I'm interested in trying to trace this now from a different direction. Other than the one assembley in the photos that we know existed (and likely for the prototypes), are there any documents to verify the rear gun assemblies were ever produced or available on a scale viable for more than just the prototypes?
I think I can answer that.
First off in light of all that I have dug up of late I wanted to find drawings,photos,documents showing the B model with rear mounted guns. Not as easy as I thought. Most every book I have has a lot of info on the prototypes & the C model & they kind of skip around actual combat B models in particular the bomber version.
From the drawings I have found they clearly wanted to mount rear guns.
Also in these next two the drawings look to be identical to the detailed drawing of the C model gun assembly that I posted before.
So finding drawings done it was time to find documentation or photos. Here is a small bit off info from one book.
OK V9 was the first B model built a prototype. Now for pictures of this plane & there is a lot of them I will just post a few.
Now the one thing that stands out on the V9 is that there is no periscope & no holes for rearward guns. Yet the document says it was sent to have them installed. Is the book wrong? You must have the periscope to shoot with right & to be used for dive bombing? In no pictures can I find a periscope or rear guns on the V9 & as I said there is a bunch of pictures of this plane. So the book is wrong in regards to what was loaded on V9.
Now take note of the shaded part on the top of the next page.
Interesting no mention of a periscope or rear guns to be added with these optional extras in this pack of four options & no where in this particular book is it mentioned that an option pack existed for the rear guns for the B model. The periscope was added for the V10 though the next prototype.
So what next? Lets try & find a photo of an actual B model with the tell tale slots & holes for the rear guns.
TAH-DAH,BINGO,EUREKA.
At last pay dirt right.
Wrong.
V19 was the first prototype C model as can been seen by the next picture.
So what is up with this I can't find a picture any place that shows a B model with actual guns.
Now we get to this documentation.
(Cant fit this all on my scanner it's in two parts first left page second right).
So it looks as if only the C model was fitted with rear guns only not the B at all not even the prototypes.
So that's it I am done on rear facing guns on AR-234'S I say no B models had them not even the prototypes. I can't find any info that says they did & can confirm it based off the eight books I currently have. Is there info that says's there is ? Maybe I would love to see it & if any one can prove my theory wrong please do I have no problem being wrong.
So as far as AHII is concerned we have an aircraft with rear facing guns that should not be
FACING that way. As a foot note we have rear facing guns that shoot back & up. All evidence on hand says they should shoot back & down & should only be on the C model that never was used in combat & we don't have in AHII.
So is that it am I done is there any more to add?
Well yes this is where the AR-234-B takes an interesting
twist. Two books I bought had a strange bit of info that I could not quite figure out at first.
This one comment was printed in a book that was done in the 60's some time.
OK so guns facing back in a pod mounted under plane. Based off the age of the book at the time with what knowledge they had & there is blue prints with such mountings I guess I can see how they arrived at that idea.
Later books show that no such rear facing pods were ever made. So so much for that book.
Then I found this bit in a book done in 2000.
Surely this can't be right? Well yes it is there was some night fighters done that fit this description. Three were made & they did do operational sorties with no luck though. Now per AHII they meet the requirements.
Not done yet though.
This aircraft flew day missions as well with the forward gun.
So that is it as I said I may be wrong on all of this I look forward to someone showing me otherwise.
Question is what should be done about our AHII ar-234? I say nothing for now. When an update is due & if my info/theory is correct. I would say get the periscope to work as in real life & let the aircraft shallow dive bomb as they really did. Because with the on board computer sight it was accurate from what I have read.
Since no rear guns existed under my theory & not to disappoint the guys who really like dog fighting with them. I say get the forward gun pod option included. It did see combat at least in four instances (maybe more) & that is four more than we have with rear guns in AHII now.
