Da Paul Challenge

[Robin Reeve]

No worry.
And I know that trying to protect privacy on Internet is fighting windmills. But there is some bravado feeling, like the charge of the Light Horse Brigade at Bakaclava, doing it.

 

[Yuri0352]

Not exactly a challenge for Paul, but two questions about weapons exposed at Pegasus Memorial, at Ranville, Normandy.
The first one : would this be an APDS shell (sorry, the image importer doesn't want to put it vertically)?

View attachment 2366

Definitely an APDS round, I can't be more specific as to caliber without seeing the rest of the shell casing. (6 or 17 pounder?).

 

[Yuri0352]

And this looks like a quad .30 cal, which was described as mounting US ht - which would be a variant of the .50 cal Meatchopper?
(I hid the face of my son, who posed for the picture)
View attachment 2363

Those look like .50 cal aircraft machine guns, based upon the perforated barrel shrouds. The mount should have the 'solid' heavy barrels. Perhaps the museum staff restored the weapon with easier to obtain replica aircraft fifties as are commonly seen on some of the warbirds still flying.

 

[Justiciar]

And this looks like a quad .30 cal, which was described as mounting US ht - which would be a variant of the .50 cal Meatchopper?
(I hid the face of my son, who posed for the picture)
View attachment 2363

I think they just put 30s in there b/c they did not have access to 50s.
The magazine cans are for 50s judging from where I sit 4000 miles away.

 

[Yuri0352]

View attachment 2364 OK - what's this (hint 1936)?

Slingshot for grenades and Molotov's? Used by Republican forces in the Spanish civil war.

 

[Paul M. Weir]

With regard to Swiftandsure's question.

1) Yeah, the round is an APDS round, little doubt about. I never handled a 17lbr APDS core but a 6lbr core would fit very handily in the palm of your hand, I was surprised at how small it was. So if it was tiny (about a big thumb size) then 6lbr, otherwise 17lbr. As the Brit. 6th AB dropped around that area (as well as the Glider drop on PB), I would expect 6lbr guns in the vast majority.
2) While the guns are not the standard 0.50" M2 HB (Heavy Barrel), their length indicated 0.50". The barrel shrouds look like aircraft 0.50" and the ammo boxes are definitely for 0.50" ammo (as Justicar said). So I am inclined to agree with Yuri0352 that aircraft 0.50" were substituted when restoration was done. They are definitely not 0.30", far too large. Of course they could be complete mock ups for display purposes, based on aircraft pattern guns.

 

[Robin Reeve]

Thank you, Paul, for the excellent input !
I have seen wrong descriptions in military museums.
Pegasus Memorial, however, didn't seem to present such errors otherwise.
But as I actually thought those MG as being .30 cal., I am far from being competent on that matter.

 

[Paul M. Weir]

If it wasn't for the Maxon M45 mount to give a sense of scale I would have said a 0.30" by the barrel shroud general shape, so don't feel too bad!

 

[JRKrejsa]

No worry.
And I know that trying to protect privacy on Internet is fighting windmills. But there is some bravado feeling, like the charge of the Light Horse Brigade at Bakaclava, doing it.

I do the same with my kids.

 

[kcole4001]

Just stirring, no ham meant.

No green eggs were harmed in this thread....

 

[xenovin]

Slingshot for grenades and Molotov's? Used by Republican forces in the Spanish civil war.

Yes - grenade launchers. Not sure I would try a Molotov out of that thing!

 

[witchbottles]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ascgk39dskqx7ve/for GSF-1.jpg?dl=0

Bonus points if you can identify how many saw active combat service.

 

[jrv]

Two.

JR

 

[BigAl737]

Three. I'm closer without going over.

 

[witchbottles]

Three. I'm closer without going over.

Nope, only 2 of them - both built and sent into action. Got the name yet? I'm sure JR does.

 

[Mr Incredible]

Got a Panzer 4 hull, gawd knows what the superstructure is.

Looks an 88mm?

 

[chris_olden]

Dicker Max
105mm MA

 

[JRKrejsa]

Dicker Max
105mm MA

CH made a do-it-yourself counter and scenario for them.

KE made a counter, but no scenario.

If memory serves...

 

[witchbottles]

Dicker Max
105mm MA

yep- one got knocked out in Barbarossa- the other served from Barbarossa into the Caucasus drive but was lost sometime before the November AFV strength reports were turned in. the extra driver's slit is a fake - ammunition had blow out panel storage bins, and the loader had an armored enclosure with an armored roof. - but the rest of the gun crew were OT.

 

[BigAl737]

Nope, only 2 of them - both built and sent into action. Got the name yet? I'm sure JR does.

My Price is Right tactic failed.