Believe or not, in the last combats of June some argentine gunners took aim trough the barrel due the close range of the British troops.
Cool.
I did here the L118s were fitted with bayonets at one point
FM CITER L33 155 mm howitzer.
Without a doubt the best artillery piece of the entire war. The Citer L33 had an range of 24 km (27 km with rocket assisted proyectile) and throws a 45,3 kg explosive shell. The gun consistently outranged the L118, but only two batteries of 3 guns each were actually deployed in the Falklands /Malvinas.
Beautiful pic Panzerknacker.
Thanks , here is another.
The argentine gunners claimed 3 hits on brittish frigates with this kind of weapon.
It almost looks like a scene from WW I.
Yeap, there was some bayoneting charges like in that bloody war.
Incredible.
Which Frigates did they think they hit? I have never seen a record of any such successes, except by the Royal Marines at Georgia who damaged a corvette with a MG and Carl Gustav Anti-Tank weapon during the invasion of Georgia.
Is it a white flag or warning pennent on the gun? Or a unit flag? Does it mean anything?
Which Frigates did they think they hit
?
Not sure there were hit by nocturnal shots, no more info were provided.
Is it a white flag or warning pennent on the gun? Or a unit flag? Does it mean anything?
Too many question for a single post.
Oerlikon twin 35 MM.
The Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon is a towed anti-aircraft gun made by Oerlikon-Contraves. The system was originally designated as 2 ZLA/353 ML but this was later changed to GDF-001. It was developed in the late 1950s and is used by around 30 countries.
The system could be paired with the off-gun Super Fledermaus fire control radar, which in the late 1970s was upgraded to the Skyguard system.
In 1980 an upgraded model, the GDF-002 was produced, which featured an improved sight, and the ability to be directed by an off-gun digital control system. A few years later a third version of the system was being produced, the GDF-003, which was broadly similar to the GDF-002, but included some enhancements like self lubricating weapons and integrated protective covers.
35x228mm round.
Super Fledermaus
The Super Fledermaus’ fire control system was designed and built by the then separate Contraves company. It consists of a towed trailer with an E/F band pulse doppler search radar with a range of around 15 km and a pulse doppler tracking radar operating in the J band, also with a range of 15 km. It was also used as the fire control system on the Gepard SPAAG.
The Skyguard system is contained within a towed trailer, mounted on the roof of which is a pulse doppler search radar, a pulse doppler tracking radar and co-axial television. The trailer also houses the crew of two and the small petrol generator.
A typical battery using the Skyguard consists of two twin 35 mm gun platforms with a single Skyguard fire control radar.
The captured 35mm were refurbished and issued to a reserve RAF regiment to back up the Rapiers.
Later the guns were put in museums and the Skyguard radars incorporated into a weapons range for air to air combat over the North Sea. This was based on the Nellis principle but has to be over water as we simply don’t have the airspace over land. So its not perfect by any means, but its a lot better than nothing.
Weren’t these weapons used in the defence of Goose Green also? As in against the Paras as an im promptu artillery support?
Yes, they were used agaisnt ground target. The second picture shows one of this action I believe.
1100 per minute rounds of half kilograms shells coming to you…nasty.
The guns were manned by Air Force personel, in this link you find some pics.
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Fort/2839/Barrie/Goose-Green.html
More ammunition – the black and yellow stuff close to the camera is 20mm AAA ammunition. In the background is a variety of artillery ammunition (including white phosphorous shells). A lot of the ammunition was unstable – a few days after I took the photographs several Argentine soldiers and a couple of Gurhkas were killed or injured when some of it exploded as they were clearing it up.
Possibly the source of the rumour regards the Medic who shot an Argentine, during a ammo based explosion. But like I say it is only a rumour and one that I couldn’t even tell you the title of the book that I read it in.