Imagine this - what if there was no armor behind the pilot in this case...
Performance modifications done at Squadron level.
- Thread starter andy1967
- Start date
Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
Steamed_Banana
Senior Airman
- 327
- Sep 29, 2025
Shortround6
Lieutenant General
It looks like the shell exploded just outside the skin? The small holes below the large hole appear to be bent in and a lot of the "marks" seem to be missing paint. Certainly does not mean that there no fragments that went inside the Fuselage.
A lot of battle damage depends on whose shell it was and exactly which type of shell.
The famous German 20mm Mine shell.
Lots of HE, not a lot of metal, except for the fuse.
But at times only 40-50% of the ammo belt was filled with such rounds.
Since they could not put tracer into that shell body around 40% of the shells were these.
HE content was about 25% of the mine shell and the heavy construction meant larger fragments but not a lot of them. The entire rear portion of shell that held the tracer element might come off in one piece.
The fuses were often brass.
There were also some AP shells with base fuses and there were some AP tracer. And that is just German 20mm MG 151 ammo. Other types of German ammo or British ammo or Japanese ammo?
A lot of battle damage depends on whose shell it was and exactly which type of shell.
The famous German 20mm Mine shell.
Lots of HE, not a lot of metal, except for the fuse.
But at times only 40-50% of the ammo belt was filled with such rounds.
Since they could not put tracer into that shell body around 40% of the shells were these.
HE content was about 25% of the mine shell and the heavy construction meant larger fragments but not a lot of them. The entire rear portion of shell that held the tracer element might come off in one piece.
The fuses were often brass.
There were also some AP shells with base fuses and there were some AP tracer. And that is just German 20mm MG 151 ammo. Other types of German ammo or British ammo or Japanese ammo?
NZTyphoon
Airman 1st Class
This is what happened to the Spitfire I, X4110 of 602 Sqn after being hit by some (probably) MG-FF/M Mine shells on 18 August 1940...total operational life = 1 hour.
Colours of mine shell would have been the same as those of the MG 151/20.
Colours of mine shell would have been the same as those of the MG 151/20.
Last edited:
Users who are viewing this thread
Similar threads
