German Cannons

[The Jug Rules!]

I have read in many pilot accouts during ww2 that states that they saw 20mm cannon shells bursting all around them or other aircratft that germans were shooting at. Did the germans use time fuses on some of their cannons or something?

[Tony Williams]

For home defence purposes the Germans used HE projectiles (from 13mm upwards) with self-destruct fuzes, to prevent them from blowing up when they fell to earth and thereby possibly doing some damage to their own people on the ground. This happened after 1,000+m of flight, i.e. after they had passed out of effective air combat range.

I have read that German fighters sometimes opened fire at such long ranges for the specific purpose of having the shells burst around the planes being attacked, presumably in the hope of unsettling them.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum

[Erich]

more for range than anything, one reason why the heavy SturmFw's closed with the bombers slowly watching the rounds finally closing to their targets. to the US bombers crews it was a fast lightning charge