Hi All
Couple of quick questions.
Did the RAF fighters in the Battle of France/Battle of Britain periods use tracer ammunition? And if so, what colour was it when fired? Yellow? Red? Orange?
Apologies if these are seemingly daft or perhaps odd questions, but if you don’t ask…
Cheers
Simon
By: Arabella-Cox - 25th July 2008 at 10:26
Thanks!
Hi again
Many thanks for the replies, which are as always useful and informative. I expected nothing less from you lot!! 🙂
Cheers
Simon
By: Arabella-Cox - 24th July 2008 at 16:07
Nowadays there are three types of tracer: bright, subdued bright and dim.
Bright tracer starts burning at the muzzle, subdued bright tracer doesn’t burn at full brightness for approx 100 yards and the dim tracer gives a very dim visible trace that is hard to see.
Not sure which types were used in 1940! The colour depends on what has been used within the round to create the trace.
By: adrian_gray - 24th July 2008 at 15:22
Isn’t it the smoke trail that’s the major factor in “daytime” tracer? Or am I getting muddled? I do recall reading that on Operation Chastise they loaded up with daytime tracer because, although it knackered the gunners night vision because it was so bright, it looked like great balls of fire hurtling at you.
Adrian
By: Arabella-Cox - 24th July 2008 at 15:05
Hi,
As I understand it, Spitfires and Hurricanes had four guns with ball ammo, two with Armour piercing rounds and two with incendiaries……. with four of the last 25 rounds being tracer to tell the pilot he was running low on ammunition. i.e in the last 2 seconds or so of his 16 second allowance!
Colour wise i’m not 100% sure, i’d imagine red?
Mike
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July 24, 2008 at 12:55 pm