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8.8cm FlaK 18 / FlaK 36 / FlaK 37 (German 88)

1934 COLD WAR SPANISH CIVIL WAR WORLD WAR 2

History

After the end of the First World War, the armistice in November 1918, the German Empire was held accountable by the victorious powers. The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, limited (at least on paper) Germany's military might for the foreseeable future. The country is limited to the development and production of armored vehicles, a small standing army of 100,000 people, and no armed aircraft of any kind. This limitation was also due to the development of artillery and naval power. However, these restrictions have proven to be more of a formality over the years, as the German war machine will take a new direction and be ignited by the flames of new ambitions.

In order to comply with the restrictions of the 1919 treaty, the Germans secretly began a plan to strengthen their weakened army. One of them developed into a powerful 88mm field gun. This was the secret behind its development, so much so that his engineers at Krupp sent a team of experts to nearby Sweden to continue working on the weapon.

This effectively gave engineers complete freedom to design and develop a powerful battlefield weapon outside the confines of the Treaty of Versailles.

The Krupp team, working with Swedish engineers at Bofors and using secret funding from the German government, has developed a new 75mm gun suitable for anti-aircraft operations. However, German Army authorities did not believe in the idea of ??this weapon and demanded a more powerful and heavier alternative, which led to the 88mm Bofors-Krupp in the early 1930s.

After the required field tests, the 88mm gun was selected for serial production as the "8.8cm-FlaK 18" (casually referred to as "88") and production began in Essen, Germany in 1933. By the way, the development of this weapon coincided with the rise and dominance of the fascist party in German politics.

Over time, their mysterious leader Adolf Hitler would take control of every aspect of the country and lead the country into a world war.

It has become common practice to refer to German military weapons secretly developed after the 1919 Treaty simply as "Type 18" to avoid suspicion. Following the outbreak of all-out war in Europe, the Germans resumed marking the successor variant in the year it was introduced.

The core of FlaK 18 is an impressive feat of engineering. The long one-piece barrel rests on a complex frame that contains all applicable elevation and roll controls. The gun is huge and requires no less than seven operators to reach its specs. The best feature of this branch is its cross-shaped base, which folds up during transport. A two-axle design with four wheels further facilitates transportation.

Not only does this allow transporting the gun via the vehicle trailer, it also allows the crew to push the gun to a new location (with some work of course). The barrel can be set to fire straight up or forward, hitting both air and ground targets with the same zeal.

Over time, a newer model appeared and it was called the FlaK 36. The FlaK 36 differs from its predecessor in its three-part barrel arrangement. This design modification was required due to wear on the combustion chamber barrel section of the previous model, requiring the replacement of the entire assembly.

Instead, thanks to the split barrel system, the FlaK 36 actually only replaces worn parts.

The FlaK 37 is a modification of the FlaK 36 and incorporates an improved fire control system to improve the communication between the weapon itself and the control system used by the rifleman, thereby increasing performance and capability. The new model is designed for special stable static weapon mounts, in contrast to the original design, which was intended for harsh field use.

Due to the closeness of each model's combat debut and their inherent design, the FlaK 18, FlaK 36 and FlaK 37 were all in production and served alongside each other during the war. Additionally, the high degree of commonality of parts has resulted in some "dumb" configurations on the battlefield, with variations due to wear and tear of specific parts of its design and general battlefield abuse or combat damage.

The inherent flexibility of the weapon system also encourages its widespread use in anti-aircraft railcars and self-propelled tracked vehicles of various designs.

In service, the 8.8cm series of anti-aircraft guns proved to be excellent weapons, but became known for things other than expected anti-aircraft specifications. After discovering her potential in the tank-killer role, she proved to be the most feared and respected by the Allies. Long-range firing penetration and projectile size maintains a high velocity that can kill any Allied armor throughout the war. "88" can penetrate armor up to 1800 meters.

As a result, the weapon became a favorite among members of the German army and war planners, proving to be a welcome trophy after being captured by the enemy, but being used against its former owner.

8.8 cm anti-aircraft guns were used in air defense systems in many large areas of Germany, especially Berlin, but they could be found almost anywhere in an Army or Luftwaffe operation. As an anti-tank weapon, the type is towed into place by moving vehicles and used as a static deterrent. However, the height limitation of the barrel quickly rendered it unusable as a short-range direct attack system, and the 8.8cm FlaK crews relied on it for long-range firepower. Its huge shipping weight also cannot take the FlaK system into rough terrain or soft ground.

The gun is also quite large, so hiding in ambush is a problem. Whether or not the weapon could be used, it had an impact on Allied war planners.

Such was the popularity of the weapon in the German Army, Luftwaffe and German Navy, so much so that several factories under imperial control eventually released the type on a large scale, until it appeared in thousands of examples, and in hostile It was never replaced in service or in production until the end of the operation. Germany delivered the "88" directly to their allies in Italy.

American and British forces even recreated captured samples for intermediate defenses as they advanced toward Europe and stretched their supply lines long enough to ensure protection of waiting forward supply convoys and large numbers of troops and armoured units.

The Germans experimented with other uses for the dreaded "88". In addition to being installed on railway vehicles and self-propelled vehicles, this type was also used as a direct armored weapon for the heavily armored "Tiger", a heavy tank in the later period of the war. In additional service, they were used as defensive coastal guns against any enemy naval presence within range.

Some light navy ships also carry the "88".

By 1944, approximately 10,000 "88" prototypes were in circulation on all major fronts involving the German army. It was such a sought-after and powerful weapon that every third barrel system produced in German-controlled factories was of the "88" variety.

Overall, an estimated 18,000 to 20,700 rounds of the 88 were produced before and during the war, making it one of the most important artillery pieces of the entire conflict.

Like most other pre-war German systems, this weapon was first "trialed" during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. By the time Germany invaded France in 1940, the weapon and the tactics it applied had been somewhat of a failure. The 8.8cm anti-aircraft gun was used in the North African campaign, on the Western and Eastern Fronts, until the collapse of Germany in May 1945.

The "88" was expanded after the war due to its effectiveness and quantitative range.