question Looking for close-up pictures of besa MG cradle

[Old Git]

Anyone got any nice close-up pictures of the Besa MG Cradle, I'm especially interested in the operation of the recoil bolt for retaining the Besa. I think I've got most of the drawings now, picked up a good one in the book on the Czech brigade, and I understand how it all works, I just want to see a good picture to confirm it all. So, if any one has got any I'd love to see them.

 

I've also worked out the Gimbal mount for the Hull machine gunner (helps if one actually reads the text rather than just stare at the pretty pictures). From the drawings I have I can see that a Besa Cradle is attached to the back of the Gimbal and actually set into a recess before being bolted in place? I presume the splash guard is then welded to front portion of the cradle itself, is that correct?

Edited August 3, 2014 by Old Git

[eddy8men]

there are some good pics on toadmans tank.

the besa mounts on a bronze bracket which is bolted to the ball mount/mantlet. it is retained by a round bar with a flat machined into it. the gun slides on guides into the bracket with the flat uppermost, when the gun is all the way in the bar is rotated which engages with a groove on the bottom of the gun, this holds the gun after which the inverted guide bars either side on the mounting are tightened which locks the gun in position.

 

rick

[Old Git]

Thanks for that Rick, I'd completely forgotten about Toadman's pictures which is weird because I was using a couple of his pictures of the ball mount as a reference and hadn't remembered where I'd gotten them from. I've just nipped back there and picked up a couple of very nice pics of the MG cradle on the back of the Mantlet. Good eye there mate!

 

Thanks also for the description of the gun mounting process and it's exactly how I'd pictured it would work. I just have to make the MG cradle now and add them to the ball mount and the Mantlet.

 

Incidentally, does anyone know where the Jacques Littlefield Comet ended up?

 

 

 

[eddy8men]

lol I know cromwells better than most and I can't spot anything that's not accurate about the work you're doing. excellent job :thumbsup:

 

rick

[Old Git]

Thanks for that Rick, however I am cutting corners here and there and fudging a few details as some things just can't be done without loss of sanity and lots of cussing!

 

I've got another quick question for you Rick, if you don't mind. I'm attempting to make the MG Cradle for the Besa and the documentation I have shows the MG cradle for the Cromwell mantlet as being this one below.

 

 

 

 

 

And here's the beginnings of my attempt in 1/6th scale. I think I can actually make this functional with little bolts that hold the Besa in place, (I know, I know, I'm completely radio rental but blame it on the OCD, I do and so far I think I'm getting away with it)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, unless my measurements are off, it seems to me that the MG Cradle above is too tall to fit on the back of the hull gunners ball mount. There's another, similar but smaller, MG cradle that can be found in the early Churchill's, see below, and I wondered if something like this wasn't used on the Cromwell's ball mount in the hull gunners station. Do you remember if there was a difference in the MG cradle's used on the mantlet and that on the ball mount?

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the same MG cradle (i.e. the first one shown here) was used in both places then I'll have to revisit my ball mount design :-(

Edited August 3, 2014 by Old Git