Coastal Command Beaufighters

[Doug]

Fron picture I have seen Costal command Beaufighter could cary a torped attached to the belly of the aircraft, but due to the extra weight of the torpedo was the gun armament still the same? Doug

[Baldrick62]

Pretty sure they deleted (at least some of the) wing-mounted MGs to save weight. I'm sure something along these lines has been discussed previously.

Addendum: According to this http://www.wwiivehicles.com/unitedki...ghter-mk-x.asp in addition to deleting the MGs, the 'Torbeaus' also lost a pair of cannon. As the rocket-armed beaufighters were used to suppress flak, it makes sense that the torbeau was pretty much reduced to being the delivery platform for the torpedo, and let the escorts deal with everything else.

[Carl_Brisgamer]

From the 1989 compilation 'Jane's Fighting Aircraft of WW2' :

"Beaufighter X......Equipped as a two-seat long-range torpedo and rocket carrier for day and night duties. Armament: four 20 m/m nose cannon and one .303 in machine-gun in the observer's station. Six .303 in wing guns can be installed in place of the long range tanks which are normally installed" (my emphasis).

So it appears that to save weight and allow for the carriage of more fuel the 'TorBeau' did indeed shed the wing guns.

[Doug]

Thanks for you help Baldrick and Carl.