The MK 101 is the designation of a 30 mm autocannon used in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

combat aircraft during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Although accurate and powerful, with a high muzzle velocity, it was very heavy, with a low rate of fire, which limited its production.

Development and use

Developed in 1935 by Rheinmetall-Borsig as a commercial venture as the MG-101 (later designated MK 101, with the "MK" abbreviating the term ''Maschinenkanone'', as an autocannon), the MK 101 cannon was a 30 mm (1.18 in), long-barreled automatic cannon capable of firing nine different types of 30x184B mm ammunition (ranging from basic high explosive to tungsten-cored armor-piercing rounds). Featuring pneumatic cocking and fired by percussion via an electrical solenoid, the MK 101 was recoil-operated. In operation, the barrel and bolt recoiled 30 mm (1.18 in) to the rear after each shot. The bolt locked via a Stange-type machined sleeve with internal interrupted threads, similar to some Solothurn weapons such as the 7.92 mm (.312 in)

MG 30 The ''Maschinengewehr'' 30, or MG 30 was a German-designed machine gun that saw some service with various armed forces in the 1930s. It was also modified to become the standard German aircraft gun as the MG 15 and MG 17. It is most notable as th ...

light machine gun. The locking system was strong, but rate of fire was limited to a rather slow 230–260 rpm, which limited its use against other aircraft. Powerful and accurate for its day, it was carried primarily on the

Henschel Hs 129 The Henschel Hs 129 was a World War II ground-attack aircraft fielded by the German ''Luftwaffe''. The aircraft saw combat in Tunisia and on the Eastern Front. A key requirement of the original specification was that the aircraft be powered b ...

ground-attack aircraft, commencing in late 1941. Fed by a 10-round (early versions) or a 30-round box magazine, the MK 101 could penetrate 75 mm (3 in) of armor at 300 m (330 yd) range. The dozen examples created of the

Heinkel He 177 The Heinkel He 177 ''Greif'' (Griffin) was a long-range heavy bomber flown by the ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II. The introduction of the He 177 to combat operations was significantly delayed, by both problems with the development of its ...

A-1/U2 ''Zerstörer'' ("Destroyer") experimental prototype attack aircraft used twinned MK 101s on a forward-aimed limited-traverse mount, located in the extreme lower nose at the front of a dramatically enlarged ''Bola'' inverted-casemate gondola emplacement under the nose, and was intended for anti-ship and possible "train-busting" use, but was never deployed in combat. When it was used from beneath an Hs 129's central fuselage as a ventral

gun pod A gun pod is a detachable pod or pack containing machine guns, autocannons, revolver cannons, or rotary cannons and ancillaries, mounted externally on a vehicle such as a military aircraft which may or may not also have its own guns. Descriptio ...

-mounted anti-tank weapon, the MK 101's tungsten-cored AP round was capable of penetrating the turret and side armor of the Soviet

KV-1 The Kliment Voroshilov (KV) tanks are a series of Soviet heavy tanks named after the Soviet defence commissar and politician Kliment Voroshilov who operated with the Red Army during World War II. The KV tanks were known for their heavy armour pro ...

heavy tank.Kay, Antony L. and Smith, John R., ''German aircraft of the Second World War: Including Helicopters and Missiles'', Naval Institute Press (2002), , 9781557500106, p. 169 An electrically-fired version of the MK 101 cannon was later developed and designated the

MK 103 The Rheinmetall-Borsig MK 103 ("MK" - '' Maschinenkanone'') was a German 30 mm caliber autocannon that was mounted in German combat aircraft during World War II. Intended to be a dual purpose weapon for anti-tank and air-to-air fighting, it was d ...

References

{{WWIIGermanAerialWeapons 30 mm artillery Autocannon Aircraft guns Rheinmetall Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1940

Development and use

See also

References