Oerlikon Gun or Browning M2?

This is taken from film footage of LCT 207 training at Slapton Sands in January of '44 in preparation for D-Day.

From this screen shot, I can tell this is a 20mm Oerlikon gun. However, I know a guy whose dad was a sailor aboard LCT 207 on D-Day and manned this gun position. His dad died in 1990, never talked much about the war, but said the gun he was firing on the LCT was "a fifty". This has bothered me because all I can find regarding gun emplacements on LCT's were Oerlikon Guns, yet I have found on the armament that states "2 20mm AA guns, 2 50 cal. AA guns".

So what was he shooting? Did LCT crews switch out Oerlikons with Browning M2's when they needed? From the footage, you can tell the Oerlikon is mounted on a Mk.4 mount - was the Browning M2 compatible with the Mk.4 mount, or would they have to swap out the whole thing with a M39 mount? Or was there a separate area a Browning M2 could be mounted on the deck?

2:31 in this vid:

 

The navy might set specifications, but these were not always adhered to. Smaller vessels were built all over the country, often to slightly differing spec's, also load out could be effected by availability of weapons. Then there were shipyard repairs and upgrades that could change it spec. Finally there was the crew itself who often would 'customize' their ship where they could, often on smaller vessels.

 

....yes, I think I read where JFK's PT sailors were trying to ''adhere'' [ hahaha ] a cannon to the PT...Wiki says here a 37mm lashed and secured with timbers [ hahahahha ]
Patrol torpedo boat PT-109 - Wikipedia

 

I think I would ask NARA for the deck log for June 6. Good chance it lists ammo expenditures by type. Out of my area, but guessing it was either/or for these gun types, not both. A one or two pager like this prob is will likely be sent as a freebie. They probably have time on their hands with the travel slowdown; might be an opportune time if fewer walk-ins to serve.

On one magical occasion, I got a response in three days - not an acknowledgement of receipt of my request, but, rather the document I asked for.

 

Not the larger landing craft such as LCT and LCI(L). The landing craft of the Army were part of the Army Transport Service, which chartered ships as well as operated ships built for it, which were also often transferred to the Navy and vice versa. The landing craft of the Army were LCM, LCP (L, R, and P), LCV, and LVT.

 

So, it's complicated...when the LCT (5) began production in the US in late 1942, the USN was still in the process of replacing the .50 Caliber M2 Water-Cooled Navy mount. So many of the early production LCT (5) mounted two .50 Caliber instead of the two 20mm. Later, as the 20mm became available, it replaced the 20mm on board. I have seen references to two .50 Caliber, or two 20mm, or one 20 mm and two .50 Caliber, which probably refer to different periods. The 20mm mount was the Mark 4, the .50 Caliber mount was the Mark 3. The .50 Caliber M2 HB (air-cooled) was also apparently used, confusing things.

As I said before, the only way to get a definitive answer is to get a copy of the LCT-207 action reports.

 

Can you find a link to that?

 

Sorry, there is no link. As I said before, Fold3 does not have a copy. You can probably go direct to NARA II, College Park, MD and request a copy. Since they have zero patrons right now they probably have time on their hands and may even do it for free. You would probably want to request any reports for LCT-207 for the period May-July 1944. The other source would be the Naval History and Heritage Command at the Washington Navy Yard.