page_title: Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon
section_title: Design and development
hierarchical_section_title: Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon / History / Design and development
caption_attribution_description: A Gotha-Ursinus GUH G.I cockpit section with Oskar Ursinus in the front gunners position aiming an early 20mm aircraft autocannon. PictionID:43640761 - Catalog:16_004719 - Title:Gotha-Ursinus GUH G.I 1916 Nowarra photo - Filename:16_004719.TIF - - - - - - - Image from the Ray Wagner Collection. Ray Wagner was Archivist at the San Diego Air and Space Museum for several years and is an author of several books on aviation --- ---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
context_page_description: The Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon was a German autocannon developed for aircraft use during World War I by Stahlwerke Becker. It was first mass-produced in 1916 and was installed in a variety of aircraft. It was the only German autocannon to see service in the air during the war.
  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 20 mm autocannon design.
context_section_description: The original design was based on the 19mm Becker Cannon cartridge by the Conder brothers at Stahlwerke Becker of Reinickendorf, Germany . Development commenced in 1913 and was therefore already advanced when the War Ministry issued a specification in June 1915 calling for an aircraft cannon of under 37 mm caliber and 70 kg weight capable of firing a 10-round burst. Tests commenced shortly thereafter with the weapon mounted in a Gotha G.I, but proved unsatisfactory. Despite this, the potential of the gun was such that Spandau arsenal was engaged to help develop and fine-tune the design, leading to a production contract for 120 Becker Type M2 guns in June 1916. In addition to the orders for aircraft guns placed with Becker, Spandau and MAN also received a contract to build Becker cannon for the Army. The Spandau works developed the gun further producing it as the Spandau Type 3 20mm cannon, which was heavier and had a slower rate of fire at 250 rpm.
caption: Oskar Ursinus operating a 20mm Becker cannon in the front cockpit of a Gotha G.I
exif: {}