Solothurn ST-5

Solothurn ST-5
A Chinese Army Solothurn ST-5 AA gun was captured by the Japanese Imperial Army in Nanjing, 1937.
Type	Anti-aircraft cannon
Service history
Used by	Nazi Germany
Wars	World War II
Specifications
Shell	20×138mmB
Caliber	20 mm (.79 in)

The Solothurn ST-5 is a 20 mm anti-aircraft gun designed by Solothurn in Switzerland which ultimately was the design basis for the highly successful 2 cm FlaK 30 series of guns used by Germany in World War II.

Solothurn was owned by the German firm Rheinmetall, which at the time was prohibited from developing certain weapons. It and other German manufacturers sought partnerships with foreign firms, often owning them outright, in an effort to circumvent the terms of the Versailles Treaty.

The ST-5 fired the 'Long Solothurn' ammunition, the cartridge 20 × 138 mm. B. The cartridge case was 138 mm long, making it the most powerful 20 mm round available.