Black Angus McPherson Posted July 17 Share Posted July 17 OK, I know the first thing that popped into most of ya'lls minds was MG-42 or MG-34. However, I don't think that's what I'm looking for. I was watching the old movie "Battle of Britain" and I kept seeing the machine guns the German air crews were using to defend the bombers. THAT'S what I'd like somebody to identify for me. I would think they'd want something larger than an 8mm for anti-aircraft work, but I'm just not that familiar with German machine guns. "Everybody" knows the US used the .50 cal. M-2's, but what was the German go-to gun for use in bombers? For that matter, what did the British use? Lend-Lease M-2's? Thanks, Alp-uh... Angus 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795 Posted July 17 Share Posted July 17 Believe they were drum fed, maybe an MG 33? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted July 17 Share Posted July 17 They used the MG 15 and MG81. Both in 8mm Mauser. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Angus McPherson Posted July 17 Author Share Posted July 17 I've never heard of any of the above. I seem to recall seeing a drum magazine on one in one of the scenes. I think the Germans mounted a 12.7(?)mm in some of their fighters. I don't know what model designation they had, nor if they were modified for bomber use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted July 17 Share Posted July 17 Just now, Black Angus McPherson said: I've never heard of any of the above. I seem to recall seeing a drum magazine on one in one of the scenes. That was the MG15. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted July 17 Share Posted July 17 5 minutes ago, Black Angus McPherson said: think the Germans mounted a 12.7(?)mm in some of their fighters. I don't know what model designation they had, nor if they were modified for bomber use. "MG 131 machine gun - Wikipedia" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MG_131_machine_gun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Bullweed Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 The ME-109 had 13mm M-131 in the wings as well as a 20mm in the nose. 13mm= .515" caliber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 Answers can be found here Battle of Britain, Internet Movie Forearms Database Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 Just now, Sedalia Dave said: Answers can be found here Battle of Britain, Internet Movie Forearms Database Forearms? Must be from the deep South and used received pronunciation for that spelling! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 I recall the rate of fire on the German MGs was high and distinctive. So much so that troops were cautioned not to use or fire captured weapons. My uncle related a story, with tears in his eyes, of the time, in Normandy, his tank platoon was in night lager and the distinctive sound to the German MGs was heard in the brush close-by. The tank platoon was ordered to open fire by the accompanying infantry commander. When dawn broke, it was discovered they had opened fire on another Canadian unit, whose members ignored the orders not to use or fire captured weapons. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 (edited) Like all air forces they did not use the same guns in all planes. There was a variety from 8mm to 20mm+. What they were using in a movie versus what they were actually using is also not necessarily the same. The MG42 fired at up to 1,800 rounds per minute and did have a very distinctive sound. Edited July 18 by Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 2 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said: Forearms? Must be from the deep South and used received pronunciation for that spelling! Sounds like the same thing as the cowboy whose hoss got caught up in the war. In the war? Ya know...the bob war! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Angus McPherson Posted July 18 Author Share Posted July 18 From the "Forearms" database it looks like they were MG 15s. Thanks. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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