Speaking to a Veteran 3.7in AA Gunner a couple of years ago and he mentioned that the need for the Civil population to head for shelters was not due to the threat of enemy bombs, but to the risks posed by falling spent ordnance, such as 20mm cases, 20mm projectiles, shrapnel from both 40mm and 3.7in AA shells and the odd aircraft part falling to earth.
A 3.7in AA gun fires 40 rounds per minute, each projectile weighing 28lbs 1 oz (12.75kg) with 1lb 14oz (1010g) of TNT. Or in other words, ONE AA Gun will put 1033lbs or 470kg of hot steel splinters up into the sky PER MINUTE! A battery of 4 guns firing for just 5 minutes during an air raid will throw nearly 9.5 tons of steel up into the sky. What goes up, must come down.
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08-10-07, 18:06
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