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gunner would lie on a mattress on the floor as an observer, looking through a perspex blister for night fighters coming up from below". Some early
Lancaster B. IIs had retained the FN.64 ventral turret but its sighting periscope provided an overly tight field of view that left the gunner blind, and the traverse speed was too slow, making it useless. A small number of Halifax and Lancaster bombers were fitted with a machine-gun mounted to fire through the hole where the turret would have been, normally of .303 in (7.70 mm) although Canadian units tended to use the 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine gun. Initially these were unofficial, but Mod 925 provided an official modification in aircraft not equipped with
881:, with no reports from shot-down crews reporting the new tactic; the sudden increase in bomber losses had often been attributed to flak. Reports from air gunners of German night fighters stalking their prey from below had appeared as early as 1943 but had been discounted. A myth developed among RAF Bomber Command crews that "scarecrow shells" were encountered over Germany. The phenomenon was thought to be "AA shells simulating an exploding four-engined bomber and designed to damage morale. In many cases these were actual 'kills' by Luftwaffe night fighters... It was not for many months that evidence of these deadly attacks was accepted."
235:), enabled gunners to discover the principle of zero-deflection shooting. When firing upward at roughly a 45° elevation, when the attacking aircraft and its target are travelling at about the same speed and the range is fairly short, the trajectory will appear straight. The bullets' true path is a parabola, but the movement forward of both aircraft, and the air passing the aircraft counter the tendency of the round to arc down after leaving the muzzle so it appears to follow a straight line, simplifying accurate sighting which then requires no
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visually, close and destroy it within 60 seconds. The firing position, with the bomber 65° to 70° above the fighter, was an almost ideal one. The fighter could see the bomber clearly, as a darker silhouette either blotting out the stars or against paler sky or high cloud. It presented the biggest possible target and reflected any light from searchlights, ground fires or TIs . With the two aircraft in close formation, there was an ideal no-deflection shot. And the fighter was perfectly safe, because it was well below the
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842:, fully contained within the fuselage. By mid-1944, He 219 aircrew were critical of the MK 108 installation, because its low muzzle velocity and limited range, meant that the night fighter had to be close to the bomber to attack and be vulnerable to damage from debris. They demanded that either the MK 108s be removed and replaced by MG FF/Ms or the angle of the mounting be changed. Although He 219s continued to be delivered with the twin 30 mm mounted, these were removed by front line units. Using the
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approaching directly from the rear they would approach about 1,500 ft (460 m) below the bomber, pull up sharply and start firing when the nose of the bomber appeared in the gunsight. As the fighter slowed and the bomber passed over them, its wings were sprayed with cannon or machine gun rounds. While effective, this manoeuvre was difficult to perform, there was a risk of collision and, if the bomb load exploded, it could destroy the night fighter. Systems similar to the original
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that the bomber crew could not see them against the dark ground or sky, yet allowed the German crew to see the silhouette of the aircraft before they attacked. The optimum target for the night fighter was the wing fuel tanks, not the fuselage or bomb bay, because of the risk that exploding bombs would damage the attacker. "To overcome some of the problems, many NJG pilots closed the range at a lower level, below the
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automatically triggered, as in the photo-cell firing arrangements detailed below). On paper at least, the advantages of flexible aim and weight of fire from a two-seater were clear: the pilot is not overburdened, several fighters could be brought to bear on a target together, and there are two pairs of eyes per aircraft. However, the weight of a powered turret and air gunner imposed performance penalties.
22:
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444:. Theoretically, the cannon could be slewed, aimed and fired at an oblique angle but flight tests and operational evaluation, disproved the theory: the type proved troublesome and except for initial flight testing in 1937, where full armament was carried, the nacelle cannon armament and the accompanying gunner–loaders were eliminated in the final development aircraft.
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1095:) had turrets that could only traverse through the forward hemisphere, as did Air Ministry specification F22/39, written around the Vickers Type 414 twin-engined fighter, which combined a streamlined monoplane two-seater fighter airframe with a remotely controlled 40mm cannon in the nose that could be elevated for no-allowance shooting.
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trials with both types went well, with no detriment to airframe or performance, although the
Westland prototype displayed "alarming" handling characteristics. Neither the Type 161 nor its competitor, the Westland C.O.W. Gun Fighter were ordered, and no more was heard of this use of the aerial COW gun.
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On this particular night the night fighters were to score heavily. The ground radar stations responsible for initial guidance to the vicinity of the bombers did their job well, as did the airborne radar operators to whom fell the task of final location of individual targets. The path of the returning
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We had dropped our bombs on a synthetic-oil plant in
Gelsenkirchen, Germany the night of June 12/13, 1944 and were headed for base. In the tail gun turret I was searching in the dark for any enemy fighters who might be following us out of the target area. Suddenly I heard cannons barking loudly and
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The RAF put the
Defiant into service in 1939, intending to use it against bombers, despite the bombers' numerous gun positions. However, the unexpected German territorial gains in France meant that bombers were escorted by fighters. Despite being utterly outclassed as a day fighter, when moved to the
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The COW gun had been developed in 1918 for use in aircraft and had been tested on the Airco DH.4. The cannon fired 23-ounce (0.65 kg) shells and was to be mounted at 45 deg or more above the horizontal. The tactic was to fly below the target bomber or airship and fire upwards into it. Gun firing
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While the small .303 in (7.7 mm) calibre made these tail turret guns less effective than hoped, rear-gunners also maintained a watch for fighters and the pilot would make evasive manoeuvres such as corkscrews. Night-fighter pilots developed a new tactic to avoid the turret guns: instead of
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and could not be seen by any member of the bomber's crew. The only snag was that the
Luftwaffe's guns were so effective that the night fighter usually had to get out of the way very fast. It was rather like 1916, except that a Lancaster with one wing blown off tumbled downwards and backwards faster
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Similar logic lay behind the later
Vickers Type 414 twin-engined fighter. This aircraft, which can be seen a natural successor to the Vickers COW gun fighter, combined a streamlined monoplane two-seater fighter airframe with a remotely controlled nose-mounted 40mm cannon that could be elevated for
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produced devastating results, with its most successful deployment in the winter of 1943–1944. This was a time when Bomber
Command losses became unsupportable: the RAF lost 78 of 823 bombers that attacked Leipzig on 19 February, and 96 of the 795 bombers that attacked Nuremberg on 30/31 March 1944.
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allowed German night fighters to attack undetected, using special ammunition with a faint glowing trail replacing the standard tracer, combined with a "lethal mixture of armour-piercing, explosive and incendiary ammunition". Approaching from below provided the night fighter crew with the advantage
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allowed a machine gun to be tipped back to reload and whether by accident or design, this allowed the gun to be held at an intermediate angle (ideally about 45°) and fired upward, steadying the gun and firing it with the "normal" trigger rather than the remote Bowden cable used for forward firing.
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night fighters into the bomber stream, to pick up radar emissions from the German night fighters. Wing
Commander J. D. Pattinson of 429 "Bison" Squadron, recognized an unseen danger but to him, it "was all presumption, not fact". He ordered that the mid-upper turrets be removed and the "displaced
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In the Ju 88 G-6 night fighter, which was fast and manoeuvrable, the Revi 16N gunsight was modified to allow the pilot to aim at the target by placing a mirror above his head, parallel to a similar mirror placed behind the gunsight (where the eye would normally be), which was further to the rear,
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in Europe, the field-modified J1N1-C KAI shot down two B-17s of the 43rd Bomb Group who were attacking air bases around Rabaul. The Navy took immediate notice and placed orders with
Nakajima, for the newly designated J1N1-S night fighter design. This model was christened the Model 11 Gekkō (月光,
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What a contrast with SCHRÄGE MUSIK! Again the technique was to approach deliberately at a lower level, but this time all the night fighter pilot had to do was slow up a little, rise up below the bomber and hold formation. An NJG expert could follow his observer's directions, acquire the bomber
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The
Boulton Paul Defiant "turret fighter" was originally conceived under the F.9/35 specification for a "two-seat day and night fighter" to defend Great Britain against massed formations of unescorted enemy bombers. Regardless of the requirement, the use of its dorsal turret was based on the
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addressed the same threat – enemy bombers attacking the UK – the approach was very different: upward-firing guns and no-allowance shooting are separate and distinct, and the equipment that can do the one can, generally speaking, be arranged so as to do the other (unless the fixed armament is
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defenses by the French and British, in an era when fighters struggled to match the altitude capacity of the German airships and were forced to devise means to attack from below. The later resurrection of the concept by the Germans was inspired by observed weaknesses in the standard British
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Monica, developed at the Bomber Support Development Unit in Worcestershire, was a range-only tail warning radar for bombers, introduced by the RAF in the spring of 1942. Officially known as ARI 5664, it operated at frequencies of around 300 MHz. German night fighters equipped with special
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that could rotate 360˚ with the guns able to elevate to 105˚. Ultimately, the F-89 design abandoned the swiveling nose turret in favor of a more standard front-firing cannon arrangement. A similar design – with .50 caliber machine guns – would also be tested on a United States Navy
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Army Air Technical Service Command specification ("Military Characteristics for All-Weather Fighting Aircraft") for a jet-powered night fighter to replace the P-61 Black Widow. The N-24 company proposal was armed with four 20 mm (.79 in) cannon in a unique trainable nose
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The cause of losses... killed novice and expert crews impartially. This result contradicted the official dogma... I blame the ORS and I blame myself in particular, for not taking this result seriously enough... If we had taken the evidence more seriously, we might have discovered
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and a Merlin XX engine. A total of 207 Defiant Mk IIs were built but the Defiant was retired as radar-equipped Beaufighter and Mosquito night fighters entered service in 1941 and 1942. Turret fighters with four 20mm cannon were specified under F.11/37 but got no further than
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having its armament installed at an angle of +12° for 'no-allowance' firing – three dorsal 20mm cannon in the fuselage and two in the nose. While it was a promising aircraft in its own right, by the time that the second prototype was completed the conventionally-armed
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zone of coverage, until they could see the bomber above; then they pulled up into a climb with all front guns blazing. This demanded fine judgement, gave only a second or two of firing time and almost immediately brought the fighter up behind the bomber's tail turret.
649:, the Me 262B-2, was also designed to carry such an installation but it did not work and was not used operationally. Trials with the Me 163 were promising, with six operational aircraft modified. On 10 April 1945, a Halifax bomber was shot down by Fritz Kelb flying a
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20 mm (0.79 in) cannon in the rear compartment of the upper fuselage, firing through twin holes in the canopy's glazing. Schönert used such a modified Bf 110 to shoot down a bomber in May 1943. From June 1943, an official conversion kit was produced for the
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system was incorporated from the start. The experimental Horten Ho 229 flying wing series was proposed for consideration, with a form of unusual upward-firing armament for testing on the V4 night fighter prototype, photoelectric fired vertically mounted rockets or
1123:. With such high losses in day operations, the Defiant was transferred to night fighting and there the type achieved some success. Defiant night fighters typically attacked enemy bombers from below, in a similar manoeuvre to the later German
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system, firing 50 mm (2 in) projectiles vertically into the lower sides of bombers, was triggered by an optical device as the pilot passed beneath the target. This was tested on the Fw 190, and was destined for installation in the
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27/24) with an armament of barbette mounted guns, that could be angled upwards for attack against bombers, without having to enter a climb. The first of two Bittern prototypes flew in 1927, though performance was poor and the development
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with 200 rounds of ammunition, the largest calibre autocannon used for Schräge Musik-type operations. It was mounted in a similar position in the fuselage as the Luftwaffe's night fighters. Operational deployment began in October 1944.
1159:, was fitted with six upward-firing machine guns in the fuselage behind the cockpit. The guns could be controlled in elevation from 30–50 degrees and 15 degrees in the azimuth by the gunner in the nose. The aircraft was tested at the
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all-weather jet fighter interceptor. Armament was to be a nose-mounted, powered turret containing four 20 mm (.79 in) cannon, but this installation was only fitted to the mock-up and never incorporated in the two prototypes.
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firing upward and a second pair firing downward at a forward 30° angle, also placed in the fuselage behind the cabin. The Type 99 20mm calibre autocannon ordnance used by Japanese aircraft was based on the drum-magazine fed Swiss
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was mounted in front of the pilot, firing upward. Exploitation of this led to the destruction of six German airships between September and December 1916. Later British night fighters were similarly armed with upward-firing guns.
1119:"broadside" fighter interception and combined fighter attack tactic of bomber interception. Attempts to take on single-seat fighters with Defiants led to catastrophic results in 1940 over France and during the
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decided to experiment with upward-firing guns in 1941 and began trying out upward-firing installations, amid scepticism from his superiors and fellow pilots. The first installation was made late in 1942, in a
756:. The Ju 88 G-6 was guided into position from sighting and final approach by commands from the radar operator, with the pilot only taking over when visual contact was made just prior to firing.
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and his crew, using their upward firing cannons , shot down seven Lancasters. As it was, on that black night, four night fighter crews accounted for 28 of the 62 bombers lost out of the 800 despatched.
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In the standard interception, the fighter approached the target from the rear to get into a firing position, presenting the night fighter crew with a much smaller target, a problem compounded by the
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achieved complete surprise while destroying many British bombers. The crews that survived such attacks, during this period, often believed that damage and casualties had been caused by ground-based
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required precise timing and swift evasion; a fatally damaged bomber could fall on the night fighter if the fighter could not quickly turn away. The He 219 was particularly prone to this; its high
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night fighters, after trying various schemes for attacking the Zeppelin raiders of 1915–1916, hit on the idea of firing a mixture of explosive and incendiary bullets into the body of the airship
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types such as the Ju 88, which was considered quite a "hot ship" by its crews. This was also a problem during normal stern attacks at low closure rate, but it was even more exaggerated during
318:. That Dolphin entered service near the end of World War I, and was delivered with a pair of .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis guns on a cross-tube connecting the upper wing spars. British
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in the third wave lost 29 of their 166 bombers, well over the 10 per cent losses considered "unsustainable". In this raid 40 aircraft were lost: 23 Lancasters, 15 Halifaxes and two
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standard "day fighter" aircraft (s/n 44-85044) to study the ability to attack Soviet bombers from below. Twin 0.5 in (12.7 mm) machine guns were fixed in an oblique mount.
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attacks, since the pilot could not even make use of the limited climb performance available at the edge of the flight envelope to avoid debris from the stricken target.
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A detailed analysis of the damage done to returning bombers clearly showed that the night fighters were firing from below. Defence against the attacks included mixing
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left it at the edge of stalling speed when matching the Lancaster's cruising speed, and therefore quite unmaneuverable. The same was true to a lesser extent of other
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single-seat biplanes of the time featured machine guns mounted on the centre section of the top wing to fire over the radius of the propeller to bypass the need for
578:, were tested on day fighters and other airframes, with the largest-calibre upward-firing aerial ordnance in German service, based on the quintuple-launcher of the
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on the Baltic Sea coast through 1942. An angle between 60° and 75° was found to give best results, allowing a target turning at 8°/sec to be kept in the gunsight.
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in order to save weight, making them vulnerable to covert approaches and attacks from below under the cover of darkness. In keeping with the plans of the Allied
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and Dornier Do 217N fighters. Between August 1943 and the end of the year, Schönert achieved 18 kills with the new gun installation. Before the introduction of
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were pursued. Similar logic lay behind Air Ministry specification F11/37, which specified a turret-mounted cannon armament: of three companies who tendered (
390:(1931) were designed in response to Air Ministry specification F.29/27. This called for an interceptor fighter operating as a stable gun platform for the
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saw lights flashing directly below. What the hell was that? I didn't see the fighter – just the flashing. We took evasive action and that was it.
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operating in Europe (factory-equipped with ball turrets) typically bombed by day, thus experiencing far fewer encounters (and relative losses) from
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night-fighter role it had some success, typically attacking from below and slightly ahead of the bomber, well outside its field of defensive fire.
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powered Ju 88 G-6. An increasing number of these installations used the more powerful 30 mm (1.2 in) calibre, short-barrelled
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of 1940–1941, the Defiant equipped four squadrons, shooting down more enemy aircraft than any other type. The Defiant Mk II was fitted with
803:) on the night of 17/18 August 1943. Three waves of aircraft bombed the area, and a diversion on Berlin by RAF Mosquitoes attracted the main
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is a village in the north-west of the German island of Usedom on the Peene river, on the easternmost part of the German Baltic coast.
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medium bombers) first being fitted with twin-gun hydraulic tail turrets, later upgraded to four guns to fend off just such attacks.
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single-seat fighter—the A6M5d-S—had a 20mm Type 99 cannon mounted just behind the pilot, firing upwards for night fighter combat.
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177:. Later similar Japanese experiments with upward-firing cannons on their night fighters in 1944 (intended to target the American
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was designed as a "bomber-destroyer", touted as "a mobile anti-aircraft platform". Its armament included mainly forward-firing
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installation on the Nakajima J1N1-S "Gekkō" (two or three 20mm cannons firing upwards, some had two firing downwards), the
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Moonlight). It required only two crew and like the KAI, had a 20-millimetre (0.79 in)-calibre twinned pair of
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with a Lewis machine gun on an S.E.5a; the gun slid down the curved rail for upward firing and to reload the gun's
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installation, with the cannon muzzles just protruding from each side of the top of the rear cockpit, France c. 1944
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In the initial stages of its operational use by German air crews, from mid-1943 to early 1944, many attacks using
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1047:"Myrt" single-engined, high-speed reconnaissance aircraft was used with a pair of 20 mm Type 99 cannons.
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attacks, more often from slightly ahead or to one side, rather than from directly under the tail. During the
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198:(AA or AAA), rather than fighters, and much confusion resulted until the cause was successfully pinpointed.
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fighter effort, which meant that only the last of the three waves was met by many night fighters. Number
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in particular was a great exponent of this technique, The Germans copied the arrangement in 1917, when
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A final attempt to exploit a fully traversing turret was found in the original 1948 design of the
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began in late 1943 and by 1944, a third of all German night fighters carried upward-firing guns.
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In the Soviet Union the concept lasted slightly longer, with elevatable guns being tested on a
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ordnance which was itself the basis for the Germans' own MG FF weapon, used to pioneer
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fighters from 1915 onwards, and the tactic was continued in British service, with the
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could home in on Monica and after July 1944, the units were removed from RAF bombers.
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July 1988, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 44–50. Bromley, UK: Fine Scroll. ISSN 0306-5634.
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radar. In July 1942, Schoenert discussed the results of his experiment with General
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1960:(Aircraft Number 104). Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc., 1990.
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fighter aircraft with flexibly-mounted forward-firing machine guns (especially the
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1629:"Blundering to victory... aviation technology vs the Allied establishment in WW2."
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into a night fighter. On 21 May 1943, at about the same time as the Luftwaffe's
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Fitting of an upward-firing autocannon or machine gun to an interceptor aircraft
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armament format in its Ki-46 III KAI version in June 1943, using a 37 mm
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Boulton Paul turret mounted on both the Boulton Paul Defiant and Blackburn Roc
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The COW 37 mm was also tried on flying boats, for use against naval vessels.
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The RAF and Aircraft Design, 1923–1939: Air Staff Operational Requirements
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bomber stream was clearly marked by the pyres of numerous downed victims.
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U.S. Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects: Fighters 1939–1945
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Even in the last year of the war, 18 months after the Peenemunde Raid,
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As experimental aircraft were developed as night fighters, such as the
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B-2: 2 × 30 mm MK 108 (proposal only, B-2 version never produced)
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The first such systems were developed (though not widely employed) in
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Boyne, Walt. "A Fighter for All Weather... Curtiss XP-87 Blackhawk."
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in the nose and a combination of front-firing and defensive weapons.
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Schönert was made CO of II./NJG 5, and an armourer serving with the
131:", but its slang usage is often translated as "weird" or "strange".
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Peter Spoden Luftwaffe Night Fighter ace demonstrates Schrage Musik
616:. Pressurized container with pressure-reducing gear and stop valve
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1648:"Avro 683 Lancaster: The most iconic heavy bomber of World War II"
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night fighters were still taking a heavy toll, for example on the
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was already in production, so neither the G39 nor the subsequent
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Crowborough, UK: Hikoki Publications, 2010, First edition 1998.
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1845:. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 189–193.
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B and the Me 262B. The definitive night fighter version of the
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F-80A experimental installation of machine guns, mounted in a
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that was also equipped with the early UHF-band version of the
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The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II.
1975:
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004, First edition 1976.
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1640:
795:, as it was also called) was first used operationally during
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466:
2131:
Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc., 1993.
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The Secret Years: Flight Testing at Boscombe Down 1939–1945.
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One of the main Japanese fighters using this device was the
946:-style configuration are located directly behind the cockpit
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below the tail. Most notable of the airplanes used were the
21:
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in 1941 and then by the GRU and Fighter Interception Unit.
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The surviving complete example of the type is a Defiant I,
921:) and in the space of 20 minutes, between 20.43 and 21.03,
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These could then be used to attack enemy aircraft from the
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2077:
The Hamlyn Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II.
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1502:"Schräge Musik & The Wesseling Raid: 21/22 June 1944."
273:
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Bucks, UK: Ashton Publications Ltd., First edition 1989.
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British Secret Projects: Fighters & Bombers 1935–1950
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Warplanes of the First World War, Volume Three: Fighters.
1198:
machine guns, that could elevate to a full 90° position.
1592:'The Peenemünde Raid', Martin Middlebrook (Phoenix 2000)
1190:-like surprise of its own, because of the design of its
877:
RAF Bomber Command was slow to react to the threat from
706:: 1 × 20 mm MG151/20 (used mainly on Eastern Front)
61:, was a common name for the fitting of an upward-firing
516:
Mahle, developed a working arrangement with the unit's
2176:(Osprey Combat Aircraft 8). Oxford, UK: Osprey, 1998.
2003:
Other Battle: Luftwaffe Night Aces vs. Bomber Command.
1990:(Pan Grand Strategy Series). London: Pan Books, 1999.
2159:
Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present
1912:
Bowers, Peter W. "Junkers Ju 88: Demon in the Dark."
1070:
Air Ministry Specification F.9/37 led to the second,
1285:in World War II, commented on the effectiveness of
2109:. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2008.
2049:Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1977.
1298:in time to respond with effective countermeasures.
1007:"Dinah" twin engined fighter was used to test the
1973:Night Fighters: A Development and Combat History.
1949:Bowyer, Michael J.F. "The Boulton Paul Defiant."
1877:History of the German Night Fighter Force 1917–45
432:Meanwhile, in the United States, the twin-engine
2834:
2120:"Scorpion with a Nuclear Sting: Northrop F-89".
1702:
1700:
1564:
1562:
1460:
265:. For this purpose a .303 in (7.7 mm)
2191:(Bomber War Trilogy 2). London: Phoenix, 2008.
1840:
394:produced by the Coventry Ordnance Works (COW).
2189:Men Of Air: The Doomed Youth Of Bomber Command
537:(NJG, night fighter wings) were equipped with
363:was a twin-engined night fighter (designed to
2255:
1763:
1697:
1559:
1547:, 25 June 2009. Retrieved: 30 September 2010.
681:, instead of cannon armament inspired by the
289:). Both the French mountings and the British
1709:
1497:
1495:
494:
489:, to add a vertical armament of four or six
189:
172:
118:
93:
81:
55:
38:
1879:. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1979.
2262:
2248:
2157:Taylor, John W.R. "Boulton Paul Defiant."
2146:London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, 2004.
1953:. London, Profile Publications Ltd., 1966.
1938:. Hinckley, UK: Midland Publishing, 2004.
1843:MiG: Fifty Years of Secret Aircraft Design
746:
582:infantry barrage rocket, the experimental
1862:, Nov–Dec 2006. Retrieved: 23 March 2023.
1505:207 Squadron Royal Air Force Association.
1492:
1222:was originally designed to meet the 1945
653:-equipped Me 163B, most probably from I.
596:Interior view of Messerschmitt Bf 110G-4
485:, who authorized the conversion of three
105:, meaning music that featured an unusual
2202:Winchester, Jim. "Bell YFM-1 Airacuda".
1790:
1634:23 June 2001. Retrieved: 1 October 2010.
1571:
1205:
1170:
1097:
1066:Gloster F9/37 with upwards-firing cannon
1061:
1018:
949:
933:
752:functioning together in the manner of a
688:
591:
407:
392:Coventry Ordnance Works 37 mm autocannon
370:
347:
272:
241:
210:
20:
1485:
1483:
1481:
1432:
277:Sopwith Dolphin with upward-firing guns
219:in a Nieuport 23 with Lewis tipped back
117:). The standard usage of the adjective
2835:
2161:. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969.
1542:"Hitler's Stealth Fighter Re-created."
1469:
452:
2243:
2174:P-61 Black Widow Units of World War 2
2005:Minneapolis, MN: Zenith Press, 1996.
1841:Belyakov, R. A.; Marmain, J. (1994).
1583:July 2001. Retrieved: 1 October 2010.
1411:Andrews and Morgan 1988, pp. 242–246.
982:Schoenert had his first victory with
893:, which covered the turret location.
48:
1791:Thomason, Tommy H. (22 March 2013).
1478:
1428:
1426:
917:was operating from Gutersloh (later
2142:Taylor, James and Martin Davidson.
589:(heavy destroyer) also under test.
13:
1535:
1527:"Komet weapons: SG500 Jägerfaust."
1194:carrying a quartet of .50 caliber
770:
624:. FPD and FF (Radio installation)
29:fuselage showing the twin MG FF/M
14:
2859:
2219:
1451:
1423:
1057:
783:— Air Gunner Leonard J. Isaacson.
343:
340:, pointing upwards and forwards.
77:. The term was introduced by the
2843:World War II aircraft of Germany
2094:London: Chancellor Press, 2002.
1890:Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan'.
1166:
336:attached two machine guns to an
2047:The British Fighter Since 1912.
1894:London: Putnam, 2nd ed., 1988.
1868:
1849:
1834:
1825:
1810:
1784:
1772:
1769:Davis and Menard 1990, pp. 4–5.
1754:
1745:
1736:
1727:
1718:
1688:
1679:
1670:
1622:
1613:
1604:
1595:
1586:
1550:
1519:
1510:
1365:
1351:
447:
416:While turret fighters like the
1956:Davis, Larry and Dave Menard.
1817:"Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star."
1414:
1405:
1396:
1387:
1342:
1256:Curtiss-Wright XF-87 Blackhawk
1186:night fighter could deliver a
838:, such as those fitted to the
830:proved most successful in the
206:
1:
2270:German aerial weapons of the
2018:Westland Aircraft since 1915.
1909:Vol. 5, No. 1, February 1975.
1822:Retrieved: 28 September 2010.
1532:Retrieved: 30 September 2010.
1507:Retrieved: 30 September 2010.
1330:
1224:United States Army Air Forces
718:C/G: 2 × 20 mm MG 151/20
312:Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5s
233:Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2s
201:
147:aircraft of the WW2 era (the
53:), which may also be spelled
2079:London: Bounty Books, 2006.
1916:Vol. 12, No. 2, August 1982.
1892:Vickers Aircraft since 1908.
1857:"A Failure of Intelligence."
1793:"The Emerson Fighter Turret"
1381:
1249:Lockheed F-80A Shooting Star
1003:The Japanese Army Air Force
942:; the angled barrels of its
801:Allied bombing of Peenemünde
259:Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2
7:
2206:London: Amber Books, 2005.
2204:The World's Worst Aircraft.
2129:Mosquito in Action, Part 1.
1951:Aircraft in Profile, Vol. 5
1308:
1269:
940:Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
799:(the first instance of the
730:G-4: 2 × 20 mm MG FF/M
384:Westland C.O.W. Gun Fighter
353:Westland C.O.W. Gun Fighter
10:
2864:
1201:
1074:powered, prototype of the
1050:One variant of the common
239:or leading of the target.
183:firebombing Japan by night
2752:
2684:
2631:
2548:
2450:
2413:
2385:
2359:
2311:
2278:
1923:London: Macdonald, 1969.
1694:Mondey 2006, pp. 218–220.
1610:Aders 1979, pp. 137, 190.
1277:, who was an analyst for
161:Combined Bomber Offensive
1751:Buttler (2004) pp. 56–59
1420:James 1991, pp. 198–199.
1402:Mason 1997, pp. 111–112.
1335:
1325:List of aircraft weapons
1023:A Ki-45 fuselage with a
929:
908:Raid, 21 February 1945,
766:than an ignited airship.
724:J: 2 × 30 mm MK 108
632:. Weapon recoil dampener
620:. Spent cases container
155:), which lacked ventral
123:is often translated as "
50:[ˈʃʁɛːgəmuˈziːk]
2770:Blohm & Voss BV 950
2765:Blohm & Voss BV 246
2760:Blohm & Voss BV 143
1958:F-89 Scorpion in action
1724:Mondey 2002, pp. 40–41.
1646:
1619:Hincliffe 1996, p. 138.
1466:Winchester 2005, p. 74.
1433:Sinnott, Colin (2001).
1241:United States Air Force
958:while serving in Rabaul
747:Method of sighting guns
742:: 2 × 30 mm MK 108
712:: 2 × 30 mm MK 108
196:anti-aircraft artillery
27:Messerschmitt Bf 110G-4
2020:London: Putnam, 1991.
1820:aviationspectator.com.
1306:
1247:gun installation on a
1220:Northrop F-89 Scorpion
1215:
1176:
1115:
1112:Royal Air Force Museum
1067:
1032:
989:Type 99 Model 1 cannon
959:
947:
927:
780:
768:
633:
495:
413:
379:
356:
278:
254:
220:
190:
173:
119:
94:
82:
56:
39:
34:
2360:Anti-tank autocannons
2231:German night fighters
1742:Scutts 1993, pp. 4–5.
1516:Hastings 1999, p. 45.
1291:
1209:
1174:
1101:
1072:Rolls-Royce Peregrine
1065:
1022:
953:
937:
910:
886:de Havilland Mosquito
775:
758:
689:Typical installations
595:
552:bombers (such as the
520:, mounting a pair of
518:Messerschmitt Bf 110s
411:
374:
351:
287:synchronization gears
276:
252:circular pan magazine
245:
214:
46:German pronunciation:
24:
2753:Experimental weapons
2686:High-explosive bombs
2550:Armor-piercing bombs
2452:Anti-personnel bombs
1733:Taylor 1969, p. 326.
1715:Bowyer 1970, p. 270.
1706:Buttler 2004, p. 51.
1685:Mondey 2006, p. 209.
1568:Gunston 2004, p. 98.
1475:Norton 2008, p. 123.
1266:in the early 1950s.
1192:remote dorsal turret
938:Nakajima J1N at the
734:Messerschmitt Me 262
728:Messerschmitt Bf 110
647:Messerschmitt Me 262
643:Messerschmitt Me 163
535:Nachtjagdgeschwadern
418:Boulton Paul Defiant
361:Boulton Paul Bittern
267:air-cooled Lewis gun
165:B-17 Flying Fortress
153:Handley Page Halifax
73:aircraft, such as a
2033:The Avro Lancaster.
2001:Hinchliffe, Peter.
1986:Hastings, Sir Max.
1676:Mason 1989, p. 157.
1601:Mondey 2006, p. 97.
1578:"Leonard Isaacson."
1556:Bowers 1982, p. 20.
1545:National Geographic
1457:Mondey 2002, p. 41.
1279:Operations research
1234:Grumman F9F Panther
1089:Armstrong Whitworth
1081:Bristol Beaufighter
1000:for the Luftwaffe.
962:In 1943, Commander
584:heavy-bomber based
453:German developments
434:Bell YFM-1 Airacuda
2172:Thompson, Warren.
2122:Air International,
2045:Mason, Francis K.
2031:Mason, Francis K.
1831:Boyne 1975, p. 36.
1779:Air International,
1760:Mason 1998, p. 56.
1658:on 28 October 2020
1489:Aders 1979, p. 67.
1393:Wilson 2008, p. 3.
1283:RAF Bomber Command
1216:
1177:
1144:a scaled prototype
1116:
1106:, on display as a
1068:
1033:
960:
948:
697:N: 4 × 20 mm
634:
487:Dornier Do 217J-1s
414:
380:
357:
283:tractor-configured
279:
255:
221:
179:B-29 Superfortress
35:
2830:
2829:
2405:Werfer-Granate 21
2197:978-0-7538-2398-9
2182:978-1-85532-725-2
2152:978-0-340-83871-6
2115:978-1-58007-109-3
2070:978-1-90210-914-5
2041:978-0-946627-30-1
2011:978-0-7603-0265-1
1996:978-0-330-39204-4
1981:978-0-7509-3410-7
1885:978-0-354-01247-8
1860:Technology Review
1781:July 1988, p. 46.
1320:Strategic bombing
1121:Battle of Britain
1039:"Nick". With the
1029:Udvar-Hazy Center
891:H2S bombing radar
740:Focke-Wulf Ta 154
704:Focke-Wulf Fw 189
580:21 cm Nebelwerfer
472:Dornier Do 17Z-10
229:pusher-configured
98:was previously a
2855:
2823:
2387:Unguided rockets
2272:Second World War
2264:
2257:
2250:
2241:
2240:
2016:James, Derek N.
1875:Aders, Gebhard.
1863:
1853:
1847:
1846:
1838:
1832:
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1823:
1814:
1808:
1807:
1805:
1803:
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1782:
1776:
1770:
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1761:
1758:
1752:
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1707:
1704:
1695:
1692:
1686:
1683:
1677:
1674:
1668:
1667:
1665:
1663:
1654:. Archived from
1644:
1635:
1626:
1620:
1617:
1611:
1608:
1602:
1599:
1593:
1590:
1584:
1575:
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1412:
1409:
1403:
1400:
1394:
1391:
1375:
1369:
1363:
1355:
1349:
1346:
1315:Bomber destroyer
1304:
1184:P-61 Black Widow
1027:fitment, at the
1005:Mitsubishi Ki-46
784:
663:Brandis, Germany
612:. Reserve drums
498:
496:Erprobungsstelle
478:Lichtenstein B/C
463:Rudolf Schoenert
388:Vickers Type 161
376:Vickers Type 161
327:Gerhard Fieseler
193:
176:
122:
97:
87:
59:
52:
47:
42:
2863:
2862:
2858:
2857:
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2853:
2852:
2833:
2832:
2831:
2826:
2817:
2780:Henschel Hs 298
2775:Henschel Hs 294
2748:
2680:
2627:
2544:
2446:
2442:V-1 flying bomb
2409:
2381:
2355:
2307:
2298:MG 81 & 81Z
2274:
2268:
2222:
2217:
2187:Wilson, Kevin.
2127:Scutts, Jerry.
2090:Mondey, David.
2075:Mondey, David.
1971:Gunston, Bill.
1934:Buttler, Tony.
1871:
1866:
1854:
1850:
1839:
1835:
1830:
1826:
1815:
1811:
1801:
1799:
1797:Tailhook Topics
1789:
1785:
1777:
1773:
1768:
1764:
1759:
1755:
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1737:
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1600:
1596:
1591:
1587:
1581:Ex Air Gunners,
1576:
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1567:
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1555:
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1536:
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1311:
1305:
1302:
1272:
1204:
1169:
1060:
1045:Nakajima C6N1-S
932:
817:Short Stirlings
797:Operation Hydra
786:
782:
773:
771:Operational use
749:
691:
679:recoilless guns
661:operating from
628:. Weapon mount
570:Sondergerät 500
550:Royal Air Force
483:Josef Kammhuber
455:
450:
346:
316:Sopwith Dolphin
291:Foster mounting
248:Foster mounting
246:Closeup of the
209:
204:
169:B-24 Liberators
163:, the American
95:"Schräge Musik"
45:
17:
12:
11:
5:
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2220:External links
2218:
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2155:
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2125:
2118:
2105:Norton, Bill.
2103:
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2073:
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2029:
2014:
1999:
1988:Bomber Command
1984:
1969:
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1437:. Frank Cass.
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1271:
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1264:Mikoyan MiG-17
1203:
1200:
1179:The American
1175:Northrop P-61C
1168:
1165:
1085:Gloster Reaper
1059:
1058:United Kingdom
1056:
1037:Kawasaki Ki-45
931:
928:
840:Heinkel He 219
774:
772:
769:
748:
745:
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743:
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731:
725:
722:Junkers Ju 388
719:
713:
710:Heinkel He 219
707:
701:
695:Dornier Do 217
690:
687:
600:installation:
586:Grosszerstörer
568:, such as the
539:heavy fighters
454:
451:
449:
446:
438:M4 37mm cannon
420:and the naval
345:
344:Interwar years
342:
257:The pilots of
208:
205:
203:
200:
149:Avro Lancaster
111:time signature
57:Schraege Musik
15:
9:
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2:
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2848:Aircraft guns
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2167:0-425-03633-2
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2138:
2137:0-89747-285-3
2134:
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2108:
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2100:1-85152-668-4
2097:
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2085:0-7537-1460-4
2082:
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2055:1-55750-082-7
2052:
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2027:
2026:0-85177-847-X
2023:
2019:
2015:
2012:
2008:
2004:
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1997:
1993:
1989:
1985:
1982:
1978:
1974:
1970:
1967:
1966:0-89747-246-2
1963:
1959:
1955:
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1944:1-85780-179-2
1941:
1937:
1933:
1930:
1929:0-356-01490-8
1926:
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1900:0-85177-815-1
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1525:de Bie, Rob.
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1313:
1312:
1303:Freeman Dyson
1299:
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1296:Schräge Musik
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1287:Schräge Musik
1284:
1280:
1276:
1275:Freeman Dyson
1267:
1265:
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1245:Schräge Musik
1242:
1239:In 1947, the
1237:
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1230:
1225:
1221:
1214:configuration
1213:
1212:Schräge Musik
1208:
1199:
1197:
1193:
1189:
1188:Schräge Musik
1185:
1182:
1173:
1167:United States
1164:
1162:
1158:
1157:
1152:
1151:Douglas Havoc
1147:
1145:
1140:
1136:
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1125:Schräge Musik
1122:
1113:
1109:
1108:night fighter
1105:
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1096:
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1090:
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1077:
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1042:
1041:Schräge Musik
1038:
1030:
1026:
1025:Schräge Musik
1021:
1017:
1014:
1013:Ho-203 cannon
1010:
1009:Schräge Musik
1006:
1001:
999:
998:Schräge Musik
995:
990:
985:
984:Schräge Musik
981:
977:
973:
969:
966:of the 251st
965:
964:Yasuna Kozono
957:
956:Yasuna Kozono
952:
945:
944:Schräge Musik
941:
936:
926:
924:
920:
916:
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907:
903:
899:
898:Schräge Musik
894:
892:
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879:Schräge Musik
875:
874:Schräge Musik
871:
868:
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862:Schräge Musik
859:
857:
856:Schräge Musik
853:
849:
845:
844:Schräge Musik
841:
837:
836:MK 108 cannon
833:
829:
828:Schräge Musik
825:
824:Schräge Musik
820:
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814:
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789:Schräge Musik
785:
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764:
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741:
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723:
720:
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716:Junkers Ju 88
714:
711:
708:
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686:
684:
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674:Schräge Musik
671:
670:Horten Ho 229
666:
664:
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656:
652:
648:
644:
639:
631:
627:
623:
619:
615:
611:
608:. Main drums
607:
603:
599:
598:Schräge Musik
594:
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566:Schräge Musik
561:
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536:
533:in 1943, the
532:
531:Schräge Musik
528:
527:Junkers Ju 88
523:
519:
515:
514:
513:Oberfeldwebel
509:
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419:
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402:no-allowance
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366:
365:Specification
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226:
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215:Canadian ace
213:
199:
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191:Schräge Musik
186:
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126:
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116:
112:
108:
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103:colloquialism
101:
96:
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86:
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76:
75:night fighter
72:
68:
64:
60:
58:
51:
43:
41:
40:Schräge Musik
32:
31:Schräge Musik
28:
23:
19:
2415:Guided bombs
2350:
2280:Machine guns
2203:
2188:
2173:
2158:
2144:Bomber Crew.
2143:
2128:
2121:
2106:
2091:
2076:
2061:
2060:Mason, Tim.
2046:
2032:
2017:
2002:
1987:
1972:
1957:
1950:
1935:
1920:
1919:Bruce, J.M.
1913:
1906:
1891:
1876:
1869:Bibliography
1859:
1851:
1842:
1836:
1827:
1819:
1812:
1800:. Retrieved
1796:
1786:
1778:
1774:
1765:
1756:
1747:
1738:
1729:
1720:
1711:
1690:
1681:
1672:
1660:. Retrieved
1656:the original
1651:
1631:
1624:
1615:
1606:
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1588:
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1103:
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1049:
1040:
1034:
1024:
1008:
1002:
997:
983:
980:Oberleutnant
979:
975:
972:Nakajima J1N
961:
943:
911:
897:
895:
883:
878:
873:
872:
861:
860:
855:
851:
848:wing loading
843:
827:
823:
822:Adoption of
821:
804:
793:Schrägwaffen
792:
788:
787:
781:
776:
759:
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682:
673:
667:
654:
650:
637:
635:
629:
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621:
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601:
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585:
574:
569:
565:
562:
547:
541:fitted with
534:
530:
511:
507:
505:
477:
459:Oberleutnant
457:
456:
448:World War II
431:
427:
415:
400:
396:
381:
358:
338:Albatros D.V
331:
280:
262:
256:
222:
217:Billy Bishop
187:
157:ball turrets
145:night bomber
133:
90:World War II
54:
37:
36:
30:
18:
2818: [
2395:Panzerblitz
2313:Autocannons
1802:21 December
1662:12 February
1652:BAE Systems
1196:Browning M2
1139:AI.IV radar
1076:Gloster G39
994:Oerlikon FF
919:an RAF base
763:Monica beam
386:(1930) and
323:Albert Ball
300:Nieuport 11
225:World War I
207:World War I
136:World War I
71:interceptor
67:machine gun
2837:Categories
2618:SD 4/HL RS
2588:PC 1800 Rs
2583:PC 1000 Rs
1855:Dyson, F.
1530:xs4all.nl.
1444:0714651583
1372:Peenemünde
1331:References
954:Commander
651:Jägerfaust
638:Jägerfaust
604:. MG FF/M
575:Jägerfaust
558:Wellington
405:shooting.
296:blind spot
263:from below
237:deflection
202:Background
63:autocannon
2785:Jagdfaust
2666:AB 500-3A
2661:AB 500-1B
2578:PC 500 Rs
2480:SD 10 FRZ
1382:Citations
1360:detectors
1243:tested a
1161:A&AEE
1052:A6M5 Zero
974:(J1N1-C)
923:Schnaufer
906:Ems Canal
902:Mitteland
852:Luftwaffe
805:Luftwaffe
754:periscope
699:MG 151/20
683:Jagdfaust
501:Tarnewitz
378:, c. 1931
355:, c. 1930
308:17 and 23
84:Luftwaffe
25:Captured
2671:AB 70-D1
2656:AB 500-1
2651:AB 250-3
2646:AB 250-2
2608:SC 10 DW
2465:SD 1 FRZ
2419:missiles
1309:See also
1301:—
1270:Analysis
1181:Northrop
832:Jumo 213
476:FuG 202
442:nacelles
368:stopped.
281:Several
140:Zeppelin
138:as anti-
125:slanting
69:, to an
2800:MK 214A
2744:SC 2500
2739:SC 2000
2734:SC 1800
2729:SC 1200
2724:SC 1000
2704:SB 2500
2699:SB 1800
2694:SB 1000
2623:SD 9/HL
2613:SD 4 HL
2598:PD 1000
2573:PC 1600
2568:PC 1400
2563:PC 1000
2540:SD 1700
2535:SD 1400
2530:SD 500E
2525:SD 500A
2510:SBe 250
2485:SD 10 C
2475:SD 10 A
2432:Hs 117H
2427:Fritz X
2346:MK 214A
1202:Postwar
1110:at the
1093:Bristol
968:Kōkūtai
813:6 Group
809:5 Group
554:Whitley
522:MG FF/M
491:MG 151s
223:During
129:oblique
113:(e.g.,
109:and/or
88:during
2815:SG 116
2805:MK 115
2795:MK 112
2790:MG 213
2719:SC 500
2714:SC 250
2676:BDC 10
2593:PD 500
2558:PC 500
2520:SD 500
2515:SD 250
2495:SBe 50
2437:Hs 293
2377:BK 7.5
2367:BK 3.7
2341:MK 108
2336:MK 103
2331:MK 101
2326:MG 151
2303:MG 131
2210:
2195:
2180:
2165:
2150:
2135:
2113:
2098:
2083:
2068:
2053:
2039:
2024:
2009:
1994:
1979:
1964:
1942:
1927:
1914:Wings,
1907:Wings,
1898:
1883:
1441:
1229:turret
1135:London
1031:museum
976:Irving
867:Monica
659:JG 400
655:Gruppe
508:Gruppe
465:of 4./
181:fleet
127:" or "
120:schräg
107:tuning
100:German
79:German
2822:]
2709:SC 50
2641:AB 23
2603:SC 10
2505:SD 70
2500:SD 50
2490:SD 15
2321:MG FF
2293:MG 17
2288:MG 15
1336:Notes
1156:BD126
1130:Blitz
1104:N1671
930:Japan
915:NJG 4
543:radar
499:) at
467:NJG 2
332:Jasta
2470:SD 2
2460:SD 1
2417:and
2372:BK 5
2208:ISBN
2193:ISBN
2178:ISBN
2163:ISBN
2148:ISBN
2133:ISBN
2111:ISBN
2096:ISBN
2081:ISBN
2066:ISBN
2051:ISBN
2037:ISBN
2022:ISBN
2007:ISBN
1992:ISBN
1977:ISBN
1962:ISBN
1940:ISBN
1925:ISBN
1896:ISBN
1881:ISBN
1804:2021
1664:2021
1632:BBC,
1439:ISBN
1218:The
1091:and
811:and
791:(or
672:, a
636:The
556:and
382:The
359:The
314:and
306:and
167:and
151:and
115:jazz
2400:R4M
1281:of
1133:on
572:or
329:of
320:ace
65:or
2839::
2820:de
1795:.
1699:^
1650:.
1639:^
1561:^
1494:^
1480:^
1425:^
1289::
1236:.
1153:,
1149:A
1146:.
819:.
685:.
665:.
510:,
334:38
304:16
302:,
227:,
92:.
2263:e
2256:t
2249:v
2214:.
2199:.
2184:.
2169:.
2154:.
2139:.
2117:.
2102:.
2087:.
2072:.
2057:.
2028:.
2013:.
1998:.
1983:.
1968:.
1946:.
1931:.
1902:.
1887:.
1806:.
1666:.
1447:.
1114:.
904:–
657:/
630:8
626:7
622:6
618:5
614:4
610:3
606:2
602:1
44:(
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