Sonder Gerät 116

[fubar57]

Looking through a book and came across this photo...

Never seen this before and wonder if if anyone has info on which unit(s) may have used it. It would definitely be an oddball scheme. More info here...
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30 mm SG 116 (30 mm Sonder Gerät 116) Zellendusche

Geo

 

[mikewint]

Geo, I have heard of these as Schräge Musik (off tune music) autocannons used in night fighter squadrons. I'm more familiar with the Sondergerät SG 500 Jagdfaust an anti-bomber recoilless rifle designed for use in the Me 163 Komet . The Komet was so fast that pilots found it difficult to fire enough cannon rounds to destroy a bomber in a single pass. A 5 cm shell was mounted in a launch tube held in place by a pair of thin pins. Five such tubes were mounted to fire upward in each wing. To ensure it would be fired at the correct time, the weapon featured a simple form of automated trigger in which an optical photocell detected the dark silhouette of an Allied bomber replacing bright blue sky and triggered the firing of the armed Jagdfaust guns. When the weapon fired, the force of the launch would break the pins holding the tube in place and the heavy tube would be ejected downward to offset the momentum of the explosive force of the shell.

 

[GrauGeist]

While the Germans had several types equipped with Schrage Musik, other nations employed the upward-firing weapons like Japan for example, which had the N1J, KI-45 and KI-46.

Britain's Boulton Paul Defiant was able to achieve this same configuration by elevating it's turret weapons to a full upward firing position the same as the P-61 of the USAAF.

 

[stona]

The original photo is of the SG 116 'Zellendusche' installation on one of two Fw 190 F-8s so equipped (White 11 and White 3) belonging to Jagdgruppe 10 at Parchim. Jagdgruppe 10 was the successor to Erprobungskommando 25 which previously carried out many experiments with novel armament.
The weapon is essentially three recoilless, single shot, upward firing 30mm MK 103 barrels, set with a two degree spread and fired by a photocell, the opening for which is visible at rear of the canopy. The two aircraft carried out tests with the system, using an old He 177 as the target aircraft. The tests were carried out in the second half of 1944 and yielded unsatisfactory results. The system was never used operationally.
Incidentally the installation on the other aircraft (White 3) was slightly different, the barrels being unequally spaced.
Cheers
Steve

 

[fubar57]

Outstanding Steve. I have a couple of F-8s in the stash and it might be a thought further down the road.


Geo

 

[stona]

Outstanding Steve. I have a couple of F-8s in the stash and it might be a thought further down the road.
Geo

I have a photo of the slightly different installation on White 3 if you ever need it.

Cheers

Steve

 

[stona]

A sketch of the weapon itself (from Smith and Creek's Fw 190 Volume 3)

The asymmetric installation of the cannon barrels on 'White 3'.

Cheers

Steve

 

[fubar57]

Much obliged Steve. The oddball scheme is perfect and I can obtain some 1/48 30mm MK 103 barrels. Just need to work out some markings and colors and start planning. Never seen one of these modeled but having typed that, minutes from now someone will pop in with a dozen builds.


Geo

 

[Crimea_River]

The barrels won't be the issue but the fairings between the barrels and fuselage would be the challenge methinks.

 

[stona]

The barrels won't be the issue but the fairings between the barrels and fuselage would be the challenge methinks.

The ones in the top picture look flexible, knowing the Germans probably leather. I think they could easily be molded from Milliput or similar.
Cheers
Steve

 

[fubar57]

Good plan Steve, now that I have Milliput©. I was also thinking along the lines of what the tread-heads use: a mixture of water/white glue on tissue paper and then molded around the barrels.


Geo

 

[Crimea_River]

Both sound like good options.