Invader Weapons - Revision history

WikiSysop: /* Glass Noses */

2022-09-12T05:46:57Z

Glass Noses

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:46, 12 September 2022
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	==Glass Noses==		==Glass Noses==
	The glass nosed Invader was designed to be a guide to pinpoint bombing targets for other bombers in the group. Later versions of glass-nosed Invaders were sometimes converted to photo-reconnaissance versions that gathered intelligence. The primary feature of the glass-nosed Invaders is a ~~bomb-sight~~ that the bombardier-navigator would use to sight the target. Several different versions were used, but the Norden Bombsight (also used in the B-17 was the most common).		The glass nosed Invader was designed to be a guide to pinpoint bombing targets for other bombers in the group. Later versions of glass-nosed Invaders were sometimes converted to photo-reconnaissance versions that gathered intelligence. The primary feature of the glass-nosed Invaders is a bombsight that the bombardier-navigator would use to sight the target. Several different versions were used, but the Norden Bombsight (also used in the B-17 was the most common).
	[[File:Norden Bombsight.jpg\|500px\|center]]		[[File:Norden Bombsight.jpg\|500px\|center]]

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	In practice, the vast majority of planes with the guns in the nose had them removed because the noise was too bad for the navigator. This example, [[43-22509]], of the 386th Bomb Group still shows the patches where the guns were removed.		In practice, the vast majority of planes with the guns in the nose had them removed because the noise was too bad for the navigator. This example, [[43-22509]], of the 386th Bomb Group still shows the patches where the guns were removed.
	[[File:43-22509.jpg\|500px\|center]]		[[File:43-22509.jpg\|500px\|center]]

			Starting with Production Block 40, [[44-35558]], the longer panel on the navigator's side was removed and panels were even on both sides of the plane.

WikiSysop: /* 105MM */

2022-08-25T15:05:47Z

105MM

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:05, 25 August 2022
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	Newly uncovered documents show that this weapon was indeed fired at least 50 times using a variety of different ammo loadouts spread out across two different flights. The tests were conducted in California, and Floyd A. Thomas was the gunner who volunteered to fire the cannon during the tests. The tests were concluded by Jul 1945.		Newly uncovered documents show that this weapon was indeed fired at least 50 times using a variety of different ammo loadouts spread out across two different flights. The tests were conducted in California, and Floyd A. Thomas was the gunner who volunteered to fire the cannon during the tests. The tests were concluded by Jul 1945.

	In the meantime, I have been able to narrow down that this type of cannon was most likely ~~one~~ of ~~two types, either~~ the T12 Aircraft Howitzer ~~or the T9E2 Autoloading Recoilless Howitzer, both of which appear to have been manufactured by Oldsmobile~~.		In the meantime, I have been able to narrow down that this type of cannon was most likely a variant of the T12 Aircraft Howitzer.
	[[File:105mm Howitzer.jpg\|center\|750px]]		[[File:105mm Howitzer.jpg\|center\|750px]]

WikiSysop: /* 105MM */

2022-08-24T23:35:16Z

105MM

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:35, 24 August 2022
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	====105MM====		====105MM====
	There is ~~some~~ evidence to suggest that at least 1 Invader was equipped with a prototype 105MM cannon in the nose. There is a single drawing showing this gun in a similar fixed position in the nose as the 75MM version. The source record states that it was the largest forward firing cannon ever shot from a plane, which does suggest that it was at least test-fired. Normally, I wouldn't put too much stock into a single report, but this report comes from "The Machine Gun, Volume 5". This book was written by Col. George M. Chinn, USMC (Ret), who was the United ~~State~~'s foremost weapons expert during and after WWII. He has been called the "Bill Gates of Machine Guns" and this work was the culmination of his life's work. Given who it was that reported this gun, I am inclined to believe him.		There is evidence to suggest that at least 1 Invader was equipped with a prototype 105MM cannon in the nose. There is a single drawing showing this gun in a similar fixed position in the nose as the 75MM version. The source record states that it was the largest forward firing cannon ever shot from a plane, which does suggest that it was at least test-fired. Normally, I wouldn't put too much stock into a single report, but this report comes from "The Machine Gun, Volume 5". This book was written by Col. George M. Chinn, USMC (Ret), who was the United States' foremost weapons expert during and after WWII. He has been called the "Bill Gates of Machine Guns" and this work was the culmination of his life's work. Given who it was that reported this gun, I am inclined to believe him.

	I have been looking for the records of this project, but so far, I have not had much luck. Unfortunately the Air Force didn't label top secret test projects with easy names like "105mm Canon Test", so I do not even know what name to search for~~. But I do have an idea where to look, and what time period~~.		I have been looking for the records of this project, but so far, I have not had much luck. Unfortunately, the Air Force didn't label top secret test projects with easy names like "105mm Canon Test", so I do not even know what name to search for.

	In the meantime I have been able to narrow down that this type of cannon was most likely one of two types, either the T12 Aircraft Howitzer or the T9E2 Autoloading Recoilless Howitzer, both of which appear to have been manufactured by Oldsmobile.		Newly uncovered documents show that this weapon was indeed fired at least 50 times using a variety of different ammo loadouts spread out across two different flights. The tests were conducted in California, and Floyd A. Thomas was the gunner who volunteered to fire the cannon during the tests. The tests were concluded by Jul 1945.

			In the meantime, I have been able to narrow down that this type of cannon was most likely one of two types, either the T12 Aircraft Howitzer or the T9E2 Autoloading Recoilless Howitzer, both of which appear to have been manufactured by Oldsmobile.
	[[File:105mm Howitzer.jpg\|center\|750px]]		[[File:105mm Howitzer.jpg\|center\|750px]]

WikiSysop: /* 105MM */

2021-09-26T03:15:29Z

105MM

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:15, 26 September 2021
Line 53:		Line 53:

	In the meantime I have been able to narrow down that this type of cannon was most likely one of two types, either the T12 Aircraft Howitzer or the T9E2 Autoloading Recoilless Howitzer, both of which appear to have been manufactured by Oldsmobile.		In the meantime I have been able to narrow down that this type of cannon was most likely one of two types, either the T12 Aircraft Howitzer or the T9E2 Autoloading Recoilless Howitzer, both of which appear to have been manufactured by Oldsmobile.
	[[File:105mm Howitzer.jpg\|~~Center~~\|750px]]		[[File:105mm Howitzer.jpg\|center\|750px]]

	====20MM====		====20MM====

WikiSysop: /* 105MM */

2021-09-26T03:15:20Z

105MM

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:15, 26 September 2021
Line 53:		Line 53:

	In the meantime I have been able to narrow down that this type of cannon was most likely one of two types, either the T12 Aircraft Howitzer or the T9E2 Autoloading Recoilless Howitzer, both of which appear to have been manufactured by Oldsmobile.		In the meantime I have been able to narrow down that this type of cannon was most likely one of two types, either the T12 Aircraft Howitzer or the T9E2 Autoloading Recoilless Howitzer, both of which appear to have been manufactured by Oldsmobile.
	[[File:105mm Howitzer.jpg]]		[[File:105mm Howitzer.jpg\|Center\|750px]]

	====20MM====		====20MM====

WikiSysop: /* 105MM */

2021-09-26T03:14:53Z

105MM

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:14, 26 September 2021
Line 48:		Line 48:

	====105MM====		====105MM====
	There is some evidence to suggest that at least 1 Invader was equipped with a prototype 105MM cannon in the nose. There is a single drawing showing this gun in a similar fixed position in the nose as the 75MM version. The source record states that it was the largest forward firing cannon ever shot from a plane, which does suggest that it was at least test-fired. Normally, I wouldn't put too much stock into a single report, but this report comes from "The Machine Gun, Volume 5". This book was written by Col. George M. Chinn, USMC (Ret), who was the United State's foremost weapons expert during and after WWII. He has been called the "Bill Gates of Machine Guns" and this work was the culmination of his life's work. Given who it was that reported this gun, I am inclined to believe him. I ~~am currently attempting~~ to ~~locate historical records~~ that ~~would shed additional light on~~ this ~~subject~~.		There is some evidence to suggest that at least 1 Invader was equipped with a prototype 105MM cannon in the nose. There is a single drawing showing this gun in a similar fixed position in the nose as the 75MM version. The source record states that it was the largest forward firing cannon ever shot from a plane, which does suggest that it was at least test-fired. Normally, I wouldn't put too much stock into a single report, but this report comes from "The Machine Gun, Volume 5". This book was written by Col. George M. Chinn, USMC (Ret), who was the United State's foremost weapons expert during and after WWII. He has been called the "Bill Gates of Machine Guns" and this work was the culmination of his life's work. Given who it was that reported this gun, I am inclined to believe him.

			I have been looking for the records of this project, but so far, I have not had much luck. Unfortunately the Air Force didn't label top secret test projects with easy names like "105mm Canon Test", so I do not even know what name to search for. But I do have an idea where to look, and what time period.

			In the meantime I have been able to narrow down that this type of cannon was most likely one of two types, either the T12 Aircraft Howitzer or the T9E2 Autoloading Recoilless Howitzer, both of which appear to have been manufactured by Oldsmobile.
			[[File:105mm Howitzer.jpg]]

	====20MM====		====20MM====

WikiSysop: /* 20MM */

2020-12-23T03:09:09Z

20MM

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:09, 23 December 2020
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	====20MM====		====20MM====
	The 20MM cannon is a largely unknown armament carried on the Invaders. It was not standard equipment and is not listed in any of the Invader books or manuals. I discovered that the 20MM cannon was used during the Korean War as part of a secret test project. In scouring over the historical records of the [[13th Bombardment Squadron]] the monthly report for July, 1951 shows that one Invader was equipped with a 20MM cannon. It was originally a 6-gun nose variant. The last/outermost .50 caliber ~~gun~~ on the Navigator's side was replaced with the 20MM cannon. This plane had 5x .50 caliber machine guns and 1x 20MM ~~cannon. The monthly report is badly degraded and I am not yet able to determine the serial number of the 20MM equipped plane~~. It is ~~also~~ not clear at this point if the other squadrons in the [[3rd Bombardment Group]] had similar planes~~, but I suspect that this is the case~~.		The 20MM cannon is a largely unknown armament carried on the Invaders. It was not standard equipment and is not listed in any of the Invader books or manuals. I discovered that the 20MM cannon was used during the Korean War as part of a secret test project. In scouring over the historical records of the [[13th Bombardment Squadron]] the monthly report for July, 1951 shows that one Invader was equipped with a 20MM cannon. It was originally a 6-gun nose variant. The last/outermost two .50 caliber guns on the Navigator's side was replaced with the 20MM cannon as well as both .50s on the pilot's side. This plane had 2x .50 caliber machine guns and 2x 20MM cannons. It is not clear at this point if the other squadrons in the [[3rd Bombardment Group]] had similar planes as well.

	From the records of the [[13th Bombardment Squadron]] it was evident that the plane was used fairly extensively. The squadron expended between 2,000 and 2,5000 rounds of 20MM ammo every month until March 1952 when the 20MM ammo disappears from the report. ~~It is not clear at this point why. There are several possibilities. Either the plane could have been converted back to the regular 6-gun configuration, hence the lack of 20MM ammo, or the~~ plane could have been removed from service, either by being transferred to another unit, being shot down, or "Class 26'd" (retired from service due to damage). I will continue to investigate this weapon and update the ~~records as I uncover more~~.		From the records of the [[13th Bombardment Squadron]] it was evident that the plane was used fairly extensively. The squadron expended between 2,000 and 2,5000 rounds of 20MM ammo every month until March 1952 when the 20MM ammo disappears from the report. The plane with the cannons was lost in action in Jul 1952.

	===Machine Guns===		===Machine Guns===

WikiSysop: /* Example Payloads */

2020-09-04T14:19:29Z

Example Payloads

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:19, 4 September 2020
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	==Example Payloads==		==Example Payloads==
	8th Bomb Squadron Armorers sit with a load of ~~250~~ pound bombs in Korea.		8th Bomb Squadron Armorers sit with a load of 100 pound bombs in Korea.
	[[File:8Ordnance.jpg\|500px\|center]]		[[File:8Ordnance.jpg\|500px\|center]]

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	A Korean-War Invader showing a weapons load of 4x 500 pound bombs, 14x 250 pound bombs, and a plethora of machine gun ammo.		A Korean-War Invader showing a weapons load of 4x 500 pound bombs, 14x 250 pound bombs, and a plethora of machine gun ammo.
	[[File:A26weaponload.jpg\|500px\|center]]		[[File:A26weaponload.jpg\|500px\|center]]


	==Nose Guns==		==Nose Guns==

WikiSysop: /* Bombs */

2020-07-02T18:43:56Z

Bombs

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:43, 2 July 2020
Line 140:		Line 140:
	During the Korean War the loadouts changed to suit mission needs. One common loadout was:		During the Korean War the loadouts changed to suit mission needs. One common loadout was:
	10x 500 lbs bombs (6 in bomb bay, plus 2 under each wing) - 5,000 lbs total. <br/>		10x 500 lbs bombs (6 in bomb bay, plus 2 under each wing) - 5,000 lbs total. <br/>
	~~15x 260~~ lbs bombs (in bomb bay) + 2x 500 lbs under each wing - 4,~~900~~ lbs total.		16x 250 lbs bombs (in bomb bay) + 2x 500 lbs under each wing - 5,000 lbs total.

	The Korean War also saw use of Napalm and Rockets, which changed the bomb loadout significantly.		The Korean War also saw use of Napalm and Rockets, which changed the bomb loadout significantly.

WikiSysop: /* Bombs */

2020-07-02T18:40:03Z

Bombs

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:40, 2 July 2020
Line 140:		Line 140:
	During the Korean War the loadouts changed to suit mission needs. One common loadout was:		During the Korean War the loadouts changed to suit mission needs. One common loadout was:
	10x 500 lbs bombs (6 in bomb bay, plus 2 under each wing) - 5,000 lbs total. <br/>		10x 500 lbs bombs (6 in bomb bay, plus 2 under each wing) - 5,000 lbs total. <br/>
	15x 260 lbs bombs (in bomb bay) + 2x 500 lbs under each wing - 5,900 lbs total.		15x 260 lbs bombs (in bomb bay) + 2x 500 lbs under each wing - 4,900 lbs total.

	The Korean War also saw use of Napalm and Rockets, which changed the bomb loadout significantly.		The Korean War also saw use of Napalm and Rockets, which changed the bomb loadout significantly.