The 8.8 cm FlaK 18/36/37/41 is a German 88 mm anti-aircraft and anti-tank gun, developed in the 1930s. It was widely used by Germany during World War Two and became one of the most iconic German weapons of the conflict. The evolution of the original model led to a wide variety of weapon adaptations.
Flugabwehrkanone
The name applies to a series of related guns, with the first official version being the 8.8 cm FlaK 18, later improved into the 8.8 cm FlaK 36, and finally the 8.8 cm FlaK 37. The term “FlaK” is a contraction of the German word “Flugabwehrkanone” (also “Fliegerabwehrkanone“), which means “air defense cannon”. While its original purpose was as an anti-aircraft weapon, it was also highly effective against ground targets. In English, the term “flak” became a general term for anti-aircraft fire. Informally, the gun was commonly known as the “Acht-acht” (“eight-eight”) by the Germans and as the “eighty-eight” by the Allies.
Fire control
Air defense units were usually deployed with a Kommandogerät (“command device”) or short “Kdo. Gerät” fire control computer or a mobile Würzburg radar, which were responsible for the high targeting accuracy against aircraft. Fire from multiple guns simultaneously could also be directed by the Giant Würzburg Radar.
The picture underneath shows an example of the Kdo. Gerät 40 combined with a Raumbildentfernungsmesser (Eng: rangefinder) 4 RL (Em4mRL) that was commonly used to direct FlaK 88 fire.
Multi-role
Due to its versatility, the 8.8 cm FlaK could be fired directly from its wheeled carriage or be set up for stationary use. It could be made combat-ready in just two and a half minutes. Its effectiveness in anti-tank warfare led to the development of specialized tank guns based on it, like the 8.8 cm KwK 36 (KwK stands for “Kampfwagenkanone” or “combat vehicle cannon”) was used as a main weapon in the turret of the Tiger I heavy tank.
Besides this Krupp-designed weapon, Rheinmetall later created a more powerful anti-aircraft gun, the 8.8 cm FlaK 41, which was produced in relatively small numbers. Krupp responded to the demand for a longer 8.8 cm gun by developing the 8.8 cm PaK 43 anti-tank gun, which was mounted on the Elefant tank destroyer and the Jagdpanther. The 8.8 cm KwK 43 tank gun was also the main armament of the Tiger II heavy tank.
Specifications
- Weight
7.4 tons
- Dimensions
L579 x B230 x H210 cm - Barrel length
4.938 m (56 caliber) - Crew
10 - Effective horizontal range
14.9 km - Effective vertical range
8 km - Rounds per minute
Max. 20
This FlaK 88 gun in the pictures was photographed at the 2024 Four-Fronts Bridge Tank Event in Oeselgem, Belgium.
