WW2 1944 Hispano HS 804 20mm Cannon Recovered from De Havilland Mosquito HX862 on Drum near Conwy, Wales. D 5994 hispano None Machine Gun

WW2 1944 Hispano HS 804 20mm Cannon Recovered from De Havilland Mosquito HX862 on Drum near Conwy, Wales. D 5994 D 5994

The British 20mm Hispano-Suiza (20x110) HS 404 aircraft cannon which first entered service experimentally in the Battle of Britain in 1940 arming several Supermarine Spitfires and also in the Bristol Beaufighter which carried 4 of the guns internally. The gun however with its original 60 round drum feed although very effective in combat was mechanically unreliable. The gun was later modified to a belt feed which was reliable and served in many aircraft throughout WW2 including the Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, Westland Whirlwind, Bristol Beaufighter, Hawker Typhoon and Tempest as standard equipment or an upgrade of the Browning .303 machine gun as an effective hard hitting gun. This is a sectioned 20mm Hispano HS804 Mark 5 aircraft cannon that was recovered in 1970 from the hills at Drum near Conwy in North Wales from a De Havilland Mosquito mark VI Fighter Bomber HX842. The aircraft originally carried 4 of these cannons and was belt fed with its ammunition. The aircraft was with Number 60 OUT (Operational Training Unit) RAF as a night fighter aircraft on a night intruder exercise from RAF High Ercall in Shropshire as part of their night fighting course. Their briefed route took them towards Prestatyn at 3000 feet and then north west across the Irish Sea at 500 feet. This first leg pf the journey was at 3000 feet to clear the hills near Conwy before descending to the Irish Sea. The aircraft for some reason was flying at about 2300 feet and collided with the summit of the Carneddau mountains at Drem near Conwy at that height. The aircraft was completely destroyed and later that morning the wreckage was found and the pilot and navigators bodies were recovered. This cannon was recovered in 1970 from the crash site and has subsequently been deactivated for display. The cannon has had sections taken out of it to show the inner workings, the sectioned parts being painted in red. The cannon measures 68 inches long is mounted on a wooden display board complete with an inert 20mm HS804 round for display. The price for this very rare WW2 De Havilland Mosquito 20mm Hispano HS 804 cannon includes deactivation certificate & UK delivery. D 5994

£3900