Nature Coast Hobby Shop

Cannon Oerlikon MK IX 20mm and Artillery Operator

This is a Swiss project powerful automatic cannon; and made in Britain. It was used as a single or double assembly on a great of allied vessels, such as PT-109, Vosper and Fairmile torpedo boats, and even on battleships, battle cruisers and submarines.

Shooting speed: 450 shots/min Initial speed; 908 m/sec.

Ammunition: Loaded, tracer and high explosive incendiary

Effective range: 927 m. Bullet weight: 230 grams.

Length and Height: 4 5/16 / Scale 1:35

Widely used by many nations, this 20 mm automatic weapon originally designed by the Swiss firm of Oerlikon was probably produced in higher numbers than any other AA weapon of World War II.

In 1937 the British Admiralty initiated tests to find a weapon suitable for arming merchant ships and minor warships against close range air attacks. They rejected the Oerlikon Model 1934, but in 1938 the Admiralty informed Oerlikon that if they could raise the muzzle velocity and demonstrate that the weapon could be used and maintained by non-specialist personnel, such as fishermen and merchant seamen, then it would be acceptable. Oerlikon made the necessary changes and the first prototypes of the new design were delivered late in 1939. These were immediately accepted into service as the 20 mm Mark I and Britain placed large orders with Oerlikon and obtained a manufacturing license. However, only a few additional guns were delivered prior to the German occupation of France, which cut off the supply route. This is basically why so few British ships had Oerlikon guns during the early part of the war, with the official USN BuOrd history stating that the Royal Navy had only 100 Oerlikons at sea in November 1940.

Shortly before France fell, the British took advantage of their manufacturing license with Oerlikon to obtain a set of production drawings. These were brought back from Switzerland by Stewart Mitchell, who had previously been Inspector of Naval Ordnance Contracts at the Oerlikon factory in Zurich. Mitchell, together with the famous ordnance expert Charles Goodeve and with Cmdr. S.W. Roskill (then working in the Admiralty Staff Division and later the famous Capt. Roskill, author of “The War at Sea”) set up a factory at Ruislip to produce Oerlikon guns. “Considerable difficulties” with equipment and labor had to be overcome before deliveries of the British version of this gun, designated as the 20 mm Mark II, began in the fall of 1941. In November 1941, the battleship HMS Duke of York was commissioned with six of these weapons, which I believe to have been the first warship to carry British-produced Oerlikon guns “as completed.”

Have questions about this item or any of our other products? Contact us

Looking for a community of Model Ship Builders? Check out this forum