WWII Bofors L70 40mm Anti-Aircraft Gun, Anti-Aircraft Training Camp, Weybourne.

The Bofors 40mm Automatic Gun is the most famous and widely used Light Anti-Aircraft Gun in the world, the 40/70 version which entered service with the British Army in 1954 was the latest variant of the 1937 model which was used by many Forces during World War Two, on both land and sea. In British service the Bofors 40/70 was issued to Light Anti-Aircraft Regiments, these have now been converted to Missile Weapon Systems and the 40/70 has been phased out.

 

When in operation it was crewed with up to six men, four of whom kept the weapon fed with ammunition, as the four round ammunition clips, were used up very quickly. The gun was normally used with the 'Yellow Fever' Fire Control Equipment AA No. 7, which can direct the gun towards the target via remote control.

 

The Bofors 40mm Anti-Aircraft Gun, is often referred to simply as the ''Bofors Gun'', it is an Anti-Aircraft Autocannon designed in the 1930's by the Swedish Arms manufacturer AB Bofors. It was one of the most popular medium-weight Anti-Aircraft Systems during World War Two, used by most of the western Allies as well as some captured systems being used by the Axis Powers. A small number of these weapons remain in service to this day, and saw action as late as the Persian Gulf War.

 

In the post-war era, the original design was not suitable for action against jet-powered aircraft, so Bofors introduced a new model of significantly more power, the Bofors 40mm L/70. In spite of sharing almost nothing with the original design other than the calibre and the distinctive conical flash hider, this weapon is also widely known simply as ''The Bofors'' although not as popular as the original L/60 model, the L/70 remains in service, especially as a Multi-Purpose Weapon for light armoured vehicles, as on the CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

 

Bofors 40mm L/70 -

 

By the end of World War Two, the speed of jet aircraft enabled them to withdraw quickly out of range of the Bofors, so a longer range was necessary, and a higher rate of fire was also required, increasing the number of rounds fired over the period of an engagement. Bofors considered either updating the 40mm, or alternatively making a much more powerful 57mm design, but in the end they did both. The newer 40mm design used a larger 40 x 365R round firing a slightly lighter 1.9lb Shell at a much higher 3,379fps muzzle velocity. The rate of fire was increased to 240 rounds per minute (4.0rps) similar to the German Flak 43. Additionally, the carriage was modified to be power-laid, the power being supplied by a generator placed on the front of the carriage. The first version was produced in 1947, accepted in 1948 as the ''40mm lvakan m/48'' and entered Swedish Military service in 1951. Additional changes over the years have increased the firing rate first to 300rpm (5.0rps) and later to 330rpm (5.5 rps) the introduction of a 40mm proximity fuzed round in the early 1970's was another improvement.

 

Foreign sales started, as they had in the past, with the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, in November 1953 it was accepted as the NATO Standard Anti-Aircraft Gun, and was soon produced in the thousands. The L/70 was also used as the basis for a number of SPAAG's (Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns) including the U.S. Army's failed ''M247 Sergeant York''. The UK's RAF Regiment adopted the L70 to replace its L60 Guns in 1957, replacing its last examples in 1977 with the Rapier Missile System.

 

General characteristics -

 

▪︎Introduced: 1947

▪︎Crew: Four / Six depending on use

▪︎Weight: 5.25 tons

▪︎Armament: 40mm 1.98lb Shell

▪︎Range: 13,124ft vertical / 41,010ft horizontal

▪︎Type: Autocannon

▪︎Place of Origin: Sweden

▪︎Service: 1934 to present

▪︎Designer: Bofors Defence

▪︎Designed: 1930

▪︎Manufacturer: Bofors Defence (1932 to 2000) / Zastava Arms (1970 to present) /Gun Carriage Factory Jabalpur (1960 to present) / United Defense Industries (2000 to 2006) / BAE Systems AB (2006 to present)

▪︎Produced: 1932–present

▪︎Number Built: > 60,000 (L/60)

▪︎Mass: L/60 4,367lb / L/70 11,350lb

▪︎Length: L/60 21ft 4in / L/70 20ft 8in

▪︎Barrel Length: L/60 / 7ft 3in / L/70 9ft 2in

▪︎Width: L/60 5ft 11in / L/70 7ft 7in

▪︎Height: L/60 6ft 3in / L/70 7ft 10in

▪︎Shell Complete Round: L/43 40x311mmR / L/60 40x311mmR / L/70 40x365mmR

▪︎Shell Weight: 2lb

▪︎Caliber: 40 mm L/60–70 (actual length varies from 56 to 70 calibers, based on model)

▪︎Barrels: 1 or 2

▪︎Carriage: 1,151lb

▪︎Elevation: L/60 −5°/+90° (55°/s) / L/70 −20°/+80° (57°/s)

▪︎Traverse: Full 360° L/60 50°/s / L/70: 92°/s

▪︎Rate of Fire: L/60 120 round/min / L/70 240-330 round/min

▪︎Muzzle Velocity: L/60 2,890ft/s / L/70 3,350 ft/s

▪︎Maximum Firing Range: L/60 23,490ft / L/70 41,000 ft.

 

 

Information sourced from - en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bofors_40_mm_Automatic_Gun_L/70

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