ITALIAN MACHINE GUN MODEL 1915 O.V.P. 9MM SN# 7192
Manufactured by Officine di Villar Perosa, Villar Perosa, Italy in 1916 - Standard Italian WWI machine gun equipped with two 25-round detachable box magazines. Retarded blowback design. 6-groove rifling; right hand twist. Full-auto fire only. Muzzle velocity 1312 fps. Cyclic rate of fire 1200 rpm (per barrel). Spade grips with wood handles. Equipped with bipod. Weapon weighs approximately 14.3 lbs. (twin barrel). Weapon also known as "Revelli" or "Fiat." Originally introduced as light machine gun; weapon was not suitable for this role. Cartridge: 9mm Glisenti.

Markings:
Spade handle: OFFICINE/DI/VILLAR/PEROSA/NO. 7192 (in oval).
Bolt: 2 (in circle)/RE.
Various inspectors' marks on sub assemblies.


"Developed in 1914 by Major Revelli of the Italian Army, the Villar Perosa was originally intended for aircraft use. As a light machine gun, the first fully automatic arm designed to fire a pistol cartridge, it could not compete with other models that fired heavier rifle cartridges. The two barrels could be fired either simultaneously, with a cyclic rate of fire of 3000 rounds per minute, or separately. It was not long before the two units were separated and put on stock, making an effective infantry weapon for close fighting, in effect a new breed of weapon, the sub-machine gun."

Notes: "The VILLAR PEROSA (V.P.) was the first known weapon to fire pistol ammunition automatically and is, therefore, rated as 'the first submachine gun.' It is also referred to as the REVELLI, a name derived from its designer, Abiel Betel Revelli. The patent for this weapon was filed in the United States in December, 1915, and the Italian Government during World War I, designated the original model of the VILLAR PEROSA (V.P.) as the Model 1915.
The weapon underwent very minor modification, primarily adaptations of the gun to various mounts. As these models appeared, the designations 'Model 1916' and 'Model 1917' were awarded the latter guns. To add to further confusion, the weapon was also rather liberally referred to in Italian Military literature of the First World War period as the 'FIAT.' This latter designation was, of course, the Revelli-designed V.P. was produced. The VILLAR PEROSA was also manufactured by Officine Di Villar Perosa, located in Villar Perosa, Italy, and the Canadian General Electric Company, Ltd., in Toronto, Canada. The Canadian firm produced the weapon in limited numbers for the Italian Government during the last two years of the war. Literature from that firm called the weapon the 'REVELLI Automatic Machine Gun', and offered it with a variety of mounts, including a rather elaborate tripod mount.
The fact that the V.P. was called an 'Automatic Machine Gun' was one of its great misfortunes, since the weapon was introduced during the early phases of the war to fill the gap as a light machine gun. This type of weapon was in great demand by the Italian Army for the rugged mountain fighting, particularly because the Italian Army had no reliable machine gun. The V.P. was, therefore, thrust into a role which it could not fulfill, since it did not fire rifle ammunition.
Later in the war, after the VILLAR PEROSA had been used in the mountain warfare for some time, and its limitations were better understood, its correct tactical use was developed to a fine art.
It is interesting to note that the V.P. was used to a limited degree during the early part of the war as armored car, aircraft and naval armament. It was dropped from these roles as the war progressed and a better tactical appreciation of the weapon evolved.
With limited knowledge of what the weapon and its corresponding pistol ammunition could be expected to accomplish, the Italians pushed the weapon into service without giving their troops any practical training in its use. The VILLAR PEROSA naturally did not meet original expectations, primarily due to bad tactical handling. It was not, nor could it ever have become a machine gun in the tactical sense. It simply did not have the range to act as a true light machine gun and, consequently, could not fulfill the task required of it, since most were beyond its scope and capability.
The VILLAR PEROSA, when used by Italian infantry, was usually fitted with a bipod for ground use and with a shield in fixed positions. It was also used on the assault and carried into battle mounted on a flat board which extended in a perpendicular position from the firer. The board was suspended by straps hung around the soldier's neck. The entire arrangement had the same effect in principle as the box carried by a cigarette girl in a nightclub. Apparently the soldier fired the weapon while walking in on the assault. A special badge was worn by Italian troops using the VILLAR PEROSA and was called 'Trofeo de braccio - Pistola Mitragliatrice.'" - Thomas B. Nelson

"Designed by Revelli for the Officina Villar Perosa in 1915, the Mitragliatrice Legerra Villar Perosa M15 was actually two guns in one, twin barrels and actions being mounted side by side, each one with a vertical box magazine, sharing a single trigger. The guns were fitted with paired spade grips, and had no buttstock. They were notable chiefly for their extremely high cyclical rate: said to be 1,200 r.p.m., from each each barrel. However, since the magazines held but 25 rounds each, the rate actually achievable was considerably less. Many different mountings were available, including bipods and tripods, pintle mounts for vehicles and even a bicycle mounting, but the gun was never a success in its original form - as a light support weapon - due to the inadequacies of the ammunition for which it was chambered.
Most examples were later converted, either by OVP or by Beretta, into more conventional sub-machine guns with solid wooded buttstocks, each one original making two new weapons, of course." - Roger Ford

"...the tactical application of the Vilar Perosa was far from being that of a submachine-gun; it was actually intended as a light machine-gun for infantry support. This arose from the fact that the Italian Army had difficulties with their machine-guns, largely owing to the peculiar systems they chose to adopt and the somewhat peculiar small-calibre rifle cartridge they used. Their standard First World War machine-gun was the Revelli, a heavy and not particularly reliable weapon which was far from ideal in the mountain warfare conditions which the Italians encountered on most of their front with the Austrians. The lightweight Vilar Perosa was therefore intended as the mountain troop machine-gun, mounted on bipod or tripod and sometimes even with a heavy steel shield. However, due to the relatively weak pistol round, it was not a conspicuous success in this role, since its range was limited, and it eventually found its niche when slung form the shoulders of a walking soldier by means of a strap and supporting tray. In this way he could hold the spade grips at waist level and fire the guns as he advanced. The rate of fire was astronomical - 3000 rounds a minute when both barrels were firing - and this was unfortunate, since the magazines only held 20 rounds for each barrel and they emptied very quickly. It was normal to fire only one barrel at a time in order to conserve ammunition, and the operator carried some 600 rounds, ready loaded in magazines, but magazine changes at frequent intervals was still quite a performance.
This, then, is the weapon generally considered to be the grandfather of the submachine-gun. But it will be clear from the description that while it may qualify on mechanical grounds, it certainly bears little resemblance to the weapons which came later. - Ian Hogg

References:
Ford, Roger. THE GRIM REAPER: MACHINE GUNS AND MACHINE GUNNERS IN ACTION. Sarpedon Press. N.Y., N.Y. 1996.
Hogg, Ian. THE COMPLETE MACHINE GUN: 1885 TO THE PRESENT. Exeter Books. N.Y., N.Y. 1979.
Nelson, Thomas B. THE WORLD'S SUBMACHINE GUNS (MACHINE PISTOLS). Vol. I. T.B.N. Enterprises. Alexandria, Va. 1977.

LINK

SAAB B-17A

Unit: 2nd Division, F4 Flygflottilj

Serial: C/4 (c/n.17355)

SAAB B-17A

Unit: 1st Division, F4 Flygflottilj

Serial: M/4 (c/n.17342)

SAAB B-17A

Unit: Imperial Ethiopian Air Force

Serial: 319 (c/n.17311)

The aircraft from Imperial Ethiopian AF (IEAF) belonging to second batch of SAAB B-17A delivered to Ethiopia in 1950 (5 aircraft).

For the fledgling Swedish aircraft industry the Saab 17 represented a great technological challenge. It was the first all-metal, stressed-skin aircraft ever designed in Sweden.

A light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft for Army and Naval use, the design began under the project designation L-10. For Naval use, a float equipped version was designed.

The L-10 was selected for development following an Air Force evaluation of the two different projects submitted, one by AB Forenade Flygverkstader (AFF), the joint development and contract management company formed in 1937, the other by ASJA. A contract for two L-10 prototypes was awarded to ASJA on 29 November, 1938.

To make possible a rapid start for the development work, ASJA had augmented its engineering staff by hiring a total of 46 American designers and stress specialists in 1938-39. Their stay in Sweden, however, was to prove rather brief as most of them were called back to the United States when war began in Europe in September 1939. Their input of experience was very valuable, however, and significantly contributed to the excellent reliability of the aircraft. The first prototype of the Saab 17, as the aircraft had now been named, made its first flight on 18 May, 1940, with the company's chief test pilot Claes Smith at the controls. The first prototype was powered by a Swedish-built Nohab/Bristol Mercury XII of 880 hp, the second by a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp of 1,065 hp.

The aircraft had very sleek lines and many advanced design features, including flush-riveting for low drag. For maximum strength the centre section was designed without any cut-outs for the undercarriage. The rearward-retracting main undercarriage units and their covering doors were intended for use as air-brakes during dive-bombing, and the tailwheel was also retractable. The aircraft was also almost unique in having a retractable ski undercarriage which actually produced less drag than the wheel type. Even the water-based version which was normally equipped with floats was converted to have skis in the winter. The floats were of the Edo type manufactured under licence by Hagglund & Soner at Ornskoldsvik in Northern Sweden.

The fuselage, which had a roomy, high-visibility cabin for the pilot and observer/navigator/rear-gunner, contained an internal bomb-bay. The Saab 17 carried up to 700 kg of bombs of various sizes from 50 up to 500 kg. In the internal bomb-bay a 250 kg bomb (or eight 50 kg) could be carried. The armament comprised two 8 mm machine-guns in the wings and one flexible 8 mm machine-gun at the rear seat. An early version of the aircraft used for classic dive-bombing tactics was equipped with a special 'fork'm lowering the external carried 500 kg bomb free of the propeller arc.

During the production life of the aircraft the Saab BT-2 'toss' bombsight became available, making dive-bombing obsolete. This also made the use of the undercarriage doors as air-brakes unnecessary.

The reconnaissance version carried an N-2 camera in the fuselage.

The development and production of the Saab 17 was complicated by the problems of engine availability. Initially, the aircraft was planned for the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp. This version was designated B 17A in the Air Force. The Twin Wasp engine however did not become available until 1943-44, and therefore the first version of the aeroplane to go into production was the B/S 17B powered by a Swedish SFA-built Bristol Mercury XXIV of 980 hp. This engine also powered the seaplane version which was designated S 17BS. In 1941 the Air Force was able to procure the Italian Piaggio P XIbis RC 40 of 1,040 hp which powered the B17C version. The Wasp powered B 17A thus became the last version to go into service. The engines in the B 17A and B had Hamilton Standard variable-pitch propellers built under licence in Sweden by Svenska Flygmotor. The Piaggio engines drove Piaggio P 1001 propellers.

In addition to the three prototypes, the Swedish Air Force ordered a total of 322 B 1718 17s in four batches during the period 27 December, 1940, to 1 September, 1942. The first production aircraft flew on 1 December. 1941, and the last delivery took place on 16 September, 1944.

The type was manufactured both in Linkoping and at Trollhattan. In fact, only 55 of the 322 production aircraft were completely built at Linkoping. The production of the four versions was split as follows: 132 B 17A; 116 B/8 17B (38 were delivered as seaplanes under the 8 17B8 designation); and 77 B 17C.

The Air Force career of the Saab 17, which began in early 1942, was very distinguished and six light-bomber and reconnaissance Wings (F 2, F 3, F 4, F 6, F 7, and F 12) were equipped with the aircraft. It was retired as a combat aircraft in 1948.

In the final phase of the Second World War it was feared that the German troops in Denmark (and Norway) would not obey Germany's order for total surrender. In Sweden the Danish Brigade, first organized in 1943, also included a number of Danish Air Force officers who in 1944 had been trained in the use of the Saab 17. Fifteen B 17Cs were actually allocated to the Brigade and were ready for deployment to Denmark and carrying Danish colours at the Swedish Air Force F 7 Wing at Satenas, but the order to fly to Denmark never came from the Danish Government.

In the period 1947-53 the Ethiopian Air Force, which had been organized by Swedish officers after the war at the request of Emperor Haile Selassie, eventually procured a total of 47 Saab 17As in three batches. Responsible for the organization of the Ethiopian Air Force was the Swedish Colonel Count Carl Gustaf von Rosen. The Saab 17s proved ideal for the rugged conditions in Ethiopia. In the late 1950s a number of Fairey Firefly attack aircraft were acquired from Canada in order to modernize the Air Force but these aircraft finished their service in Ethiopia well before the Saab 17s, which were still operating in squadron strength in 1960. Even in the 1970s some Saab 17s were operating in Ethiopia after more than 25 years of service in that country. The Ethiopian Saab 17s had their main base at Asmara, 2,300 m above sea level. The Saab 17s endurance of more than 4 hours was vital in that part of the world. Ethiopia, with its many high mountains and few airfields, covers twice as large an area as Sweden which itself is as big as the Federal Republic of Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria combined.

Starting in 1951, the Air Board released a number of Saab 17As to serve as civil registered target-towing aircraft for the Swedish armed forces. The aircraft were still owned by the Air Board but operated by private companies, Svensk Flygtjanst and AVIA, the latter company based on the island of Gotland. Eventually, a total of 20 Saab 17s were on the Swedish civil aircraft register, most of these serving with Svensk Flygtjanst. Two S17BS seaplanes were also in civil use during 1949-51 owned by Ostermans Aero AB. One ex-Flygtjanst target-towing 17A was sold to Austria in 1957 and two years later two similar aircraft went to the Finnish Air Force.

BI7A

Span 13.7 m (45 ft 1 in); length 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in); height 4.0 m (13 it 1 in); wing area 28.5 sq m

(307 sq ft). Empty weight 2,600 kg (5,7321b); loaded weight 3,970 kg (8,752Ib). Maximum

speed 435 km/h (270 mph); cruising speed 390 km/h (242 mph); landing speed 125 km/h (78

mph); initial rate of climb 10 m/sec (1,968 ft/min); ceiling 8,700 m (28,500 ft); range 1,800 km

(1,120 miles).

B17B

Span 13.7 m (45 ft 1 in); length 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in); height 4.0 m (13 ft 1 in); wing area 28.5 sq m

(307 sq ft). Empty weight 2,635 kg (5,800 lb); loaded weight 3,835 kg (8,450 lb). Maximum

speed 395 km/h (245 mph); cruising speed 375 km/h (233 mph); landing speed 125 km/h (78

mph); initial rate of climb 9 m/sec (1,770 ft/min); ceiling 8, 000 m (26,250 ft); range 1,400 km

(870 miles).

S 17BS

Span 13.7 m (45 ft 1 in); length 10.0 m (32 ft 10 in); height 4.8 m (15 ft 9 in); wing area 28.5 sq m (307 sq ft). Empty weight 2,700 kg (5,950 lb); loaded weight 3,800 kg (8,370 lb). Maximum speed 330 km/h (205 mph); cruising speed 315 km/h (196 mph); landing speed 125 km/h (78 mph); ceiling 6,800 m (22,300 ft); range 2,000 km (1,245 miles).

B17C

Span 13.7 m (45 ft 1 in); length 10.0 m (32 ft 10 in); height 4.15 m (13 ft 7 in); wing area

28.5 sq m (307 sq ft). Empty weight 2,680 kg (5,900 lb); loaded weight 3,870 kg (8,5251b).

Maximum speed 435 km/h (270 mph); cruising speed 370 km/h (230 mph); landing speed 125

km/h (78 mph); ceiling 9,800 m (32,150 ft); range 1,700 km (1,060 miles).

Saab 17 production serials

(prototypes): 17001, 17002

(SFA/II Twin Wasp-powered bomber version); 17006, 17238-17368

(SFAI Mercury-powered bomber version): 17003-17005, 17007-17016, 17101, 17105-

17115,17151-17164,17187-17202

S 17BL: (land-based reconnaissance version): 17103, 17131-17150

S 17BS: (water-based reconnaissance version): 17104, 17116-17130, 17165-17186

E17E: (Piaggio-powered bomber version): 17017, 17057, 17102, 17203-17237

Civil registered Saab 17s

Saab 17A

17239 SE-BYH To Flygvapen Museum

17249 SE-BUD

17251 SE-BYG

17256 SE-BYE

17267 SE-BZH

17268 SE-BRN

17284 SE-BRR

17296 SE-BPP

17308 SE-BPR

17313 SE-BUM

17318 SE-BWA

17320 SE-BWe To Finland as SH-2

17334 SE-BUL

17336 SE-BYK

17339 SE-BYF To Austria

17355 SE-BRO To Finland as SH-l

17356 SE-BUN

17358 SE-BUK

17364 BE-BUH

Saab 17BS

17174 SE-APe Ostennans Aero AB

17185 SE-BFA

LINK

LINK

Gundlach Peryskop obrotowy

Single-turret 7TP

Type Light tank

Specifications

Weight: 9.9 tonnes

Length: 4.6 m

Width: 2.4 m

Height: 2.27 m

Crew: 3 (commander, gunner, driver)

Armor: 17 mm

Primary armament: 1×37 mm Bofors wz. 37

Secondary armament: 1×7.92 mm Ckm wz.30

Engine: Diesel Saurer VBLDd 110 hp (80 kW)

Power/weight: 11 hp/tonne

Suspension: leaf-spring bogie

Ground clearance: 381 mm

Operational: range 150 km

Speed: 37 km/h

The 7TP was the Polish light tank of the Second World War. A development of the British Vickers 6-ton, it was significantly better armed than its most common opponents, the German Panzer I and Panzer II. A standard tank of the Polish Army during the Polish Defensive War of 1939, its production never exceeded 140 vehicles. Its chassis was used as the base for C7P artillery
tractor.

History

Development

The 7TP was the Polish development of the British Vickers 6-ton (Mk.E) tank licence. The main new features of 7TP were: better, more reliable and powerful diesel engine, 37 mm anti-tank gun and a bit thicker armour (in front, 17 mm instead of 13 mm), together with many minor modifications and additions (like Gundlach tank periscope, different air conditioning system and a radio). Only about 132 tanks were produced between 1935 and the outbreak of the war (plus four iron prototypes). The designation 7TP meant: 7-Ton, Polish (in fact its weight increased after the initial prototype was made and the actual serial tanks weighted approximately 9 tonnes).

Like its British predecessor, the 7TP was initially produced in two variants: twin turret version armed with 2 Ckm wz.30 machine guns, and a single turret version, armed with 37 mm Bofors wz. 37 gun. After initial tests, it became clear that the twin-turret variant was obsolete and lacked firepower, so it was abandoned in favour of the more modern single turret design.

Prior to the outbreak of World War II most of the twin turret tanks were converted to single turret versions and only 24 twin-turret types remained in Polish service (as opposed to roughly 108 of the other type). It is to be noted that twin and single turret variants had no specific designations. In some modern books they are designated with abbreviations: "7TP dw." and "7TP jw." (Polish abbreviation for jednowieżowy and dwuwieżowy). However, these were not the official names of the variants and are used for simplicity's sake only.

Combat use

All 7TP tanks took part in combat in the Polish Defensive War of 1939. Most of them were attached to two light tank battalions (the 1st and the 2nd) fighting as a part of the Polish motorized brigades. The remaining tanks, that is the ones used for training as well as tanks that were finished after the outbreak of the war, were used in an improvised tank unit fighting in the defence of Warsaw. Although technically superior to any of the German light tanks of the era, the 7TP was too scarce to change the outcome of the war.

The 1st Light Tank Battalion (49 single turret tanks) fought in the ranks of the Prusy Army as part of the strategic reserve force of the Polish Army. It entered combat on September 4, 1939 and fought with distinction in a variety of roles, mostly as a mobile reserve and for covering the withdrawal. It fought in a number of battles, most notably in the battles of Przedbórz, Sulejów, Inowłódz, Odrzywół and Drzewica. On September 8 it managed to stop the German advance on the centre of the Polish forces, but the following day it got separated from the main force and had to be withdrawn to the rear. Part of the battalion was destroyed in the Battle of Głowaczów, while the remainder on September 13 managed to break through to the other side of the Vistula, where it joined the Lublin Army and Col. Stefan Rowecki's Warsaw Armoured-Motorised Brigade. As part of that unit, the battalion took part in the Battle of Józefów and formed part of the spearhead of the Polish units trying to break through to Lwów and the Romanian Bridgehead. After the Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski, on September 21, 1939, the remaining tanks were destroyed by their crews and the unit surrendered to the Germans.

The 2nd Light Tank Battalion (49 single turret tanks) was attached to the Piotrków Operational Group of the Łódź Army. It entered combat on September 4 near the river of Prudka, Belchatow. The following day it was ordered to lead the Polish counter-assault on Piotrków, but the attack failed and the unit suffered heavy losses. The battalion was then rallied and withdrawn to Warsaw and then to Brześć, where it shielded the mobilization of the Polish 60th Infantry Division. On September 15 it took part in a two-day long Battle of Włodawa, but suffered heavy losses due to air bombardment and was withdrawn southwards. The remaining tanks had to be destroyed by the crews due to lack of oil and on September 17, after the Soviet Union joined Germany in her war against Poland, the crews and the staff of the unit crossed the border with Romania.

The remaining tanks found in Warsaw were formed into 1st and 2nd Company of Light Tanks by the Command of the Defence of Warsaw. The 1st company had 11 twin-turreted tanks, previously used for training. In the opening stages of the Siege of Warsaw the unit took part in heavy fights for the Warsaw's suburb of Okęcie and the major airport located there. Due to lack of anti-tank armament, the tanks of the 1st company suffered losses and were withdrawn to the rear on September 12, where the unit was joined with the 2nd company.

The 2nd company had 11 single-turret tanks, as well as an unknown number of other armoured vehicles. It took part in successful defence of the borough of Wola against German infantry and armoured units. It was also used for tactical counter attacks, among others for the village of Wawrzyszew, where the company managed to disrupt enemy preparations for the assault. On September 15 the company was ordered to form a spearhead of the Polish attack aimed at linking up with the forces of the Poznań Army withdrawing after the Battle of Bzura through the Kampinos forest north of Warsaw. The attack ended up as a minor success, although the German aerial bombardment caused heavy losses both in personnel and in tanks. The remaining 7TP tanks were used on various sectors of the front until the end of the defence of Warsaw on September 27, when they were destroyed by their crews.

The combat experience proved that the Bofors wz. 37 anti-tank gun used in the 7TP was able to penetrate the armour of any of the German tanks of the time, including the modern Panzer IV. On the other hand, the tank was armoured too lightly, especially against aerial bombardment. Altogether, it is estimated that 20 tanks were captured by the Germans almost intact while one was captured by the Soviets. Additional 20 were successfully withdrawn to Romania and Hungary, while almost 40 had to be abandoned due to engine problems and lack of fuel. No complete 7TP tanks have survived to this day, although it is planned to build a copy of the tank for the Museum of the Polish Army in Warsaw.

Operators

Nazi Germany - A number captured during German invasion of Poland.

Poland - 133 7TP jw and 16 7TP dw.

Soviet Union - 1 7TP jw captured during Soviet invasion of Poland

Vickers Tank Periscope MK.IV

The Vickers Tank Periscope MK.IV, invented by Polish engineer Rudolf Gundlach, was first patented in 1936 as Gundlach Peryskop obrotowy. It was the first device to allow the tank commander to have a 360-degree view from his turret. The main advantage of this was that the tank commander no longer had to turn his head in order to look backwards.

The design was first used in the Polish 7-TP light tank. Shortly before the war it was given to the British and was used in most tanks of WWII, including the British Crusader, Churchill, Valentine, and Cromwell and the American Sherman. The design was later copied and used extensively in tanks of the USSR (including the T-34 and T-70) and Germany.

LINK

Bristol Aeroplane's Blenheim was a British high-speed light bomber used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was later adapted into a successful heavy fighter. A Canadian-made variant named the Bolingbroke was used as an anti-Submarine and training aircraft. It was the first British aircraft to have all-metal stressed skin construction and one of the first to utilize retractable landing gear, flaps, powered gun turret and variable-pitch propellers.

Design and development

The Type 135 civil twin design was on Bristol drawing boards by July 1933.

In 1934 Lord Rothermere, owner of the Daily Mail, issued a challenge to the British aviation industry to build a high-speed aircraft capable of carrying six passengers and two crew members. At the time German firms were producing a variety of high-speed designs that were breaking records, and Rothermere wanted to recapture the title of fastest civilian aircraft in Europe. Bristol had been working on a suitable design as the Type 135 since July 1933, and further adapted it to produce the Type 142 to meet Rothermere's requirements.

Blenheim cockpit. Note the asymmetry of the instrument console, which indicates the "scooped out" area of the nose in front of the pilot. The ring-and-post gunsight for the forward firing guns is also visible.

Blenheim cockpit. Note the asymmetry of the instrument console, which indicates the "scooped out" area of the nose in front of the pilot. The ring-and-post gunsight for the forward firing guns is also visible.

When it first flew as Britain First at Filton on 12 April 1935 , it proved to be faster than any fighter in service with the Royal Air Force at the time. The Air Ministry was obviously interested in such an aircraft, and quickly sent out Specification B.28/35 for prototypes of a bomber version of the Bristol called the Type 142M (M for "military"). The main changes were to move the wing higher on the fuselage from its former low position, to allow room under the spar for a bomb bay. The aircraft was all-metal with twin Bristol Mercury VIII radial engines of 860 hp (640 kW) each. It carried a crew of three – pilot, navigator/bombardier and gunner/wireless operator and was armed with a forward firing 0.303 inch (7.7 mm) machine gun outboard of the port engine and a 0.303 inch machine gun in a semi-retracting dorsal turret firing to the rear. A 1,000-lb (454 kg) bombload was carried in the internal bay.

To achieve its relatively high speed, the Blenheim had a very small fuselage. Pilot's quarters on the left side of the nose were so cramped that the control yoke obscured all flight instruments while engine instruments eliminated the forward view on landings. Most secondary instruments were arranged along the left side of the cockpit with essential items like propeller pitch control actually placed behind the pilot where they had to be operated by feel alone. Like most contemporary British aircraft, the bomb bay doors were kept closed with bungee cords and opened under the weight of the released bombs. Because there was no way to predict how long it would take for the bombs to force the doors open, bombing accuracy was rather mediocre.

Operational history

The aircraft was ordered directly from the drawing board with the first production model, known at the time as the Bolingbroke (pronounced Bolling-brook), serving as the first and only prototype[3]. The name then became Blenheim I with subsequent deliveries started in March 1937, with 114 Squadron being the first squadron to receive the Blenheim.The aircraft would prove to be so successful that it was licensed by a number of countries, including Finland and Yugoslavia. Other countries bought it outright, including Romania, Greece and Turkey. Total production of the Blenheim in England amounted to 1,351 Mk Is.

After France fell to Germany in June 1940, the Free French Air Force was formed at RAF Odiham in the form of Groupe Mixte de Combat (GMC) 1, consisting of a mixed bag of Blenheims and Westland Lysander liaison/observation aircraft, which eventually went to North Africa and saw action against the Italians and Germans.

By the start of the Second World War, fighter technology had eclipsed the Blenheim's speed advantage and it would only achieve moderate success as a bomber and coastal patrol aircraft. One of the greatest advantages that the Blenheim had over other fighter aircraft was its range. It could penetrate deep into enemy territory, that is provided that they did not come into contact with any other enemy fighters. With a top speed of only 263 mph (423 km/h) and cumbersome and slow in turning, it was soon eclipsed by other more modern types, nonetheless, the Blenheim continued in frontline service throughout the early years of the conflict.

The Bristol Blenheim was used by both Bomber and Fighter Commands. Some 200 Blenheim I bombers were modified into Blenheim IF heavy fighters with 600 (Auxiliary Air Force) Squadron based at Hendon, the first squadron to take delivery of these variants in September 1938. By 1939, seven squadrons were operating these twin engined fighters. In addition to the existing armament, an under-fuselage gun-pack consisting of four 0.303 Browning machine guns were installed. The Blenheim IF proved to be slower and less nimble than expected and by June 1940, daylight Blenheim losses was to cause concern for Fighter Command. It was then decided that the IF would be relegated mainly to night fighter duties where No. 23 Squadron RAF who had already operated the type under night time conditions had better success.

In the German night bombing raid on London, 18 June 1940, Blenheims accounted for five German bombers thus proving they were better suited in the nocturnal role. In July, No. 600 Squadron from RAF Manston had some of their IFs equipped with AI Mk III radar and with this equipment, a Blenheim from FIU at Ford airfield achieved the first success with this radar on the night of 2/3 July 1940, over a Dornier Do 17 bomber. More successes came and, before long, the Blenheim was to prove invaluable in the night fighter role. Gradually, with the introduction of the Bristol Beaufighter in 1940-1941, its role was supplanted by its faster, more modern successor.

Blenheims continued to operate widely in many combat roles until about 1943, equipping 26 RAF squadrons in the UK and in British bases in Egypt, Iraq, Aden, India, Malaya, Singapore and Dutch East Indies. Many Blenheims were lost to Japanese fighters during the Malayan campaign and battles for Singapore and Sumatra. By that point, most fighters could carry similar bombloads at much higher speeds and the surviving examples were relegated to training duties. Bristol's intended successor to the Blenheim, the Buckingham, was considered inferior to the Mosquito, and did not see combat.

In 1936, the Finnish Air Force ordered 41 Mk Is from Britain and two years later, they obtained a manufacturing license for the aircraft. Fifteen aircraft were constructed in Finland prior to the Winter War at the Valtion lentokonetehdas and a further 41 were constructed later on, bringing the total number up to 97 aircraft (75 Mk Is and 22 Mk IVs). The Finns obtained large supplies of ex-Yugoslavian spares from the Germans during the war.

The Finnish Blenheims flew 423 bombing missions during the Winter War, and some further 3,000 bombing missions during the Continuation War. Blenheim machine gunners also shot down five Soviet fighters. Half of the Blenheims were lost to all causes during the wars.

After the war, Finland was prohibited to fly bomber aircraft. However, some of the Finnish Blenheims continued in service as target towers until 1958.

Variants

Work on an extended range reconnaissance version started as the Blenheim Mk II, which increased tankage from 278 to 468 gallons, but only one was completed. Another modification resulted in the Blenheim Mk III, which lengthened the nose to provide more room for the bombardier. This required the nose to be "scooped out" in front of the pilot to maintain visibility during takeoff and landing. However both of these modifications were instead combined, along with a newer version of the Mercury engine with 905 hp (675 kW) and a second gun in the rear cockpit, to create the Blenheim IV. When it was introduced in 1939, the Mk IV (Type 149 to Bristol) was one of the fastest bombers in the world, second only to the Dornier Do 215. In total, 3,307 would eventually be produced.

The longer range also fulfilled a Canadian requirement for a patrol bomber, consequently Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. (Canada) in Quebec, started production of the Blenheim Mk IV as the Bolingbroke, irreverently nicknamed the "Bolly." After a small run of aircraft constructed to British specifications, as the Bolingbroke Mk I, Fairchild switched production to the Bolingbroke Mk IV with American instruments and equipment. These versions also included anti-icing boots and a dinghy. Some of these aircraft served as bombers during the Aleutians campaign, but most of the 150 served in the intended role as patrol bombers on the Atlantic coast. Another 450 were completed as the Bolingbroke Mk IVT as trainers and saw extensive use in the Commonwealth Air Training Plan. One of the final variants was the Bolingbroke Mk IVW which was powered by two 895 kW (1,200-hp) Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines. A total of 676 Bolingbrokes was produced.

Another modification led to a heavy fighter version. For this role, about 200 Blenheims were fitted as Mk IF variant, with an underbelly gun-pack with four 0.303-in machine guns. Some of them were also fitted with an Airborne Intercept (AI) Mk III or IV radar, being the first British fighters with radar. Their performance was marginal as a fighter, but they served before the advent of more sophisticated machines. A radar-equipped Blenheim Mk IF scored the first night fighter victory. About 60 of Mk IVs were also equipped with a gun pack as Mk IVF used by Coastal Command to protect convoys from German long-range bombers.

The last bomber variant was conceived as an armoured ground attack aircraft using a solid nose containing four more Browning machine guns. Originally known as the Bisley, the production aircraft were renamed Blenheim V and featured a strengthened structure, pilot armour, interchangeable nose gun pack or bombardier position and, yet another new Mercury with 950 hp (710 kW). The Blenheim V was ordered for conventional bombing operations, with the removal of armour and most of the glazed nose section. The Mk V or Type 160, was used primarily in the Middle East and Far East.

The Blenheim also served as the pattern for the Beaufort which itself led to the Beaufighter.

Specifications (Bristol Blenheim Mk IV)

General characteristics

* Crew: 3

* Length: 42 ft 9 in (13 m)

* Wingspan: 56 ft 4 in (17.17 m)

* Height: 12 ft 10 in (3.91 m)

* Wing area: 469 ft2 (43.6 m2)

* Empty weight: 9,790 lb (4,440 kg)

* Loaded weight: 14,400 lb (6,530 kg)

* Powerplant: 2× Bristol Mercury XV radial engine, 920 hp (690 kW) each

Performance

* Maximum speed: 266 mph (231 knots, 428 km/h)

* Range: 1,950 mi (1,690 nm, 3,140 km)

* Service ceiling 31,500 ft (9,600 m)

* Rate of climb: 1,500 ft/min (7.6 m/s)

* Wing loading: 30.7 lb/ft2 (150 kg/m2)

* Power/mass: 0.13 hp/lb (210 W/kg)

Armament

* Guns:

1× .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine gun in the nose

2× .303 in Browning machine guns in chin turret

2× .303 in Browning machine guns in dorsal turret

* Bombs:

4× 250 lb (110 kg) bombs or

2× 500 lb (230 kg) bombs internally, and

8× 40 lb (18 kg) bombs externally

Bristol Bolingbroke

Type: 3 Seater Light Bomber

Manufacturer: Bristol

Designation: Bolingbroke

Location : Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

Powerplant : Two 920hp Bristol Mercury XV

Number of Engines : 2

Wing Span : 56ft' 4"

Length : 42ft '9"

Height : 12ft 10"

Horsepower : 920"

Speed : 266mph

Armament : One 0.303 Vickers K in nose, two 0.0303in Brownings in chin turret and two 0.0303in Brownings in dorsal turret. Four fixed brownings under fuselage. 1000lbs bomb load

Here is a photo of a Priester. The firer is a bit close to it. Normally it was fired by tugging a cord about one metre long. The strange name Priester is allegedly due to the fact that the weapon was invented by a Hungarian priest named Vecer. Originally deployed with the Austro-Hungarian army, it was made under license by (amongst others) Stocks of Berlin for the German army, where it was also called the Granatwerfer 16. The bomb weighed 2 kg and had a maximum range of 500 metres. The weapon was manned, like all other such types, by the engineers.

Granatwerfer Mod.1916

World War I was notable for the incredible advances in technology that changed the way wars were fought. But a weapon that had not been used for nearly 250 years became one of the most important weapons for trench warfare. Mortars—short-range artillery weapons designed to lob bombs—had been introduced in 1673 to blow up forts but had rarely been used since the eighteenth century.

At the beginning of the war, the Germans massed about 150 mortars to defend their forts near Metz. But when fighting along the Western Front bogged down into trench warfare later in 1914, the mortars were moved to the front-line trenches to throw bombs into the French trenches a few hundred feet away. The mortars could destroy the barbed wire barricades protecting the Allied trenches from troop advances. The Germans, with their mortars of various sizes, “were masters with the trench mortar from beginning to end,” according to Dooly[1].

The Allies did not have similar mortars to use in counterattack, so they searched museums for suitable mortars from past wars and used them as models. Until the French introduced their first 58mm trench mortar in 1915, Allied soldiers on the front lobbed makeshift bombs made of nails and explosive powder. The Allies did not develop mortars as mobile as the Minenwerfer (German mortars) until near the end of the war, when the French introduced their 150mm mortar in 1918.

At the start of the war, the Germans had two kinds of Minenwerfer - the heavy Minenwerfer (250mm calibre, 97 kilo shell) and the medium Minenwerfer (170mm calibre, 54 kilo shell.) Both weapons had been designed for use in offensive fortress warfare and, in particular, for clearing barbed wire entanglements and other obstacles. Because of these, all of the shells provided were of the high explosive type.

Early in the war, the Germans introduced the light Minenwerfer (76mm calibre, 4.6 kilo shell). Also designed to deal with obstacles, this piece was also provided with high explosive shells. The light Minenwerfer was adapted to fire directly at tanks.

Later in the war, the Germans added a fourth type of Minenwerfer to the inventory, the 240mm Flügelminenwerfer, which fired a shell that was similar to that of the heavy Minenwerfer, but had an advantage in the realm of range.

While some smoke, illumination, gas and carrier (for sending messages) shells were provided for the Minenwerfer, high explosive remained the projectile of choice throughout the war.

I've not heard of any attempts to make a shrapnel shell for the Minenwerfer. Indeed, it is hard to imagine an artillery piece that was less well suited to firing the sort of shrapnel shell used during World War I than the Minenwerfer.

The Priesterwerfer was called the 'kleine Granatenwerfer 1916' by the Germans. It was a small spigot mortar that had come from the Austrian army (who called it the Priesterwerfer) and had been designed by a Hungarian priest (Vecer). It fired a 2kg shell with a range of 200-500m and weighed only 40kg. The shell was effective as it hardly penetrated the ground before exploding so most of the shell fragments went horizontally.

[1] William G. Dooly Jr.’s Great Weapons of World War I.

The sail of U-1060, a Type VIIF U-boat. The so-called Wintergarten, the platform for anti-aircraft armament, is well shown. Note the niche housing the FuMO 30 radar’s antenna on the left side of the sail.

During 1941 the Royal Navy devastated Germany's naval surface supply network with the result that Type XIV supply U-boats were constructed to enable combat U-boats to spend longer at sea in action, or to extend their patrol radius. However, while the Type XIV "Milk Cow" could provide fuel, food and other basics, it only had enough storage to deliver 4 torpedoes. Hence the Type VIIF came into being by converting the Type VIIC design with the addition of a 34-foot section aft of the conning tower capable of holding 24 torpedoes, and so give the ammunition needed for total sea re-supply. The first of four VIIF's (U-1059 to U-1062) was commissioned in May 1943.

These boats, designed in 1941, were primarily built as torpedo transports and were never fitted with the typical 88mm deck guns found on other VII type boats. They had 5 torpedo tubes (4 at the bow and 1 at the stern) and as attack boats they would carry 14 torpedoes but in their transport role they would have up to 39 torpedoes onboard.

Originally the boats were used to run supplies around Norway, before two, U-1062 and U-1059, of the four were sent during 1944 to Penang in the Far East to supply the large Type IXC/40 and Type IXD/42 U-boats that had formed a Far Eastern U-boat presence there.

General Characteristics

• Displacement: surfaced 1084 tons, submerged 1181 tons, total 1345 tons
• Length: overall 77.6m, pressure hull 60.4m
• Beam: overall 7.3m, pressure hull 4.7m
• Draft: 4.9m
• Height: 9.6m
• Power: surfaced 3200 horsepower, submerged 750 horsepower
• Speed: surfaced 17.6 knots, submerged 7.9 knots
• Range: surfaced 23,500km (14,700 miles) at 10 knots, submerged 120km (75 miles) at 4 knots
• Torpedoes: 14 (4 bow, 1 stern)
• Deck gun: none
• Crew: 46-52 men
• Max depth: 200m (650 feet)

Sinking of U-1062
HUK TG 22.1
USS Fessenden DE 142

In the autumn of 1944, Admiral Karl Doenitz, commander of the German U-boat Force, was rebuilding his undersea navy and only a relatively few U-boats were in the Atlantic, chiefly for their "nuisance value."

In September such a nuisance pack was operating in the Cape Verdes area. There it was detected by Task Group 22.1, a hunter-killer group built around the new escort-carrier USS Mission Bay. Steaming southward of the Cape Verdes, the group's scouts made contact with a submarine on the morning of September 30th. AT 1120 USS Fessenden DE 142 peeled off with Douglas L. Howard DE 138 and USS J.R.Y. Blakeley DE 140 to investigate the aircraft report.

Fessenden picked up sonar contact at 1610. At 1628 she fired a full pattern of Mark X projectiles. Fourteen seconds after the projectiles splashed into the sea, four explosions rumbled up from below. Fessenden followed through with a full pattern of depth charges. The water heaved and flattened over an outburst of deep-sea thunder. Thereafter the DEs heard nothing but the silence of extinction.

Post-war records named Fessenden's victim as the U-1062 and notes 55 crew members lost.

Sources:
Roscoe, Theodore. United States Destroyer Operations in World War II. Annapolis, MD: United States Naval Institute, 1953.
NiestlĂŠ, Axel. German U-boat Losses During World War II: Details of Destruction. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1998, p. 117.

The Fessenden sinks U 1062