Very interesting. My understanding is that up to, around and following D-day, the squadrons that were using the MKIV Hurricane (at least the ones I know much about, I'd have to look into others), converted to the Typhoon along with a new mission - to attack trains and other communications - 150 locomotives being destroyed every month at the height of the campaign (609 Typhoon squadron destroyed 100 locos for the loss of 2 planes). I suppose it was decided that rocket firing Typhoons were more suitable for the job, and I'd be inclined to agree. Even though the Hurricane was upgraded (well over 200 LBs of extra armour, in some cases, made it very heavy, even with the Merlin 24 or 27), it still wasn't up to the Typhoon's standard, so I suppose it had to get the chop, 40mm or no. Interestingly, number 6 Squadron kept Hurricanes until January 1947.
I haven't seen reports of Hurricane IVs using the S gun with the Mk IV from UK bases though it would seem it did happen. I'd be very interested to know more. I would have thought they would be specifically used against armoured columns on rather specialzed sorties. The fact that many of these Hurricane squadrons were indeed targetting shipping prior to converting to Typhoons maybe suggests that RPs were indeed the favoured weapon.
An aside - On the subject of 25lb solid head RPs, my Uncle flew for the Banff Strike Wing against shipping in Norway and said that they favoured the solid head for holing ships below the waterline. It was like a very heavy armour piercing bullet, he said (with his tongue only slightly in his cheek). They also rigged the rails to put rockets above and below the waterline, depending on what they were firing and the target. I have some good gun camera pictures from him in my collection which I MUST get around to posting. I also have one from a Banff Tsetse with the Molins shell clearly visible on its way to the target as well as some from the Dallachy Beaufighters (144 Squadron, mainly) carrying out rocket attacks. One sequence of pictures of a rocket attack on flak ships ( I assume they're flak ships as they were from an anti flak squadron) shows an attack from the cameras of several planes, each photograph taken within one or two seconds of each other offering perhaps an unusual view perspective on a shipping strike.
Sorry, I'm drifting off topic...
KD
