WW1 German Fliegertruppen Aircraft – COMPLETE 20mm BECKER ARMOR PIERCING CANNON ROUND – EXPERIMENTAL – VERY RARE!

Description

This is a VERY RARE and 100% INERT WW1 German Fliegertruppen 20×70 Armor Piercing Cannon Round, as used in conjunction with 2cm Flugzeug-Maschinen-Kanone Becker-Type 2-1045! This was installed experimentally in the Gotha and Albatros aircraft in the later stages of the war!

The 20mm Becker Automatic Cannon (2cm Flugzeug-Maschinen-Kanone. Becker-Type 2-1045) was experimentally mounted by the Imperial German Air Service for the first time in 1915 on a Gotha bomber. By the end of the war the Becker Cannon had been mounted with some success on AEG GIV bombers, Friedrichshaven GIIIa bombers and Gotha GIV bombers. They were also mounted with some success on armoured aircraft such as the Albatros GI. At least two Becker Cannons were mounted on Zeppelins. Capable of 400 rounds per minute, the German bomber crews would pump rounds into Allied trenches when returning from missions.

The Becker also served as the pattern for the famous Swiss-built Oerlikon 20 mm cannon, which is in service to this day, and in a later form, was the original inspiration, through the Swiss design after World War I, for the World War II German Luftwaffe’s MG FF (Maschinengewehr Flügel Fest, “fixed wing-mount automatic ordnance”) 20 mm autocannon design. 

Made of brass and steel, this is a FANTASTIC piece of history! Completely inert, there are some very slight wear and marks, however it remains VERY SOLID! The markings are still VERY strong throughout. It is marked with a crown-proof, “Z, 3 18”. The casing is brass and the head stamp is clearly marked “Sp 61”; “1 18”; “65”. It also has some writing at the top, but I cannot make it out. I have shown the cannon’s location in the last photos. Would make a PERFECT addition to any collection or display!