Hefah V

[privatefjordy]

Anyone know anything about the Hefah V machine gun. Someone is asking on the WWII re-enacting forum.

I believe it was a British made .303 gun, and from a google search it appears to have been on at least one minesweeping trawler.

[Kev]

[privatefjordy]

Thanks Kev.

[reme245]

Following on from the above which I asked Kev to post because I could not work out how to post a picture on this forum, I have now found the following information which I quote.

"The Hefah machine-gun was developed as a private venture by the Ductile Steel company in 1940, and was first submitted for a trial in June of the same year.

It was basically a modified Lewis action, simplified to facilitate rapid manufacture. The breech block used only one locking lug, a slightly altered Bren magazine was fitted beneath the gun, and the return spring was contained within a tube projecting from the rear of the receiver. On trial, it was noticed that this return spring housing tended to bruise the check of the firer, and with the gun resting on bipod and butt, there was only a bare half-inch clearance beneath the magazine.

Although these small faults weighed against it when considered for use as an infantry squad weapon, the director of Naval Ordnance - who was desperate for anti-aircraft machine-guns for small coastal vessels - felt that the simple design was of value in view of the production capacity available at that time, and he recommended its adoption. The Director General of Munitions Production, however, suspended all work on the gun for some months because there was no factory available to make the rifle and barrels.

Capacity was eventually found, and the Hefah, by this time the product of the Hefah Company of Wednesfield, went into production for the Royal Navy, formally approved for service as the 'Gun, Machine V, .303in Mark 1' in May 1942.

The Guns subsequent employment is not entirely clear, although it seems that only a limited number were made; it was declared obsolete in November 1944"

[Richard Fisher]

Dragging up this old topic, in Modelbooks' "Warship Data International - Authentic Plans Series" they did the "British Hefah .303- inch Machine Gun" as Plan L/0/21 so if anybody wants to see how they are mounted then this is the plan of the gun and mounting.

I am going to be putting up a wants for the VIckers MG related plans that were done as well.

Thanks,

Rich

[tom]

I got to examine one of these beasties today (OK technically yesterday now) and hopefully I'll be having access to some documentation in the not too distant future and be able to take some more pics. Was pressed for time but I think it will be worth a bit of investigation when I can.

ATB

Tom

[Kev]

The PRO hold a handbook for the Hefah and the trials docs -

[tom]

How do you get owt out of them Kev? The handbook sounds interesting.

ATB

Tom

[Kev]

1st of all you have to go there and get a readers ticket,involves filling in a form and just lattely having your photo taken on a web cam.This is then proccessed onto your swipe card.Only takes 5-10 minutes.This will then enable you to order up docs to view,30 minutes wait for 3 docs.Or order online the day before and docs are ready for you.Alternativly you can get docs printed/scaned for you online with your ticket, but online info about the docs is so poor there is no way of telling what pages of docs are of interest without getting the whole lot which could be expensive.

If you want to use a camera to copy docs (no flash and must be silent mode) thats OK but you must first fill in another form upstairs to register your camera and get a mini lecture that informs you just about everything is copyright ....blah ,blah.

But before you get upstairs to register the camera you will have to go through security who then tell you to go back as you can't take your camera bag upstairs and you will have to put it in a locker (along with just about everything else you have bought with you)

You can now go back upstairs and search or order docs ! but as you will have to wait you will probably have to go down stairs again to get ripped off for a cup of tea and a bun !

Back upstairs to get your 3 docs , but dont forget to now order 3 more that can be got ready while you are viewing/copying the docs you have just got.
If you forget you will have to go downstairs again and get ripped off again for more tea while you wait 30 mins for your next 3 docs are made ready for you !

There are power points for laptops (no bags though) and doc holders to mount items being photographed . Photos can be taken at a designated area by the windows. Other forms of doc reproduction are available which you will have to pay for.

Its best to search for as much as possible online ,searches can be saved if you log in with your reder card number) and order up docs before visiting taking along a list of all other doc reference numbers with you.

Its quite quite during the week and staff are fairly helpfull , only touble is its a pig of a place to get to.

Take a see through plastic bag to carry paper (no bound stuff with staples !) and a pencil etc.

Thats the basics

[Kev]

pic update on the Hefah -

[tom]

If you squint the top drawing looks like a early Dr. Who robot...

;-{D)

[Kev]

Its seems a bit early in the day to be hitting the bottle Tom ! ;D

[tom]

It's the dope man, the dope.
Celulose, shrinking tissue for the use of unfortunately)
;-{D)

Tom

[mattgibbs]

I have just realised that what I actually have in the garage is an ultra rare Hefah Drum Mag Mk1.