did raf bostons have the rear nacelles guns

[brewerjerry]

Hi

    Always finding something new to me , just browsing an A-20B manual

 

   it has a drawing of the rear firing engine nacelle guns

 

  so curiousity asks

 

did the RAF bostons have these fitted ?

 

   cheers

      jerry 

[dogsbody]

Not that I know of, but I wouldn't say they didn't. If so, it may have been just some early one or those taken over from French orders.

 

I'm sure more information will follow soon.

 

 

 

Chris

[Sydhuey]

Nacelle guns fitted to A-20A and A-20B, removed almost as soon as they saw action, good in theory but didn't work , extra weight, maintenance etc. Models operated by RAF never had the facility for Nacelle guns , Boston III's operated by RAAF had mg's added to extreme tail of 8 aircraft when they went into action in NG at the end of 1942, proved a failure and removed within 6 mths.

[Graham Boak]

The key problem with fixed rear-firing guns is that to use them the bomber has to place itself into just the position the attacking fighter wants it to be.  And totally useless when relying on the mutual cover provided by close formation flying.  Most air forces tried them, in triumphs of ingenuity over thought, but none persisted.

[brewerjerry]

Hi

   Thanks for the replies

 so only on a freshly delivered aircraft

  cheers

    jerry

[Graham Boak]

I think that conclusion is unwarranted.  Not on RAF aircraft, which were A-20B equivalents not A-20Bs as in US manuals, is closer to the evidence presented.  Remember Bostons were bought before Lend-Lease, and later A-20s didn't have these guns anyway.

 

It would also have been cheaper for Douglas to continue to produce aircraft for Britain without these guns, or rather without these gun positions.  There remains the question of when any guns were fitted:  in the UK this would not have been at the factory but at a service Maintenance Unit.

[Sydhuey]

Engine nacelle guns only fitted to A-20A and A-20B, RAF never operated these versions , 18 Sqn borrowed several A20Bs from the US 47th BG to help with transitioning from Blenheim to Boston III but this was the only case, RAF operated (Big Tails) DB-7B (Boston III), A-20C (Boston IIIA), A-20J (Boston IV) and A-20K (Boston V), 18 Sqn also operated 6 x A-20Gs for several mths borrowed from the 47th BG while they waited for their new Boston IVs, these were the only A-20Gs operated by the RAF.

No nacelle guns on RAF operated Bostons.

[brewerjerry]

Hi

    ok 

 

so only the havoc II / db-7A 

 

had them before conversion  ( maybe ? ) 

 

Armament: .......

 

 "  One fixed aft-firing 7.5-mm machine gun in the rear of each engine nacelle " 

 

 

http://www.joebaugher.com/usattack/a20_4.html

 

cheers

  jerry 

[Sydhuey]

DB-7A was a French ordered machine  the 100 built all went to the RAF as Boston II's, 7.5 mm MG's were a French weapon and never fitted till delivery in France as they never got to France never got fitted. RAF used the Boston II in a variety of roles but not light bombers . 

[BS_w]

In the erection maintenance manual of DB-7, printed in french langage by Douglas(SAnta Monica. Cal. 1940), there is no mention about provision of nacelle fixed gun.
The only gun firing to the rear lower is the lower flexible gun of rear gunner. This gun could be operated as flexible gun by the gunner or fixed and controled by a pedal. The mounting is elastic for the gun sprinkles backward(french speciality! also on Potez, Bloch, Breguet...).

I doubt about engine nacelle gun on DB-7-A

 

 

[brewerjerry]

Hi

    Thanks for the info

       cheers

          jerry