Somewhere on the Western Front, a crew poses with a 2cm (20mm) Becker M II automatic cannon. The Becker design actually predated the opening of World War One, development having begun in 1913 based on an earlier 1.9cm (19mm) model. Thus, when the German War Ministry issued a specification in June of 1915 for an aerial weapon under 3.7cm in caliber, weighing under 154lbs., and having a ten round burst, the Becker M II was already well advanced and thus at the right place and time. Unfortunately, when the weapon was mounted on Gotha G.I heavy bombers for testing in action, the Becker did not perform well. Still, potential was seen in the design and so the Spandau Arsenal was asked to lend their expertise to the weapon and after some modifications, an initial purchase order of 120 examples of the M II was placed. The Becker had a rate of fire of 325 rounds per minute and utilized a curved, 10-round or 15-round box magazine. Empty, the M II weighed 66lbs. and had a muzzle velocity of 1,600 feet per second. In service with the Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte (German Air Force), the Becker was used on the Friedrichshafen G.III heavy bomber as well as other bombers in the Großflugzeug (“Large Aircraft”;G-Klasse) category. In addition, some of the zeppelins utilized by the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) were also fitted with Becker cannons. The Germans also sought to use the Becker as an air-to-ground weapon and fitted it to prototype ground attack aircraft such as the Albatros D.VI and the AGO S.1. This latter use would see the Becker adapted as an anti-tank weapon for ground troops under the designation 2cm Tankabwehrkanone Becker M II. The gun was fitted to a heavy tripod though the recoil of the M II was still more than the tripod could handle and given the muzzle velocity, despite the caliber, the M II showed up poorly against tanks. In fact, the M II had a lower muzzle velocity than the Maschinengewehr 08 (MG 08) machine-gun which was 2,953 foot per second. Disliked by the troops, the Tankabwehrkanone M II saw production halted after some 200 were built and issued. The Becker, however, had better luck with the troops as a anti-aircraft weapon. Given aircraft were built of thin metal, wood, and canvas, the Becker's round, if it hit, could inflict significant damage, especially if it struck a critical component, such as the engine or control surface. However, there was no official anti-aircraft mount for the M II and so troops had to make improvised mountings such as that seen in the photograph.
The gunner and the two loaders all wear the Infanterie Panzer (Infantry Armor) which debuted in mid-1917 and so this at least dates the photograph to that period. The armor was proof against small arms fire from 550 yards but it was more intended to protect the wearer from shell splinters and shrapnel. It came in two sizes, small and large, weighing 22lbs. and 24lbs. respectively. The smaller plates were secured to the chest plate by web straps with felt pads underneath the edges to prevent metal-on-metal noise. The armor was not popular with troops as it made shouldering a rifle and throwing grenades difficult and dug into the armpits when crawling. Thus, the armor became trench equipment rather than issued to individuals. When a unit left a particular trench line, the armor stayed behind and was then issued to the next unit to man the trench lines. Given the mobility restrictions, the armor was usually worn by machine-gun crews in static emplacements or as we see here, an anti-aircraft crew. It is likely the photograph was posed given the gun and crewmen are completely exposed. In actual combat, it would be better concealed with some form of cover, be it earthen berms or sandbagged emplacements. The M16 helmets they wear were first issued in January 1916, the shape inspired by the sallet helmet from the 15th. century. Of all the helmets made during World War One, the M16 was the best design of them all. The shape deflected away shrapnel, covered the neck and much of the head, and used a padded liner system which made wearing the helmet more comfortable. The lugs on the sides were ventilation holes and were also used as the attachment points for an armored plate. At 6lbs., the plate was not popular and was almost always used by static gun crews and snipers. Finally, the crew have donned their M17 Lederschutzmaske (leather protection mask) gas masks for the photographer.
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