I am pondering building a captured BA-64. Miniart has a kit with German crew. It is equipped with the Russian MG. Would an MG-34 or 42 be a more logical option? Could the turret handle a KwK-30 , 20mm or a SPzB-41? Any evidence of any of these fits?

Tim;

Hi! Start with... The BA-64 was a TINY AFV indeed - built on the GAZ-67 / Jeep chassis and drive-train. The turret was extremely small as well - hardly larger than needed for the man and the butt of his slightly-larger-than-a-rifle weapon.

It COULD likely support an MG-34 or MG-42 in place of its original Degtyarov MG, as those German guns were not substantially larger... However, changing the barrels on those guns may have been a bit difficult if such were mounted in that tiny turret, given how one changes those barrels. But I expect that it could be done, as the turret of the Sd. Kfz. 221 and -223 German cars was about the same size, and they mounted those MG-34 guns. I haven't crossed a picture showing an MG-34 in a -64, but I'm not remotely saying that it couldn't have happened.

As for the KwK-30 and -38 20mm cannon... No dice, I am sure. Those required a solid (and rather specific) mount within a rather larger turret, such as seen on the Sd.Kfz 222 and other "hanglafette" hosts, owing to the recoil. And serving those weapons really needed 2 men...

As for the sPzB 41 squeeze-bore cannon... recoil, weight, and size would all, I think, prohibit mounting one in a Ba-64 turret. Note that this weapon did appear on modified -221 cars with their tiny turrets. But that involved mounting the weapon on the hull-top of a rather larger vehicle in front of a cut-away and fixed-in-position turret-shell (no, that turret was NOT actually "operable" - those cars were essentially wheeled "assault-guns"). That much - heavier gun would have made the -64 more top-heavy and unstable than it already was.

All that said... I suppose that some field unit could have done some modifications on a captured -64. We should avoid saying "never" whenever discussing German WWII armor and such!


Bob

I have to agree. I found some info that the Soviets tried mounting a DShK on the BA-64 and the recoil beat the crap out of the vehicle. Same with a rail road patrol version .... vibrations rattled it to pieces. If it could not handle a DShK the 20mm is definitely out. I did find passing mention of the MG-34 / 42 option. Would make sense. Use something with your own ammo. As for barrel change, wouldn't the DT need barrel change too? I am not familiar with the barrel change for the MG -34, but the 42 I'd think just elevate the gun till it clears the turret top and pop the barrel.

The DP-27/28 Degtyarov guns did not have a quick-change barrel - one of its drawbacks from some perspectives. So that wasn't an issue for the Russians mounting these in various tanks and in the Ba-64.

While the MG-34 and -42 guns did have a quick-change barrel, there probably wasn't much concern about that for such guns mounted in things like scout-cars... Sustained fire wasn't likely a "typical" mission for these vehicles.

I would suppose that one could indeed have mounted a -34 or -42 in a Ba-64 - the gun would "fit" into the small available space. And one could imagine a gunner heaving the gun around to change its barrel if needed. But I've seen very scant evidence for such mods in Ba-64, so that operation was perhaps largely an "academic" issue!

As to the ammo question... There was probably plenty of Russian ammo captured in many areas, at least up to when and where the Germans began their rapid retreat westward. The Germans "made do" with all sorts of captured Brit, French, Russian and Italian weapons that came in "other" calibers. Their supply-chains were constantly cluttered by the need to supply many kinds of ammo. I would expect that captured Ba-64 were largely used behind the front-lines for anti-partisan and security duties, and not for main-line fighting, so the DP in 7.62 x 54R would have been as useful in those cases as were other captured "odds".

Cheers! Bob