75’s ON PLANES

Grey River Argus, 1 December 1943, Page 5

75’s ON PLANES

U.S. Army’s Latest Air Cannon [Aust. & N.Z. Press Assn.] (Rec. 8.50) WASHINGTON, Nov. 29. According to a statement by tne U.S. Army, cannoh-firing Mitchell bombers have been used tor the first time in New Guinea against Japanese air 'transport;, destroying it. The Mitchells (then attacked the larger of two destroyers, scoring five direct hits, and leaving the ship in a sinking condition. Cannon-armed Mitchells have been used to attack land installations, gun emplacements, landing barges, and tanks and in making forays against Axis shipping. The cannon has not decreased the Mitchell’s effectiveness in bombing, strafing, carryjihg torpedoes, and acting as reconnaissance planes, transport's, and freighters. The Army did not disclose the design of the cAnnon recoil mechanism or muzzle velocity. '■ M#lj An Associated Press correspondent says: The seventy-five millimetre cannon is by. far the largest weapon yet mounted in a plane. British Hurricanes and Russian Stormoviks have used forty millimetre cannon very effectively against tanks and other targets. Russia’s New Weapon GRENADE WITH TWENTY EXPLOSIONS. (Rec. 7.30) LONDON, Nov. 29 The Lisbon correspondent of the British United Press quotes neutral military circles for the report that the Russians are using a secret weapon called a “Jumping Jack, which, the Germans say, was one ot the war’s secrets, and was responsible for the Russian advance this year. It is reported that the new weapon is a kind of mortar, throwing a grenade which, after leaving the barrel, makes a series of twenty jumps, and a big explosion coincides with each jump. The first explosion is sufficiently powerful to knock out heavy tanks, and even the twentieth explosion is able to scatter ground troops. EVACUATION OF SOFIA LONDON, Nov. 26. I The evacuation of Sofia has been speeded up as a result of Wednesday’s raid by Liberators, states the Hungarian News Agency. It adds that messages from Sofia confirm reports that the railway station and surrounding areas were heavily damaged.