BK-5 cannon
Encyclopedia
The Bordkanone 5, or BK 5 for short, was a 50 mm autocannon
intended primarily for use against Allied heavy bombers, especially the USAAF's combat box
heavy bomber flight formations, so that defending Luftwaffe fighter aircraft could fire from a great enough distance to make the USAAF bomber's heavy defensive firepower ineffective against defending German fighter aircraft. Rheinmetall was given a contract in 1943 to adapt the 50 mm KwK 39
tank gun, from the Panzer III
tank, for aerial use in the twin-engined Me 410 Hornisse bomber destroyer. They were installed as Umrüst-Bausätze (Factory Modification) 4 in the Me 410A-1/U4, and experimentally, in two Me 262A-1a/U4 jet fighter prototypes (though these were not used operationally) , as the MK 214 cannon of similar caliber was not yet available. The semi-circular magazine held 22 rounds. Approximately 300 were produced and it saw only limited action, most notably in the Me 410A-1/U4 Hornissen
aircraft that served with the II. Gruppe of Zerstörergeschwader 26
. It was also mounted on the Junkers Ju 88P-4 night attack aircraft. Intended for long-range shots, the cannon was given a telescopic sight in addition to the Me 410's standard Revi C12C gunsight. This proved to be more of a hindrance than a help in the turning fights in which the Me 410s often found themselves, as the maneuvering targets easily escaped from the telescopic sight's small field of view.
As installed in the Me 262, the cannon was found to be prone to jamming, and if fired at night tended to temporarily blind the pilot's night vision.
According to the account of the engagements against the USAAF by II/ZG 26 from late February through mid-April 1944 mentioned at a German language website http://www.luftarchiv.de/bordgerate/waffen2.htm, the 53 Hornissen of that Zerstörergruppe equipped with the BK 5 were said to have to shot down a staggering total of 129 B-17 Flying Fortress and four B-24 Liberator
heavy bomber
aircraft, distributed over a series of five or six interceptions, all while losing only nine of their own Me 410s.http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/weapons-systems-tech/luftwaffe-cannons-machineguns-topic-6368-8.html#post268551
Autocannon
An autocannon or automatic cannon is a rapid-fire projectile weapon firing a shell as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannons often have a larger caliber than a machine gun . Usually, autocannons are smaller than a field gun or other artillery, and are mechanically loaded for a...
intended primarily for use against Allied heavy bombers, especially the USAAF's combat box
Combat box
The Combat box was a tactical formation used by heavy bombers of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. The combat box was also referred to as a "staggered formation"...
heavy bomber flight formations, so that defending Luftwaffe fighter aircraft could fire from a great enough distance to make the USAAF bomber's heavy defensive firepower ineffective against defending German fighter aircraft. Rheinmetall was given a contract in 1943 to adapt the 50 mm KwK 39
5 cm KwK 39
The 5 cm KwK 39 L/60 was a German 50 mm caliber gun used during Second World War, primarily as the main armament of later variants of the German Panzerkampfwagen III tank between 1941-1942. It was developed as a variant of the towed gun 5 cm PaK 38...
tank gun, from the Panzer III
Panzer III
Panzer III was the common name of a medium tank that was developed in the 1930s by Germany and was used extensively in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen III translating as "armoured battle vehicle". It was intended to fight other armoured fighting vehicles and...
tank, for aerial use in the twin-engined Me 410 Hornisse bomber destroyer. They were installed as Umrüst-Bausätze (Factory Modification) 4 in the Me 410A-1/U4, and experimentally, in two Me 262A-1a/U4 jet fighter prototypes (though these were not used operationally) , as the MK 214 cannon of similar caliber was not yet available. The semi-circular magazine held 22 rounds. Approximately 300 were produced and it saw only limited action, most notably in the Me 410A-1/U4 Hornissen
Messerschmitt Me 410
The Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse was a German heavy fighter and Schnellbomber used by Luftwaffe during World War II. Though essentially a straightforward modification of the Me 210, it was designated the Me 410 to avoid association with its notoriously flawed predecessor.-Design and...
aircraft that served with the II. Gruppe of Zerstörergeschwader 26
Zerstörergeschwader 26
Zerstörergeschwader 26 "Horst Wessel" was a Luftwaffe heavy/destroyer Fighter Aircraft-wing of World War II.-History:Zerstörergeschwader 26 was formed in early 1936 from the Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel". The Geschwaderstab and I. Gruppe was located in Dortmund, II. Gruppe in Werl and III....
. It was also mounted on the Junkers Ju 88P-4 night attack aircraft. Intended for long-range shots, the cannon was given a telescopic sight in addition to the Me 410's standard Revi C12C gunsight. This proved to be more of a hindrance than a help in the turning fights in which the Me 410s often found themselves, as the maneuvering targets easily escaped from the telescopic sight's small field of view.
As installed in the Me 262, the cannon was found to be prone to jamming, and if fired at night tended to temporarily blind the pilot's night vision.
According to the account of the engagements against the USAAF by II/ZG 26 from late February through mid-April 1944 mentioned at a German language website http://www.luftarchiv.de/bordgerate/waffen2.htm, the 53 Hornissen of that Zerstörergruppe equipped with the BK 5 were said to have to shot down a staggering total of 129 B-17 Flying Fortress and four B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
heavy bomber
Heavy bomber
A heavy bomber is a bomber aircraft of the largest size and load carrying capacity, and usually the longest range.In New START, the term "heavy bomber" is used for two types of bombers:*one with a range greater than 8,000 kilometers...
aircraft, distributed over a series of five or six interceptions, all while losing only nine of their own Me 410s.http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/weapons-systems-tech/luftwaffe-cannons-machineguns-topic-6368-8.html#post268551