The MG 17 was a German aircraft-mounted machine gun based on the MG 15. It was fitted on many fighters and bombers of the Luftwaffe during the earlier years of World War II.
Description[]
In its essence, the MG 17 was a stripped-down, belt-fed modification of the standard MG 15 infantry machine gun.[3] As such, its basic mechanics were the same.
Unlike the MG 15, the MG 17 featured no grip, stock, or shoulder piece to accommodate a gunner. [3] To make it more useful, it was also equipped with propeller synchronization gear for nose-mounted positions.[3][2]
The machine gun was designed to be belt-fed. Standard cartridge-fed machine guns were impractical for fighters, since they could not be reloaded unless the craft was landed.[3][2]
The MG 17 was typically used for fixed-mounts on aircraft, in either the wings or nose cowlings.[3][2] In a few cases, an MG 17 was utilized as a motorkanone.[4] Its more complex twin, the MG 15, was mostly used for flexible rear-gunner mounts on German bombers and heavy fighters.[3]
History[]
The MG 17 was the main offensive machine gun of the Luftwaffe from long before World War II.[1] The belt-fed gun saw its first combat service on pre-war biplanes like the Heinkel He 51 and the Arado Ar 68.[5]
As early as 1934, the MG 17 was mounted on even earlier craft like the Ar 64.[6]
Between 1937 and 1940, the MG 17 was mounted on a number of German aircraft, including the early Messerschmitt Bf 109 versions (Anton, Bertha, Clara, Dora and Emil), the Messerschmitt Bf 110, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the Junkers Ju 87, Junkers Ju 88 nightfighter versions, the Heinkel He 111, the Dornier Do 17 and 215 nightfighter versions, and the Focke-Wulf Fw 189.[1]
By 1940, the MG 17 was fazed out of service in favor of heavier armaments. Approximately 24,271 MG 17s were completed by January 1st of 1944. A number of conversions were completed to make the weapon usable by infantry. [1]
By the end of the war, the MG 17s numbers were very limited.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/mg17.html
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 http://www.airpages.ru/eng/lw/mg17.shtml#
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 https://www.forgottenweapons.com/mg17-belt-feed-mechanism/
- ↑ http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_bf_109B.html
- ↑ http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_heinkel_he_51.html
- ↑ http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_arado_ar_64.html