Jim Carriere wrote:

Gord Beaman wrote:

Jim Carriere wrote:


I've said it before, I believe a .50 caliber machine gun on a helo is
a better ASW weapon than any air dropped torpedo. Most of the time
you find a sub it will be on or near the surface taking a look. The
gun will make his life difficult because you will definitely hit him
with enough of the bullets. A perfect torpedo shot is pretty rare,
and even then it still might miss.


Would a fifty be of much concern to a sub?...I know that we had a
pair of .303's on Lancasters and they told us that it's value was
in keeping the sub's crew from manning their deck gun...do subs
even have a deck gun now? I doubt it.

I think it would make the periscope AFU, and before you think that's
too hard a target, aircrewmen occasionally hit smoke floats in
practice gunshoots. Not really sure about penetrating the pressure
hull, but API ammunition is pretty impressive stuff.

My point is a partial mission kill is possible (of course sinking is
impossible).

I agree, and as to hitting smoke floats (SDN's we called them)
I've done that myself, the F/E on Lancasters manned the front
turret (twin Browning .303) and I've put several out..fun....
--

-Gord.
(use gordon in email)