In Service: 1943 to 1945
Manufacturer: Rheinmetall-Borsig
Number built: 300
Type: Bordkanone
Calibre: 50 mm
Length: 4.342 mm
Weight: 540 kg
Rate of fire: 45 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity: 920 m/s
Effective range: m
Variants:
5
cm PaK 38
5 cm
KwK 38
5 cm
KwK 39
5
cm Flak 214
5 cm BK
Other: Armaments
Articles:
The 5 cm BK (Bordkanone 5 cm) was designed by
Rheinmetall-Borsig
for primary for use against Allied heavy bombers so that defending
Luftwaffe pilots could fire at a much greater distance, making
their defensive fire less effective, secondly use was in the
anti-tank role on the Eastern Front, The 5 cm BK was modified
from the
5
cm KwK 39 Kampfwagenkanone that was being used in
Panzer
III's and
Armored
Cars. A few modifications were needed to turn
5
cm KwK 39 into an aircraft weapon the most notable alteration
was the provision of an automatic cartridge feed, which formed
a circular belt at the rear. since the 5 cm BK did not have
a reciprocating belt to feed the cartridges, a compressed
air driven rammer was designed into the rear of the gun, which
allowed a 50 mm cartridge out of the feed belt and into the
gun breech and run it into the chamber for firing. Aircraft
that used the 5 cm BK were as follows
Me
262 Me
410 Ju 88.
However the experimental installation of the 5 cm BK into
the
Me 262 was not
continued probably due to the fact that the weapon kept jamming.
On the whole this weapon was extremely effective.
The 5 cm BK (Bordkanone 5 cm) anti-tank cannon was installed
in the following Luftwaffe aircraft.
Messerschmitt Me 262
Messerschmitt
Me 410
Junkers Ju 88
The Warplanes of the Third Reich.
ISBN-10: 0385057822
Flying Guns World War II.
ISBN-10: 1840372273
German Aircraft Guns WW I WW II.
ISBN-10: 091196410X
For a complete list of
sources
