In Flying Guns World War II:



is there any more info about the Bf109F2 and the MG 151/20? I wonder if in the Eastern Front were the F2s with modified cannon?

Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by faustnik:
In Flying Guns World War II:



is there any more info about the Bf109F2 and the MG 151/20? I wonder if in the Eastern Front were the F2s with modified cannon?

Thanks!

I haven't seen anything specific about that mod, but it seems reasonable. The only difference between the F-1 and F-2 was the cannon, IIRC.

quote:

Originally posted by faustnik:
In Flying Guns World War II:



is there any more info about the Bf109F2 and the MG 151/20? I wonder if in the Eastern Front were the F2s with modified cannon?

Thanks!

It was done for certainity. Amongst interrogations of captured Luftwaffe pilots, there is one case from 20/7/41, noting:

"The 2cm MG 151 with which this particular aircraft was armed was fitted at the pilots own request, because it has the same high muzzle velocity as the standard MG 151, and the damage caused by the 2 cm shell would be greater"

I am pretty sure Tony's comment is based on this comment found in AIR 40/191, papers on the Bf 109F. And after all, the MG 151 and 151/20 were basically the same guns. So I am pretty sure there were F-2s with F-4-like armament; pretty unlikely in the case of the F-1/F-3 though, which had a different setup for the MG FF cannon (kinda academic as both were produced only in small numbers).

Thanks guys!

I'm sure the MG 151/15 was very good in early 1941 against light fighters, like Spitfire, but, dealing with IL-2s and even I-16s must have been a problem.

Why I-16? Not exactly armored is it? The IL2 DM OTOH has limits and quirks, explosives work faster.

The MG151 gave poor results, pilots complained and thus it was replaced by the MG151/20 fairly soon.

quote:

Originally posted by M_Gunz:
Why I-16? Not exactly armored is it? The IL2 DM OTOH has limits and quirks, explosives work faster.

I-16 had a radial engine, like the US Navy fighters. The Bf109 pilots with the fancy in-line had a thin radiator. So, maybe the I-16 were not too weak???

quote:

Originally posted by faustnik:

quote:

Originally posted by M_Gunz:
Why I-16? Not exactly armored is it? The IL2 DM OTOH has limits and quirks, explosives work faster.

I-16 had a radial engine, like the US Navy fighters. The Bf109 pilots with the fancy in-line had a thin radiator. So, maybe the I-16 were not too weak???

The I-16 has a nasty tendency to blow up when hit with even the F-2s full firepower. I've had to limp home many times after blowing them up at close range too often.

Google "translate"

"..special tests to the firing of single-seat hull IL-2 from the German heavy machine gun MG-151/15 caliber 15 mm, held at the factory number 125 in July-August 1942, it was found that: the rear of the armored hardened armor brands HD thickness of 12 mm does not protect against armor-piercing bullets caliber of 15 mm during the shelling from a distance of 400 meters and closer to the cone up to 40 'from the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, armored side of the homogeneous armor grade AB-1, 6 mm thick did not provide protection against armor-piercing bullets of this caliber with a distance less than 400 meters at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft more than 20 °; .."

V.Perov, O.Rastrenin. Sturmovik IL-2

The first British captured 109F2 had a retrofitted 20mm MG151/20.

So yes it was done for sure.

Kurfurst has the British report on his site, its a damn good read.

quote:

Originally posted by faustnik:
In Flying Guns World War II:



is there any more info about the Bf109F2 and the MG 151/20? I wonder if in the Eastern Front were the F2s with modified cannon?

Thanks!

VERY good book. I have it also.
I find that the information in there is very accurate.
As far as finding more info about this, I am not sure where to look.