Want something that'll shut the neighbor up?

[Commander Waffle]

Well...the germans (yet again) have come to you're rescue! Met my friend the German 88mm Flak Cannon. when the Germans created it, it was designed as an Anti-Air Gun and was mostly used for defense. It could be moved on a truck or perminatly placed on a buncker, hill, road side...whatever. Than they relized that they had a heck of an Anti-Tank gun in the same weapon, just fix the ammunition to high explosive, instead of air burst rounds...and there ya go.
The '88', as it was dubbed, was both feared and respected heavily by the Allied Forces. Not tank could take more than a round without turning into a hunk of burning metal. This weapon was so powerful, it was described as having almost supernatural powers as it could nail a tank over 2 Km away(1.2 miles) away, an dhad an effective ceiling of about 26,000 feet (7,600 meters?). It could fire from around 15 to 10 rounds per minute and had 3 variations of rounds; Armor Piercing Anit-Tank, High Explosive Anti-tank, and High explosive Anti-Aircraft rounds.
Althought, the basic and orginal Flak 18 was used for pretty much an all-purpose unit, it had 2 countrt parts, to serve more spcifc and modified roles.
Flak 36 was basically the same, but had a double barrle for replacement, and a had a different trailer for to mount the weapon. The new trailer made if quicker to set up, and was used often for the Blitzkrieg. It also had an armor shield to limity protect the gun crew.
The Flak 37 was more or less a defence and anti-aircraft weapon than an anti-tank weapon.
Many other variations were made...but I really don't have the focus and concentration to hit them right now.

Flak 88 in Anti-Tank Position:

Flak 88 in Anti-Aircraft Position:

Flak 88 (37) With amror Shield, Emplacement Set-up:

Flak 88 (37) Mobile Version:

[Commander Waffle]

I'll try and get pics of ammunition up, but don't count on it.

[Jim O]

Great post Trev! That baby was a mean gun and the Allies had good reason to fear it.

[TRDG]

Nice thread and pics C.W., I bet the most feared and well known term known near and far, for all the Allied troops that faced the 88, besides the "Tiger".

One of my current interests is their capacity to be used as artillery in WW II, any thoughts on this, as to how effective it was? And how common was it really to be used in this aspect and maybe what fronts,battles it was most commonly used as well? Was it just the lack of dedicated arty field pieces,or something else....

Cheers

Tom

[McCoy]

Originally Posted by Commander Waffle

Well...the germans (yet again) have come to you're rescue! Met my friend the German 88mm Flak Cannon. when the Germans created it

Well, I've to remind you that it wasn't the Germans that did the development of it but it was Bofors that did it. Allthough it was done in cooperation with Krupp by request by the Germans. This was mainly in order to get 'round the regulations in the Versailles treaty. So it's really a Swedish gun in the beginnin'.

[gi-rene]

Originally Posted by McCoy

Well, I've to remind you that it wasn't the Germans that did the development of it but it was Bofors that did it. Allthough it was done in cooperation with Krupp by request by the Germans. This was mainly in order to get 'round the regulations in the Versailles treaty. So it's really a Swedish gun in the beginnin'.

Somewhere in a WWI book I saw an 8.8cm AAA piece for the Germans. Looked really familiar, even the wheeled rig it was on. Did Bofors design the original or clean up the design between the wars?

[McCoy]

You're thinkin' 'bout the Geschütze 8.8 Kw Flak from 1917. It's only the caliber that's the same as the FlaK 18 that was developed in Sweden in 1928 n' it's successor the FlaK 36.

[gi-rene]

Bofors knows its cannons... I'll say that