Messerschmitt Bf 109s in action against the Desert Air Force in late 1941

0:21 A lone Tomahawk takes multiple 20mm cannot hits at relatively close range, as the aircraft pulls away it looks like the pilot might be preparing to bail out.
0:39 Head on pass on a twin-engined aircraft, possibly a Bristol Blenheim, followed by a most unsporting strafing run on a Tomahawk as it makes a forced landing.
0:52 Another Tomahawk under fire at point blank range taking at least five 20mm cannot hits around the empennage and wing root.
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[@alexwilliamson1486]

The effects of the Minengeschoss rounds on the last a/c…a P-40 if I’m not mistaken, and they were quite heavily built. Brutal reality of ww2 aerial combat.

[@redhed9776]

and the better planes and pilots won. 1941 is about the time that the Luftwaffe was getting their collective arses handed to them over Britain.

[@bensmith7536]

Considering how slow the replays are based on the close range and the time taken for the rounds to impact, imagine the speed of how it actually happened and how little time the targets had to evade.

[@rnzoli]

yes, these seem to be slow replays, and in reality it was just a quick burst = quick kill hit-and-run scenairo, not the coveted dog-fighting in tight circles

[@DenKHK]

Generally speaking, for WW2 gun cameras if you play them at 2x speed it would be just about right.

[@FrecherPfirsich]

Clearly visible in this guncam clip: the self-destructing shells of the cannons e.g. 00:30 00:35 00:55. This is also often seen in Guncam clips of Bf 109, Bf 110 and Fw 190 against heavy bombers B-17 and B-24 and is often mistakenly identified as exploding flak. No, they do not fly through their own flak, these are the self-destructing cannon shells.

[@Grandizer8989]

Why did they self destruct? So they wouldn’t fall to the ground?

[@FrecherPfirsich]

@@Grandizer8989 As far as I know, the self-destructing 20mm cannon projectiles were only used with mine projectiles (Zerlegerzünder ZZ1505). The ZZ 1505 A is a non-explosive impact fuse that causes the projectile to automatically disintegrate after a flight time of 3 seconds if it misses the target. I do not know why this was the case, perhaps because of the risk of explosion if the fired shells fell to the ground. Ammunition belts were filled with mixed ammunition. In June 1944, a belt for a permanently installed MG151/20 in a fighter plane for use against four-engine bombers consisted of the following: one mine projectile, one incendiary grenade, one anti-tank grenade. Against lighter targets such as Allied fighters, three mine projectiles, one incendiary grenade, one anti-tank grenade. The self-destructive shell was also used in the 30 mm cannons (ZZ 1589 A, ZZ 1589 B is used in the 30mm mine shells L'spur MK 108)

[@Grandizer8989]

@@FrecherPfirsich didn’t know that… and I know everything lol

[@christoffermonikander2200]

0:02 When you think of pilot sunglasses, you don't really think of them as Lennon style. :)

[@Hadesthief]

He really got up close on that last pass

[@frenzalrhomb6919]

One of Von Richthoffens major edicts: - "one should get as close in to the target as one can, before firering".

[@SatelliteYL]

At 2x playback speed the combat scenes are great!

[@rnzoli]

"a most unsporting strafing run" - agreed, with the addition, that it was a relatively frequent occurrence in all theaters by all sides. It rather depended on the pilot's personality and his mental state at the time, whether he was satisfied with getting the enemy aircraft out of combat, or he was after killing his opponent on the ground or even hanging on a parachute. For the complete picure, the opposite also happened sometimes, i.e., sparing an enemy pilot's life and letting him go home with wounds.

[@capthawkeye8010]

These were the kinds of questions being asked only in North Africa, a relatively well-behaved front all around thanks to the minimal civilian population, the visibility of the front to the media, the distance from Nazi master race insanity, and the good personal conduct of the overseeing Commanders ie: Auchinleck, Wavell, and Rommel.

[@chadplow824]

@@capthawkeye8010 It was a “well behaved front” because it was fought against the Western Allies, whom Germany mistakenly believed peace could still be negotiated with or even be persuaded to join an eventual partnership against the Soviets. The war had NOTHING to do with any sort of “master race insanity”. Never once was that used as an official or unofficial justification for launching their campaigns.

[@user-qo1us9oc7g]

@@chadplow824 yes 'master race insanity' meanwhile slavs,indians and muslims fought in the SS

[@capthawkeye8010]

@@chadplow824 Only a fascist thinks the German war effort wasn't entirely a the result of Hitler and Himmler's insane racial deterministic rhetoric. Rationalizing it any other way is simply to accept the nonsense lies of German Generals and apologists post-war that there was some kind of rationality behind the obvious irrationality of Nazi mismanagement of everything. There wasn't, the party's leaders and top men were all completely absorbed by a romantic and nonsense ideology of Nordic Racial Superiority and Eugenics. This belief system was the backdrop to all of Hitler's decisions-despite attempts during and after the war (both well intentioned and not) to explain his decisions rationally. The effort was in vain, there is nothing rational about Fascism. It's just evil. Defend it at your own risk.

[@capthawkeye8010]

@@user-qo1us9oc7g Just because Slavs fought in the Wehrmacht does not underline any empathy by them toward Naziism. More than likely the Slavs, Balts, Lithuanians and other Axis-aligned Slavs would have fought for literally anyone against the Stalinists. I have no idea where you got the idea that substantial numbers of Muslims and Indians joined the ranks of the SS too. The number up to what you can count on your hand isn't enough to push that notion seriously dear. I expect more from bots these days.

[@bradgray8064]

Amazing footage.

[@mammaliturchi54]

meraviglioso

[@Grandizer8989]

German kill claims went down after they installed gun cams.