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Plate 032 · Autocannon · World War II

Oerlikon 20 mm

The ubiquitous 20 mm autocannon mounted on warships, aircraft and trucks of every navy.

Oerlikon 20 mm — U.S. Navy photo, Public Domain
U.S. Navy photo, Public Domain · Public DomainView on Wikimedia Commons →

Historical Record

Provenance & Service

Developed from the German Becker cannon of WWI and refined by Oerlikon-Bührle of Zurich, the 20 mm Oerlikon became the close-in anti-aircraft weapon of the Allied fleets, with over 124,000 produced for the US Navy alone by 1945. Its descendants still serve as light naval and ground autocannons today.