MK 112

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The MK 112 was a German automatic cannon . In 1945 only a few prototypes were manufactured by Rheinmetall-Borsig .

The MK 112 had a caliber of 55 mm and thus fired much larger shells than the 30 mm MK 108 . However, the rate of fire was significantly lower (300 rounds / min compared to about 600–660 rounds / min of the MK 108). This on-board cannon was probably intended to replace the MK 108, the standard armament of German fighters. This large-caliber MK was designed primarily to combat heavy bombers; the rate of fire would have been too low for aerial battles with the escort fighters. Fire tests with the BK5 (5 cm on-board cannon of the Messerschmitt Me-210 - forerunner variant of the 50 mm MK 214 A cannon ) showed that a single hit (with mine grenades) could destroy a bomber. With a rate of fire of five shells per second, this weapon would have inflicted considerably higher losses on the Allied bombers compared to the on-board weapons used on the German side.

Technical specifications

  • Type: single barrel machine gun
  • Caliber: 55 mm
  • Weight: 271 kg
  • Length: 2012 mm
  • Rate of fire: 300 rounds / minute
  • Muzzle velocity: 600 m / s

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