A-26 Guns

[MIflyer]

Some time ago I saw an artist's concept of an A-26 equipped with 37MM and 75MM nose guns. I had assumed that was nothing but a proposed development that never saw any actual hardware. But in the A-26/B/C Erection and Maintenance Manual details are provided that reveal that to have been an actual development, with various combinations of not only .50 cal guns but also 37MM and 75MM.

Attached is an extract of the manual.

 

[Micdrow]

Here you go, picture of 75mm cannon installed in A-26 invader. Pictures from the Squadron Signal publications number 134 of A-26 invader in action.

Enjoy

 

[Micdrow]

Different nose armament arrangements from same book as above.

 

[MIflyer]

Yes, but I never thought they went so far as to put the instructions in a manual. By the time the A-26 came out I think that the enthusiasm for large caliber cannon had waned. It really was not very successful in the B-25 and P-39, and the 5 inch HAVAR was turning out to be far superior, although that is not what Rudel thought. The XA-41 had four 37MM guns but it never got past the prototype stage. Interestingly enough the A-26 manual refers to the right set next to the pilot as "the loader's seat." There was no copilot as such, although I talked to an enlisted Korean vet who said he rode there next to the pilot and they took turns flying the passes when firing the rockets. The pilot wanted to salvo them all on one pass, but oddly enough that never seemed to happen; must have been some problem with the firing switches.

Of course, the guns section I posted is just an excerpt from the complete A-26 Erection and Maintenance Manual I provided.

 

[Micdrow]

Yes, but I never thought they went so far as to put the instructions in a manual. By the time the A-26 came out I think that the enthusiasm for large caliber cannon had waned. It really was not very successful in the B-25 and P-39, and the 5 inch HAVAR was turning out to be far superior, although that is not what Rudel thought. The XA-41 had four 37MM guns but it never got past the prototype stage. Interestingly enough the A-26 manual refers to the right set next to the pilot as "the loader's seat." There was no copilot as such, although I talked to an enlisted Korean vet who said he rode there next to the pilot and they took turns flying the passes when firing the rockets. The pilot wanted to salvo them all on one pass, but oddly enough that never seemed to happen; must have been some problem with the firing switches.

Of course, the guns section I posted is just an excerpt from the complete A-26 Erection and Maintenance Manual I provided.

True but I think that is with a lot of weapons. On the B-25 they had torpedo equipment in the manual up to the J model I believe as standard even though it rarely carried it

 

[MIflyer]

The A-26 manual also has info on torpedo equipment. I think about the last time a torpedo was used in actual combat by the US was when some USN Skyraiders took out a dam in Korea. The RN did sink the Argentine cruiser Gen Belgrado with submarine fired torpedoes in the Falklands war in the 80's. The DPRK attacked an ROK ship with a sub launched torpedo several years back.