12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT ammo belt composition

[greybeard]

Please, could you help me finding historical composition of the typical ammunition belt with which this heavy machine gun was loaded during WWII?

 

[Greyman]

Best I got is an British intel report dated 17 Jan 41. Order of belts found had:

Tracer -- HE -- Inc (blue body) -- Inc (white tip)

The incendiary rounds could be found in swapped positions.

 

[greybeard]

Thank you so much, Greyman! Your reply (already informative in itself) disclosed me a world of news! Started searching for differences between the two incendiary (blue body and white tip) and found this:

Breda ammo (12.7mm and 7.7mm)

summarizing:

White tip looks to be APIT.
It seems there isn't a "blue body" but a "blue tip" I.

Also interesting:
<<First, the RA lacked any kind of standatization and pilots could choose their own belt, but on a book on the Re 2001 a pilot describe the belt for the .50cal as "mixed shells of armor piercing, tracer, explosive and incendiary. worth to note is that he calls that belt "very effective" and that the british "envied the HE shell">>

 

[bruno_bis]

Thank you so much, Greyman! Your reply (already informative in itself) disclosed me a world of news! Started searching for differences between the two incendiary (blue body and white tip) and found this:

Breda ammo (12.7mm and 7.7mm)

summarizing:

White tip looks to be APIT.
It seems there isn't a "blue body" but a "blue tip" I.

Also interesting:
<<First, the RA lacked any kind of standatization and pilots could choose their own belt, but on a book on the Re 2001 a pilot describe the belt for the .50cal as "mixed shells of armor piercing, tracer, explosive and incendiary. worth to note is that he calls that belt "very effective" and that the british "envied the HE shell">>

 

[bruno_bis]

Please, could you help me finding historical composition of the typical ammunition belt with which this heavy machine gun was loaded during WWII?

Look here
munizioni - Le 12.7 Breda Mod.35
Lot of info and images.
No info about belt composition but enough to argue that , unfortunately, there isn't a simple answer to your question.

 

[greybeard]

Look here
munizioni - Le 12.7 Breda Mod.35
Lot of info and images.

Grazie mille!

 

[Greyman]

Report on 12.7mm belt order of Italian CR42 fighters in Belgium (examined in England 1940):

1- ordinary (bright bullet)
1- tracer (bright bullet, red tip)
1- incendiary tracer (brass finish with blue band)
1- explosive (brass bullet with red band)
1- special (plain bullet with pointed nose painted white)