Mosquito with a 32-Pounder

[Jason Dykstra (Wyvern)]

Could it be that the Mosquito was intended to test the affects of firing a large caliber gun on an aircraft in an effort to aid the development of the 114mm gun?

 

[EwenS]

The 32-pounder was 3.7" bore, being derived from the 3.7" AA gun.

I'm not entirely certain about that. I suspect that the gun was the 32 pdr anti-tank gun which was fitted to the massive Tortoise AFV. This also had a 3.7 inch calibre but fired different ammunition from the AA gun.

True that it fired different ammunition, but the 32-pdr AT was derived from the 3.7", no? Or they changed it so much it essentially became a different design?

Ian Hogg in "Allied Artillery of World War II" describes the 32pdr thus



The requirement disappeared in Sept 1945 but limited trials with it continued into 1946.

 

[Tony Williams]

From memory, the 32 pdr was intended to fire proximity-fuzed HE shells at bombers.

I believe you're confusing the 32 pdr AT with the Fort Halstead 4.5" recoilless proposed for F.43/46 and various other early post-war jet fighters.

No, I know about that one. The 32pdr could fire the HE shells of the 3.7 inch, complete with proximity fuzing, which is designed for the AA role and provided a significant improvement in effectiveness - so why not use it?

 

[Tony Williams]

"Some modifications to the chamber" meant changing it from firing ammunition with a case length of 675mm and rim diameter of 135mm, to a case length of 909mm with a rim diameter of 141mm - not exactly a minor change!