Something i've always wondered about

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Commander Mysenses

That's interesting 'cos most of the 2cm FLAK 30/38 ammo had a 2 to 5 second fuse, so they were fragging at 1000 to 2000m, closer than that, they were just rather fast bees! (albeit, heavy 2cm ones that would whizz straight thru' yer fuselage)

Timed fuse on a 20mm round? Everything I've read says that they had a nose or base impact fuse.[/QUOTE]

[Commander Mysenses]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Timed fuse on a 20mm round? Everything I've read says that they had a nose or base impact fuse.

Be interested in your reading, have you got a link?

My bad, Indeed they had a nose impact firing pin fuse with a tracer self destruct.

Here's what I know, the 20mm FLAK 30/38 (designated C/30 by Kreigsmarine) fired The 20×138mmB HET "Long Solothurn" cartridge.


(The one in the middle, brass is propellant, yellow is explosive charge, aluminium tip is nose fuse). The tracer in the nose fuse burns through in 2 - 5 seconds (depending on fuse type is screwed in) and ignites the HE-T charge.
So, the round explodes on impact, then at 1000 -2000m (depending on fuse) it frags when the tracer burns through. And the effective range of the weapon is 2200m. If you are attacked by a plane doing 200 knots, he will only be in range of you weapon for 20 seconds of his strafing run.

Links
http://www.wk2ammo.com/showthread.ph...es-Germany-WW2
http://www.iaaforum.org/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2197
http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/an_i...lecting_20.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_cm_Fl...8/Flakvierling