The 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41 is a German 88mm
anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
and
anti-tank
Anti-tank warfare originated from the need to develop technology and tactics to destroy tanks during World War I. Since the Triple Entente deployed the first tanks in 1916, the German Empire developed the first anti-tank weapons. The first deve ...
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
gun, developed in the 1930s. It was widely used by
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
throughout
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and is one of the most recognized German weapons of the conflict. Development of the original model led to a wide variety of guns.
The name applies to a series of related guns, the first one officially called the ''8.8 cm Flak 18'', the improved ''8.8 cm Flak 36'', and later the ''8.8cm Flak 37''. Flak is a contraction of German ''Flugabwehrkanone'' (also referred to as ''Fliegerabwehrkanone'') meaning "aircraft-defense cannon", the original purpose of the weapon. In English, "
flak
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
" became a generic term for ground anti-aircraft fire. In informal use, the guns were universally known as the ''Acht-acht'' ("eight-eight") by Germans and the "eighty-eight" by the Allies.
Air defense units were usually deployed with either a Kommandogerät ("command device") fire control computer or a portable
Würzburg radar
The low-UHF band Würzburg radar was the primary ground-based tracking radar for the Wehrmacht's Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine (German Navy) during World War II. Initial development took place before the war and the apparatus entered service in 1940 ...
, which were responsible for its high level of accuracy against aircraft.
The versatile carriage allowed the 8.8 cm Flak to be fired in a limited anti-tank mode when still on its wheels;
it could be completely emplaced in only two and a half minutes.
Its successful use as an improvised
anti-tank gun
An anti-tank gun is a form of artillery designed to destroy tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, normally from a static defensive position. The development of specialized anti-tank munitions and anti-tank guns was prompted by the appearance ...
led to the development of a tank gun based upon it: the
8.8 cm KwK 36
The 8.8 cm KwK 36 (german: 8,8 cm Kampfwagenkanone 36) was an tank gun used by the German Army during World War II. This was the primary armament of the PzKpfw VI Tiger I tank. It was developed and built by Krupp.
Design
The KwK 36 w ...
, with the "KwK" abbreviation standing for ''Kampfwagen-Kanone'' (literally "battle vehicle cannon", or "fighting vehicle cannon"), meant to be placed in a
gun turret
A gun turret (or simply turret) is a mounting platform from which weapons can be fired that affords protection, visibility and ability to turn and aim. A modern gun turret is generally a rotatable weapon mount that houses the crew or mechani ...
as the tank's primary armament. This gun served as the main armament of the
Tiger I
The Tiger I () was a German heavy tank of World War II that operated beginning in 1942 in Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It gave the German Army its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted ...
heavy tank.
In addition to these
Krupp
The Krupp family (see pronunciation), a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, is notable for its production of steel, artillery, ammunition and other armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG (Friedrich Krup ...
designs,
Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall AG is a German automotive and arms manufacturer, headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. Its shares are traded on the Frankfurt stock exchange.
History
Rheinmetall was founded in 1889. Banker and investor Lorenz Zuckermandel
L ...
later created a more powerful anti-aircraft gun, the ''8.8 cm Flak 41'',
which was produced in relatively small numbers. Krupp responded with another prototype of the long-barreled 8.8 cm gun, which was further developed into the anti-tank and
tank destroyer
A tank destroyer, tank hunter, tank killer, or self-propelled anti-tank gun is a type of armoured fighting vehicle, armed with a direct fire artillery gun or missile launcher, designed specifically to engage and destroy enemy tanks, often wi ...
8.8 cm PaK 43
The Pak 43 (''Panzerabwehrkanone 43'' and ''Panzerjägerkanone 43'') was a German 88 mm anti-tank gun developed by Krupp in competition with the Rheinmetall 8.8 cm Flak 41 anti-aircraft gun and used during World War II. The Pak 43 was the ...
gun used for the
Elefant
The ''Elefant'' (German for "elephant") was a heavy tank destroyer used by German Wehrmacht Panzerjäger during World War II. Ninety-one units were built in 1943 under the name Ferdinand, after its designer Ferdinand Porsche, using VK 45.01 ...
and
Jagdpanther
The ''Jagdpanther'' (German: "hunting Panther"), Sd.Kfz. 173, was a tank destroyer (''Jagdpanzer'', a self-propelled anti-tank gun) built by Germany during World War II.
The ''Jagdpanther'' combined the 8.8 cm Pak 43 anti-tank gun, similar to th ...
, and turret-mounted
8.8 cm KwK 43
The 8.8 cm KwK 43 (''Kampfwagenkanone'' —"fighting vehicle cannon") was an 88 mm 71 calibre length tank gun designed by Krupp and used by the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War. It was mounted as the primary armament on ...
heavy tank
Heavy tank is a term used to define a class of tanks produced from World War I through the end of the Cold War. These tanks generally sacrificed mobility and maneuverability for better armour protection and equal or greater firepower than tanks ...
gun of the
Tiger II
The Tiger II is a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf''. B,'' Panzerkampfwagen'' – abbr: ''Pz.'' or ''Pz.Kfw.'' (English: "armoured fighting vehicle"), ''Ausf.' ...
.
Development history
Background
![88 Flak 16 3397921](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/88_Flak_16_3397921.jpg)
Initially, anti-aircraft artillery guns of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
were adaptations of existing medium-
caliber
In guns, particularly firearms, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel Gauge (firearms) , bore – regardless of how or where the bore is measured and whether the f ...
weapons, mounted to allow fire at higher angles. By 1915, the German command realized that these were useless for anything beyond deterrence, even against the vulnerable balloons and slow-moving aircraft of the period.
With the increase of aircraft performance, many armies developed dedicated AA guns with a high
muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed of a projectile (bullet, pellet, slug, ball/shots or shell) with respect to the muzzle at the moment it leaves the end of a gun's barrel (i.e. the muzzle). Firearm muzzle velocities range from approximately to i ...
– allowing the projectiles to reach greater altitudes. It was this muzzle velocity, combined with a projectile of high weight, that made the 8.8 cm Flak one of the great
World War II anti-tank guns
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
. The first such German gun was introduced in 1917, using the 8.8 cm caliber common in the ''
Kaiserliche Marine
{{italic title
The adjective ''kaiserlich'' means "imperial" and was used in the German-speaking countries to refer to those institutions and establishments over which the ''Kaiser'' ("emperor") had immediate personal power of control.
The term wa ...
'' (navy).
After losing the war, Germany had been forbidden under the terms of the
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...
from procuring new weapons of most types. Nevertheless, the Krupp company started the development of a new gun together with
Bofors
AB Bofors ( , , ) is a former Swedish arms manufacturer which today is part of the British arms concern BAE Systems. The name has been associated with the iron industry and artillery manufacturing for more than 350 years.
History
Located in ...
of Sweden. Krupp had the majority ownership in
Bofors
AB Bofors ( , , ) is a former Swedish arms manufacturer which today is part of the British arms concern BAE Systems. The name has been associated with the iron industry and artillery manufacturing for more than 350 years.
History
Located in ...
since 1921. The original design was a 75 mm model.
During the prototype phase, the army asked for a gun with considerably greater capability. The designers started again, using 88 mm caliber.
Prototype 88s were first produced in 1928. This early model, the Flak 18, used a single-piece barrel with a length of 56
calibers
In guns, particularly firearms, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel bore – regardless of how or where the bore is measured and whether the finished bore match ...
, leading to the commonly seen designation L/56.
First generation: Flak 18, 36 and 37
![Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-724-0135-16, Flak-Stellung in Russland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-724-0135-16%2C_Flak-Stellung_in_Russland.jpg)
The Flak 18 was mounted on a cruciform gun carriage. A simple-to-operate "semi-automatic" loading system ejected fired shells, allowing it to be reloaded by simply inserting a new shell into a tray. The gun would then fire and recoil; during the return stroke, the empty case would be thrown backward by levers, after which a cam would engage and recock the gun. This resulted in firing rates of 15 to 20 rounds a minute, which was better than similar weapons of the era.
High explosive
An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An exp ...
ammunition was used against aircraft and personnel, and
armour-piercing
Armour-piercing ammunition (AP) is a type of projectile designed to penetrate either body armour or vehicle armour.
From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armour-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armour carried on many warsh ...
and
high-explosive anti-tank
High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) is the effect of a shaped charge explosive that uses the Munroe effect to penetrate heavy armor. The warhead functions by having an explosive charge collapse a metal liner inside the warhead into a high-velocity ...
against tanks and other armored vehicles.
Widespread production started with the
Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
rise to power in 1933, and the Flak 18 was available in small numbers when Germany intervened in the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
. It quickly proved to be the best anti-aircraft weapon then available. The flak detachment with 88s proved accurate and versatile in combat against mainly land targets, the high muzzle velocity and large caliber making it an excellent long-range anti-vehicle and anti-bunker weapon. This experience also demonstrated a number of minor problems and potential improvement opportunities.
The Flak 18's carriage allowed it to fire in an emergency when still on its wheels and without its
outriggers
An outrigger is a projecting structure on a boat, with specific meaning depending on types of vessel. Outriggers may also refer to legs on a wheeled vehicle that are folded out when it needs stabilization, for example on a crane that lifts ...
, but with a very limited traverse and elevation.
For normal emplacement, one single-
axle
An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearing ...
bogie
A bogie ( ) (in some senses called a truck in North American English) is a chassis or framework that carries a wheelset, attached to a vehicle—a modular subassembly of wheels and axles. Bogies take various forms in various modes of transp ...
was detached from the front outrigger and one from the rear, side outriggers were then hinged from the vertical position to the ground; the total time to set up was estimated at two and a half minutes.
Both modes of operation made the gun much more suitable for fast-moving operations, the basic concept of the ''
blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg ( , ; from 'lightning' + 'war') is a word used to describe a surprise attack using a rapid, overwhelming force concentration that may consist of armored and motorized or mechanized infantry formations, together with close air su ...
''. The weight of the gun meant that only large vehicles could move it, the
Sd.Kfz. 7
The Sd.Kfz. 7 was a half-track military vehicle used by the German Army, Luftwaffe and Waffen-SS during the Second World War. Sd.Kfz. is an abbreviation of the German word ''Sonderkraftfahrzeug'', "special purpose vehicle". A longer designati ...
half-track
A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels at the front for steering and continuous tracks at the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. The purpose of this combination is to produce a vehicle with the cro ...
becoming a common
prime mover
Prime mover may refer to:
Philosophy
*Unmoved mover, a concept in Aristotle's writings
Engineering
* Prime mover (engine), motor, a machine that converts various other forms of energy (chemical, electrical, fluid pressure/flow, etc) into energy o ...
.
Targeting indicators were attached to the central controller to each of the four guns of a battery, allowing for coordinated fire. Indeed, with the automatic loading system, the gun layers' job was to keep the gun barrel trained on the target area based on the signals from the controller. The loaders would keep the weapon fed with live ammunition which would fire immediately upon insertion—all while the gun layer aimed the weapon according to the data.
![Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-783-0109-19, Nordafrika, Zugkraftwagen mit Flak (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-783-0109-19%2C_Nordafrika%2C_Zugkraftwagen_mit_Flak_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Many of these improvements were incorporated into the Flak 36, which had a two-piece barrel for easier replacement of worn liners. Flak 36s were often fitted with an
armoured shield that provided limited protection for the gunners. These shields could be retro-fitted on older Flak 18s as well.
The later model was the Flak 37, which included updated instrumentation to allow the gun layers to follow directions from the single director more easily. In some sources it is mistakenly stated that the Flak 37 was not equipped for anti-armor operation. In fact all 8.8 cm Flak guns were capable of operation in the dual role.
The parts of the various versions of the guns were interchangeable, and it was not uncommon for various parts to be "mixed and matched" on a particular example.
Both Flak 18 and Flak 36 had the same permanently attached fuze setter with two "Zünderstellbecher". The Flak 37/41 had the simplified fuze setter of the 8.8-cm Flak 41.
Second generation: Flak 41
![8](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/8.8_cm_Flak_41_1.jpg)
As early as 1939 the ''
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
'' asked for newer weapons with an even better performance, to address the problems of defending against attack by high-flying aircraft. Rheinmetall responded with a new 88 mm design with a longer cartridge and a longer barrel.
A prototype was ready in early 1941
leading to the designation 8.8 cm Flak 41. The new gun fired a shell at a muzzle velocity of 1,000 m/s (3,280 ft/s), giving it an effective ceiling of and a maximum of , which
General der Flakartillerie
''General der Flakartillerie'' (en: ''General of anti-aircraft artillery'') was a General of the branch rank of the Luftwaffe (en: German Air Force) in Nazi Germany. Until the end of World War II in 1945, this particular general officer rank was ...
Otto Wilhelm von Renz said to be "almost equal to the
128-mm."
It featured a lower silhouette on its turntable mounting than did the 8.8-cm Flak 18/36/37 on its
pedestal
A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ci ...
mounting. The barrel was at first a three-section one with a length of 74 calibers, and then redesigned to dual-section with a length of 72 calibers.
Improvements in reloading raised the firing rate, with 20 to 25 rounds a minute being quoted.
Because of problems in service, the guns were almost exclusively used in Germany where they could be properly maintained and serviced. The Flak 41 had the disadvantage of complexity, and was prone to problems with ammunition, empty cases often jamming on extraction. Because of the high cost and complexity of this weapon, the Germans manufactured relatively few of them, 556 in all. The first deliveries were made in March 1943
and, as of August 1944, only 157 were fielded; with 318 in January 1945.
Given very low production numbers and ongoing problems with the Flak 41, attempts were made to install the Flak 41 barrel onto other guns' chassis. During 1942 tests were made using the Flak 41 barrel and Flak 37 chassis but these identified that the chassis could not take the strain even when strengthened. Work then continued using a Flak 37 barrel re-chambered for the Flak 41 round and with a
muzzle brake
A muzzle brake or recoil compensator is a device connected to, or a feature integral to the construction of, the muzzle or barrel of a firearm or cannon that is intended to redirect a portion of propellant gases to counter recoil and unwanted ...
. After other parts were strengthened this functioned as desired. The resulting piece was 74 calibers long (78 with the muzzle brake). Problems with the multi-part barrel construction of the Flak 37 were encountered and a new barrel based on the monoblock construction of the Flak 18 was designed. Production was cancelled after approximately only 13 units were built as the resources required to build these were similar to those needed to produce a true Flak 41 and those were simply no longer available at the time.
A further attempt was made to use a Flak 41 barrel on an existing mount from the
10.5 cm FlaK 39. The resulting unit outperformed the 105 mm original and was called the 8.8 cm Flak 39/41. However, production did not take place as no Flak 41 barrels were available.
Production history
Thousands of 88 mm guns were produced throughout the war in various models and mounts.
Compared to other artillery types, German industry built for example, 570 heavy (caliber 88–128 mm) flak guns, 1,020 field artillery pieces (caliber 75–210 mm), and 1,300 tank guns, anti-tank guns, plus self-propelled guns in December 1943.
Combat history
German use
The 88 mm was used in two main roles: as a mobile heavy anti-aircraft and as an anti-tank gun. Other uses included firing in support of the troops at the front and as a more static anti-aircraft gun for
home defence
A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...
.
Anti-aircraft defense of the Reich
![Kommandogerat 40 director helsinki 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Kommandogerat_40_director_helsinki_2.jpg)
After 1935, the anti-aircraft defense of Germany was controlled by the ''
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
''.
By the beginning of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the ''Luftwaffe''s anti-aircraft artillery employed 6,700 light (2 cm and 3.7 cm) and 2,628 heavy flak guns. Of the latter, a small number were
10.5 cm Flak 38s or 39s, the majority were 8.8 cm Flak 18s, 36s or 37s.
This was twice as many heavy AA guns as RAF Fighter Command had at the time, with France and the United States having even fewer.
Throughout the entire war, the majority of 88 mm guns were used in their original anti-aircraft role.
The guns were usually equipped with a ''Kommandogerät'' system, which was an analog gunnery computer. The ''Kommandogerät'' systems were introduced starting in 1925, and the ''Kommandogerät'' p40 was the standard system during the majority of the war. It allowed extremely precise fire, and would even take into account how far away the guns were from one another and the aiming crew, cancelling out the offset and aiming all weapons at the same point. This allowed multiple guns to be aimed precisely at the same target by a single command crew of five men, instead of requiring trained crews on each gun.
Radar aiming systems were also developed to complement these systems. The
Würzburg radar
The low-UHF band Würzburg radar was the primary ground-based tracking radar for the Wehrmacht's Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine (German Navy) during World War II. Initial development took place before the war and the apparatus entered service in 1940 ...
series of radars was produced in the thousands and used widely. It allowed general area fire without line of sight, but had poor accuracy compared to the visual systems. This resulted in the Giant Würzburg, which had sufficient accuracy to precisely control guns without direct visual contact.
The financial costs associated with anti-aircraft cannon were substantial, especially when compared with
fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield ...
.
For example, in January 1943 – at a time when Germany was desperately fighting to
regain the strategic initiative in the East and was also facing a heavy bombing campaign in the West – expenditures on anti-aircraft defenses were , whereas all the remaining weapons and munitions production amounted to (including of the navy budget and only nine million of the aircraft-related budget).
By August 1944, there were 10,704 Flak 18, 36 and 37 guns in service, now complemented also by the 10.5 cm Flak 38 and 39, and the formidable
12.8 cm Flak 40, owing to the increase in US and British bombing raids during 1943 and 1944. There were complaints that, due to the apparent ineffectiveness of anti-aircraft defenses as a whole, the guns should be transferred from air defense units to anti-tank duties, but this politically unpopular move was never made.
Support of ground troops
![Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B21685, Russland, Flak bei Panzerabwehr](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-B21685%2C_Russland%2C_Flak_bei_Panzerabwehr.jpg)
The 8.8 cm Flak performed well in its original role of an anti-aircraft gun and it proved to be a superb anti-tank gun as well. An American tanker who survived losing three tanks wrote to
Chrysler
Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
after
V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
that "an 88 sure makes quick work of them. They go through them just like they were a piece of paper".
Its success was due to its versatility: the standard anti-aircraft platform allowed gunners to depress the muzzle below the horizontal, unlike most of its contemporaries. As WW2 progressed, it was becoming increasingly clear that existing anti-tank weapons were unable to pierce the armor of heavier enemy tanks and ground commanders began increasingly to use the 8.8 cm Flak against tanks.
Similarly to the anti-aircraft role, as an anti-tank weapon the 8.8 cm Flak was tactically arranged into batteries, usually four guns to each. The higher-level tactical unit was usually a mixed anti-aircraft battalion (''gemischte Flak-Abteilung''). It totaled 12 such guns on average, supplemented by light guns.
The German
Condor Legion
The Condor Legion (german: Legion Condor) was a unit composed of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany, which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legio ...
made extensive use of the 8.8 cm Flak 18 in the Spanish Civil War, where its usefulness as an anti-tank weapon and general artillery piece exceeded its role as an anti-aircraft gun. For the
Battle of France
The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...
in 1940, the army was supported by eighty-eights deployed in twenty-four mixed flak battalions.
The 8.8 cm Flak was used against heavily armored tanks such as the
Char B1
The Char B1 was a French heavy tank manufactured before World War II.
The Char B1 was a specialised break-through vehicle, originally conceived as a self-propelled gun with a 75 mm howitzer in the hull; later a 47 mm gun in a turr ...
''bis'' and
Matilda II
The Infantry Tank Mark II, best known as the Matilda, was a British infantry tank of the Second World War.Jentz, p. 11.
The design began as the A12 specification in 1936, as a gun-armed counterpart to the first British infantry tank, the machin ...
, whose frontal armour could not be penetrated by the standard light 3.7 cm anti-tank gun. The 8.8 cm Flak was powerful enough to penetrate over 84 mm of armor at a range of 2 km, making it an unparalleled anti-tank weapon during the early days of the war and still formidable against all but the heaviest tanks at the end.
Erwin Rommel
Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...
's use of the gun to blunt the
British counterattack at Arras ended any hope of a breakout from the encirclement of May 1940. In the entire Battle of France, the weapon destroyed 152 tanks and 151 bunkers.
The Battle of France also saw the introduction of vehicle-mounted 8.8 cm Flak 18s, the so-called "Bunkerknacker" on the
Sd.Kfz. 8
The ''Sonderkraftfahrzeug'' 8 ("special motorized vehicle 8"), usually abbreviated to Sd.Kfz. 8, was a Military of Germany, German half-track designed by Daimler-Benz that saw widespread use in World War II. Its main roles were as a artillery tra ...
heavy tractor.
![Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-724-0135-13, Schwere Flak in Russland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-724-0135-13%2C_Schwere_Flak_in_Russland.jpg)
During the
North African campaign, Rommel made the most effective use of the weapon, as he lured tanks of the British
Eighth Army into traps by baiting them with apparently retreating German panzers. A mere two flak battalions destroyed 264 British tanks in 1941.
Repeated high tank loss from well-placed 8.8 cm Flak guns in the battles of
Halfaya Pass
Halfaya Pass ( ar, ممر حلفيا, translit=Mamarr Ḥalfayā ) is in northwest Egypt, 11.5 kilometres east of the border with Libya and 7.5 kilometres south of the other, more major pass in the ridge today. A high, narrow escarpment extends ...
earned it the nickname "Hellfire Pass". Later in that theater, in the
Battle of Faid in
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
, Rommel camouflaged many 8.8 cm Flaks (with additional 7.5 cm Pak 40s and 5 cm Pak 38s) in cactus-filled areas. Inexperienced U.S. tankers and commanders rushed into a valley at Faid only to be obliterated. When the U.S. Army's
M4 Sherman
}
The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the Military history of the United States during World War II, United States and Allies of World War II, Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman prove ...
tanks pursued, concealed German guns picked them off at ranges far beyond those of their
75 mm guns.
For
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
, the invasion of the Soviet Union, Germany deployed the 8.8 cm Flak in 51 mixed AA battalions. They were mostly
''Luftwaffe''-subordinated units attached to the ''Heer'' at corps or army level, with approximately one battalion per corps. The weapon saw continuous use on the eastern front. The appearance of the outstanding
T-34
The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank introduced in 1940. When introduced its 76.2 mm (3 in) tank gun was less powerful than its contemporaries while its 60-degree sloped armour provided good protection against Anti-tank warfare, anti-tan ...
and the later
KV tanks shocked the German panzer crews and anti-tank teams, who could only penetrate the Soviet tanks' armor at extremely close range on the order of 200 yards when using the standard
37 mm and
50 mm guns, while the Russian 76 mm gun was effective out to 1000 yards.
![Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-496-3469-24, Flak-Stellung in Frankreich](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-496-3469-24%2C_Flak-Stellung_in_Frankreich.jpg)
The 8.8 cm Flak in the anti-tank role was arguably most effective in the flat and open terrain of
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
, Egypt and the
eastern front. The less open terrain in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
and Northern France was less suitable for long-range AT guns. The success of the German anti-tank weapons caused the Allies to take steps to defend against it in new tank designs. On July 18 and 19 1944 a
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
8.8 cm anti-aircraft battery was re-purposed by then Major
Hans von Luck
Hans–Ulrich Freiherr von Luck und Witten (15 July 1911 – 1 August 1997), usually shortened to Hans von Luck, was a German officer in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. Luck served with the 7th Panzer Division and 21st Panzer ...
to attack British tanks near Cagny taking part in
Operation Goodwood
Operation Goodwood was a British offensive during the Second World War, which took place between 18 and 20 July 1944 as part of the larger battle for Caen in Normandy, France. The objective of the operation was a limited attack to the south, ...
. Twenty tanks were destroyed by these guns within the first few seconds and at least 40 tanks were knocked out by 8.8 cm Flaks during the engagement. Just as important, the success of the 8.8 cm Flaks spawned the development of dedicated 8.8 cm caliber PAKs (see below) which were even more adept at anti-tank mission due to their lower silhouette design. By February 1945, there were 327 heavy anti-aircraft batteries facing the Red Army, which was 21 percent of those used for anti-aircraft defense.
Coastal defence
On 14 September 1942, Flak-Abt. I./43 (Major Wegener) employed these guns against a commando landing raid called
Operation Agreement
Operation Agreement was a ground and amphibious operation carried out by British, Rhodesian and New Zealand forces on Axis-held Tobruk from 13 to 14 September 1942, during the Second World War. A Special Interrogation Group party, fluent in Ger ...
by the British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
near
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near th ...
. Between them, Italian 155 mm (6-inch) shore batteries and aerial attack, the destroyer was so severely damaged that she sank while being towed by .
Use by other armed forces
Italy
In June 1939
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
had credits of about
Lit.300 million with
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
for the sale of processed materials, therefore the ''Ministro della Guerra'' (Ministry of War) proposed that these credits be paid with the sale of 50 batteries of 8.8 Flak (88/55 in the Italian nomenclature), equal to 300 guns with relative ammunition. While the proposal was accepted in principle, the German authorities stated that they did not have that quantity of pieces available, so they paid off the debt in part with 8.8 cm Flak and partly with the 7.5 cm ''kanon'' (75/50 in the Italian name).
[Cappellano 1998, p. 211.] In the proposal presented by the German authorities, the Italian supply of mechanical parts for anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns was also envisaged, so the production of components for artillery was started in the workshops
Ansaldo
Ansaldo Energia S.p.A. is an Italian power engineering company. It is based in Genoa, Italy. The absorbed parent company, Gio. Ansaldo & C., started in 1853. It was taken over by Leonardo S.p.A. In 2011, Leonardo S.p.A. sold 45% stake in An ...
in (
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...
and
Pozzuoli
Pozzuoli (; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is the main city of the Phlegrean Peninsula.
History
Pozzuoli began as the Greek colony of ''Dicaearchia'' ( el, Δικα ...
) and
OTO
Oto, Ōtō, or OTO may refer to:
People
* Oto (name), including a list of people with the name
*The Otoe tribe (also spelled Oto), a Native American people
Places
*Oto, Spain, a village in the Valle de Broto, in Huesca, Aragon
* Otorohanga, a to ...
.
[Cappellano 1998, p. 216.] The batteries were supplied complete with a Zeiss firing station Mod. 36 and related auxiliary equipment.
The batteries began arriving in Italy a few days after Italy entered the war, and were initially assigned in part to the ''Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale'' (Voluntary Militia for National Security, MACA), for the protection of the Italian main cities and partly sent in
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
, for the protection of ports. Some groups were subsequently assigned to mobile motorcycle sections. However it was immediately evident that the ''
Regio Esercito
The Royal Italian Army ( it, Regio Esercito, , Royal Army) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfre ...
'' (Italian Royal Army) did not have at its disposal a
tractor
A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most common ...
with characteristics suitable for towing this piece, given that the task was entrusted to
Lancia 3Ro
The Lancia Ro, Lancia Ro-Ro and Lancia 3Ro were 4x2 heavy trucks built by Italian manufacturer Lancia from the 1930s through the 1940s for military and civilian use. The 2-cylinder diesel Ro was produced from 1933 to 1939, the 3-cylinder diesel Ro ...
, without all-wheel drive. At the end of 1940, 44 pieces and relative firing stations were available. Starting from October 1942, several batteries, while remaining in German possession, were used by Italian personnel (officers and troops) for the protection of military infrastructures and cities, this practice was further intensified in 1943, reaching more than 100 batteries.
[Cappellano 1998, p. 217.] In addition to the cannons that arrived for the canals established in 1940, in 1943, 24 pieces and their tractors were transferred to Italy intended for equipping the ''1ª Divisione corazzata "M"'' (1st Armored Division "M"). The 88/55 in the ''Regio Esercito'' was used in its natural role, that is, as an anti-aircraft weapon, its use as an anti-tank cannon was limited to the theaters of Northern Africa (Libya and Tunisia) and only for a few ''gruppi autocampali'' (self-transported field artillery groups).
China
In 1937, the
Chinese Nationalist
Chinese nationalism () is a form of nationalism in the People's Republic of China (Mainland China) and the Republic of China on Taiwan which asserts that the Chinese people are a nation and promotes the cultural and national unity of all Chin ...
Government imported 20 Flak 18 guns and used them to defend the fortifications along the
Yangtze River
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest list of rivers of Asia, river in Asia, the list of rivers by length, third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in th ...
. The Flak 18s were extensively deployed during the all-aerial combat of the
Battle of Chongqing and Chengdu.
Finland
In 1943–1944 Finland bought 90 8.8 cm FlaK 37 cannons from Germany and they were used for air defence of largest cities in Finland. These cannons played an important role against Soviet air raids in Helsinki in
February 1944
The following events occurred in February 1944:
February 1, 1944 (Tuesday)
*The Soviets began the Kingisepp–Gdov Offensive. The Soviet 2nd Shock Army captured Kingisepp.
*Japanese destroyer ''Japanese destroyer Umikaze (1936), Umikaze'' was t ...
. After the war these cannons remained in Finnish use as AA-guns until 1977 and after that as coastal guns until the early 2000s. The gun had nickname ''Rämäpää'' ("Reckless") after the manufacturer's initials RMB. Several of the Finnish guns survive in museums and as memorials.
Spain
Four batteries (16 guns) of 88 mm guns (Flak 18) initially reached Spain as AA with the
Condor Legion
The Condor Legion (german: Legion Condor) was a unit composed of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany, which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legio ...
in 1936, but it was soon used as anti-tank, anti-bunker and even for counterbattery fire. More guns were sent later, and some 88 mm guns were also supplied to Spanish army units. At the end of the war the Spanish Army was using all of the Flak 18 guns sent, some 52 units.
Initially, the Flak 18 batteries were deployed to protect the airfields and logistics bases of the German Condor legion. The scarcity of artillery among the Nationalist forces and the general low proficiency of the Spanish gun crews forced the usage of the Flak 18 gun in a variety of roles, including as an artillery piece and as an anti-tank gun. Given appropriate ammunition it proved quite capable in both roles. The war in Spain, with its wildly fluctuating front lines and the presence of Russian tanks, forced the Germans to employ the Flak 18 guns in a direct fire mode against ground targets. By the end of the war the 88 mm guns had performed far more missions as an anti-tank and direct-fire Field Artillery gun than as an anti-aircraft gun. During the war German 88 mm guns were involved in 377 combat engagements, only 31 were against enemy aircraft. The use of the 88 mm in direct support of the infantry brought the gun crews in close proximity to the enemy and made the crews susceptible to infantry fire. Casualties among the legion's 88 mm gun batteries in the Spanish Civil War were second only to those among the bomber pilots.
In early 1937 in the fighting around Malaga, a battery of 88 mm guns was assigned to support an infantry brigade. Bad weather grounded the main bomber force, but the assault succeeded, mainly because of the concentrated and accurate fire of the supporting 88 mm guns. Flak 18 batteries were used by the nationalist army at the
Battle of Ebro
The Battle of the Ebro ( es, Batalla del Ebro, ca, Batalla de l'Ebre) was the longest and largest battle of the Spanish Civil War and the greatest, in terms of manpower, logistics and material ever fought on Spanish soil. It took place between Ju ...
, both for
direct fire
Direct fire or line-of-sight fire refers to firing of a ranged weapon whose projectile is launched directly at a target within the line-of-sight of the user. The firing weapon must have a sighting device and an unobstructed view to the target, w ...
against pillboxes and also for
indirect fire
Indirect fire is aiming and firing a projectile without relying on a direct line of sight between the gun and its target, as in the case of direct fire. Aiming is performed by calculating azimuth and inclination, and may include correcting aim by ...
in the advance towards Barcelona.
Following the Spanish Civil War, more Flak 36 models arrived in 1943 (88 guns 88/56 mm Flak-36) and since 1943 they were manufactured under license in Trubia under the denomination FT 44 (about 200 guns).
Allied
The Flak 36 guns were briefly issued in late 1944 to the American Seventh Army as captured weapons. The 79th Field Artillery Battalion (Provisional) was formed from personnel of the 79th and 179th Field Artillery Groups to fire captured German artillery pieces at the height of an ammunition shortage. Similarly, the 244th Field Artillery Battalion was temporarily equipped with a miscellany of captured German 88 mm guns and 105 mm and 150 mm howitzers. By December 31, 1944, the 244th Field Artillery Battalion had fired a total of 10,706 rounds through captured German weapons.
France
In March 1945,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
equipped its 401st, 403rd and 407 Anti-Aircraft artillery regiment with captured German 8.8 guns, associated with British
GL Mk. II and
GL Mk. III radars. The guns remained in service with second-line units until 1953 and then were used for training for a few years.
Yugoslavia
During the
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFR Yugoslavia from ...
in the 1990s, various Flak guns were used, mainly by the naval artillery of the
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army (abbreviated as JNA/; Macedonian and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian and bs, Jugoslavenska narodna armija; sl, Jugoslovanska ljudska a ...
(JNA). The Yugoslav Army (VJ) also used Flak carriages mounted with double 262 mm rocket launch tubes from the
M-87 Orkan
The M-87 Orkan is a Yugoslavian fully automated self-propelled multiple rocket launcher. The generic M-87 project was configured with 12 launch tubes mounted on a FAP 2832 truck. It has a range of about 50 to 120 km, with the ability to del ...
MLRS
A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple launchers which are fixed to a single platform, and shoots its rocket ordnance in a fashion similar to a voll ...
, instead of the 88 mm gun. It was capable of deploying cluster bombs, as well as anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, at up to 50 km. Only a few were built in mid-1993, the entire project was generally regarded as unsuccessful.
Greece
Greece had at least 24 guns (8.8) that were used against the
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was abolis ...
during the Italian invasion of Greece in 1940. Later these guns were used against the invading German forces in April 1941.
Vietnam
Beginning in 1954 the Democratic Republic of Vietnam received a number of Flak 88s from the Soviet Union. These cannons were used against US fighter jets in the early 60s.
Comparison with similar anti-aircraft guns
The Flak 18/36/37 was roughly comparable to its Italian and
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
counterparts. As an anti-aircraft gun it fired a 9.2 kilogram (20 lb) shell at a muzzle velocity of 840 m/s to an effective ceiling of 8,000 meters, with a maximum ceiling of 9900 meters.
While this was potent against US daylight raids, which generally flew at altitudes of , some aircraft were able to fly higher than the gun's effective ceiling. Some flak batteries used guns worn out from firing beyond their operational lives, which typically limited their effective ceiling to .
In comparison, the British
QF 3.7-inch (94 mm) Mark III fired a projectile at 790 m/s (2,600 ft/s) to an effective ceiling of , and the American
90 mm M1 fired a shell at 820 m/s (2,700 ft/s) to the same height, while the Italian
Cannone da 90/53
The Cannone da 90/53 was an Italian-designed cannon used both in an anti-aircraft role and as an anti-tank gun during World War II. It was one of the most successful anti-aircraft guns to see service during the conflict.
The designation "90/53" ...
fired a 10.33 kg projectile at 830 m/s to an effective ceiling of . The
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
weapons' capabilities were augmented by the introduction of
proximity fuze
A proximity fuze (or fuse) is a Fuze (munitions), fuze that detonates an Explosive material, explosive device automatically when the distance to the target becomes smaller than a predetermined value. Proximity fuzes are designed for targets such ...
s. The Allies' and Italian weapons were heavier and less mobile, with the Allied weapons being almost useless for ground fire until numerous modifications were carried out. While the US and Italian 90 mm were also used as anti-tank guns—the American gun being in use on their
M36 tank destroyer
The M36 tank destroyer, formally 90 mm Gun Motor Carriage, M36, was an American tank destroyer used during World War II. The M36 combined the hull of the M10 tank destroyer, which used the M4 Sherman's reliable chassis and drivetrain combine ...
and
M26 Pershing
The M26 Pershing was a heavy tank/ medium tank of the United States Army. It was used in the last months of World War II during the Invasion of Germany and extensively during the Korean War. The tank was named after General of the Armies John J ...
heavy tank—their use was considerably more limited than the German 88 due to German tanks being primarily used defensively by 1944 and Allied tanks being used ''en masse'' for the attack.
Related developments
8.8 cm KwK 36
The KwK 36 (abbreviation of ''Kampfwagenkanone 36'') was a tank gun developed and built by
Krupp
The Krupp family (see pronunciation), a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, is notable for its production of steel, artillery, ammunition and other armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG (Friedrich Krup ...
in parallel to the Flak 36, with which it shared ammunition and ballistics. It was the main armament of the
Tiger I
The Tiger I () was a German heavy tank of World War II that operated beginning in 1942 in Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It gave the German Army its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted ...
heavy tank
Heavy tank is a term used to define a class of tanks produced from World War I through the end of the Cold War. These tanks generally sacrificed mobility and maneuverability for better armour protection and equal or greater firepower than tanks ...
.
8.8 cm PaK 43 and KwK 43
![PaK43-41 base borden military museum 4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/PaK43-41_base_borden_military_museum_4.jpg)
At the time that Rheinmetall developed the Flak 41, Krupp tried to compete with their 8.8 cm Gerät 42 proposal, which was not accepted for production as an anti-aircraft gun. Krupp continued development, resulting in the dreaded
8.8 cm PaK 43
The Pak 43 (''Panzerabwehrkanone 43'' and ''Panzerjägerkanone 43'') was a German 88 mm anti-tank gun developed by Krupp in competition with the Rheinmetall 8.8 cm Flak 41 anti-aircraft gun and used during World War II. The Pak 43 was the ...
anti-tank gun and the related 8.8 cm
KwK 43
The 8.8 cm KwK 43 (''Kampfwagenkanone'' —"fighting vehicle cannon") was an 88 mm 71 calibre length tank gun designed by Krupp and used by the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War. It was mounted as the primary armament on ...
tank gun.
The PaK 43 (an abbreviation of ''Panzerjägerkanone 43'') used a new cruciform mount with the gun much closer to the ground, making it far easier to hide and harder to hit. It was also provided with a much stronger and more angled armour shield to provide better protection to the crew. In addition to the towed version, there were also self-propelled versions of the PaK 43 gun, including the lightly armored ''
Nashorn
''Nashorn'' (, German for "rhinoceros"), initially known as ''Hornisse'' (German "hornet"), was a German ''Panzerjäger'' ("tank hunter") of World War II. It was developed as an interim solution in 1942 by equipping a light turretless chassis ...
'', and the strongly armored, fully casemate-enclosed ''
Elefant
The ''Elefant'' (German for "elephant") was a heavy tank destroyer used by German Wehrmacht Panzerjäger during World War II. Ninety-one units were built in 1943 under the name Ferdinand, after its designer Ferdinand Porsche, using VK 45.01 ...
'' and ''
Jagdpanther
The ''Jagdpanther'' (German: "hunting Panther"), Sd.Kfz. 173, was a tank destroyer (''Jagdpanzer'', a self-propelled anti-tank gun) built by Germany during World War II.
The ''Jagdpanther'' combined the 8.8 cm Pak 43 anti-tank gun, similar to th ...
'' tank destroyers.
All versions were able to penetrate about 200 mm (7.9 inches) of armour at 1,000 m (3280 feet), allowing it to defeat the armor of any contemporary tank.
The main armament of the
Tiger II
The Tiger II is a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf''. B,'' Panzerkampfwagen'' – abbr: ''Pz.'' or ''Pz.Kfw.'' (English: "armoured fighting vehicle"), ''Ausf.' ...
heavy tank, the
KwK 43 tank gun, was the PaK 43 adapted for tank use, and it was considered for the
Panther II
The Panther II tank, a German tank-design proposal of the Second World War, was based on the design of the Panther tank. It had slightly thicker armour than the Panther and adopted some standardised components from the Tiger II tank design.
...
tank.
Versions
Guns using the 88×571R mm cartridge
![2001gun88mmwiki](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/2001gun88mmwiki.jpg)
* 8.8 cm Flak 18 Had a new semi-automatic breech, making it a rapid fire gun. It entered production in Germany in 1933 and used the ''Sonderanhänger'' 201 trailer. its weight was seven tonnes. Its rate of fire was 15 to 20 rounds per minute. It was later fitted with a gun shield to protect the crew when engaging ground targets. It was produced by Krupp.
** Mod 1938 II: Approximately 50 guns were modified so a single man could adjust the elevation and traverse.
* 8.8 cm Flak 36 Entered service 1936–37. It used the redesigned trailer ''Sonderanhänger'' 202 which enabled a faster time into action from the move. The ''SdAnh'' 202 had twin wheels on two similar carriages. It could engage ground targets from the traveling position. Its weight was seven tonnes. Its rate of fire was 15 to 20 rounds per minute. It was produced by Krupp. It was subsequently fitted with a shield to protect the crew when engaging ground targets.
* 8.8 cm KwK 36: The main gun of the
Tiger I
The Tiger I () was a German heavy tank of World War II that operated beginning in 1942 in Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It gave the German Army its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted ...
(PzKw VI ''Ausf''. E) tank. Despite its lineage, some classify it as a parallel development with very similar specifications rather than a derivative of the Flak 36.
* 8.8 cm Flak 37: It was an updated version of the Flak 36, the main difference being ''Übertragungser'' 37 (a data transmission system). It was produced by Krupp.
Guns using the 88×855R mm cartridge
* 8.8 cm Flak 41: This was a weapon developed and produced by Rheinmetall-Borsig to be used with an 855 mm cartridge case.
It was fitted to the existing ''Sonderanhänger'' 202 as standard and entered service in 1943. The barrel was at first designed as three-section with a length of 74 calibers, and then redesigned to dual-section with a length of 72 calibers.
* 8.8 cm Flak 37/41: This weapon was an attempt to allow the Flak 18/36/37 family to fire the more powerful round of the Flak 41. Only 13 built.
Surviving examples
The following museums include 8.8 cm Flak guns in their collections.
;
* National Naval Museum of
Tigre
;
*
Australian Armour and Artillery Museum
The Australian Armour and Artillery Museum is a privately owned museum dedicated to tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery from the Second World War and post war periods. It was officially opened in 2014, in Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
Th ...
, Cairns
*
,
Puckapunyal
Puckapunyal (more formally the Puckapunyal Military Area, but also known as the Puckapunyal Camp or Puckapunyal Army Base, and colloquially as "Pucka") is an Australian Army training facility and base 10 km west of Seymour, in central Vi ...
*
Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving pe ...
, Canberra
;
*
Heeresgeschichtliches Museum
The Museum of Military History – Military History Institute (german: Heeresgeschichtliches Museum – Militärhistorisches Institut) in Vienna is the leading museum of the Austrian Armed Forces. It documents the history of Austrian ...
, Vienna
;
*
Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History
The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History (french: Musée Royal de l'Armée et d'Histoire Militaire, often abbreviated to MRA, nl, Koninklijk Museum van het Leger en de Krijgsgeschiedenis, KLM) is a military museum that occupi ...
, Brussels.
;
*
Canadian War Museum
The Canadian War Museum (french: link=no, Musée canadien de la guerre; CWM) is a national museum on the country's military history in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum serves as both an educational facility on Canadian military history, in a ...
, Ottawa.
* The Ontario Regiment Museum,
Oshawa
Oshawa ( , also ; 2021 population 175,383; CMA 415,311) is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately east of Downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the G ...
.
* Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston (PAK 43 and Flak 37).
;
*
Danish War Museum, Copenhagen.
;
* Ilmatorjuntamuseo,
Hyrylä
Hyrylä ( sv, Skavaböle, also ) is one of the three villages and the administrative centre of Tuusula, with a population of about 19,500 residents.http://www.tuusula.fi/teksti.tmpl?id=751;numero=101253120 Tuusula.fi information
It is located a ...
* Kuivasaari Artillery Museum, Helsinki
* Kauppi forest, on top of Tuomikallio as a memorial, Tampere
* Lohtaja, army training area square
map link
;
*
Le Grand Blockhaus,
Batz-sur-Mer
Batz-sur-Mer (, literally ''Batz on Sea''; br, Bourc'h-Baz) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.
The commune is situated on a former island that, until around the 9th century, was separate from the mainland at Gu ...
* Le Grand Bunker "Musée du Mur de l´Atlantique",
Ouistreham
Ouistreham () is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy region in northwestern France.
Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town borders the mo ...
*
Musée de la Résistance bretonne, Saint-Marcel, Morbihan(Flak 18)
* Musée du Débarquement, Arromanches-les-Bains
*Musée des blindés, Saumur
;
*
Deutsches Panzermuseum
The German Tank Museum (german: Deutsches Panzermuseum Munster (DPM))[''Deutsches Pa ...](_blank)
,
Munster
Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
*
Aviation Museum Hannover-Laatzen
*
Wehrtechnische Studiensammlung
The Bundeswehr Museum of German Defense Technology also known as ''Wehrtechnisches Museum Koblenz'' and ''Wehrtechnische Studiensammlung Koblenz'' (WTS-Koblenz) is the official Bundeswehr's Defense Technology Study Collection in Koblenz. It is o ...
Koblenz
* Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr, Berlin-Gatow
* Deutsches Technikmuseum, Berlin
;
*
Cavalry Tank Museum, Ahmednagar
Cavalry Tank Museum is a military museum in Ahmednagar in the state of Maharashtra, India. It was established by the Armored Corps Centre and School in February 1994. It is the only museum of its kind in Asia and houses about 50 exhibits of vin ...
;
*
Overloon War Museum
The Overloon War Museum (''Dutch: Oorlogsmuseum Overloon'') is located in Overloon, Netherlands.
The museum was opened on May 25, 1946, making it one of the oldest museums in Europe dedicated to the Second World War. The museum is located on ...
, Overloon
*
Atlantikwall-Museum, Hook of Holland
* Bevrijdende Vleugels Museum, Best
;
* The Vintage Aviator (privately owned by
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...
),
Masterton
Masterton ( mi, Whakaoriori), a large town in the Greater Wellington Region of New Zealand, operates as the seat of the Masterton District (a territorial authority or local-government district). It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a r ...
;
*
Trondenes Fort
Trondenes Fort is a fort situated on the Trondenes peninsula in the municipality of Harstad in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located about north of the town of Harstad. The fort has been the main base for the Norwegian Coastal Ranger ...
,
Harstad
( se, Hárstták) is the second-most populated municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is mostly located on the large island of Hinnøya. The municipal center is the Harstad (town), town of Harstad, the most populous town in Centra ...
;
*
Coastal Defence Museum in Świnoujście, Świnoujście
* Muzeum Śląskie (Silesian Museum), Katowice, Poland
;
*
National Military Museum, Romania
The King Ferdinand I National Military Museum ( ro, Muzeul Militar Național "Regele Ferdinand I"), located at 125-127 Mircea Vulcănescu St., Bucharest, Romania, was established on 18 December 1923 by King Ferdinand I. It has been at its present ...
, Bucharest
;
*
Military Museum, Belgrade
The Military Museum ( sr, Војни музеј, Vojni muzej) is a museum located in Belgrade, Serbia. Founded in 1878, the museum has over 3,000 ancient and modern items. These include Roman swords and helmets, Greek helmets and daggers, Serbian ...
, Belgrade
;
*
Pivka Military Museum, Pivka
;
*
South African Museum of Military History Johannesburg
;
* Museo Histórico Militar,
A Coruña
A Coruña (; es, La Coruña ; historical English: Corunna or The Groyne) is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. A Coruña is the most populated city in Galicia and the second most populated municipality in the autonomous community and s ...
* Flak 36 in
Historical Military Museum of Cartagena (Spain)
The Museo Histórico Militar de Cartagena (Historical Military Museum of Cartagena) is a military museum dedicated to Spanish Army History, and is located in Cartagena, Spain
''The Building''
Originally rectangular in shape, it had an area of ...
* Museo Histórico Militar de
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...
;
*
Imperial War Museum Duxford
Imperial War Museum Duxford is a branch of the Imperial War Museum near Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England. Britain's largest aviation museum, Duxford houses the museum's large exhibits, including nearly 200 aircraft, military vehicles, artill ...
, Duxford
*
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...
, London
*
Royal Armouries
The Royal Armouries is the United Kingdom's national collection of arms and armour. Originally an important part of England's military organization, it became the United Kingdom's oldest museum, originally housed in the Tower of London from ...
,
Fort Nelson, Hampshire
Fort Nelson, in the civil parish of Boarhunt in the English county of Hampshire, is one of five defensive forts built on the summit of Portsdown Hill in the 1860s, overlooking the important naval base of Portsmouth. It is now part of the Royal A ...
*
Muckleburgh Collection
The Muckleburgh Collection is a military museum sited on a former military camp at Weybourne, on the North Norfolk coast, England. It was opened to the public in 1988 and is the largest privately owned military museum in the United Kingdom.
Hi ...
, Norfolk
*
German Occupation Museum, Guernsey
;
* Virginia War Museum, Newport News, Virginia. One 76 mm hole in outrigger.
*
United States Army Air Defense Artillery Museum, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. (Flak 18, Flak 36, Flak 37, Flak 41, 8.8 cm Flak M39(r))
*
National Museum of the United States Air Force
The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the ...
, Dayton, Ohio
* The Flying Heritage Collection, Everett, Washington
*
Military Aviation Museum
The Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is home to one of the world's largest collections of warbirds in flying condition. It includes examples from Germany, France, Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, from ...
Virginia Beach, Virginia (Flak 37 in working condition)
* Palm Springs Air Museum, Palm Springs, California
* National WWII Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana
* 2-FlaK 37, Private collection, J Bostek, Michigan www.709th.org
* Indiana Military Museum, Vincennes, Indiana, received from United Kingdom October 22, 2020 and being restored.
* The
Texas Air Museum
The Texas Air Museum currently has two locations:
* Stinson Municipal Airport (San Antonio)
* City of Slaton/Larry T. Neal Memorial Airport
Slaton Location Gallery
File:Tirpitz Hardware.jpg, German Battleship Tirpitz hardware recovered from its ...
in
Slaton, Texas
Slaton is a city in Lubbock County, Texas, United States founded by German immigrants. Slaton was the westernmost German settlement in Texas. The population was 6,121 at the 2010 census. Slaton is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistic ...
File:Flak 8.8 cm.jpg, 8.8 cm Flak 37 on the fortification mount. Exhibit of Coastal Defence Museum in Świnoujście, Poland.
Gallery
File:FLAK36-37L56.jpg, Flak 37 gun at the Deutsches Panzermuseum
The German Tank Museum (german: Deutsches Panzermuseum Munster (DPM))[''Deutsches Pa ...](_blank)
, Munster, Germany
File:8,8-cm-Flugabwehrkanone 37.8.8 cm anti-aircraft cannon 37.JPG, Flak 37 gun at the Anti-aircraft Museum in Hyrylä
Hyrylä ( sv, Skavaböle, also ) is one of the three villages and the administrative centre of Tuusula, with a population of about 19,500 residents.http://www.tuusula.fi/teksti.tmpl?id=751;numero=101253120 Tuusula.fi information
It is located a ...
, Finland
File:88 mm AT shell Wings over Wine Country 2007.JPG, 8.8 cm High-explosive shell
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-443-1574-26, Nordafrika, Flakgeschütz.jpg, Flak 36 gun in position at Bir Hakeim, North Africa, June 1942
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-635-3999-24, Deutschland, Flak-Batterie in Feuerstellung.jpg, Flak 36 battery in firing position, Germany, 1943
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-356-1845-08, Frankreich, Radar an der Kanalküste.jpg, FuMG 39 "Würzburg" radar at an anti-aircraft position on the Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall (german: link=no, Atlantikwall) was an extensive system of coastal defences and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defence against an anticip ...
, France, 1942
File:8.8 cm Flak in Spain.jpg, 8.8 cm Flak 37 in Madrid, Spain
File:8.8 cm Flak.jpg, 8.8 cm Flak 37 in Tampere, Finland
File:8.8 cm Flak 2.jpg, 8.8 cm Flak 37 in Tampere, Finland
File:FLAK 88 in Slaton, TX.jpg, The Flak 88mm at the Texas Air Museum
The Texas Air Museum currently has two locations:
* Stinson Municipal Airport (San Antonio)
* City of Slaton/Larry T. Neal Memorial Airport
Slaton Location Gallery
File:Tirpitz Hardware.jpg, German Battleship Tirpitz hardware recovered from its ...
in Slaton, Texas
Slaton is a city in Lubbock County, Texas, United States founded by German immigrants. Slaton was the westernmost German settlement in Texas. The population was 6,121 at the 2010 census. Slaton is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistic ...
.
See also
*
Flak tower
Flak towers (german: link=no, Flaktürme) were large, above-ground, anti-aircraft gun blockhouse towers constructed by Nazi Germany. There were 8 flak tower complexes in the cities of Berlin (three), Hamburg (two), and Vienna (three) from 1940 on ...
*
8.8 cm SK C/30 naval gun: contemporary German Navy dual purpose anti-surface and anti-aircraft gun
Weapons of comparable role, performance and era
*
Bofors 75 mm Model 1929: 75 mm and 80 mm Swedish gun developed alongside the 88 at Bofors
*
QF 3.7-inch AA gun
The QF 3.7-inch AA was Britain's primary heavy anti-aircraft gun during World War II. It was roughly the equivalent of the German Flak 8.8 cm and American 90 mm, but with a slightly larger calibre of 3.7 inches, approximately 94 mm. ...
: contemporary British anti-aircraft gun, firing a heavier () shell
*
Cannone da 90/53
The Cannone da 90/53 was an Italian-designed cannon used both in an anti-aircraft role and as an anti-tank gun during World War II. It was one of the most successful anti-aircraft guns to see service during the conflict.
The designation "90/53" ...
: contemporary Italian anti-aircraft gun
*
90 mm Gun M1: contemporary US anti-aircraft gun
*
85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K)
The 85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) (russian: 85-мм зенитная пушка обр. 1939 г. (52-К)) was an Soviet anti-aircraft gun, developed under guidance of leading Soviet designers M. N. Loginov and G. D. Dorokhin. This gu ...
: contemporary Soviet anti-aircraft gun
References
Explanatory notes
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
The 88mm Gun: The Weapon Nazi Germany Used to Destroy Everything*Detailed examination of the effect of 88 mm FlaK on B-17 and B-24 bombers:
Technical Manual German 88 mm Antiaircraft Gun Materiel – US War Department, 29 June 1943Extract from "Handbuch für den Flakartilleristen" – Die 8.8 cm – Flak 1939
{{DEFAULTSORT:8.8 Cm Flak 18 36 37 41
88 mm artillery
World War II anti-aircraft guns
World War II anti-tank guns of Germany
Anti-aircraft guns of Germany
Krupp
Rheinmetall
Military equipment introduced in the 1930s