Type 2 cannon

Go Back to Autocannon

	Weapon: Type 2 cannon Type: Autocannon Country of Origin: Japan Year Adopted: 1942 Overall Length (mm): 2089.0 Overall Length (in): 82.24 Weight (kg): 51.00 Weight (pounds): 112.44

The Japanese Type 2 30mm aircraft cannon was developed during World War II by the Imperial Japanese Navy as a heavy aircraft armament intended to counter increasingly durable Allied aircraft. Based on the German MG 151/30 design, which Japan acquired under the Axis alliance, the Type 2 used a short-recoil, gas-operated action and fired 30x92mm cartridges. The cannon was compact enough to be mounted within aircraft wings or fuselage and offered a significant increase in firepower over the 20mm weapons more commonly used earlier in the war.

Production of the Type 2 cannon began in 1942, though output was limited due to Japan's strained industrial capacity late in the war. It is estimated that only a few hundred units were built, with production primarily centered around installations for elite interceptor aircraft. The most notable aircraft to carry the Type 2 was the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden ("Jack"), a land-based interceptor designed for high-speed, high-climb engagements against B-29 Superfortress bombers. The cannon was typically mounted in pairs or quartets in wing or fuselage positions to deliver devastating firepower in concentrated bursts.

Despite its formidable performance-capable of firing at about 450 rounds per minute per barrel-the Type 2 cannon suffered from limited availability and was deployed too late in the war to have a significant strategic impact. It earned a reputation among Japanese pilots for its powerful punch against heavy bombers but was also known for reliability issues due to production shortcuts and material shortages. Today, surviving examples are extremely rare, making the Type 2 a little-known but potent artifact of Japan's last-ditch efforts to counter Allied air superiority in the Pacific.