

Ca//bre.' 40-mm (1.57-in) Gun Maximum recoil: 250 mm

tengf/i.

(9.84

by

70 calibres in)

Firing

Feed mechanism: Fully automatic Muzzle velocity: 1000 m/sec (3280 ft/sec) Maximum horizontal range: 12500 m mechanism:

Electrical

(13670 yards) yards) Rate of

4.-12

Maximum fire:

height: 8700 300 rds/min (each

m

(9514

barrel)

Breda

The Dardo System has been developed

for short

range defence against various types of missile targets, including sea skimmers and divers and against aircraft. The gun/radar combination locks the twin 40/70 guns onto the target and the proximity ammunition gives a wide fragmentation area which destroys the homing or navi-

gational

equipment

of

incoming missiles. The

the proximity shells discriminate between the radar reflection from the sea and that

fuzes

in

The 40/70 gun is fully automatic and has a maximum horizontal range of 12500 m (1 3 670 yards). It fires at 600 rds/min and has a 736 or 444 round magazine. of the target.

^

711

1

Antenna Pedestal

8

Windmeter

2

Radar Receiver

9

Gyro

3 Radar Transmitter

10 Stable Element

4 Processing and Interfacing Unit

11

5 Supervision

Console

6 40/70 Twin /VA

7

RAN

Gun

10 S Radar

Log

12 Optical Sights 13 Design Assign Console 14 Target Designation Switch Board

433

Breguet-Michelin Breguet French aircraft See Alize, Atlantic. Bre 14, Bre 19, Bre41, Bre 690-695, BreguetMichelin, N'ultur

Breguet-Michelin multi-purpose military biplane. French Designed in mid- 19 14, Louis Breguet's BU3

prototype was a fabric-covered metal biplane with a fixed tricycle undercarriage and a 2(X>hp Canton-Unne engine driving a pusher propeller. It was accepted by the French air force, which designated it BR54, and in modified form was chosen by the Michelin brothers. Andre and Edouard, who wanted to present 100 bombers to the Aviation Militaire as a patriotic gesture. In this form it was known as the Breguet-Michelin or BM, or alternatively as the or BLM, the centre respectively, a Cantonletters denoting, Unne or Renault engine.

The Breguet-Michelin Bre 4 boml>er armed with a

7.62-inin (0.30-in) Hotchkiss machine-gun

BUM

Subsequent two-seat bomber developments included the SN3, later known as the BUC Breguet- Unne-de Chasse) and, when fitted with a Renault engine, the BLC, which differed in having wings of unequal span and (

a modified landing gear. In early

1916 this

went into production in two forms, the Bre 4B.2 being equipped with Michelin automatic racks under the lower wings for up to 40 7.25kg (15.98-lb) bombs, and a Hotchkiss or Lewis machine-gun in the front cockpit. The second version, intended for use as escort for the Bre 4B.2, was the Bre 5Ca.2, carrying no bombs but with a Hotchkiss .37-mm (1.45-in) cannon in the front cockpit and a single 0.303-in (7.7-mm) Lewis machine-gun able to fire either forward or rearward over the upper wing. In service neither had a performance adequate for 1916; the Bre 4B.2 was transferred from daytime to night bombing from October of that year, and the heavy and unwieldy cannon of the Bre 5Ca.2 was often replaced by a more familiar machine-gun. However, they served with at least five Escadrilles De Bombardement, one of which was still operating them as late as January 1918. Some were acquired by the RNAS, and ten others, powered by 250-hp Rolls-Royce engines, were built in Britain. (Bre 5Ca.2) Span: 17.50 m (57 ft 5 in) Length: 9.90 m (32 ft 5^ in) Gross weight: 1934 kg (4264 lb) Maximum speed: 131 km/h (81.4 mph)

Bremen German

light cruiser class.

Before and during

World War

the Imperial German navy built a series of light cruiser classes named after cities, and although the designs

the First

were not outstanding, they were generally sturdy and well-balanced fighting ships. Each class introduced fresh features, but all were part of a steady development from the first of the line, the Bremen Class. Tirpit/. the German navy minister, ordered the seven ships of this class between 1901 and 1903 as part of his programme for building a seagoing fleet capable of posing a Ihreal to the Royal Navy. Basically they resembled the contemporary British (jem" Class, with the same appearance, speed, armament fthough the (ierman ships had two guns fewer) and a similar protective deck. There was another similarity between the British and Cierman classes; just as the Amelhysl

434

the first major ship in the Royal Navy to be fitted with steam turbines, so it was the Liiheck in the German Navy which was the first to try the new system of propulsion. Both experiments were successful, but the Liiheck needed eight propellers (two on each shaft) to reduce cavitation; at one stage 12

Jutland.

propellers were fitted for

was

was

trials.

The Bremen Class proved good ships in service, though they were liable to roll and pilch badly when lightly laden. By the lime war broke out they were no longer new. bul could slill be used as first-line units, though only Berlin and Miinchen were present al

Bremen and Liiheck were given major refits in 1914-1.^ and 1916 respectively, with two l.*>0-mm (.^.9-in) guns replacing four of the lO.s-mm (4.1-in). and two .^(Vcm (19.7in) deck torpedo lubes replacing the original siibfiiergcd 4.s-cm (17.7-in). Liiheck also had her ram bow replaced by a raked bow. and carry >0 mines. of the class were lost during ihe war. In Ihe long chase which is known as the Battle of ihe Falklands. the Leipzifi was run down and sunk by Ihe Cornwall and Glosfilled to

Two

l^ow,

and the Bremen was mined and sunk 191.^. soon after her refit.

December

in

Bren gun

Name

laid

down

launched

completed

builder

4/1902

9/1903

4/1905

8/1902

7/1903

5/1904

6/1904

9/1905

2/1907

4/1902

7/1903

3/1904

AG

Vulcan, Stettin

Leipzig (ex-'N')

7/1904

3/1905

4/1906

AG

Weser. Bremen

Liibeck (ex- Ersatz Mercur)

5/1903

3/1904

4/1905

AG

Vulcan. Stettin

Miinchen

8/1903

4/1904

1/1905

AG

Weser. Bremen

BerUn

Kiiiserliche Werft,

Danzig

(ex- Ersatz Zieten)

Bremen

AG

Weser, Bremen

(ex-'L')

Danzig

Kaiserliche Werft. Danzig

(ex- Ersatz Alexandrine)

Hamburg (ex-K')

(ex--M')

lead ship of a pre-First World War German light cruisers, was mined and December 1915

The Bremen, class of

sunk

in

after the war, by which time Berlin had been scuttled in the North Sea with a load of

ammunition on board. Displacement: 3278 tons (normal), 3816 tons load) Length: 1111 m (364ft6 in)oa Beam: 13.3 m (43 ft 7i in) Draught: 5.6 m (18 ft 41 in) Machinery: 2-shafi triple expansion, 11-12000 ihp = 23 knots; LiJbeck 4-shaft steam turbines, 14 000 shp = 23 knots Protection: 20-80 mm (^3 in) deck; 20-100 mm (M in) conning tower Armament: 10 10.5-cm (4.1-in) L/40 (10x1); 10 machine-guns; 2 45-cm (17.7-in) torpedo tubes (beam, submerged); (Hamburgand BerlinUom 1922) 8 10.5-cm (4.1-in) L/45; 2 50-cm (19.7-in) torpedo tubes (beam, above water) Crew: 000 (full

—

Bren gun British light machine-gun. In the early 1930s the British Army were looking for a new light

machine-gun to replace the Lewis, which had been in service since 1915 and which had a number of drawbacks. In 1932 trials were held to decide on a new model, the chief contenders being the Danish Madsen and the Vickers-Berthier. The former was wellknown and in service with many armies, but it

was complicated. The

latter

was already

in

service with the Indian Army and seemed the obvious choice for Britain. However, the British military attache in Prague reported enthusiastically on a new

Czech State

light

machine-gun produced by the

Armament Works

ZB

in

Bmo.

already

inside countries. Office

Surprisingly,

took

sufficient .After

note

its

mark

in

other

War

the

and

bought

guns for the exhaustive

lasting

By

This was the

making Czechoslovakia and

vz/26,

trial.

firings

two years, the went in

decision 1918 the survivors of the class were

all

performing secondary duties: Berlin, after a spell as a minelayer, was used for coast defence. Miinchen and Hamburg became

accommodation

ships,

while

Liibeck

was

used as a target ship for training U-Boats. Danzig. Liibeck and Miinchen were all surrendered to Britain and scrapped under the Armistice terms.

Berlin and Hamburg remained in the much-reduced German navy, being rebuilt in the early 1920s with a raked bow and only eight 105-mm (4.1-in) guns. .After use as training ships they were retired to become accommodation ships in the 1930s. Hamburg, perhaps appropriately, was bombed and sunk in 1944. in the port after which she was named. She was raised and broken up

favour

Czech gun and a manufacturing

of

licence

the

was

sought.

The British required certain changes to the gun before accepting it. One was a change from the 7.92-mm (0.3I2-in) rimless ammunition, which it was desigried to fire, to the 0.303-in (7.7-mm) rimmed cartridge, and this may not have been advantageous. Other 435

Bren gun minor changes were made

at the

same

time,

a new butt, a shorter barrel, removal of the barrel-cooling fins and a change to the gas block. including

The manufacture was to be at the Royal Small .Arms Factory, Enfield, and the first gun was assembled in September 1937. By July 1938 production was in full swing at 300 per month, and it stayed at about 400 per month throughout the war. The name Bren was derived from a combination of Bmo and Enfield. Enfield was the only British factory tooled up for the gun, though after 1943 the of

firm

Inglis

in

Canada was

also

mass

producing Bren guns. Nevertheless, one successful btimbing raid on Enfield in 1940 or 1941 would have been disastrous. The Bren is an excellent example of a light machine-gun, being simple, strong, accurate and easy to fire, and remarkably free from stoppages and vices. It is a gas-operated weapon, using the long-stroke principle. The barrel is removable and locked to the body by a quick-release nut. TTie gas block on the barrel mates with the gas cylinder which is below the barrel, but the block can be drawn out forwards. Changing a barrel is both quick and easy, for the carrying handle is on the barrel, thus reducing the risk of bums. The gas cylinder has a long piston inside, which runs back into the body and carries the return spring. The breech block rides on the piston extension and locks by tipping its rear end into contact with lugs in the body. Apart from

mechanism there are few other working parts. The magazine holds 30 rounds and feeds

the trigger

vertically

downwards, requiring the sights to to the left side, which sometimes

be offset gave trouble to men with a left master eye. Gunners were usually taught to change the barrel after firing three magazines at the rapid rate, and allow the hot barrel to cool beside the gun. The magazine was one of the weak points of the 0.303-in (7.7-mm) Bren. It was essential that each round was fed in with its rim behind the one in front. Fiiilure to do this, ;n with one round, resulted in a stoppage.

and also shortened the barrel. These guns stayed in British service until the introduction of the 7.62-mm (0.3-in) rimless cartridge in

1958.

With the NATO cartridge the Bren was converted back into a simplified version of the ZB 26, and the rimless cartridge cut out

There were several attempts to extend the of the Bren. It was used as an AA weapon, in single, double or quadruple mounts, with or without a drum feed of 100 role

rounds, but it was not a success. Originally every gun had a complex and heavy alternative tripod mounting, but this proved unpopu-

and when most of the British stocks were Dunkerque they were not replaced. 1940 many of the home defence In armoured cars were armed with a Bren, and the famous infantry carrier of the Second World War was always known as the Bren Carrier, though it was rarely used in that role. The Bren was, and still is, a gun designed to lar

lost at

fop. Feed and firing mechanism of the Bren light machine-gun Gas is tapped

back from a regulator near the muzzle and operates a piston which recocks the gun and allows the magazine to feed in a new round /.eft The Bren light machine-gun, in service

all the ammunition stoppages of the 0.303-in (7.7-mm). In this form, known as the L4 Al or L4 .'\6. the Bren is still in service with the British -Army in quite large numbers and is immensely popular. In fact, it is a gun that engenders a peculiarly fierce loyalty among all who have used it. and the introduc-

nearly

though it was easily cleared. The magazines were also sensitive to damage, and this too gave rise to stoppages. However, apart from the troubles with the ammunition, there were few things that could go wrong with a Bren, and about the only part that ever broke was an occasional firing pin. The gun was an immediate success. The Mk came into service in August 1938 and was very much a copy of the ZB 26. In 1941 1

the Mk 2. a simplified Mk I, was introduced. The bipod legs no longer telescoped, the drum back-sight was changed for a ladder type, the butt-strap and lower pistol grip were

discarded and other changes reduced the gun's weight. In 1943 and 1944 the Mks 3 and 4 carried the lightening process still further.

436

with reserve forces of the British Army and with armies

FN-designed general-purpose machine-gun in 1960 provoked a loud and

tion

of

the

throughout the world

bitter outcry.

The Bren was the standard light machinegun of the Commonwealth forces throughout the Second World War and for many years afterwards. It is countries of the

still

in

service with

many

be the main firepower of a section of dismounted infantry, and when used in that way it is among the best guns of its kind ever

produced

Commonwealth, notably

India and .Australia. Canadian-made Bren guns were supplied to Chiang Kiii-Shek's Chinese army, though very few other nonCommonwealth armies used it, except as a war-time expediency.

107 3 cm (42.25 in) Calibre: 1) Length 0.303-in (7 7-mm) Weight unloaded: 10.15 kg (25 in) Magazine: (22.3 lb) Barrel length:635

(Mk

mm

30 rounds Muzzle velocity: 731 m/sec (2400 ft/sec)

GERMAN ARTILLERY 5

Self-propelled

guns

to mobile warimportance of ensuring that their supporting artillery was capable of keeping pace with the tanks, and even before the outbreak of war had demanded self-propelled guns. At that time, however, the diversion of production away from the tank

The German army, committed was

fare,

well

aware

of the

out of the question, and since the campaigns of 1939-40 appeared to have succeeded without the need for SP guns, the whole question was shelved. If the artillery were content with this, the

programme was

infantry were not. For some years they had been agitating for a close-support tank with heavy armament which, under infantry con-

could acc-ompany the advance of foot and provide instant short-range support for the attack when it was held up by a pill-box or other structure too strong for the contemporary tank guns to damage. This request met with more sympathetic reception, and from 1940 onwards the 'assault gun' (SturmgeschiJtze) began to enter service. trol,

soldiers

The infantry also wanted a cross-country capability for their standard I5-cm (5.9-in) SiG 33 Howitzer, normally horse-drawn, and 1939 they were given a primitive carrier based on the running gear of the PzKpfw I tank. On top of this chassis the entire SiG 33 Howitzer, wheels and all, was bolted down and then surrounded on three sides by an armoured cabin. The result was awkward and top-heavy but it gave the gun the desired mobility and allowed it to work closely with the assault, and it became the starting point in

of a range of I5-cm equipments. The success of these two types of weapon led in 1942 to the provision of SP carriages for field and medium artillery, together with some paper designs for heavy weapons. Like many of the assault and infantry guns, these were mainly extemporized on any chassis available in sufficient numbers, both

and

German

tanks being used as they became available. After some experience had shown what was desirable and what was not, work began on more advanced designs. These were the purpose built 'WafTentrager'

captured

(weapons carrier) series, and two principal types were put forward. The first was 'Heuschrecke' (grasshopper), which got its name from its appearance. This was a PzKpfw IV chassis which carried an oversized turret mounting a 10.5-cm (4.1-in) Howitzer; the first model carried a fixed gantry arrangement over the engine compartment, mounting a chain hoist by means of which the turret could be lifted out of the chassis, swung to the rear of the vehicle, and lowered on to a prepared ground platform. The chassis was then driven away, leaving the turretted gun in position. The second model dispensed with the fixed gantry and used an hydraulically-operated 'A-Frame' to lift off the turret, and it was this frame, which looked

like a

grasshopper's legs

when

idea

was reasonable, but

device

were

impractical,

'

Z^Tii^'

armoured tank chassis could be fired from the carrier as a limitedtraverse SP gun in an emergency, but the object was merely to deliver the gun to its firing position, where it was run from the chassis and the carrier driven away. Larger models were developed in which the separate-gun concept was abandoned and the gun was built on to a pedestal mounting in a turret to give 360° traverse. As with so many German ideas, the final designs were perfected too late to be of any use; it was March 1945 before the design was ready for production, which was hoped to reach 350 vehicles a month by the autumn. However, by the time the war ended only a prototype had been built. A third idea was 'Grille' (cricket), which was simply a massive tracked chassis based on the running gear of the Tiger tank. An armoured superstructure protected the gun breech and the gun crew, and either the 17cm (6.7-in) Kanone 18 or the 2I-cm (8.2-in) Morser 18 were to be mounted. The project got as far as a wooden mock-up, but construction of the prototype was not completed before the war ended. The largest class of SP equipments were the 'Panzerjiiger' or SP antitank guns. At one time or another every antitank gun, from the 2.8-cm (I.I-in) sPzB 41 taper-bore to the 12.8-cm (5Mn) PAK 44, was mounted onto a makeshift chassis, and the basic vehicles ranged from armoured cars and captured

vehicles to half-tracks and tank chassis of all types adapted for the purposes. Many of the designs were hurriedly put together in 1941-42 in order to increase the German antitank strength on the Eastern Front. In similar fashion antiaircraft guns (0.79-3.5 in) were given SP from 20-88 mountings, largely in order to protect mobile columns or to allow them to be emplaced rapidly to protect a new installation or captured area until the more usual towed or static guns could be brought up. In the latter stages of the war, the selfpropelled gun represented some 60% of Germany's armoured vehicle production, indicating the importance which they attached to this class of weapon. The majority of this production was of 'Panzerjiiger', reflecting the serious threat which the Soviet tanks posed, and also reflecting the fact that SP guns were generally simpler, cheaper and quicker to make than tanks, and that for a given amount of industrial effort more tank destroyers could be produced than tanks.

mm

The armament used by SP guns exceptions

with

is

with few

elsewhere

in the descriptions of German artillery, and for this reason no data on the guns or howitzers are given here. The listing which follows is confined to basic information; 'named' designs, such as 'Wespe' or 'Brummbar' will be found under their names in the general text, where more detail of the design is given.

dealt

COMPARATIVE DATA 15-cm SiG 33 Vehicle

Crew

Chassis

Weight

Date

(kg/tons)

Geschutzwagen

I

Geschutzwagen

II

PzKpfw

I

4

8636/8.5

1939

II

5

12 192/12

1942

III

5

22 352/22

1941

PzKpfw

38(t)

4

12 954/12.75

1942

PzKpfw

38(t)

4

12 192/12

1943

PzKpfw

the gun

and a second along to supplant 'Heuschrecke'. This was simply called the WafTentrager' and was a specialized tracked chassis by Ardelt of Eberswalde with an armoured superstructure into which a field gun could be manhandled from the rear. Once loaded up, the vehicle could be driven away; the gun

carriers

III,

folded

up, that gave rise to the name.

The

A 1 5-cm SiG 33 auf PzKpfw the standard infantry gun on a fully

Sturm-inf-Geschutz 33B

PzKpfw

now came

'Bison'

SdKfz 138/1

Geschutzwagen 38 (Note:

SdK{z=

Sonderkraftfahrzeug. or special purpose vehicle)

437

Assault guns

Above:\ StuG FV' Bnimmbar (Grizzly Bear), mounting a 15-cm StuK 43 on a PzKpfw I\' chassis. Ordnance number of this equipment was SdKfz Sonderkraftfahrzeug, or special vehicle) 166, and its hea\-j- armour was designed specifically for street fighting on the Eastern Front. Below: A StuG III Ausf G 10.5-cm .StuK 42 on a PzKpfw III chassis. Besides the armoured skirts along the tracks it tias extra armour on the glacis plate, and rudimentary camouflage has been applied (

^Jn i^ ! > 1^ i

438

M^ M

Assault guns ^

COMPARATIVE DATA 7.5-cm Tank

Gun L/24 Chassis

Vehicle

Weight

("rew

Date

(kg/tons)

StuG ni Ausf

A

Stu(; III Aust

A

ShiG

E

III

Ausf

bis

7.5-cm Tank

D

Gun

PzKpfw

III

4

I9S12/19.5

1940

PzKpfw

III

4

22 352/22

1941

PzKpfw

III

4

22 352/22

1942

Weight

Date

l_/43

Vehicle

Chassis

Crew

(kg/tons)

PzKpfw

StuG ni Ausf F

7.5-cm Tank

4

III

22 047/21.7

1942

Weight

Date

Gun L/48

Vehicle

Chassis

Crew

(kg/tons)

StuG in Ausf F/8

PzKpfw

III

4

22 352/22

1943

StuG 40

PzKpfw

III

4

24 384/24

1942

PzKpfw

III

4

24 892/24.5

1942

PzKpfw IV

4

23 368/23

1943

Chassis

Crew

Weight

Date

StuG 40 Ausf

G

StuG rv

10.5-cm

le

FH 18M

Vehicle

(kg/tons)

PzKpfw

StuH 42

10.5-cm Howitzer Vehicle

4

III

23 368/23

1942

Weight

Date

l_/42 Chassis

Crew

(kg/tons)

StuH 42 Ausf

G

PzKpfw

4

III

24384/24

1943

Weight

Date

15-cm SiG 33 Vehicle

Chassis

Crew

(kg/tons)

StuPz 43 'Brummbar'

PzKpfw IV

5

28651/28.2

1943

Weight

Date

38-cm rocket launcher Vehicle

Chassis

Crew

(kg/tons)

StuMorse 'Sturmtiger'

Tiger

Above left-.tK column of StuG 40 assault guns on in Russia. The vehicle mounted a 7.5-cm gun on a PzKpfw chassis. In the foreground are the scissor binoculars which the gun commander would use to observe from within a road

III

the vehicle without exposing himself outside the turret.

The StuG 40 behind has the usual spare

tracks attached to the glacis plate and hull as extra armour and for repairs in the field. Later

marks

of assault guns had concrete applied to give a better ballistic angle. Left.Sturmpanzer

69088/68

5

1944

Developed as a vehicle for street mounted a 38-cm rocket projector and one machine-gun. The original scheme had been for a 21 -cm howitzer on a tracked chassis, but since there were no guns available the Raketenwerfer 61 L/54 was substituted. A total of 12 rounds could be carried and they included HE and hollow charge. Maximum range was 62 000 yards, and since each round weighed 761 lb a small crane VI Sturmtiger.

fighting the Sturmtiger

was

fitted for

loading the vehicle

439

SP

Field Artillery

Below: The 600-mm mortar Karl being readied to fire on Sevastopol in 1942. In the photograph the Munitionspanzer IV, an adapted PzKpfw IV with a 3.5-tonne crane is in position to reload the mortar. The mortar could travel short distances under its own power at 9.6 km (6 mph) but normally travelled slung between two railway bogies. The two mortars were named Thor and Eva and were used at Sevastopol, Brest-Litovsk and also during the Warsaw rising. The weapons were originally planned for use against the Maginot Line,

^

J,

^

.

*

.^ *t'

;.

"<

S"^

i V'

-r

«

'<48^

•«,%

SP 54-cm/60-cm

Howitzer

Gerat

040/041 The heaviest

changeable with the 60-cm barrel. This

fired a I32l-kg (1.3-ton) concrete-piercing shell to

10503

SP equipment was

the 'Karl' or

"Gerat 040', work on which was begun in 1935 in response to an army demand for a self-propelled howitzer capable of breaching the heaviest fortifications and of operating where it was not possible to move a railway gun. Rheinmettal-Borsig completed the first equipment, a 60-cm (23.6-in) calibre howitzer, in 1939 and, after trials, another was built, the two being called Thor" and 'Eva". They were used against Sebastopol and Leningrad, firing a 1575-kg (1.55-ton) highexplosive shell or a 2195-kg (2.16-ton) anticoncrete shell. But the maximum range was only 6698 m (7325 yards) and, in response to an army request for longer range at the expense of shell weight, Rheinmettal developed a 54-cm (21.25-in) calibre barrel inter-

Field Artillery

m

(11485 yards). chassis were built, but there is no reliable record of how many barrels were made, since they were frequently interchanged on the different chassis. The weapon was driven by a V-I2 engine over short distances. For longer moves it could be broken down into its basic components barrel, breech, top carriage, chassis and carried on four special trailers; for very long Six

—

—

could be suspended between two flat wagons. The Karl series were brilliant technical achievements, but they saw relatively little action.

journeys

it

special railway

Right: A 15-cm Medium Howitzer sFH 18/1 on a PzKpfw FV chassis Hummel (Bumble Bee). It fired a 43-kg (95.7-lb) shell to a maximum range of 13304 m (14550 yards)

^

^wr:

-t^'s^r^:

^-^.f-.r Tfir^

N^ /•*

1

SP

Field Artillery

COMPARATIVE DATA 10.5-cm

le

FH 18M Crew

Chassis

\ehicle

Weight

Date

(kg/tons)

PzKpfw

'Wespe' SdKfz 124 ...i,^*^

Above. The SdKfz 124 Wespe, a PzKpfw ausf H chassis mounting a 10.5-cm LeFH 18 witn 32 rounds, including hollow charge II

11

N

11684/11.5

1942

8636/8.5

1942

Lorraine Schlepper

French

4

FCM

French

s

French

5

13 208/13

1942

PzKpfw IV

5

17 272/17

1942

French

5

32 5 J 2/32

1942

Schlepper

Hotchkiss 39(f)

SdKfz

GWB

165/1 2(f)

13

716/13.5

1942

Heuschrecke

1

PzKpfw IV

5

17 780/17.5

1942

Heuschrecke

11

PzKpfw IV

5

18288/18

1943

Chassis

Crew

Weight

Date

10.5-cm sK 18 Vehicle

(kg/ tons)

105 K18 ausf PzSfl LVa (only two made)

PzKpfw IV

5

Chassis

Crew

25 400/25

1941

Weight

Date

12.8-cm Flak 40 Above: Wearing black tank crew uniforms and grej artillery side caps the crew of a Wespe pose for an informal picture. Later in the war SP crews received grey uniforms

Mounting field artillery on tracked selfpropelled chassis allowed the German gunners in the Second World War to give fire support to the tanks and grenadiers of the Panzemaffe (tank arm). In the First World War it was almost impossible for the gunners to bring their pieces forward across the shelltorn lines to support the infantry. In the Second World War the Germans developed a series of vehicles, some were based on captured tank chassis, and some were crude armoured boxes perched on obsolete tank hulls. By the end of the war types like the Wespe and Hummel. Wasp and Bumble Bee, combined well-tried guns like the 10.5-cm leFH 18/2 with the PzKpfw III chassis and with the the more powerful 15-cm FH 18 heavier PzKpfw IV. Not only could these vehicles support attacks, they could evade counter battery fire with their mobility.

M

V'ehicle

(kg/ tons)

12.8-cm

K40

PzSfl

PzKpfw IV

N/A

N/A

1942

Chassis

Crew

Weight

Date

(only two made)

15-cm sFH 18

|

Vehicle

(kg/ tons)

PzKpfw

'Hummel' SdKfz 165 'Lorraine' SdKfz 135/1

III/IV

French

5

23 876/23.5

1942

4

8636/8.5

1942

Weight

Date

17-cm K18 Vehicle

Chassis

Crew

(kg/tons) 'Grille' (prototype only)

54-cm/60-cm

Tiger

Howitzer

8

58928/58

1944

Weight

Date

Gerat

040/041 Below: Draped with camouflage and swastika air identification flags a battery of 15-cm Hummel SP guns awaits a fire mis.sion on the Eastern Front. The 15-cm sFH 18 had a maximum range of 13325 m (14600 yards)

442

Vehicle

Chassis

Crew

(kg/tons)

'Karl'

Special

N/A

127(KKV125

1939

T

GERMAN ARTILLERY 6 In the first years of the war the Germans deployed antitank guns on fixed mountings on tank chassis. These 'tank hunters' could operate on a mobile battlefield and gave the gun crews a degree of armoured protection. As the war turned against the (Germans they found that SP guns were cheaper and quicker to build, and without the restrictions of a turret ring could accommodate bigger guns. The larger calibre guaranteed a kill.

SP Antitank Guns

COMPARATIVE DATA 2.8-cm sPzB 41 Vehicle

Crew

Chassis

Weight

Date

(kg/tons)

SdKfz 221

Armd Car

2

4572/4.5

1941

SdKfz 250/11

Half-track

4

5588/5.5

1941

Chassis

Crew

Weight

Date

3.7-cm

PAK

36

Vehicle

(kg/tons)

3048/3

1940

Bren carrier

4

2540/2.5

1940

SdKfz 10

Half-track

5

5588/5.5

1941

SdKfz 250/10

Half-track

4

5791/5.7

1942

SdKfz 251/10

Half-track

6

8128/8

1940

Weight

Date

Kraftwagen

Fahrgestell Bren (e>

Above.lhe Panzerjager which mounted the Czech Skoda 47-mm M 36 gun, became the first German SP anfitanl< gun

6x4

4

Inf leicht

truck

I,

4.7-cm

PAK

1743 (Czech)

Vehicle

Crew

Chassis

(kg/tons)

Panzerjager

PzKpfw

I

I

3

6096/6

1940

Lorraine Schlepper

French

3

6096/6

1941

Renault Schlepper

French

4

10 160/10

1943

Pan hard

4

4063/4

1942

Chassis

Crew

Weight

Date

Panzerspahwagen

204(f)

5-cm PAK 40 Vehicle

(kg/tons)

3.7-cm

PAK on

a

Bren Gun Carrier Leichter Sfl SdKfz 10

Half-track

5

6096/6

1942

Right: 4.7-cm (1 .85-in) PAK 40 on a Renault R-35 was one of the many Panzerjager conversions based on captured foreign tank chassis

443

SP

Antitank

^

Guns

4^ Left:Tt\e SdKfz 164 Hornisse or Nashorn (Hornet or Rhinoceros) combined the 8.8-cm (3.46-in) PAK with a chassis built from PzKpfw

III

components. The open structure was lightly armoured due to the weight of the gun, however the PAK 43 could penetrate 226 mm (9 in) of armour at 457 m (500 yards) angled at 30 degrees. The PAK 43 was also mounted in the Porsche Elefant, Jagdpanther and even the Jagdtigerwhen 128-mm (5-in) guns were not available. Right The SdKfz 138 Marder (Marten) III.

and

IV

mounted

a 7.5-cm (2.95-in)

PAK 40/3

in

fixed turret

an open-topped The Marder

fire APCBC. AP/CR, HEAT, HE and smoke shell

could

COMPARATIVE DATA 7.5-cm

PAK

Below: The Jagdpanzer Hetzer

40 Crew

Chassis

Vehicle

Weight

Date

(kg/tons)

Panzerjager

6096/6

1941

4

4572/4.5

1944

French

5

8128/8

1942

Half-track

4

8636/8.5

1944

RSO

RSO

Lorraine Schlepper

Schutzen Pz

4

Half-track

7.5-cin Sfl L/40.8

Wagen

251/22

Tractor

Marder

II

Czech 38

4

10972/10.8

1942

Marder

III

Czech 38

4

10668/10.5

1943

Hotchkiss

5

12 700/12.5

1942

4

13 716/13.5

1943

Weight

Date

GW 39(f) GW FCM 7.5-cm

FCM

KwK

39 Tank

French

Gun Crew

Chassis

Vehicle

(kg/tons)

Panzerjager 39

Jagdpanzer 38

7.5-cm

(t)

KwK

L/70 Ta nk

PzKpfw IV

4

23 977/23.6

1943

Czech 38

4

I62.VI6

1943

Weight

Date

Gun Crew

Chassis

\ ehicle

(kg/tons)

Jagdpanzer IV

7.62-cm Vehicle

PAK

PzKpfw IV

4

Chassis

Crew

24 892/24.5

1944

\\eighl

Date

39(r) (kg/tons)

Marder

11

Marder

III

Diana

444

P/Kpfw

4

1

684/11.5

1942

Czech 38

4

10972/10.8

1942

Half-track

s

106^8/

1942

II

1

10..

(Baiter)

used the

PzKpfw 38(t) chassis for a fully armoured SP antitank gun. It mounted a 75-mm (2.95-in) PAK 39 and one machine-gun and had a top speed of 42 km/h (26 mph). The maximum armour of 60 mm (2.36 in) was concentrated around the glacis and gun mantlet versatile

SP

Antitank

Guns

The takeover of the Czech armaments industry at Skoda provided the Germans with a fast, reliable and rugged tank chassis on which they mounted many of their SP antitank guns. The 38(t) had a top speed of 42 km/h (26 mph) and a range of 185 km (1 15 miles).

Marder series, antitank guns were mounted in an open armoured box. but the Hetzer enclosed the crew and gun. It is

In the

an indication of the vehicle's effectiveness that it continued in service after the war uith the Swiss army. Besides Czech tanks, the Germans also used French and even British vehicles. The latter were extemporized mounts on tanks captured in 1940 and were used in coastal defence.

Not all antitank gun mounts were armoured: trucks and half-tracks were pressed into service because they saved the crew from unlimbering the gun, swinging it round, digging in the trails and then sighting on a target. Hitler's fascination with heav\ tanks and guns destroyed the mobilit> of the panzerjagers as armour grew thicker, but engines did not increase in pou er. The Jagdtiger with its massive 128-mm (5-in) PAK 44 L/55 weighed 71.7 tons and had a maximum speed Its strength lay in .^6 km/h (22 mph). armour which ranged from 250 mm to 30 mm ( 10- Ij in) and a gun w hich with one shot could demolish any known tank. This was fairly

of

important for the crew since they only carThe armour made the Jagdtiger invulnerable to an\ thing but point blank ried 38 rounds. fire

from heavy

artillery.

445

SP

Antitank

Guns

JgPz VI Jagdtiger Adapted from the Tiger II chassis and mounting the pow erful

128-mm

largest

(5-in)

armoured

PAK

44. this

was the Second

fighting vehicle of the

World War

COMPARATIVE DATA 8.8-cm

PAK

43 Chassis

\ehiclt

Crew

Weight

JDate

(kg/tons)

8.8-cm

Sfl

auf 38(t)

Nashorn Ferdinand

Jagdpanther

12.8-cm

PAK

\ehicle

Czech 38

4

11

176/11

1944

PzKpfw IV

5

26 416/26

1942

Tiger

6

73 152/72

1943

Panther

5

46 736/46

1944

Chassis

Crew

Weight

Date

44 (kg/tons)

Jagdtiger

Above

Tiger

6

77 216/76

1944

An SdKfz 162 Jadgpanzer IV Ausf F PaK 39 L/48). Below: JgPz Tiger (P) Elefant

right:

(7.5-cm

Ferdinand) mounting an 8.8-cm (3,46-in) PAK43/2.Laterversionshada hull machine-gun

(later

cUQ

>iV

446

SP

Antiaircraft

Guns

SdKfz 140 Flakpanzer 38(t) mounting a 20-mm (0.79-m) Flak 30/38 on the versatile PzKptw 38(t) chassis. The vehicle had a top speed of 42 km/h (26 mph) and a maximum armour thickness of 50 mm (2 in). Its mobility was a great asset when escorting soft skinned vehicles

COMPARATIVE DATA 2-cm Flak 30/38 Nehicle

Crew

Chassis

Weight

Date

(kg/tons)

S Pz Wagen 2-cni

Half-track

6

6604/6.5

194!

2-cm

Half-track

7

5588/5.5

194!

le Sfl

le

KraftMagen 70

6x4

truck

6

N/A

194!

le

Flakpanzer 38

Czech 38

4

10160/10

1943

V\ eight

Date

2-cm Flakvierling 38 mounting) \ehicle

(fou r-gun Chassis

Crew

(kg/tons)

Mittlerer Sfl

Flakpanzer

r\'

Wirbelwind

Half-track

10

11 176/11

1941

PzKpfw IV

s

25 400/25

1943

PzKpfw IV

-;

22^'i2/22

1944

Weight

Date

3-cm Flak 103/38 \ehicle

Chassis

Crew

(kg/tons)

Kugelblitz

PzKpfu IV

>

Chassis

Crew

24 384/24

1944

Weight

Date

3.7-cm Flak 36 \ehide

(kg/tons) le

KraftMagen

MB

4500A

Maultier

4x4

truck

8

6096/6

Half-track

5

5080

Chassis

Crew

194!

•

1943

3.7-cm Flak 43 Vehicle

Weight

Date

(kg/tons)

Mobelwagen

PzKpfu IV

N/A

N/A

1944

Ostwind

PzKpfu

N/A

N/A

1944

I\

447

SP

Antiaircraft

Guns Far left: A Flakpanzer IV (2-cm Flakvierling 38) Mobelwagen (furniture van) was the first of

a line of Flakpanzers.

Flakpanzer IV Ostwind mounted a 3 7-cm (1.46-in)Flak43inaturret Left:

(eastwind)

COMPARATIVE DATA 8.8-cm Flak 18/36/37 Chassis

\'ehicle

Crew

Weight

Date

(kg/tons) 8.8-cin Flak auf Sfl 12t

Half-track

10

12 192/12

1942

8.8-cm Flak auf

Half-track

10

18288/18

1943

PzKpfw IV

s

20 320/20

Sfl

18t

8.8-cm Flak auf Sd Fahrgestell

The Flakpanzer IV Mobelwagen had a 3. 7-cm (1 46-in) gun, in place of the 2-cm (0 79-in) Flak 38, with a range of 4800 m 5 750 ft) and a rate of 1 50-1 80 ( 1

rds/min

448

i1

1943

»

/"

n