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Pulp Heavy Autoweapons

Page history last edited by Michael 6 years, 5 months ago

back to the Equipment page, the Gun List, or the Index

 

     Weapons listed here are too heavy to be small arms, and can fire more than one round without being reloaded by the crew.

     Differences in target types (people, airplanes, vehicles, ships, monsters) and mounting types (pedestals and free mounts, tripods, powered mounts, fixed mounts) make a single "range in yards" value meaningless for most of these weapons. Consider it an approximation, or basis for comparison.

     Most of these guns cannot be used for accurate indirect fire. I haven't bothered listing inciendary, tracer, etc. variations in ammunition. Penetration values for ball, armor-piercing, and tungsten-core armor-piercing are in the ratio of 1 : 1.5 : 2; steel here is presumed to be rolled homogenous armor steel.

 

 

heavy automatic weapons 

name

caliber

range

shots

damage

capacity

loading

malf

M1921

.50 cal

200 yds

10

2d10+1d8+6

105

belt

98

Available with ball ammo (will penetrate 0.5" of steel) and AP ammo (which will penetrate 0.75" of steel). The US Navy uses a water-cooled version as a light anti-aircraft gun; also used as a fixed or free mount on aircraft, on a tripod for the infantry, and on a free mount for armored vehicles. Naval and aircraft twin free mounts exist also, with mirror-image guns feeding from each side. Larger "tombstone" cans will hold 250 rounds of ammunition. The infantry tripod mount can be used for indirect fire. The M2 version first appears in 1932.

DShK

12.7mm

200 yds

5

2d10+1d8+6

50

belt

98

First entered service with the Soviet army in 1933. Later naval models are available with twin mounts. The standard AP round will penetrate 0.8" of steel.

Quad Maxim Gun

7.62x54mmR

110 yds

40

2d6+4

250 each

belt

97

In use by the Russians as a light anti-aircrafdt gun, on a "free-swinging" pedestal mount. Similar arrangements of multiple guns are in use by various Chinese warlords. The rate of fire and malfunction number take into account that there are four guns on the mount.

Quad .50"/62 Mk 1

.50 Vickers

180 yds

40

2d8+1d3

200 each

drum

98

Water-cooled anti-aircraft gun first in service with the Royal Navy in 1932. There are also less-common single and twin mounts. The rate of fire is for the whole mount. Penetration estimate 0.5" of steel.

Hotchkiss Mle 1930

13.2mm

200 yds

10

2d10+1d6

30

magazine

99

A French anti-aircraft and anti-tank gun, usually found as a twin mount; it entered service in the early Thirties; used on ships and in fortifications, and (in other countries) as a weapon on various military vehicles. The top-mounted magazines contain 30 rounds; ammunition is entirely ball. The listed rate of fire is for the twin mounting. Besides France, other nations bought these guns or built licensed copies: Italy (as the Breda Modello 31, used by Regia Marina), Japan, Spain, Poland, Greece, Belgium, Romania, China, Brazil, Mexico, and Chile. Penetration:  0.5" of steel for ball ammo, 0.9" of steel for tungsten-core Mle 1935 AP ammo (only seen in armored cars and Maginot Line fortifications).

Oerlikon

20mm (various)

200 yds

10

2d10+1d6

30

magazine

99

Developed in Switzerland, and first available in 1927. This is part of a range of 20mm automatic guns, with different ammunition (but similar enough for game purposes). Other drum sizes are in use, from 45 up to 100 rounds capacity. France (as HS-7), Germany (as MG-FF) and Japan (as Type 99) also manufacture versions of these guns under license, for use in various aircraft. The ammunition can be HE (same damage, 2 yard radius), AP (penetrates 1" steel plate), or various combinations. There is no minimum arming distance or self-destruct mechanism in the shells; their simple impact fuze will NOT function if it hits something with 3 points of armor or less, and is designed to always function when it hits something with 9 points of armor or more. In the Second World War, twin mounts appeared, and some powered quad mounts. In mass production in the UK, the gun costs £350 (or $1225). The basic gun (without mount) weighs about 200 pounds; ammo is shipped in 150 round boxes, weighing 115 lbs each.

C/30

20x138mmB

200 yds

5

2d10+4

20

magazine

97

A German anti-aircraft cannon, introduced into service in 1934. Used on ships, u-boats, armored vehicles, towed mounts, and static defenses. In 1935 a very successful quad mounting is introduced, and a twin mount is used on some naval vessels. HE rounds (2 yard blast radius) and AP rounds (penetrates 1" steel plate) are available; in service, 25% of the rounds issued are AP. The gun itself weighs 141 lbs.; a simple pedestal mount (complete with gun) weighs 926 lbs.

ShVAK

20x99mmR

200 yds

10

2d10+4

100+

belt

97

A lightweight (185 lbs.) Soviet belt-fed autocannon, derived from an unsuccessful 12.7mm machinegun. Used in aircraft (fixed and turret mountings) and on motor vehicles. It was developed in 1935 and began production in 1936. Ammunition consists of HE rounds (2 yard blast radius) and AP rounds (penetrate 1" steel plate). 

Type 96

25mm

200 yds

5

2d10+4

16

magazine

99

A licensed derivative of the Hotchkiss machine gun, this Japanese anti-aircraft weapon first entered service in 1936. AP (penetration 1" in steel) and ball ammunition (penetration 0.66" in steel) are the main loads. Available in single, double, and triple mountings, with each gun fed by 16 round magazines. Crew for a single-mounted gun would be 3 men:  gunner, loader, and gun captain.

1.1"/75 Mark I

28mm

200 yds

4

4d6+1

8 x 8

clips

96

An antiaircraft gun which entered service with the US Navy in 1936, as a heavy water-cooled quad mount. Each of the four guns is fed from two 8-round clips; each gun fires from one clip at a time, so the other can be replaced. Regarded as unreliable. The rate of fire listed is for the whole quad mount. HE is the only ammunition type (2 yard blast radius).

2pdr Pom-Pom

40mm

200 yds

10

5d6

8 x 140

belts

97

Introduced in the Royal Navy in the early Thirties, this is an eight-gun mounting of automatic cannons. The low-velocity round itself is somewhat antiquated, dating from 1914; HE (5 yard damage radius) and AP rounds (penetration 1.5" in steel) are available. After 1935, single and quad mountings were provided for smaller RN ships. Jams and stoppages of the individual guns are rather frequent; the mechanism is essentially similar to the original Maxim gun. Steel-linked belts of 140 rounds each feed each gun; thus the mounting has 1120 rounds of ammunition aboard. The rate of fire listed is for the whole eight-gun mount.

40mm Bofors

40mm

200 yds

1

5d6

2 x 4

clips

99

First entering service in 1937 with the Swedish and British armies, this outstanding anti-aircraft gun feeds from 4-round clips, two of which are inserted into the breech mechanism at any one time. Only air-cooled single mounts are around at this time (pre-WW2); multiple-gun, water-cooled mountings will feature heavily on Allied ships during the Second World War. Most ammunition is HE (5 yard damage radius), but AP rounds exist (penetration 2.7" in steel); during the War a famous proximity-fuzed HE round will be developed by the Allies. Complete rounds weigh about 4.8 lbs; the gun (not including mount) is a bit more than 1000 lbs. 

Madsen

20x120mm

200 yds

1 or 5

2d10+4

40

drum

99

Introduced in 1929, in use by the Danes, Swedes, Norwegians, Estonians, Poles, Czechs, Belgians, French and Finns, on various mounts (including as a naval deck gun, wheeled artillery mount, AA mount, motorcycle sidecar mount, or infantry mount with bipod). HE rounds (with a 2 yard blast radius) and AP rounds (penetration 1" in steel at 100 meters range) are available; a 15 round box magazine is also available. Mechanically reliable, but the HE ammunition is prone to cooking-off its main charge if the gun is fired continuously for more than 120 rounds.

 

 

 

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