Here are a couple of pictures of a portion of a 15mm BESA machine gun belt with cartridges from a shipment of 1500 rounds received by the U.S. Ordnance Dept. in 1941. They were intended for tests of the 15mm BESA machine gun conducted at Aberdeen Proving Ground. I assume the BESA machine gun and ammunition for these tests were supplied by Britain but the test report from which these pictures came from, dated June 11, 1941, does not indicate the origin of the test material.
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15mm BESA MG Belt
- Thread starter bdgreen
- Start date
Nabob,
When you compare the belt picture you posted and the Aberdeen belt picture side by side it appears the belts are very similar if not the same except for the different end tabs.
Brian
PS: Just found this on the web: http://www.warstuff.com/Rare-WW2-British-BSA-BESA-15mm-Tank-Gun-25-ro-i1539712.htm a WW2 British B.S.A. [BESA] 15mm Tank Gun 25 round ammo belt. They (Warstuff) picture a stamp on the lead tab which I could not read but they indicate is BSA. This belt portion has the same wire pull attached to the lead tab as shown in the Aberdeen photos.
When you compare the belt picture you posted and the Aberdeen belt picture side by side it appears the belts are very similar if not the same except for the different end tabs.
Brian
PS: Just found this on the web: http://www.warstuff.com/Rare-WW2-British-BSA-BESA-15mm-Tank-Gun-25-ro-i1539712.htm a WW2 British B.S.A. [BESA] 15mm Tank Gun 25 round ammo belt. They (Warstuff) picture a stamp on the lead tab which I could not read but they indicate is BSA. This belt portion has the same wire pull attached to the lead tab as shown in the Aberdeen photos.
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All I have is 2 links without a tab... Too fragile to put a round in though.