Four rounds to bring down a bomber and one for a fighter

[The Aviator]

MK 108 cannon



MK 108
The MK 108 machine cannonTypeAutocannonPlace of originGermanyService historyIn service1943-1945WarsWorld War IIProduction historyDesignerRheinmetall-BorsigDesigned1940ManufacturerRheinmetall-BorsigSpecificationsWeight58 kg (127.9 lbs)Length1057 mm (3 ft 6 in)Cartridge30x90RB mm steel casingCaliber30 mmActionBlowback operationRate of fire650 rounds/minMuzzle velocity540 m/s (1,770 ft/s)The MK 108 (German: Maschinenkanone - Machine Cannon) was an autocannon (30 mm calibre) manufactured in Germany during World War II by Rheinmetall-Borsig for use in aircraft.

The weapon was developed as a private venture by the company in 1940 and was submitted to the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM - Reich Aviation Ministry) in response to a 1942 requirement for a heavy aircraft weapon for use against the Alliedbombers appearing en masse in German skies by then. Testing verified that the cannon was well-suited to this role, requiring on average just four hits with high-explosive ammunition to bring down a heavy bomber such as a B-17 Flying Fortress or B-24 Liberator and a single hit to down a fighter. In comparison, the otherwise excellent 20 mm MG 151/20 required an average of 25 hits to down a B-17.

The MK 108 was quickly ordered into production and was installed in a variety of Luftwaffefighter aircraft. It saw first operational service in late autumn 1943 with the Bf 110 G-2 bomber destroyers and in the Bf 109 G-6/U4.
MK 108 cannon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Erich]

in reality it was installed in the G-4 night fighter in early 43 before the G-2 ZG units came back for defense of the Reich in the fall of 1943.

the Mk 108 3cm had to be well aimed to take out a fighter with 1 round, the problems with it is due to it's range, you had to get in very close to be effective as the round would fall off the mark at any length

[The Aviator]

I don't think that the article really meant that Erich. It means that technically all it needed was the massive destruction that followed from being hit by one of those 30mm high explosive rounds, was one round to bring one down.

[machine shop tom]

The MK-108 was bad enough but the MK-103, with it's higher velocity and range, was positively fearsome.

tom

[Erich]

I got it aviator I was just trying to point out the truth in the matter from interviews I have had with many LW pilots

the Mk 103 30mm was a ground attack weapon, worthless as an aerial bomber killer, barrel too long when fitted to the nose or underwing , too much vibration during firing, thus accuracy a big issue

[machine shop tom]

Originally Posted by Erich

I got it aviator I was just trying to point out the truth in the matter from interviews I have had with many LW pilots

the Mk 103 30mm was a ground attack weapon, worthless as an aerial bomber killer, barrel too long when fitted to the nose or underwing , too much vibration during firing, thus accuracy a big issue

Yet they did use it on some fighters and planned it for others.

WRG - Luftwaffe Resource Page - Mk 103 Aircraft Cannon


WW2 Warbirds: the Heinkel He 219 Uhu - Frans Bonné

And others.

I agree that it was a large weapon, probably not ideal for aircraft. However, I would not want to be on the receiving end of one.

tom

[Erich]

Tom the Mk 103 was used as an experiment and not operationally except in the ground attack Hs 129 where it was found to be an exceptional weapon in destroying all Soviet armor while placed under the belly of the ground attack a/c.

The He 219 A did not have it but the Mk 108, the Do 335 never flew in anger, only the Mk 108 was used in the later Bf 109G-10 and K-4 variants

[The Aviator]

That Heinkel Owl was very fast. It took some catching and I think it's nemises was the night fighter Mosquito as I have read.

But the 30 mm came into it's own when moved behind the cockpit to fire upwards.
There it had the provision to be better braced.

[Erich]

the Uhu was a dog but that is my opinion and I can prove that if asked in a nice way .........

the Me 262 was the Mossie nemeisis from the get go in night fighting.

the prob with the Uhu's Mk 108's is that the blast effect was so great in the upward SM installation that so much debris would come down on the Uhu and it's crew. it had been proven the best SM was two or even a single 20mm gun, the 30mm was just too powerful, even as a forward arms for the fast Me 262 jet in Kommando Welter but they only needed up to 5 seconds to surprise, fire and escape from a vaporized Mossie

[The Aviator]

Here is a good article on it Erich. Me-262B, Night Fighter - Interceptor, Luftwaffe