MK 101 cannon

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	Weapon: MK 101 cannon Type: Autocannon Country of Origin: Germany Year Adopted: 1941 Caliber: 30x184B Action: Recoil Operated Overall Length (mm): 2592.0 Overall Length (in): 102.05 Weight (kg): 139.00 Weight (pounds): 306.44 Effective Range (m): 1200 m Effective Range (yards): 1312.34

The MK 101 was a 30 mm aircraft autocannon developed by Germany's Rheinmetall-Borsig in the late 1930s. Designed as a heavy-caliber weapon for engaging armored ground targets and aircraft, the MK 101 operated on a short-recoil principle and was fed by a 10-round drum magazine. While its rate of fire-about 250 rounds per minute-was relatively low compared to later weapons, the MK 101 delivered a powerful punch with its 30x184 mm ammunition, capable of penetrating significant armor for the period. Its robust and straightforward design made it reliable, though the drum-fed system limited sustained fire.

Production of the MK 101 began in 1940, with several hundred units manufactured before being replaced by the improved MK 103. It was mounted primarily on aircraft such as the Henschel Hs 129B ground-attack plane, where its armor-piercing capability proved valuable against Soviet tanks during Operation Barbarossa. The weapon's effectiveness was somewhat constrained by its weight and low ammunition capacity, which affected aircraft performance and engagement duration.

The MK 101 earned a reputation as a hard-hitting but specialized weapon, excelling in tank-busting roles but less suited to air-to-air combat due to its low rate of fire. Despite its limitations, it played an important role in the early stages of the Eastern Front air war, helping establish the Hs 129 as a dedicated anti-armor aircraft. Its successor, the belt-fed MK 103, would address many of its shortcomings, but the MK 101 remains a notable step in the evolution of German aircraft armament during World War II.