Why the Germans called MG151/20 and not MK151/20

[seesul]

Why did Germans use the name MG151/20 for a cannon and not MK?
Thx!

 

[seesul]

Guess I got it. The reason probably was that they developed the 20 mm cannon from the machine gun (MG151/15) so they kept the same type name (MG) for the cannon as well.

 

[tomo pauk]

Wasn't the main task of the MG 151(/15) to fire explosive projectiles? That makes it cannon in my eyes.
The MG/FF also was caled MG, yet the projectiles were of the explosive kind.

However, Germans called the 45-ton tank a medium tank back in WWII, so anything goes as far as names ase issue...

 

[-echo-]

Germans just designate ALL weapon 20mm and under as MG . That`s all .

 

[Civettone]

Also goes for the MG 213.


Kris

 

[seesul]

Germans just designate ALL weapon 20mm and under as MG . That`s all .

Correct. That´s why I wondered why did they call MG 151/20 as MG...

 

[CharlesBronson]

I think because is a derivate of the a heavy maschinegun wich was MG 151.

Wasn't the main task of the MG 151(/15) to fire explosive projectiles? That makes it cannon in my eyes

I ve seen pictures of the belt used in Bf-109 and Hs-129 and the combination in more or less 1 to 1, that mean 50% of armor piercing and the other half of high explosives.

The capacity of firing high explosives does not defines ( by itself) a cannon, remember that rifle calibre several machineguns, including the Vickers water cooled .303 could fire explosive ammunition.