Bordkanone 3,7 (BK 3,7)

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	Weapon: Bordkanone 3,7 (BK 3,7) Type: Autocannon Country of Origin: Germany Year Adopted: 1942 Caliber: 37x263mmB Action: Short Recoil Overall Length (mm): 3750.0 Overall Length (in): 147.64 Weight (kg): 295.00 Weight (pounds): 650.36 Effective Range (m): 1000 m Effective Range (yards): 1093.61

The Bordkanone 3,7 (BK 3,7) was a 37mm aircraft-mounted autocannon developed by Germany during World War II, based on the ground-based 3.7 cm FlaK 18 anti-aircraft gun. It featured a gas-operated mechanism and was adapted specifically for aircraft use, with modifications including a belt feed system and aerodynamic housing in underwing pods. The BK 3,7 fired 37x263B ammunition and was capable of firing at a rate of about 160 rounds per minute. It was primarily intended for attacking armored ground targets and enemy bombers, where its heavy shell could inflict devastating damage.

The BK 3,7 was most famously installed on the Junkers Ju 87G "Stuka" dive bomber and the Henschel Hs 129 ground attack aircraft, where it earned a fearsome reputation as a "tank buster." When mounted on the Ju 87G-1 and G-2, typically one cannon was carried under each wing in streamlined pods. These aircraft, operated by veteran pilots such as Hans-Ulrich Rudel, were used to great effect on the Eastern Front against Soviet armored formations. Despite its low rate of fire and limited ammunition capacity, the BK 3,7's sheer penetrative power allowed it to destroy tanks with direct hits to their thinner top armor.

Production numbers of the BK 3,7 were relatively limited due to Germany's resource constraints and the specialized nature of its role, with only a few hundred units built. Nonetheless, the weapon carved out a unique place in aerial warfare history for its use in dedicated anti-tank aircraft. Though largely obsolete by the jet age, the BK 3,7 represented a significant step in airborne anti-armor weaponry and remains one of the best-known examples of heavy-caliber aircraft armament during World War II.