Hawker Hurricane Hurricane Mk IID

The Mk IID answered the need to destroy German tanks, a task the 20 mm cannon could not perform well. The solution was a 40 mm Vickers "S" gun with 15 rounds under each wing, keeping a single .303 in Browning per wing loaded with tracer for aiming. The first installation was tested on a converted Mk IIB and flew on 18 September 1941; the purpose-built version, with extra armour for pilot, radiator and engine, began in January 1942. No. 6 Squadron, the first unit equipped with it, earned the nickname "Flying Can Openers" and still carries that emblem today. It operated effectively in North Africa from summer 1942, provided enemy flak and fighters were absent.