Greetings All,
Despite a profusion of diagrams, photos and other material showing the Mosquito’s gun installation(s), I am struggling to locate any information on the capacity of the ammo boxes themselves.
The four .303 boxes are rarely mentioned, and then only with the aside, “…may contain up to 1000 cartridges”. Just eye-balling these, I might guess closer to 500, but then judging from photos is tricky. The boxes for the Hispanos look to be rather large, but then again so is the Hispano round; I can only find the number “300” given for the totals here.
Help! Does anyone have a proper armourer’s schedule, or some other document giving some definitive totals for these ammo boxes, please? Thanks in advance!
By: Arabella-Cox - 30th July 2013 at 13:54
Thank you, A.M. That seems to be nicely in agreement with the manual’s figures. So, AP2019E gives a normal loading of 500 rpg / 150 rpg, while the max (overload) is 780 / 175, respectively.
Brilliant, chaps– appreciated again.
By: Arabella-Cox - 30th July 2013 at 11:46
AP2019E, Vol. I (for the FB Mk VI) quotes a typical service load as being 2,000 rounds of .303″ and 600 rounds of 20mm. but that is when carrying bombs or rockets in addition, of course.
Total overload ammunition is given as 3,120 rounds of .303″ and 700 rounds of 20mm.
By: suthg - 30th July 2013 at 09:39
WOW 676 rounds of 20mm canon – that’s gotta put a hole in something… plus 3000 rounds of .303! Those night fighters were well armed all right!! And the multi-function Fighter Bombers too…
By: Arabella-Cox - 30th July 2013 at 09:05
Thanks Edgar. That would seem to be my most reliable source of documentation at the moment. Until I hear otherwise, will have to go with that. Much appreciated.
By: Edgar Brooks - 29th July 2013 at 11:31
In “The Mosquito Manual” reprint, for the F.II, NF.XII, & NF.XVII, published by the RAF Museum, for the 20mm., it says to feed 150 rounds into each ammunition box, plus 18 rounds into each feed unit, and connect the two with a spare round. For the .303″, it simply says to load 750 rounds in each box.
By: Moggy C - 29th July 2013 at 11:08
I’m no expert, but have always believed on the FB VI it was 300 rpg of 20mm and 1,000 rpg of .303
Moggy
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July 29, 2013 at 10:47 am