MG 151 (20 mm)

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Description

The MG 151 was a 15 mm aircraft-mounted autocannon produced by Waffenfabrik Mauser. The one in-game is the MG 151/20, which is 20 mm instead of 15 mm. Its origins stem from the period between WWI and WWII. The German single-engine fighter doctrine, at the time, mirrored that of the French. It called for a powerful autocannon between the cylinder banks of a V engine, known as moteur-canon by the French. The cannon most preferred by the French at the time was the 20 mm Oerlikon FFS cannon, but this was too big to mount on German plane engines at the time, and so Mauser was given the task of developing a cannon that was small enough to fit, and did not impact performance too greatly. For a time, the MG FF cannon was used as a stop-gap on planes, but its performance was mediocre. Eventually, in 1940, the first MG 151s were put into production. After evaluation of the 15 mm on the Bf-109 E-2, the decision was made to change it to 20 mm cartridges, and it was re-designated the MG 151/20.

Note: Gunpods containing MG 151/20 cannons have reduced accuracy compared to those mounted conventionally

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

Vehicles equipped with this weapon
Fighters 
Bf 109 F  Bf 109 F-4 · Bf 109 F-4/trop · ▃Bf 109 F-4
Bf 109 G  Bf 109 G-2 · ◐Bf 109 G-2 · Bf 109 G-2/trop · Bf 109 G-6 · Bf 109 G-10 · Bf 109 G-14 · ▄Bf 109 G-14/AS
Bf 109 K  Bf 109 K-4 (Suspended/Modification)
C.202/5  C. 202EC · C. 205 serie 3 · C. 205N2
Fw 190 A  Fw 190 A-4 · Fw 190 A-5 · Fw 190 A-5/U2 · Fw 190 A-5/U12 · ▅Fw 190 A-5 · Fw 190 A-8 · ▃Fw 190 A-8 · NC.900
Fw 190 C-F  Fw 190 C · Fw 190 D-9 · ▂Fw 190 D-9 · Fw 190 D-12 · Fw 190 D-13 · Fw 190 F-8
G.55  G.55 sottoserie 0 · G.55 serie 1 · G.55S · G.56
IAR-81  IAR-81C
Ki-61  Ki-61-I hei · Tada's Ki-61-I hei
Pyörremyrsky  VL Pyörremyrsky
Re.2001/5  Re.2001 CN · Re.2005 serie 0
S.O.8000  S.O.8000 Narval
Ta-152  Ta 152 C-3 · Ta 152 H-1
Twin-engine fighters 
Bf 110  Bf 110 F-2 (Suspended) · Bf 110 G-2 (Suspended)
Do 17  Do 17 Z-7
Do 217  Do 217 N-1 · Do 217 N-2
Do 335  Do 335 A-0 (Suspended) · Do 335 B-2
He 219  He 219 A-7
Ju 388  Ju 388 J
Me 410  Me 410 A-1 · Me 410 A-1/U2 · Me 410 A-1/U4 · Me 410 B-1 · Me 410 B-1/U2 · Me 410 B-2/U4 · Me 410 B-6/R3
Ta 154  Ta 154 A-1
Jet fighters  He 162 A-2 · Me 163 B-0 · Me 262 A-1a/U1
Attackers 
Hs 129  Hs 129 B-2 · Hs 129 B-2 (Romania) · Hs 129 B-2 (Romania)
SM.91/2  SM.91 · SM.92
Bombers  BV 238 (Defensive) · Do 217 E-2 · Do 217 E-4 · He 177 A-5 (Defensive) · Ju 87 D-5 · Ju 288 C (Defensive) · M.B.175T · Me 264 (Defensive) · Ju 188 A-2 (Defensive)
Jet bombers  Ar 234 C-3
Heavy tanks  AMX-50 Surblindé
Tank destroyers  Lorraine 155 Mle.50
Motor torpedo boats  LS 4 Esau

General info

Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.

Available ammunition

  • Default: IT/IT/APHE/HEI
  • Universal: IT/HEI/HEI/AP-I
  • Air targets: AP-I/HEI/HEI/HEI/HEI/IT
  • Armored targets: APHE/APHE/APHE/IT
  • Tracers: FI-T/FI-T/FI-T/IT/IT
  • Stealth: HEI/HEI/HEI/APHE/AP-I

Comparison with analogues

Usage in battles

This weapon is very dangerous to air targets due to the minengeschoß shell, which makes the MG 151/20 arguably the best 20 mm cannon against air targets. Unless other ammunition is needed for a specific reason, always choose the ammo belt with most minengeschoß available.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Minengeschoß shell (an improved HEI shell) provides a lot of hitting power against aircraft
  • Larger ammo count than the other German 20 mm cannons
  • Higher muzzle velocity than the other German 20 mm cannons
  • Faster firing and less prone to jamming than the Allied Hispano variants

Cons:

  • Still lower muzzle velocity compared to most machine guns
  • Ineffective against armoured ground targets, even with APHE shells
  • Tracer and HEI (minengeschoß) have slightly different trajectories which reiterate knowing your ammunition

History

Converted from the 15 mm-firing MG 151/15 cannon to a 20 mm after combat evaluation proved a larger high-explosive shell to be more effective than a high-velocity shell.

A large shipment of 800 guns was lend-leased to Japan using the Italian submarine Comandante Cappellini, arming 388 Japanese Ki-61-I hei fighter planes.

Media

An excellent addition to the article would be a video guide, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

See also

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • encyclopedia page on the weapon;
  • other literature.


USA aircraft cannons
20 mm  AN/M2 · Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 0 · Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 · FMC T-160
  M3 · M24A1 · M39 · M39A1 · M39A2 · M39A3 · M61A1 · M195 · M197 · Mk 11 · Mk 11 mod 5 · T31
30 mm  M230E-1 · XM140 · GAU-8/A · GAU-13/A · LR30
37 mm  M4 · M9 · M10
40 mm  M75 · M129
75 mm  M10 · T13E1
  Foreign:
20 mm  Hispano 404 (France) · Hispano Mk.II (Britain) · MG 151 (Germany) · Type 99 Model 1 (Japan)
30 mm  ADEN Mk.4 (Britain)

Germany aircraft cannons
15 mm  MG 151
20 mm  MG 151 · MG C/30L · MG FF · MG FF/M
27 mm  Mauser BK27
30 mm  MK 101 · MK 103 · MK 108
37 mm  BK 3.7
50 mm  BK 5 · Mk.214a
75 mm  BK 7.5
  Foreign:
20 mm  Hispano Mk.V (Britain) · M24A1 (USA) · M61A1 (USA) · ShVAK (USSR)
23 mm  GSh-23L (USSR) · NR-23 (USSR) · VYa-23 (USSR)
30 mm  DEFA 552 (France) · GSh-30-1 (USSR) · GSh-30-2K (USSR) · NR-30 (USSR)
37 mm  N-37D (USSR)

USSR aircraft cannons
20 mm  B-20E · B-20M · B-20S · ShVAK
23 mm  GSh-23L · NR-23 · NS-23 · NS-23K · PTB-23 · VYa-23
30 mm  2A42 · GSh-6-30 · GSh-30-1 · GSh-30-2 · GSh-30-2K · NR-30
37 mm  N-37 · N-37D · NS-37 · SH-37
45 mm  NS-45
  Foreign:
20 mm  Hispano Mk.II (Britain) · MG 151 (Germany)
37 mm  M4 (USA) · M10 (USA)

Japan aircraft cannons
20 mm  Ho-1 · Ho-3 · Ho-5 · Type 99 Model 1 · Type 99 Model 2
30 mm  Ho-155 · Type 5
37 mm  Ho-203 · Ho-204 · Type 94
40 mm  Ho-301
57 mm  Ho-401
75 mm  Type 88
  Foreign:
20 mm  M39A3 (USA) · M61A1 (USA) · M197 (USA) · MG FF (Germany) · MG FF/M (Germany) · MG 151 (Germany)
30 mm  GAU-13/A (USA) · M230E-1 (USA)

Italy aircraft cannons
20 mm  TM197B
30 mm  Hispano HS 825
37 mm  Breda Model 39 37/54
102 mm  102/35 mod 14
  Foreign:
20 mm  B-20E (USSR) · B-20M (USSR) · B-20S (USSR) · Hispano 404 (France) · Hispano Mk.II (Britain) · Hispano Mk.V (Britain) · M24A1 (USA) · M61A1 (USA) · MG 151 (Germany) · MG FF (Germany) · MG FF/M (Germany) · ShVAK (USSR)
23 mm  GSh-23L (USSR) · NR-23 (USSR) · NS-23 (USSR)
27 mm  Akan m/85 (Sweden) · Mauser BK27 (Germany)
30 mm  DEFA 552 (France) · GSh-30-1 (USSR) · GSh-30-2K (USSR) · MK 103 (Germany) · MK 108 (Germany) · NR-30 (USSR)
37 mm  BK 3.7 (Germany) · N-37 (USSR) · N-37D (USSR)

France aircraft cannons
20 mm  GIAT M.621 · Hispano 404 · Hispano HS.9 · M50
30 mm  DEFA 541 · DEFA 551 · DEFA 552 · DEFA 552A · DEFA 553 · DEFA 554 · GIAT M781
  Foreign:
20 mm  AN/M2 (USA) · Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 (USA) · Hispano Mk.II (Britain) · M3 (USA) · M24A1 (USA) · M39A1 (USA) · MG 151 (Germany) · ShVAK (USSR)
37 mm  M4 (USA) · M10 (USA) · NS-37 (USSR)

Sweden aircraft cannons
20 mm  Akan m/41A · Akan m/45 · Akan m/47B · Akan m/47C · Akan m/49 · Oerlikon FF
27 mm  Akan m/85
30 mm  Akan m/55 · Akan m/75
57 mm  Akan m/47
  Foreign:
20 mm  MG FF (Germany) · MG 151 (Germany)
23 mm  GSh-23L (USSR)
30 mm  2A42 (USSR) · M230E-1 (USA) · MK 108 (Germany)

France tank cannons
20 mm  20F2
25 mm  SA35 L/72
37 mm  SA18 L/21 · SA38 L/33
47 mm  SA34 L/30 · SA35 L/32 · SA37
75 mm  APX · APX Canon de 75 mm modèle 1897 · SA35 L/17 · SA44 · SA49 · SA50 L/57
90 mm  D.911 APX · CN90 F2 · CN90 F3 · CN90 F4 · D915 · DEFA F1 · SA45 · SA47
100 mm  SA47 L/58
105 mm  CN-105-F1 · Modele F2 · PzK M57
120 mm  GIAT CN120-25 G1 · GIAT CN120-26 F1 · SA46
142 mm  ACRA
155 mm  GCT F1 · Schneider 155 C · L'Obusier de 155 Modèle 1950
  Foreign:
15 mm  MG 151 (Germany)
20 mm  MG 151 (Germany)
30 mm  Bushmaster 2 Mk.44 (USA)
37 mm  M6 (USA)
40 mm  Bofors L/60 · QF 2-pounder (Britain)
75 mm  KwK42 (Germany) · M3 (USA) · M6 (USA)
76 mm  M7 (USA)
90 mm  M3 (USA)
105 mm  M4 (USA)

Germany naval cannons
15 mm  MG 151
20 mm  2 cm/65 C/30 · 2 cm/65 C/38 · 2 cm/65 Flakzwilling 38 · 2 cm/65 Flakvierling 38 · MG 151/20
30 mm  MK103/38
37 mm  FlaK-Lafette C/36 · 3.7 cm FlaK-Lafette LM/42 · SK C/30 · FlaK.36 · FlaK43
40 mm  40 mm/70 MEL58 · Bofors Flak 28 · Bofors L/70 model 1948
52 mm  52 mm/55 SK L/55
88 mm  8.8 cm/76 SK C/32 · S.K.C/35 · FlaK.18 · Flak.36 · 88 mm/45 AA SK L/45 · 88 mm/45 casemate SK L/45
100 mm  100 mm/55 MLE model 53
105 mm  SK C/32 · SK C/33 AA
120 mm  L45
128 mm  12.8 cm/45 SK C/34
150 mm  150 mm/45 SK L/45 · 15 cm/48 KC/36 · 15 cm/55 SK C/28 · 15 cm/60 SK C/25
203 mm  20.3 cm/60 SK C/34
283 mm  283 mm/45 SK L/45 · 283 mm/52 SK C/28 · 283 mm/54,5 SK C/34
305 mm  305 mm/50 SK L/50
380 mm  38 cm SK L/45
  Foreign:
23 mm  ZU-23 (USSR)
30 mm  AK-230 (USSR)
37 mm  V-11 (USSR)
76 mm  76 mm/62 OTO-Melara Compact (Italy)
100 mm  100 mm/56 B-34 (USSR)