If Heaven Can Wait. A new novel of 1940.

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Chuck E
Established 1949
Posts: 2414
Joined: May 3rd, 2011, 8:05 pm
Location: Darlington. Home of the Railways

Re: If Heaven Can Wait. A new novel of 1940.

Post by Chuck E »

"armour-piercing, incendiary, and explosive" toward the end.

I'll check this out, John. I have another small issue to clear on this elsewhere.

As for the gaps. I downloaded it as a PDF, which I reset to a standard Kindle page using my Wife's Kindle. This may not have copied right, though it looked ok on the PC.

I've just had a nice drop of the Real Ale. :grin:

Thanks for your comments and for buying the book. I just have a feel for the 40's and like the old movies that came out. Some portrayed the era very well. I tried to keep modern idiom out. The Fall of France part was based on a few old British Films including Dunkirk and The Foreman Goes to France.

I found this info recently. I had thought that bullets were mixed in the belts and only two guns fired tracer, as they were supposed to be damaging for the barrels. Now it looks like each gun fired a single projectile type. The more you dig, the more you find.

The 'De Wilde' bullets were first issued in June 1940 and tested operationally in the air battles over Dunkirk. Their improved effectiveness, coupled with the fact that the flash on impact indicated that the shooting was on target, was much appreciated by the fighter pilots. It was at first in short supply, and the initial RAF fighter loading was three guns loaded with ball, two with AP, two with Mk IV incendiary tracer and one with Mk VI incendiary.

Another source for the Battle of Britain armament gives four guns with ball, two with AP and two with incendiaries (presumably Mk VI) with four of the last 25 rounds being tracer (presumably Mk IV incendiary/tracer) to tell the pilot he was running out of ammunition. It is not clear why ball was used at all; presumably there was a shortage of the more effective loadings. (By 1942 the standard loading for fixed .303s was half loaded with AP and half with incendiary.)
So many models, so little time.
User avatar
Chuck E
Established 1949
Posts: 2414
Joined: May 3rd, 2011, 8:05 pm
Location: Darlington. Home of the Railways

Re: If Heaven Can Wait. A new novel of 1940.

Post by Chuck E »

I have started writing the sequel to this book, which follows our little group of friends through North Africa, Malta, Italy and Singapore.

The Sci Fi book is moving on, but has turned into a bit of a monster. I'm making more notes daily. So many aspects to consider.
So many models, so little time.
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