MG FF/M

MG FF/M
Name	MG FF/M
Caption	20 mm Waffenflugzeugkanone derived from Oerlikon FF
Origin	Germany
Type	Autocannon
Service	1936–1945
Used by	Luftwaffe
Designer	Oerlikon
Manufacturer	Magdeburger Werkzeugfabrik; Ikaria-Werke; licensed by Rheinmetall
Produced	1936–1944
Weight	28 kg (gun)
Length	1.2 m
Caliber	20 mm
Action	Recoil-operated
Rate	520–540 rpm
Feed	20-round drum, later belt-fed adaptations

MG FF/M The MG FF/M was a German 20 mm aircraft autocannon used by the Luftwaffe during the interwar period and World War II. Derived from the Swiss Oerlikon FF series, it served as a wing and fuselage weapon on fighters such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109, Messerschmitt Bf 110, and Focke-Wulf Fw 190. The weapon saw extensive combat in European theaters including the Battle of Britain and the Operation Barbarossa campaigns.

Design and Development

The MG FF/M traces lineage to the Oerlikon FF family and development involved crossover with firms like Ikaria-Werke and Rheinmetall-Borsig. Early adoption by Erprobungsstelle Rechlin and procurement by the Technisches Amt (RLM) led to integration trials on prototypes from Messerschmitt AG, Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau, and Heinkel. Design priorities reflected Luftwaffe requirements emerging from evaluations against weapons such as the Mauser MG 151/20, the Oerlikon FF F, and the Hispano-Suiza HS.404 used by Royal Air Force squadrons. Recoil-operated locking and compact barrel housing allowed installation in Gothaer Waggonfabrik-built wings and engine cowlings of single-engine types. German engineers implemented changes at Daimler-Benz and BMW Flugmotorenwerke test facilities to improve feed reliability and muzzle ballistics for installations on synchronized fuselage mounts versus wing positions.

Technical Specifications

The MG FF/M used a 20×80RB (approx.) cartridge and operated on short recoil with a rotating bolt influenced by the Oerlikon patent. Typical specifications noted in Luftwaffe ordnance tables compared to contemporaries: caliber 20 mm, barrel length appropriate for wing installation, cyclic rate near 520–540 rounds per minute, and empty gun weight about 28 kg. Feed systems included a 20-round drum, later experimentation produced belt feed conversions trialed at Flugzeug Versuchsanstalt (FVA) and by maintenance units at Luftflotte depots. Mounting interfaces conformed to standardized fittings used across Messerschmitt Bf 110 and Heinkel He 111 arrays. Ballistics performance was assessed alongside the 20 mm MG 151/15 and the 20 mm MG 151/20 in comparative firing trials at Kummersdorf proving grounds.

Operational Use

The MG FF/M equipped early and mid-war Luftwaffe fighters, serving in units operating over the Channel Islands, northern France, and the Eastern Front during Operation Barbarossa. Squadrons of Jagdgeschwader 2 and Jagdgeschwader 26 fielded aircraft armed with the weapon during the Battle of Britain, while twin-engine night fighters of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 incorporated it into mixed batteries. The cannon was valued for compactness in wing installations on Bf 109E and installation flexibility for experimental platforms at Reichsluftfahrtministerium test squadrons. By mid-war, frontline units increasingly replaced the MG FF/M with weapons like the MG 151/20 as heavier, more powerful ammunition and higher muzzle velocities became decisive in engagements over Stalingrad and in the Defense of the Reich.

Ammunition and Modifications

Ammunition for the MG FF/M included the earlier 20×80RB rounds and later redesigned mine shells approved by Luftwaffe ballistic committees. The "/M" suffix denoted acceptance of improved munitions including the 20 mm Mine Shell developed after consultations at Heereswaffenamt and trials with ordnance specialists at Versuchsanstalt der Luftwaffe. Mine shells optimized explosive filler for increased destructive effect against light aircraft and unarmored components, contrasting with armor-piercing rounds used by ground-attack units in Schlachtgeschwader. Modifications to the feed and chamber hardened materials were implemented after metallurgical analyses conducted at Krupp and Thyssen facilities to reduce wear and accommodate higher-pressure ammunition.

Production and Variants

Production involved German manufacturers under license from Oerlikon, including small-arms and aviation works across Germany. Subvariants included the original FF, the improved FF/M for enhanced munitions compatibility, and experimental belt-fed or synchronized fuselage versions evaluated on Heinkel He 112 prototypes. Limited-run naval adapters were tested by Kriegsmarine weapons sections for use on seaplane types. The cannon’s manufacture was subject to wartime industrial pressures affecting plants like Rheinmetall-Borsig and smaller subcontractors, with documented serial production continuing until supersession by the MG 151/20 program directed by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium.

Legacy and Evaluation

Historically, the MG FF/M represents an evolutionary step from Swiss autocannon design to German wartime armament, influencing subsequent designs including German 20 mm families fielded by Luftwaffe units. Postwar analyses by Allied ordnance experts at institutions such as Royal Ordnance Factory and the United States Army Ordnance Department compared the MG FF/M’s trade-offs in weight, rate of fire, and projectile lethality with the Hispano-Suiza HS.404 and Mauser MG 151/20. Museums and collections associated with Imperial War Museum and Deutsches Technikmuseum preserve examples illustrating its role in early World War II air combat. Contemporary assessments in aviation historiography published by authors affiliated with Smithsonian Institution-linked research and German aviation historians evaluate the MG FF/M as a transitional weapon that shaped airborne autocannon doctrine.

Category:Autocannons Category:Luftwaffe