Madsen 20 mm cannon

Madsen 20 mm cannon
Madsen 20 mm cannon
Type Autocannon
Place of origin Denmark
Service history
Used by See Users
Wars World War II
Winter War
Continuation War
Chinese Civil War
Specifications
Weight 55 kilograms (121 lb)
Length 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Barrel length 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) L/60[1]
Cartridge 20 x 120 mm
Cartridge weight .29 kg (10 oz) AP
.32 kg (11 oz) HE
Caliber 20 mm
Barrels air-cooled
Action recoil-operated
Rate of fire 400 rpm (cyclic)
250 rpm (practical)
Muzzle velocity 900 m/s (3,000 ft/s)
Effective firing range 500 m (1,600 ft)
Maximum firing range 2,123 m (6,965 ft)
Feed system 10, 15 or 60 round magazine[1]
20x120 mm Madsen
Type Autocannon
Place of origin Denmark
Production history
Manufacturer Kynoch
Specifications
Rim diameter 28.9mm[2]

The 20 mm AA Machine Cannon M/38 was a 20 mm rapid fire autocannon produced by the Danish company Dansk Industri Syndikat (DISA). The gun, which could be adapted to several tactical uses, was a primary weapon of the military of Denmark. It was also exported to numerous countries around the world because of its versatility. The cannon was built at the DISA works in Herlev near Copenhagen. The company supplied several different types of mountings with the weapon which allowed it to be employed in a variety roles such as aerial defences, anti-tank warfare or on naval ships.

Design

The 20 mm Madsen Cannon was originally built by Colonel V. H. O. Madsen of the Royal Danish Army. A version with a necked-out 23 mm round was also produced for the cannon known as the 23 mm Madsen.

Combat

Several 20 mm machine cannons of the Danish Army were responsible for knocking out eleven armoured cars and two Panzer I's during the German invasion on April 9, 1940.[3]

Mounts

A 20mm Madsen cannon using marine mounts on a Nuoli-class fast gunboat.

Types

The four standard mountings produced by DISA, although they also used a number of locally designed mounts, were:[4]

  • Light Field Mount - Primary anti tank mount, could be folded up and stowed on a motorcycle sidecar
  • Universal Mount - Dual purpose mount, fitted with wheels it could be towed by its crew.
  • Mobile Anti-Aircraft Mount - Dedicated AA mount.
  • Tri-axial Mount - Light weight mount intended for fortifications and naval use.

Self-propelled

Users

References

  1. 1 2 3 Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Anti-aircraft guns. Gander, Terry,. New York: Arco Pub. Co. p. 6. ISBN 0668038187. OCLC 2000222.
  2. ↑ An introduction to collecting 20 mm cannon cartridges Archived 2012-10-25 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ Gert, Lausen. "The German occupation of Denmark". Archived from the original on 2013-10-15.
  4. ↑ Jessen, Halvor (1946). Automatic Standard Arms of Modern Warfare XI. Compagnie Madsen.
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