Category Archives: weapons

Triple 20mm “Drilling” Flak on Railcar

Source: Light, Intense and Accurate: U.S. Eighth A.F. Strategic Fighters Versus German Flak in the ETO, 1943-1945  

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120mm Granatwerfer 42 Mortar

U.S. troops demonstrate a captured Granatwerfer 42 (12cm GrW 42) German heavy mortar on the First Army Front in Echtz, near Duren, Germany.      

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Digging in AA Half-Tracks

Instructions for digging defensive positions for AA halftracks from “Antiaircraft Artillery Notes,” HQ ETO, No. 8, December 1944: Digging in Half-Tracks Source: AA Section, Headquarters Twelfth Army Group The principle of digging in equipment is one which all AAA combat units understand … Continue reading

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Arrangement of Guns on Naval Vessels

Illustation of the typical arrangement of guns on a WWII battleship, cruiser, and destroyer from Naval Ordnance and Gunnery, NAVPERS 16116, Bureau of Naval Personnel, Training Division, May, 1944:  

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Bombardier Chin and Nose Turrets

From Bombardiers’ Information File, War Department, March 1945: The bombardier is concerned primarily with those gun turrets he is most likely to operate. He is almost always responsible for control of the nose turrets in heavy and very heavy aircraft. … Continue reading

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Grumman Ball Turret

Illustrations of the Grumman Ball Turret 150SE-1 and 150SE-2 mounted in the TBF Avenger from Aircrewman’s Gunnery Manual, Aviation Training Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy, 1944.  

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German Machine Gun Trick

The following intelligence report on an unusual German remote-controlled machine-gun position encountered by U.S. troops in Normandy was published in the Intelligence Bulletin, Vol. III, No. 4, December 1944. GERMAN MACHINE-GUN TRICK A U.S. staff sergeant, who served as an observer for a … Continue reading

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Economical Shooting

Report on a single lucky 40mm shot from “Antiaircraft Artillery Notes,” HQ ETO, No. 15, January 1945: Subject: More Economical Shooting Source: AA Section, Headquarters Twelfth Army Group The 445th AAA AW Bn (M) claims to have at least tied the world’s record … Continue reading

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Japanese Suicide Boats

The following U.S. intelligence reports on Japanese suicide boats were published in Enemy on Luzon: An Intelligence Summary: NAVY SUICIDE CRASH BOATS: Japanese suicide crash boats manned by Naval personnel were found in a tunnel on Corregidor. The boats were … Continue reading

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Training Film for 16-inch Battleship Guns

Post-war training film about loading, aiming, and firing the Iowa Class 16″ guns.     (The 16″/50 Gun & Turret, Major Caliber Guns & Turrets, United States Navy Training Film, MN-9321c, 1955.)  

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