Question of the Hour

[redleafjumper]

Armchair has some of the main differences.

According to Chamberlain and Doyle's Encyclopedia of German Tanks of WW2, here are the differences:

"The important changes on the Panther Ausf A were the introduction of the new cupola for the commander, and strengthened running gear.  The number of wheel-rim bolts were doubled to prevent failures.  Several modifications were made to the drive train to improve reliability.  Engine exhaust cooling was modified.  The hull design remained unchanged, but a new ball-mount was designed to replace the letter-box flap MG port.  These ball mounts were fitted to a portion of Ausf A from August 1943, and were fitted to all Ausf A from late 1943.  The turret had many modifications.  In addition to the new cupola, an episcope for the loader was provided on the right side of the turret roof.  The small ammunition loading hatch in the left side was eliminated, and during the production run the turret side pistol ports were eliminated in favour of the roof mounted 'Nahverteidigungswaffe'  (close-defence weapon)."


What was Magruder's response to this question, and who was asking?  "General Magruder, why did you attack?"

 

[armchair]

It used a squeeze bore, like the PAK 40 and PAK 41.

The "Little John" squeeze bore attachment was used to power up the 2lb'er as on the Tetrarch air-transportable light tank.    Check this website out for more information on German weaponry of WW2. 

http://www.miniatures.de/html/int/shells-german.html+

(edited to fix typo)

There was another Allied tank that use the Littlejohn on the Rhine crossing?
Larry is correct so I went edit to reflect
The German tapered bore: 2.8cm Schwres Panzerbuchse 41 28mm at the breech 20mm at the muzzle                                      
                                      4.2cm Panzerjagerkanone 41 40.6mm at the breech 29.4 at the muzzle                                      
                                      7.5cm Panzerabwehrkanone 41  75mm at breech 55mm at muzzle
One other thing about 2.8cm S.PzB 41F was one of the lightest anti-tank gun at 260lb in action used by German Airborne unit

 

[redleafjumper]

The Tetrarch was used on the Rhine crossing.  The only other AFV using the 2lb'er at that time with the Little John conversion was the Daimler armoured car.  Is there another tank/AFV that I have missed?  I suppose that the Buffalo, turreted version, would likely have had the same conversion, but I'm not certain of that.

 

[armchair]

Light Tank(Airborne) M22,Locust Plate 231 Shows M22 with Littlejohn
A large number were supplied under Lend-Lease for airborne operations and a handful of these were landed by Hamilcar
glider in the Rhine crossing operation by the British 6th Airborne Division,March 24 1945
quote page 99 British and American Tanks of WWII C/W 1969 by Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis
www.robertsarmory.com/m22.htm

 

[larry Strong]

The 7.5cm Pak 40 was not a squeeze bore anti-tank gun. All the squeeze bores had the designation "41",

The first one to enter service was the:

2.8-cm schwere Panzerbuchse 41 (2.8-cm sPzB 41)

the next was:

4.2-cm leitche Panzerabwehrkanone 41 (4.2-cm lePak 41)

the final one was:

7.5-cm Pak 41 This was a very powerfull and advanced gun that at one time showed so much promise that it almost took over from the 7.5-cm Pak 40 as the standard AT gun., but despite having better armour piercing performance it was passed over due to the German Tungsten situation.



Sources:

Handbook on German Military Forces. US War Dept Tech Manual, 15 Mar 1945 TM-E 30-451.

The Complete Encyclopedia of Weapons of WW2

 

[redleafjumper]

Ah, the locust, the other airborne tank - forgot about that one.  Larry, your sources on the squeeze look good to me.  I think I misunderstood the application of enhanced velocity with the bottle neck cartridge in the PAK 40. The lack of tungsten was certainly a problem for German AT gun velocities toward the end of the war.  I want to look into that one some more.

Any answers on the Magruder question?

 

[BernDawg]

General Lee, during "The Seven Days"

As the rebel attack faltered and disintegrated, Lee looked over the bloody ground over which it had stumbled and concluded that no responsible general would have gone ahead with such an assault. He found Magruder and reprimanded him again: "General Magruder, why did you attack?" Magruder could only answer: "In obedience to your orders, twice repeated."

 

[armchair]

The Japanese destroyer Yukikaze.What was unusual about this ships history during WWII?

 

[BernDawg]

It survived the war.

Yukikaze was a Kagero-class destroyer in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was the only member of her class to survive the war. The attrition rate of Japanese destroyers was extremely high due to the need to use them for transporting supplies to the many scattered island garrisons.

;D

 

[armchair]

It survived the war.

Yukikaze was a Kagero-class destroyer in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was the only member of her class to survive the war. The attrition rate of Japanese destroyers was extremely high due to the need to use them for transporting supplies to the many scattered island garrisons.


Not only did she survive but went entire war without being hit.She was involved in nearly all the important actions of the war
Great Work

 

[armchair]

Dynamite Guns  what was unusal about this system?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

It used compressed air, or pneumatics to launch the charge.

 

[armchair]

Thats good recceguy but why was it call a Dynamite Gun

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Because the charge it fired was sometimes dynamite, sometimes gelatinous nitro.

 

[Cloud Cover]

General Lee, during "The Seven Days"

As the rebel attack faltered and disintegrated, Lee looked over the bloody ground over which it had stumbled and concluded that no responsible general would have gone ahead with such an assault. He found Magruder and reprimanded him again: "General Magruder, why did you attack?" Magruder could only answer: "In obedience to your orders, twice repeated."

Malvern Hill?

 

[Cloud Cover]

What did the Gutta Percha Rubber Company Limited, of Toronto, manufacture in WW2 that came equipped with a flashing light attachment?

 

[larry Strong]

What did the Gutta Percha Rubber Company Limited, of Toronto, manufacture in WW2 that came equipped with a flashing light attachment?

Inflatable life vest for pilots?

 

[armchair]

It used compressed air, or pneumatics to launch the charge.

Yes it was the Granddad of the pumpkin guns of today the air was used for the same reason air propulsion gave the shell
or pumpkin more gentle push. Thats why they could use dynamite filled shell

 

[armchair]

Before the USA declared war in April 1917 many American to serve in the Canadian Army .
Many sever in a Battalion known as American Legion.What was this Battalion real name. 

 

[redleafjumper]

Whiskey 601 asked:

"Malvern Hill?" 

As Bern Dawg correctly pointed out it was Lee asking Magruder as indicated.  The wasteful assault by Magruder's troops was very near Malvern Hill on Crew House Hill. 

(edited to correct typo)