Lancaster Defensive
Armament
The standard Lancaster armament consisted of three gun
turrets - Front, Mid Upper
and Rear.
Early Lancaster's also were also equipped with a Ventral
(mid-lower) Turret. Although some production Lancaster's
reached the squadrons with this turret installed. It was soon
decided, by those not flying the aircraft in hostile skies,
that the turret was almost useless; and it was soon
removed from both the operational aircraft and those still on
the production lines.
The deletion of the ventral turret however, left the
aircraft underside undefended and blind. More than one
Lancaster would fall victim to a night-fighter approaching,
undetected, from underneath.
It should be noted that the approximate location of the
ventral turret was eventually used for the H2S radar assembly.
Some squadron's took it upon themselves, to install a single
0.50 caliber machine gun in the position.
Late in the war, the Lancaster's lacking in defensive
armament finally began to be corrected. Aircraft began to
arrive with two 0.50 Cal. machine guns located in both the
Rear and Mid-Upper turret positions. Although, the 0.50
caliber had a far greater range and more destructive hitting
force than that of the 0.303, it still did not equal the
German 20mm (0.75") cannons which were installed in most
night-fighter aircraft.
Front
Turret
Manufacturer
:
Fraser-Nash |
Model
:
FN-5 |
Power
transmission :
Hydraulic |
Source
of power:
Engine Drive Pump |
Hydraulic
pressure :
300 lb. per sq. inch. |
Field
of fire :
Azimuth -184 deg.
Elevation - 60 deg.
Depression - 45 deg. |
Armament
:
Two - 0.303 Machine Guns |
Firing
control mechanism :
Palmer hydraulic |
Gun
Sight :
Free gun reflector sight Mk. III, Mk. III A,
Mk. III N |
View
photo of front turret.
Mid
Upper Turret
Manufacturer
:
Fraser-Nash |
Model
:
FN-50 |
Power
transmission :
Hydraulic |
Source
of power:
Engine Drive Pump |
Hydraulic
pressure :
300 lb. per sq. inch. |
Field
of fire :
Azimuth -360 deg.
Elevation - 60 deg.
Depression - 45 deg. |
Armament
:
Two - 0.303 Machine Guns |
Firing
control mechanism :
Electro-Hydraulic |
Gun
Sight :
Free gun reflector sight Mk. III, Mk. III A,
Mk. III N |
View
photo of mid upper turret.
Ventral
(Mid-Lower) Turret
Manufacturer
:
Fraser-Nash |
Model
:
FN-21 |
Power
transmission :
Hydraulic |
Source
of power:
Engine Drive Pump |
Hydraulic
pressure :
300 lb. per sq. inch. |
Field
of fire :
Azimuth -360 deg.
Elevation - 25 deg.
Depression - 90 deg. |
Armament
:
Two - 0.303 Machine Guns |
Firing
control mechanism :
Palmer hydraulic |
Gun
Sight :
Free gun reflector sight Mk. III A, Mk. III N |
View
sketch of ventral (mid-lower) turret.
Rear
Turret
Manufacturer
:
Fraser-Nash |
Model
:
FN-20 or FN-121 Mk.I |
Power
transmission :
Hydraulic |
Source
of power:
Engine Drive Pump |
Hydraulic
pressure :
300 lb. per sq. inch. |
Field
of fire :
Azimuth -168 deg.
Elevation - 60 deg.
Depression - 45 deg. |
Armament
:
Four - 0.303 Machine Guns |
Firing
control mechanism :
Palmer hydraulic |
Gun
Sight :
FN-20 - Free gun reflector sight Mk. III A,
Mk. III N
FN-121 Mk.I - Free gun reflector sight Mk. IIIA, Mk.
IIIN or G.G.S. Mk. II C |
View
photo of rear turret. |
