B-2 used three different main weapons, MK101, MK103 and BK 3.7 all of which could be featured as loadout options in AH. According to Tony Williams MK103 could penetrate 42-52mm of armor from 300m at 60degree angle which is enough to easily penetrate the top armor of all tanks in AH except the Tiger I and II. MK103's performance is comparable to the NS 37 of the il-2. NS 37 penetrates 48mm of armor from 500 meters in the angle of 90 degrees. BK 3.7 is the same cannon used in the G-2 -Stuka.
Yes both the Mk101 and Mk103 were fitted, but the common majority were these 30mm guns. The BK37 was never used. I believe only one or two airframes were even mocked up before that avenue of thought was throroughly discontinued, and they started planning for the 75mm gun instead. Meanwhile they tried a number of experimental downward firing rockets and such, but overall the pilots complained the 30mm guns could not take out the Soviet armor.
That's why the Ju87D/G doesn't carry 30mm gunpods.
Are you so sure about those 75mm guns being used? The first handful of airframes were sent to SG9 in August 1944 for service testing and they found a number of issues. There was a major problem with the reload mechanism that took an entire team of specialists all the way through November to work on, and then they never found a solution because by this time it became apparent there was a larger problem. Firing the gun actually damaged the airframe.
Before they could solve these problems they were forced to destroy their planes in January 1945 as Allied ground forces over-ran their field/position. It doesn't sound like this was active front-line testing, from the description, but I could be wrong on that. It SOUNDS more like a controlled testing environment, similar to any other number of German squadrons field-testing new aircraft.
^-- This is why I said I wasn't sure if they ever saw combat... I know they were in a hostile area (all of Germany was, at the time!) but how much was relatively safe testing and test flights, vs combat missions? It's unclear, but doubtful it saw much action if any.
Where did you get the idea that it was cancelled?
Um.... from the
fact that they stopped building it. Do you know what cancelled means? It means "no longer wanted," "contractually discontinued," "production shut down, prematurely" or fill in any term you want to use.
The order to cancel production was given in or around August 1944 (same time they started testing) when Allies over-ran some factories in France that were producing either engines or whole aircraft (I cannot recall which), after which point the Hs-129 was cancelled. The production didn't wrap up until September I believe (I am guessing they just finished the airframes they had in progress?)
