German 2-cm Salvenmaschinenkanonen SMK 18.

[klem]

Developed by Rheinmetall-borsig in the 1930s, the prototype anti-aircraft weapons salvenmaschinenkanonen 2-cm SMK 18, were never adopted for technical reasons. Other flaks were perfected and produced but these prototypes stored somewhere in Germany fell into oblivion and then came the end of the war and the rush of the allies to seize German weapons of all types. Years later, these prototypes reappeared, on the Russian side, a long-lost and forgotten find of the spoils of war seized after the war: the four prototype anti-aircraft weapons of Rheinmetall-Borsig, are exhibited in the park of a museum in Moscow. ( Waffen Revue 036-106-107-108-109-112-114 ) ( nuts-and-bolts-vol-03-pt1) (nuts-and-bolts-vol-08-pt2 ) ( https://henk.fox3000.com/nuts-n-bolts.htm )

 

[1635yankee]

Interesting. One wonders if they had any influence on the Spanish Meroka system (although many-barrel predate the 1930s by quite a few decades)

 

[Dilandu]

exhibited in the park of a museum near Moscow.

Correction: in Moscow.

 

[Grzesio]

Four or five such weapons were designed in the early 1930s for the OKH, 16 mm ML 16 by Mauser, 16 mm Mehrlaufwaffe by Gustloff and 2 cm SMK 18 V1 and 2 cm SMK V2 by Rheinmetall, plus eventually a certain ML 17. It seems, the one described as the "Waffe 1" in the photo above is the 2 cm SMK 18 V1.

 

[klem]

exhibited in the park of a museum near Moscow.

Correction: in Moscow.

Correction made,Dilandu.Thanks

 

[Sgt_Miller]

Four or five such weapons were designed in the early 1930s for the OKH, 16 mm ML 16 by Mauser, 16 mm Mehrlaufwaffe by Gustloff and 2 cm SMK 18 V1 and 2 cm SMK V2 by Rheinmetall, plus eventually a certain ML 17. It seems, the one described as the "Waffe 1" in the photo above is the 2 cm SMK 18 V1.

Those 16 mm AA guns are an interesting choice of caliber, why don't they use 15 mm instead?

 

[GTX]

There is actually a model kit of this available:

 

[athpilot]

There were also some MG81 Salvenmaschinenkanonen. THey were cumstom build by Luftwaffe units.

 

[Zacharias M Blondel]

Interesting. One wonders if they had any influence on the Spanish Meroka system (although many-barrel predate the 1930s by quite a few decades)

That's exactly my impression. Spanish Meroka was based on German research and the Meroka name is not a Spanish word but actually a German acronym for Mehr Rohr Kanone (Multi Barrelled Gun).

 

[Scott Kenny]

That's exactly my impression. Spanish Meroka was based on German research and the Meroka name is not a Spanish word but actually a German acronym for Mehr Rohr Kanone (Multi Barrelled Gun).

Mauser engineers did end up in Spain doing a lot of design work. CETME is a further-developed StG44 with the MG45 roller-delayed blowback.

 

[Grzesio]

There were also some MG81 Salvenmaschinenkanonen. THey were cumstom build by Luftwaffe units.

It's not exactly the same concept - these made with MG 81s were just 8 machine guns mounted on a single cradle. The SMK, however, was a single gun firing simultaneously with 8 barrels fed by a single breech block. It seems, inconsistencies in discharges by individual barrels caused vibrations and stoppages, which eventually led to abandonment of the idea.

 

[Tony Williams]

Those 16 mm AA guns are an interesting choice of caliber, why don't they use 15 mm instead?

Good question. Judging by the illustrations the 20mm version seemed to take the same magazines as the standard 2 cm Flak guns and therefore presumably the same 20 x 138B ammo. I do not know of any 16mm ammo developed at that time.The 15 x 96 ammo used in the Mauser MG 151 would seem a good choice, but this only came along later, entering service in around 1940-41.

 

[Zacharias M Blondel]

Mauser engineers did end up in Spain doing a lot of design work. CETME is a further-developed StG44 with the MG45 roller-delayed blowback.

It is correct that Mauser engineers worked for CETME, but the CETME assault rifle is a development of the STG-45 (roller delayed blowback operation), it has nothing to do with the STG-44 (gas operation).

 

[Scott Kenny]

It is correct that Mauser engineers worked for CETME, but the CETME assault rifle is a development of the STG-45 (roller delayed blowback operation), it has nothing to do with the STG-44 (gas operation).

I'd thought the CETME roller-delayed blowback had come via the MG45/MG42V, not STG45.

Time to watch more Forgotten Weapons! (oh, no, what a penalty...)