40 mm Bofors AA guns made in GB and US - Page 6

Bill Murray · #1 24-10-04, 17:15

Stellan:
Here is a Polish one for you I have not seen you post before.
From Illustrated London Daily News of about 1938 I think.
Bill

Stellan Bojerud (RIP) · #2 25-10-04, 05:05

Thank you Bill!

The picture of these Polish Bofors guns was very helpful for my research.

Stellan

Stellan Bojerud (RIP) · #3 25-10-04, 09:59

US M 19 Twin 40-mm Gun Motor Carriage. On T 24 light tank chassis. Production started August 1944. Totally 904 pcs made.

Who can provide a picture?

Stellan

Bill Murray · #4 25-10-04, 18:30

Stellan:
Bad scan but it is a start, still learning new scanner
Bill

Stellan Bojerud (RIP) · #5 26-10-04, 12:09

Thank you for the M 19 Bill!

This is the British version of the airborne Bofors gun. The Canadian version you can see on top of page 1 of this thread.

The Canadian version was called "Bantam" carriage. Was Bantam the producer?

What were those guns and carriages called officialy? Mk ??

David_Hayward (RIP) · #6 26-10-04, 12:44

What type of tractor pulled the airportable Bofors? I have seen a photo of an airportable Ford 15-cwt which was presumably in a Hamilcar [can't remember] and I suppose they could have used MCC units but was the Bofors too heavy for a Jeep?

Bill Murray · #7 27-10-04, 01:14

Do you have this one Stellan?
Bill

Gunner · #8 29-10-04, 03:44

Hi Stellan:

"Bantam" is an anglicism for small and tough... comes from bantam rooster which is a miniature (and aggressive) breed of rooster.

The term was applied in WW I to battalions of smaller men.

Cheers, Mike

Bill Murray · #9 30-10-04, 00:57

Another, Stellan I have not seen on this site.
Bill

Stellan Bojerud (RIP) · #10 30-10-04, 11:24

That was a very interesting picture. Bill!

Standing left is the sights-operator. Hidden behind him is gunlayer left - elevation + firing. Standing next to the sights-operator is the loader. Sitting right gunlayer - traversing. Standing right gun commander.

Late 1944 or 1945.

Thank you!

Stellan

David_Hayward (RIP) · #11 30-10-04, 11:56

Morris-Commercial in batch S 4898826 to 4900855, to Contract V.4997, 'Carrier Predictor A.A. No. 3 S.P.M. and Carrier Predictor 40 mm S.P.M.'.

John McGillivray · #12 30-10-04, 15:17

Here is a photo of an American Bofors on Guadalcanal.

John McGillivray · #13 30-10-04, 17:46

Here are a series of photos of American SP 40mm AA prototypes. All of these photos come from “British and American Tanks of World War II” by Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis.

The first is a photo of the 40mm Gun Motor Carriage T59E1.

John McGillivray · #14 30-10-04, 17:54

M3 half-track motor carriage with twin 40mm AA guns superimposed with overhead equilibrators.

John McGillivray · #15 30-10-04, 18:02

40mm AA gun and its direction equipment based on the M3 medium tank chassis.

John McGillivray · #16 30-10-04, 18:09

A single 40mm AA gun flanked by two .50 cal machine guns in a ball-type traversing mount on the M4 medium tank chassis.

John McGillivray · #17 30-10-04, 18:15

The final photo. A Cadillac design based on a lengthened M5A1 light tank chassis.

Stellan Bojerud (RIP) · #18 02-11-04, 15:22

Thank you John for these interesting pictures!

I have found some new information regarding the British Bofors production.

In 1939 the production was made by "one of the Royal Ordnance Factories" (which?) and the Nuffield Group. In 1940 six companies were organised as the "40 mm Mounting Group" which was chaired by Artur Stephens.

In June 1940 A. Reyrolle & Co Ltd got a contract for producing Bofors-gunmounts. This was however soon changed to the full assembly of the guns.

Guns and carriages were not made by Reyrolle but supplied from other factories. The production line took considerable time to set up and reached capacity by late 1941.

The production made by Reyrolle ceased in December 1943. By then Reyrolle had produced 1.580 Bofors guns.

Reyrolle also made "Kerrison Predictors" - unknown number.

Stellan

Stellan Bojerud (RIP) · #19 03-11-04, 16:00

Chrysler production of Bofors guns was made by 10 factories. Main assembly (?) by 1) Highland Park, 2) Plymouth and 3) Jefferson-Kercheval.

The most difficult part - breeches - were made by Jefferson-Kercheval reportedly also for Maribyrong in Australia.

Stellan

Stellan Bojerud (RIP) · #20 04-11-04, 14:38

Argentina got 6 Bofors guns before WW 2 prevented further deliveries from Sweden.

Here are some on parade. What type of trucks?

Stellan

Bill Murray · #21 04-11-04, 15:49

Stellan:

I believe you will find those are CMPs of which Argentine received a number after WWII. I think I have a better copy of that photo and will post it if I can find it.
Bill

Hanno Spoelstra · #22 04-11-04, 18:50

Quote:

Originally posted by Bill Murray
I believe you will find those are CMPs of which Argentine received a number after WWII. I think I have a better copy of that photo and will post it if I can find it.

Let me help you, Bill

Source: TANKS! > Argentina

Definitely CMPs - see http://www.oldcmp.net/aacvm.html for some survivors, one of which is very rare.

H.

Bill Murray · #23 04-11-04, 19:42

Hanno:
Thanks as always.
Amazing how those Monkey Faces ended in the strangest parts of the world isn't it.
Bill

Alex Blair (RIP) · #24 05-11-04, 00:04

Quote:

Originally posted by Stellan Bojerud
Argentina got 6 Bofors guns before WW 2 prevented further deliveries from Sweden.

Here are some on parade. What type of trucks?

Stellan

Looks like a 13 cab F 60 L to me...

David_Hayward (RIP) · #25 05-11-04, 00:12

Alex, I blew up the pic and it appears that it has the Chevrolet-style front and back radiator guard uprights rather than the Ford-style rear-mounted. What do you think?

Alex Blair (RIP) · #26 05-11-04, 02:34

Quote:

Originally posted by David_Hayward
Alex, I blew up the pic and it appears that it has the Chevrolet-style front and back radiator guard uprights rather than the Ford-style rear-mounted. What do you think?

Hi Dave
Hard to tell without further magnification,but the front axel looks like the vertical split Ford axel,but then again they were interchangable with the Chev..
Maybe it's a Volkswagon....

Stellan Bojerud (RIP) · #27 16-11-04, 11:56

Now I have learned that a Polish made carriage has wheels with eight holes and six bolts (is that the correct expression?). A Swedish made has also wheels with eight holes but only five bolts. The Hungarian made guns I am not sure of yet.

Thus this could be a Polish made gun.

Stellan Bojerud (RIP) · #28 17-11-04, 16:40

A French "Alligator" with 40 mm Bofors gun.
Who knows more of this type of vehicle?

John McGillivray · #29 18-11-04, 02:03

It is not an Alligator. It is an American made LAV 4 or what the British called a “Buffalo”. Note that it has a forward mounted engine and a rear ramp which allows the loading and unloading of light vehicles and guns. The earlier versions of these, the LVT 1 and LVT 2 had a rear mounted engine and no ramp. The British called the LVT 1 the “Alligator”.

Hanno Spoelstra · #30 18-11-04, 17:22

Quote:

Originally posted by Stellan Bojerud
A French "Alligator" with 40 mm Bofors gun.
Who knows more of this type of vehicle?

Landing Vehicle, Tracked Mark 4 or LVT 4, fitted with a 40-mm Bofors gun by the French. The "Alligator" (LVT 4) and "Crabe" (M29C Weasel) gave the French troops the much-needed mobility in French Indochina's rice paddies.

See http://members.lycos.co.uk/Indochine/cefeo/afvs.html