Fixed tail gun in an He-111

[B-17engineer]

Can someone give me more information on this. Thanks!

 

[Flyboy2]

The tail gun was a sometimes included modification in the He-111H-3 varient and onwards. It was not manned but was fired by one of the crew members, I think it was the person who manned the lower gondola. It was not extremely effective from what I gather but since it wasn't very visible it was sure scare the you know what out of any pilot approaching from the tail. It looks like an attempt to make the vulnerable He-111 a little less vulnerable.

 

[magnocain]

I think it would have been a good idea to equip some fighters with such a tail machine gun, it would have been useful.

 

[Grampa]

The Ar-234B had a pair of fixed rearward-firing 20 millimeter MG-151/20 cannon for protecting its tail, with the pilot sighting the guns through the periscope.
Arado Ar 234 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Flyboy2]

I think it would have been pretty hard to use a fighter tail gun. Because most dog fights where turning fights, the shots would have been very hard to make because the bullets would have flew wide. Would have been useful for formation flying.

 

[Micdrow]

He 111 tail weapon install from book squadron signal He-111 in action.

 

[magnocain]

I think it would have been pretty hard to use a fighter tail gun. Because most dog fights where turning fights, the shots would have been very hard to make because the bullets would have flew wide. Would have been useful for formation flying.

Not to shoot down enemy planes as to scare them and straft overflown ground targets.

 

[Heinz]

Thanks for the shot Micdrow!

 

[B-17engineer]

Thanks guys and great Pic Micdrow

 

[Flyboy2]

Sure clears up alot of confusion

 

[Keith T]

I think that the tail gun on some Heinkels was fired by the pilot and he had a rear view mirror to sight it - just like on a car.
Some Heinkels had a grenade launcher in the tail.
Keith T

 

[Micdrow]

I think that the tail gun on some Heinkels was fired by the pilot and he had a rear view mirror to sight it - just like on a car.
Some Heinkels had a grenade launcher in the tail.
Keith T

Ive never heard of this configuration that I can think off. Any body have any more info on the grenade launcher version. How many grenade's where carried or any pictures of it installed.

 

[Flyboy2]

Umm.... wouldn't that be really dangerous to be firing a gernade launcher in a bomber formation. The gernades what have to have really short fuses to ensure the didn't blow up farther back in the formation and wouldn't there also be danger from the gernade shrapnel damaging the plane it was shot from?
Are you sure it was a gernade launcher?

 

[kool kitty89]

One thing to note is that the LW bomber formations in the BoB were much looser than those of the USAAF's bomber boxes. But FB2's point still stands.

And I'd be skeptical of this too.

 

[Denniss]

I never heard of a rear firing grenade lauchcher, too. The Luftwaffe did some unseccessful experiments with rear firing flamethrowers but AFAIR only in Do 17.

 

[Flyboy2]

Flamethrowers! that would have been crazy. I know its a little off topic, but do you have any information on those experiments that I can see.

 

[Graeme]

Nice internal/external shots of the CASA 2.111 at this site...

Heinkel He-111 (CASA 2.111) "Pedro" Photo Gallery by Mark Bogard at pbase.com

 

[bf109 Emil]

majority of RCAF pilots attacked from line astern either to port or starboard, thus hampering the rear gunner from tracking do to slip stream, and limited swing as opposed to lanc/B17/24 ball turret rotating completely...

bf109 Emil

 

[ChrisMAg2]

Flamethrowers! that would have been crazy. I know its a little off topic, but do you have any information on those experiments that I can see.

Here is a pic from Sq-Sig 85, Ju 88, pt1:

 

[ChrisMAg2]

Ive never heard of this configuration that I can think off. Any body have any more info on the grenade launcher version. How many grenade's where carried or any pictures of it installed.

Actually, these were not grenades (as in mortars or guns), but mines.

IIRC, there were 2 - 4 containers in the aft cone of a He 111. These containers would open upon release and disperse a 200g mine hanging on a cable and a small parachute. A following plane should pick up the cable and the drag of the 'chute would move the mine towards the plane. The mine would detonate on contact.
Some combat tests were run, but were not that successful.