Hurricane MK.IIC armed with tank busters?

[coryns01]

Hello,
I am researching my great-uncle, Flying Officer Corran Perry Ashworth, as I was named after him. He was best friends with the legendary Sqn Ldr Johnnie Houston DFC, and was referenced in Johnnie's book 'Spitfire Strikes' a few times.

I understand the Hurricane IID was fitted with 'tank buster' cannons, and 6 Squadron was equipped with this version. I know from Corran's logbook (with thanks from his youngest brother) that he was flying a MK.IIC (recorded under number as D) with 253 Squadron at the time the following anecdote refers:

"Ash had just returned from South Africa, and came to stay for a week with me at Hornchurch before starting his official rest period, and also been commissioned. Since we had gone our different ways a year and a half before Ash had been flying strafing Hurricanes with four 20-mm guns, and 'tank busters' which were fitted with a 37-mm gun under each wing. The weight and drag of these artillery pieces pulled the performance of the Hurricane right down, and there were only a few rounds per gun, which had to be reloaded for each salvo by a remote control from the cockpit. When fired, the recoil of these heavy-calibre guns knocked 30 mph or more off the speed of the aircraft, but the results were often spectacular."

"Ash had been on a convoy patrol north of Algiers in one of these tank busters when a Ju 88 dropped out of cloud in front of him, to begin a bombing run on the ships. Sighting very carefully Ash fired his two-round broadside, and the Ju 88 disintegrated, probably the only time those guns were ever used in the air-to-air role."

This is an excerpt from Johnnie Houlton's autobiography.

So, what is the likelihood of this being accurate? Corran only noted that he was on patrol 30 miles north of Phillipeville (now Skikda), Algeria, on 15 February 1943. At this time, 253 Squadron was based at Setif, Algeria. He noted 'Ju88 shot down into sea in flames'. Corran was still an RNZAF pilot - he was transferred to the RAF 23 March 1943.

This 'kill' was noted on Luftwaffedata: Aufkl. Gr. 122 Feb 1943 - Luftwaffedata Wiki

Corran visited Johnnie at Hornchurch shortly after returning to England in October 1943 (Johnnie was with 485 Squadron, and Corran was in a few photos).

He and Johnnie were at Biggin Hill during a visit by New Zealand High Commissioner Bill Jordan - a photo taken at the time appears in Paul Sortehaug's book 'No 485 (N.Z.) Squadron 1941-1945 : Spitfire', incorrectly dated as July - Corran was still based in Algeria.

With 'backyard' modifications being very common, how feasible would it have been to perform an unofficial surgery and upgrade to a Mk.IIC?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

corranashworth.info

 

[Wurger]

Hello,

Welcome to the site.

To answer your question ... the easiest way for upgrading the Hurricane Mk.IID to the Mk.IIC would be replacing of the whole external wing parts of the Mk.IID with the ones of the Hurricane IIC. Perhaps the Rotol prop with its spinner should be changed as well. But I would say it wasn't needed. Actually the differences between the Mk.IIC and IID were minor because the D based on the C version.
However if you ask about the "home made" unofficial modifications ... that could be done in the easy way. The Hurricane Mk.IID was nothing more but the modified Mk.IIC and "inherited" the wings from the variant. Just there were removed the four ( 2 per a wing ) 20mm connons and the one MG installed in the place of the outer cannon. Also the Mk.IID had the landing light at the wing leading edge removed often. The only thing to do when the armament was changed, would be replacing of the top covering at area where the cannons were accomodated. The Mk.IIC had there the hatches with the drop-shape bulges for the cannons and two rectangle hatches at the trailing edge panel. The Mk.IID didn't the bulges there. Certainly there should be added the bottom panels with the shel ejector slots if needed.

Unfortunately there are still sources showing the wing diagram incorrectly and confusing the wing layout with the Mk.IV later one. Also there may happen the minor differences .

Anyway the Hurricane Mk.IIC and Mk.IIC wing layout diagrams ...

Mk.IIC ...

Mk.IID ...

the pic source: the net.

 

[coryns01]

Thank you very much for your very informative, thorough, and interesting reply!

I'm going to have a note under the anecdote on my website to provide an explanation that the tank buster cannons were likely unofficial, and your post kind of corroborates the possibility.

 

[herman1rg]

Ask here and it's likely to be found

 

[Wurger]

Thank you very much for your very informative, thorough, and interesting reply!

I'm going to have a note under the anecdote on my website to provide an explanation that the tank buster cannons were likely unofficial, and your post kind of corroborates the possibility.

My pleasure.

Regarding the tank buster cannons being likely unofficial .. the Hurricane Mk.IIC was introduced at the beginning of the 1941. However the working on increasing of the Hurricane fire power started much earlier. Hence the variant with the 12 MGs installed. The Hurricane of the variants could also carry two 113 kg bombs and at the end of the 1941 also the 2x226 kg bombs or two external fuel tanks, each of 44 gallons capacity. In the same time the main task for the Hurricane was change to the figher-bomber role. As memo serves there were about 4700 Mk.IIC built what is the most large number of Hurricane type built. Unfortunately the destroying of the more and more heavy armoured vehicles with the 20mm cannons became difficult or even impossible. So as the assault plane she needed more effective weapon to fight against the more heavy vehicles etc. The answer was just the Mk.IID introduced with the 40mm cannons at the beginning of the 1942. Initially armed with the Rolls-Royce cannons with the 12 shels as the ammunition supply later replaced by the Vickers S cannons of the 15 shels for each gun. Additinally the Mk.IID got the armoured cockpit, engine and the radiator.. Both variants were used widely at the Africa and the Middle East. To make the assembling process as quick as possible the Hawker factory decided to rebuilt the number of the Mk.IICs to Mk.IID variant. So no wonder these were almost identically and could be used together.

 

[MIflyer]

It was a 40MM cannon, not 37MM. And by the way, the USAAF insisted that the P-39's 37MM would make a fine tank buster but the RAF ran tests with a P-39 and found the only way they would knock out a German tank would be if the crew all got out to see if the knocking sound they heard was a tread coming off, and then got strafed.

The book "Druid's Circle" describes the tests of the 40MM gun on the IID as well as tests with the P-39. They did the tests in Northern Ireland to keep away inquisitive eyes. The Prototype IID was to be escorted by a stock IIC. But the IIC pilot failed to realize the major performance impact of the cannons on the IID and simply advanced his throttle to the usual setting - and ran off and left the IID, which got lost. The pilot feared he would end up landing in Southern Ireland and run into some Nazi sympathizers, but he managed to make things Okay.