I’ve seen reference in a couple of books to a Gotha, returning from a raid on London, being shot down by a Handley Page Bomber converted into a gunship, with five Lewis guns. Apparently quite a few of them were used in this way, and undertook patrols in the Dunkirk area. Does anyone have any more information on them, aside from what i’ve just mentioned?
Thanks, Rob
By: Rlangham - 12th January 2009 at 19:59
I think the only ‘conversion’ was the fact that the nose gunner was a dedicated gunner, as opposed to a navigator
By: Arabella-Cox - 12th January 2009 at 18:44
From the memory of building the Airfix HP 0/400 the normal compliment of Lewis guns was in the region of 5 so any conversion would have been just the aircraft’s role rather than armament.
By: Rlangham - 12th January 2009 at 18:35
Found more information on them, turns out it was just one, an O/100, and it shot down two Gotha’s. I’d imagine the handling and speed etc would be much improved without a heavy bomb load (unlike the Gotha, which actually became very unstable without a bomb load, hence the reason 75% of Gotha losses were caused by landing accidents)
By: Cees Broere - 12th January 2009 at 18:08
Preceding the B-17 gunships of WWII perhaps.
So the idea is not new.
Cheers
Cees
By: pogno - 12th January 2009 at 15:26
I have never heard of this happening, but the thought of getting a pair of these lumbering giants in close enough to be in range, defies belief. Would be a bit like a naval sea battle, each firing broad sides at the other.
Richard
Sign In
January 12, 2009 at 1:48 am