| 20mm Oerlikon | |
|---|---|
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| General Historical Information | |
| Place of origin: | Switzerland |
| Category: | Autocannon AA-Cannon |
| Used by: |
USA |
| Passengers: | 1 |
| Calibre: | 2 cm |
| Ammunition: | HE + APT |
| Elevation: | -15° to +90° |
| Traverse: | Depends on how it is used (0° - 360°) |
| Rate of Fire: | 450 rpm |
| Maximum Range: | 4,000 to 6,000 metres |
| Artillery battery: | Yes (On ships) |
| Used by vehicles / ships: | HMS Laforey HMS Lance Liberty Ship USS Alabama USS Atlanta USS Fletcher USS Gambier Bay USS Gridley USS John C. Butler USS Jenkins USS South Dakota LCT Mk V LST-1 Class |
| Historical Picture | |
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The 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannon was a design from Switzerland. It was designed by the German Reinhold Becker and was based on the 20 mm Becker Type M2 from the First World War. After the First World War, in 1919, Becker transferred his brainchild to Switzerland, where it was produced by a firm known as SEMAG until that concern was taken over by the Werkzeug Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon. Many variants were designed from the Becker design and this gun was worldwide saled and some factory's produced the gun in license. Like France (2-cm Mitrailleuse C.A. Oerlikon), Japan (20mm Type 98, USA (20-mm Automatic Gun Mk IV,) and Great-Britain (Gun, 20-mm, Oerlikon). They were used on land as well on ships. The Royal Navy and the United States Navy used them in combination of the Bofors guns or on early British ships designs, they were used with the 2 Pounder Pom-Pom AA-guns. The magazine is a 60 rounds drum magazine, but some versions (like the German Flak 28 and Flak 29 and the Japanese Type 98) use a box magazine with only 20 rounds.
Twin Oerlikon[]
| 20mm Oerlikon | |
|---|---|
| File:20mm Twin Oerlikon.png | |
| General Historical Information | |
| Place of origin: | Switzerland |
| Category: | Autocannon AA-Cannon |
| Used by: |
USA |
| Passengers: | 1 |
| Calibre: | 2 cm |
| Ammunition: | HE + APT |
| Elevation: | -15° to +90° |
| Traverse: | Depends on how it is used (0° - 360°) |
| Rate of Fire: | 450 rpm |
| Maximum Range: | 4,000 to 6,000 metres |
| Artillery battery: | Yes (On ships) |
| Used by vehicles / ships: | HMS Ulysses USS Juneau USS Spokane USS Fresno |
| Historical Picture | |
| File:Twin Oerlikon real.jpg | |
During World War II, twin and quadruple Oerlikon mounts were developed, both for army and for navy use. The British Navy operated a hydraulically operated twin-gun mount. The US Navy operated a quad mount developed for PT boats, the Thunderbolt, which was manufactured by International Harvester. It was placed experimentally on the battleships Arkansas, Colorado, Maryland, West Virginia, Washington, Massachusetts, and training ship Wyoming.
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