MG 151/20 and the 2 cm Erdkampflafette 151/20



2 cm Erdkampflafette 151/20

The 2 cm Erdkampflafette 151/20 was a tripod, intended for mounting the Maschinengewehr 151/20 so that it could be used against ground targets.

The tripod's aiming device had aiming marks from 0 to 12, each indicating the range to the target in hundreds of meters. The aiming device had three times magnification, and an 8° viewfield.

The tripod could be set at different heights, depending on how far the legs were spread out.

In a letter dated 1945-01-30, the 2 cm Erdkampflafette 151/20 is referred to as Erdkampflafette 44, which appears to indicate at least an unofficial name change, in that a different version (the Erdkampflafette 43) also appears to have existed.

Little information is available about the Erdkampflafette, but it appears to have been designed late in the war, since the two batallions (Versuchs-Erdkampflafette-Bataillone) equipped with the weapon on an experimental basis had still not given any experience reports, as per the letter of 1945-01-30. There are, however, several photographs of the Erdkampflafette, both in combat and after being captured by Allied forces. The sources includes a link to a forum thread with several such photographs.

Technical details

Technical data on the 2 cm Erdkampflafette 151/20
Length
  • 1 925 mm (with MG 151/20, but without barrel)
  • 1 112 mm (barrel length)
Weight
  • 74 kg (with MG 151/20)
  • 37 kg (without MG 151/20)
  • 15 kg (weight of filled ammunition box)
Elevation
  • 6° (at lowest height setting)
  • 20° (at highest height setting)
Traverse 20° (to each side)

Weapon data

Technical data MG 151/20
Caliber 20 mm
Rate of fire 700 rounds/m
Ammunition
  • 2 cm Brandsprenggranatpatrone 151 mit L- oder Glimmspur mit Zerleger
  • 2 cm Panzergranatpatrone 151 mit L-spuhr ohne Zerleger
  • 2 cm Panzersprenggranatpatrone 151 mit und ohne Zerleger
  • 2 cm Brandgranatpatrone 151 mit L- oder Glimmspur mit Zerleger
  • 2 cm Panzergranatpatrone 151 (Ph) ohne Zerleger

Sources

  1. D 1888/2 - Maschinengewehr 151/20 und Erdkampflafette - Gebrauchanleitung (draft). Berlin : Oberkommando des Heeres, 1944.
  2. Jn 2 Az.72 & 14 IId Nr. 518/45 vom 25.1.45 - 2 cm Erdkampfafette 44. Oberkommando des Heeres, 1945.
  3. 2 cm Erdkampflafette 151/20 [online]. Axis History Forum. Fetched 2010-01-30. Available from Internet: <http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=83081>