The 20×138mmB or Long Solothurn cartridge is a type of ammunition used mainly for

anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

and

anti-tank Anti-tank warfare originated from the need to develop technology and tactics to destroy tanks during World War I. Since the Triple Entente deployed the first tanks in 1916, the German Empire developed the first anti-tank weapons. The first deve ...

weapons during World War II. The designation means the caliber is 20 mm, the length of the cartridge case is 138 mm and ''B'' indicates it is a belted case. The loaded cartridge weighs .

History

The 20×138mmB cartridge was initially created by the Swiss Solothurn company in the early 1930s.

Weapon platforms

The 20×138mmB cartridge is used in the following weapons:

Switzerland

* Solothurn anti-tank rifles: S-18/1000 and S-18/1100 *Solothurn ST-5 20mm AA Gun

Germany

FlaK 30 The Flak 30 (''Flugzeugabwehrkanone 30'') and improved Flak 38 were 20 mm anti-aircraft guns used by various German forces throughout World War II. It was not only the primary German light anti-aircraft gun but by far the most numerously pro ...

and

FlaK 38 The Flak 30 (''Flugzeugabwehrkanone 30'') and improved Flak 38 were 20 mm anti-aircraft guns used by various German forces throughout World War II. It was not only the primary German light anti-aircraft gun but by far the most numerously pro ...

single-barrel, and ''Flakvierling'' quadruple-barrel anti-aircraft guns * KwK 30 and KwK 38 vehicle-mounted weapons * MG C/30L aircraft gun

Italy

* Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/65 modello 35 (Breda) * Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/77 (Scotti)

Finland

* Lahti L-39 anti-tank rifle * Lahti L-40 anti-aircraft gun

Poland

Nkm wz.38 FK The Nkm wz.38 FK (Polish military acronym meaning ''Heaviest Machine Gun Mark 1938'') was a 20 mm heavy machine gun ( autocannon by modern terminology) produced in inter-war Poland. It was used both in anti-air and anti-tank role and was also ad ...

anti-tank vehicle-mounted gun

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:20by138mmB Large-caliber cartridges 20 mm artillery Military equipment introduced in the 1930s