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In short many Axis nations favored bullet power over "power of the bullets" just like they favored centerline guns ws wing gun batteries.
Did the soviets develop explosive ammo for their 12.7mm guns?
Gladly the P-38 guns were manufactured to british specs.
The US Hispano was a mega fail indeed - no idea why they so totally fucked-up this gun, an easy change could have cured it. Smells like a buerocrat as head of development/production. Gladly the P-38 guns were manufactured to british specs.
I think the muzzle velocity is something that is an issue and makes a difference. If you have a high muzzle velocity, then you can rely on the kinetic energy to result in significant effect at the target. Conversely, with a lower muzzle velocity, it becomes more worthwhile to use explosive ammunition.Germans, Italians and Japanese used the explosive ammo for their heavy MGs during the ww2. Is there an assesment of how good actually that type of ammo was worth it vs. a (probably) simpler and cheaper API?
Paging also A A.G. Williams
The 15mm was easier to hit with (required less lead) but while the 15mm HE held about 3 times the HE of the 12.7/13mm projectiles it was roughly 1/3 as much as the normal 20mm projectiles would hold. And about 1/7th what the Mine shell would hold. German 20mm shells after the MG/FF were about 10-13 grams lighter than the 'normal' 20mm projectiles and that weight came out of the middle of the shell where the thinnest walls and most explosives were.I think the muzzle velocity is something that is an issue and makes a difference. If you have a high muzzle velocity, then you can rely on the kinetic energy to result in significant effect at the target. Conversely, with a lower muzzle velocity, it becomes more worthwhile to use explosive ammunition.
Interestingly, the Germans, after experimenting with the MG 151/15 largely standardized on the 20mm version, which had a lower muzzle velocity, but could fire the so called mine shells.