20 mm anti-aircraft gun flak 30 38. Anti-aircraft guns. At the firing position

The Wehrmacht perfectly understood the importance of effective air defense. By the start of the war, Germany's armed forces were better protected from air attacks than any of their opponents.

Field anti-aircraft gun

From the very beginning of the war the Germans anti-aircraft units Air defense (Flugzeug Abwehr Kanone - Flak - anti-aircraft guns) greatly contributed to the formation of the "Axis". This German shortened name entered Allied dictionaries; US Air Force bomber crews called their heavy body armor "flak vests", and in the second half of the 20th century the word "flac" found general use to refer to anti-aircraft fire.

Light Flak guns were installed on a variety of platforms. The declining effectiveness of the Luftwaffe meant that air defense artillery had to become more mobile.

In function small-caliber guns“Flac” included countering low-flying aircraft at close range. If a significant number of small-caliber guns were attacked by bombers or fighter-bombers, they could fire along with the weapons large caliber, such as .

Machine guns

The 7.92 mm MG-34 machine gun, and later the MG-42 main universal machine gun, were the lightest weapons that could be effectively used in an anti-aircraft role. The MG-34, erroneously known among the Western Allies as the "Schrandau", was the standard German general-arms machine gun in 1939. With a muzzle velocity of 755 m/s and an effective range on the ground of 2000 m, in the anti-aircraft version it was reduced to approximately 1000 m. The rate of fire of the machine gun was 900 rounds/min, the cartridges were supplied from a 75-round round magazine or a 50-round separate belt.

The machine gun was replaced during the war. It was cheaper to produce due to the use of stamped parts and spot welding to speed up production. The machine gun had the same bullet speed and firing range, but the rate of fire was increased to 1550 rounds/min.

The rate of fire is very important when firing at air targets, but the MG-34 turned out to be more effective when mounted in tandem on the Zvi-linglafet mod. 36 (Zwillingslaffete 36). The MG Doppelwagen 36 installation with coaxial MG-34 machine guns on horseback or mechanical traction, adapted for service by one person, was included in the equipment German army in 1939-1940, but was often installed on cars or railway cars.

The most common means of defense against low-flying enemy aircraft is machine guns. Machine gun general purpose The MG-34 is the standard secondary weapon on most German aircraft.

The Wehrmacht did not use heavy machine guns, but to enhance air defense they adopted the 15-mm Maschinengewehr 151/15 machine gun. The machine gun was originally created for the Luftwaffe and installed on Me-109 or Fw-190 fighters; it turned out to be useful as heavy weapons fighters. The production of these machine guns was aimed at strengthening air defense in the summer of 1944. The machine gun was mounted on a half-track armored personnel carrier SdKfz-251/21, which is significant, since the Mauser installation was powered by electric shock and demanded DC voltage 22-29 V Ammunition for each installation is 3000 rounds of ammunition, ready for use.

Small bore Flac

20-mm weapons were more effective in air defense. Its cartridges were still small enough to allow rapid fire, but the shells already contained a significant explosive charge.

Flac 38 commanded great respect from its opponents. Allied units used it themselves whenever possible: at the end of 1944, the US Army even issued its own manual for handling the gun.

The weapons that the Wehrmacht had at the beginning of the war included the Flak 30, Flak 38, light Gebirgsflak 38 (Geb Flak 38) and the four-barreled Flakvierling 38. All guns used recoil and could fire single-shot or automatic with a 12-round drum-type magazine. The light armor shield protected the crew during operations in the field, but it was usually removed from the guns used in the Reich's air defense.

The guns were equipped with Linealvisier 21, Fkakvisier 38 or Schwebekreisvisier 30/38 magnifying optical sights. German optical sights gave anti-aircraft gunners a significant advantage in comparison with the simplest sights in the form of metal circles, which were on the Allied guns.

The Wirbelwind installation (Wirbelwind - tornado) consisted of a quadruple Flak 38 cannon mounted in a multi-faceted turret located on a chassis tank T-IV. Tanks specially adapted for air defense began to enter service in 1943.

The Flakvierling 38 cannon, located in an armored train in Eastern Europe in March 1944 it was equally effective against both ground and air targets, firing various shells, including high-explosive and armor-piercing.

20-mm Flac in the Western Desert in 1942. The Flac 30 gun, developed by Mauser, has a slow rate of fire and a tendency to jam.

Mobility of Flak installations

"Flac 30" weighed 483 kg in combat position. She could fire high explosive or armor-piercing shells. The maximum vertical range is 2100 m, and the horizontal range is 2700 m. The practical rate of fire was 120 rounds/min. “Flac 38” is an improved modification, lighter by 80 kg and with a doubled rate of fire.

Light Flak cannons were installed on various wheeled and half-tracked vehicles, including the SdKfz-251 and SdKfz-10.
Leichte Flakpanzer 38(t) 1943 - the first fully tracked vehicle used for anti-aircraft guns, and consisted of a Flak 38 cannon on a modified Pz 38(t) tank chassis.

The Flakvierling 38 was developed by Mauser for , it included four Flak 38 cannons on one carriage. The installation had three seats: one for the shooter, who fired using two pedal triggers, and two for the loaders. The installation had a triangular base, which was leveled with jacks. It was widely used on self-propelled and ground-based installations in the army and aviation.

Self-propelled guns Flak

The SdKfz 7 half-track vehicle was used as a chassis for the 20-mm Flak installations Mittler Zugkrafwagen 8(t) mit 2 sm Flakvierling 38 or Selbstfahrlafette 2 sm Flakvierling 38. Later modifications had enhanced armor protection for the driver and crew.

The Pz IV chassis was used for two very effective self-propelled units for Flakfirling 38. Installation “Flak Panzer IV” (2 cm Flakvierling 38) auf Fgst PzKpfw IV Mobelwagen, nicknamed “Wagon Inventory” for its hinged side shields in the form of 10-mm armor plates, which fold down when the installation is transferred to the firing position.

Not just air

Straight path and high speed The shells of the Flac light cannons made them an ideal weapon for close-in support, and in the early years of the war they were used more against ground targets. Fighters and anti-aircraft guns made the front line deadly dangerous place for slow French and British light bombers attacking armored columns and transport hubs during the German invasion of France in 1940.

Beginning in 1943, when the Luftwaffe no longer had superiority over German skies, huge quantities of tracer shells were fired by Flack gun units to deter fighter-bombers from "looting." Light Flacs placed on building roofs and turrets posed a deadly threat to low-flying fighters and light bombers, as the cannons could fire almost horizontally at approaching aircraft.

20 mm anti-aircraft guns were widely used by German troops and were an effective weapon for combating low-flying aircraft. air targets. Although before the start of World War II the main forces anti-aircraft artillery were part of the Luftwaffe, however, each Wehrmacht division had at its disposal 12 20-mm Flak.30/38 machine guns.

20-mm anti-aircraft automatic cannon Flak.30 was developed by the company Rheinmetall"in the early 20s and consisted of a monoblock barrel equipped with a muzzle brake/flame suppressor, a sled, a cradle, recoil devices, a carriage and sighting devices. The automatic operation was based on the use of recoil of the barrel and bolt with a short recoil of the barrel. Trigger allowed single and automatic fire. The descent was carried out by pressing a pedal, and box magazines with a capacity of 20 shells were used to power the machine gun. IN stowed position anti-aircraft gun was transported on a two-wheeled, sprung cart.

The Flak.30 gun was light in weight and had a simple design. The monoblock barrel was easily separated from receiver, thanks to which it was quickly replaced during continuous shooting. The disadvantages of the machine gun were high sensitivity to changes in the elevation angle of the barrel, contamination and thickening of the lubricant, and most importantly, insufficient rate of fire due to the lack of continuous power.

The first anti-aircraft guns of this type began to enter German troops in 1935, and three years later it was adopted new option of this weapon, Flak.38, which had the same ballistics and ammunition, but was distinguished by a higher rate of fire by reducing the weight of the moving parts and increasing the speed of their movement. Flak.38 assault rifles appeared at the front in 1940, and in the same year a quadruple installation based on them was created.

In addition to the two-wheeled carriage, Flak.30/38 anti-aircraft guns were also mounted on various types of self-propelled chassis, for example in the bodies of Opel Blitz and Ford Maultier trucks, and on half-track transporters SdKfz 10/5. In mid-1944, the German troops had over 26 thousand anti-aircraft guns of this type.

After defeat in the First World War, Treaty of Versailles Germany was prohibited from having anti-aircraft artillery at all, and existing anti-aircraft guns were subject to destruction. Therefore, from the late 20s until 1933, German designers worked on anti-aircraft guns secretly both in Germany and in Sweden, Holland and other countries. In the early 1930s, anti-aircraft units were also created in Germany, which, for the purpose of secrecy, until 1935 were called “railway battalions.” For the same reason, all new field and anti-aircraft guns designed in Germany in 1928-1933 were called “mod. 18". Thus, in case of requests from the governments of England and France, the Germans could answer that these were not new guns, but old ones, created back in 1918 during the First World War.

In the early 30s, due to the rapid development of aviation, an increase in flight speed and range, the creation of all-metal aircraft and the use of aircraft armor, the issue of protecting troops from attack aircraft became acute.
The existing anti-aircraft guns created during the First World War were little suitable modern requirements in terms of rate of fire and aiming speed, and anti-aircraft machine guns rifle caliber were not satisfactory in terms of range and power.

Under these conditions, small-caliber anti-aircraft guns (MZA) of 20-50 mm caliber turned out to be in demand. Having good rates of fire, effective fire range and projectile lethality.

Anti-aircraft gun 2.0 cm FlaK 30(German 2.0 cm Flugzeugabwehrkanone 30 - 20 mm anti-aircraft gun model 1930). Developed by Rheinmetall in 1930. Guns began to arrive in the Wehrmacht in 1934. In addition, Rheinmetall exported 20-mm Flak 30 to Holland and China.

The advantages of the 2 cm Flak 30 machine gun were the simplicity of the device, the ability to quickly disassemble and reassemble, and its relatively low weight.

On August 28, 1930, an agreement was signed with the German company BUTAST (a front office of the Rheinmetall company) to supply to the USSR, among other guns, a 20-mm anti-aircraft automatic gun. The Rheinmetall company supplied all the documentation for the 20-mm anti-aircraft gun, two samples guns and one spare swinging part.
After testing, the 20-mm Rheinmetall gun was put into service under the name 20-mm automatic anti-aircraft and anti-tank gun model 1930. Production of the 20-mm cannon model 1930 was transferred to plant No. 8 (Podlipki, Moscow region), where it was assigned the index 2K. Serial production of guns was started by Plant No. 8 in 1932. However, the quality of the produced machine guns turned out to be extremely low. The military acceptance office refused to accept anti-aircraft guns. As a result, the defectors from the Kalinin plant (No. 8) were unable to cope with the production of the gun.

According to the results combat use The 20-mm Flak 30 was modernized by the Mauser company in Spain. The modernized model was named 2.0 cm Flak 38. New installation had the same ballistics and ammunition.

All changes in the device were aimed at increasing the rate of fire, which increased from 245 rounds/min to 420-480 rounds/min. It had a height reach: 2200-3700 m, firing range: up to 4800 m. Weight in combat position: 450 kg, weight in stowed position: 770 kg.
Light automatic cannons Flak-30 and Flak-38 had basically the same design. Both guns were mounted on a light wheeled carriage, which in the firing position provided all-round fire with a maximum elevation angle of 90°.

The principle of operation of the mechanisms of the model 38 assault rifle remains the same - the use of recoil force with a short barrel stroke. An increase in the rate of fire was achieved by reducing the weight of the moving parts and increasing their movement speeds, and therefore special shock absorber buffers were introduced. In addition, the introduction of a carbon spatial accelerator made it possible to combine the unlocking of the shutter with the transfer of kinetic energy to it.
The automatic sightings of these guns generated vertical and lateral leads and made it possible to aim the guns directly at the target. Input data into the sights was entered manually and determined by eye, except for the range, which was measured by a stereo rangefinder.

Changes to the carriages were minimal; in particular, a second speed was introduced in manual guidance drives.
There was a special dismountable “pack” version for mountain army units. In this version Flak gun 38 remained the same, but a small and, accordingly, lighter carriage was used. The gun was called the 2-cm mountain anti-aircraft gun Gebirgeflak 38 and was a weapon designed to destroy both air and ground targets.
The 20-mm Flak 38 began to reach the troops in the second half of 1940.

Flak-30 and Flak-38 anti-aircraft guns were a very widely used air defense weapon of the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe and SS troops. A company of such guns (12 pieces) was part of the anti-tank division of all infantry divisions, the same company was integral part each motorized anti-aircraft division of the RGK, attached to tank and motorized divisions.

In addition to towed ones, it was created a large number of self-propelled guns. Trucks, tanks, various tractors and armored personnel carriers were used as chassis.
In addition to their direct purpose, by the end of the war they were increasingly used to combat enemy personnel and light armored vehicles.

The scale of use of Flak-30/38 cannons is evidenced by the fact that in May 1944, the ground forces had 6,355 cannons of this type, and the Luftwaffe units providing German air defense had more than 20,000 20-mm cannons.

To increase the density of fire, a quadruple installation was developed based on Flak-38 2-cm Flakvierling 38. The effectiveness of the anti-aircraft installation turned out to be very high.

Although the Germans throughout the war constantly experienced a shortage of these anti-aircraft installations. Flakvirling 38 was used in the German army, in the anti-aircraft units of the Luftwaffe and in the German Navy.

To increase mobility, many different anti-aircraft self-propelled guns were created on their basis.

There was a version intended for installation on armored trains. An installation was being developed, the fire of which was supposed to be controlled using radar.

In addition to the Flak-30 and Flak-38, the 20-mm machine gun was used in smaller quantities in German air defense 2 cm Flak 28.
This anti-aircraft gun traces its ancestry to the German “Becker gun,” which was developed back in the First World War. The Oerlikon company, named after its location - a suburb of Zurich, acquired all rights to develop the gun.
By 1927, Oerlikon had developed and put into production a model called Oerlikon S (three years later it became simply 1S). Compared to the original model, it was created for a more powerful 20x110 mm cartridge and was characterized by a higher initial projectile speed of 830 m/s.

In Germany, the weapon was widely used as a means air defense ships, however, there were also field versions of the gun, widely used in the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe anti-aircraft forces, under the designation - 2 cm Flak 28 And 2 cm VKPL vz. 36.

In the period from 1940 to 1944, the volume of transactions of the parent company Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon (WO) with only the Axis powers - Germany, Italy and Romania - amounted to 543.4 million Swiss francs. francs, and included the supply of 7013 20-mm guns, 14.76 million pieces of ammunition for them, 12,520 spare barrels and 40 thousand. cartridge boxes(such is the Swiss “neutrality”!).
Several hundred of these anti-aircraft guns were captured in Czechoslovakia, Belgium and Norway.

In the USSR, the word “Oerlikon” became a household name for all small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery during the Second World War.

For all their advantages, 20-mm anti-aircraft guns were unable to guarantee 100% penetration of the armor of Il-2 attack aircraft.
To correct this situation in 1943, by Mauser, by applying a 3-cm aircraft gun MK-103 onto the carriage of the 2-cm Flak 38 automatic anti-aircraft gun, the Flak 103/38 anti-aircraft gun was created. The gun had a double-sided belt feed. The operation of the machine's mechanisms was based on a mixed principle: unlocking the barrel bore and cocking the bolt was carried out using the energy of the powder gases discharged through the side channel in the barrel, and the operation of the feed mechanisms was carried out using the energy of the recoil barrel.

IN mass production Flak 103/ 38 launched in 1944. A total of 371 guns were produced.
In addition to single-barreled ones, a small number of twin and quad 30-mm mounts were produced.

In 1942–1943 The Waffen-Werke enterprise in Brune created an anti-aircraft automatic cannon based on the 3-cm MK 103 aircraft cannon MK 303 BR. It was distinguished from the Flak 103/38 cannon by better ballistics. For a projectile weighing 320 g starting speed its MK 303 Br was 1080 m/s versus 900 m/s for the Flak 103/38. For a projectile weighing 440 g, these values ​​were 1000 m/s and 800 m/s, respectively.

The automation worked both due to the energy of gases removed from the barrel bore, and due to the recoil of the barrel during its short stroke. The shutter is wedge. The loading of cartridges was carried out by a rammer along the entire path of movement of the cartridge into the chamber. Muzzle brake had an efficiency of 30%.
Production of the MK 303 Br guns began in October 1944. A total of 32 guns were delivered by the end of the year, and another 190 in 1945.

30-mm installations were much more effective than 20-mm, but the Germans did not have time to launch large-scale production of these anti-aircraft guns.

In violation of the Versailles agreements, the Rheinmetall company began work on the creation of a 3.7 cm automatic anti-aircraft gun in the late 20s.
The gun's automatic operation was powered by recoil energy with a short barrel stroke. The shooting was carried out from a pedestal carriage, supported by a cross-shaped base on the ground. In the traveling position, the gun was mounted on a four-wheeled cart.

The 37-mm anti-aircraft gun was intended to combat aircraft flying at low altitudes (1500-3000 meters) and to combat ground armored targets.

A 3.7 cm cannon from Rheinmetall, together with a 2 cm automatic cannon, was sold by the BYUTAST office in 1930 Soviet Union. In fact, only complete technological documentation and a set of semi-finished products were supplied; the guns themselves were not supplied.
In the USSR, the gun received the name “37-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun mod. 1930." It was sometimes called the 37 mm "N" (German) gun. Production of the gun began in 1931 at Factory No. 8, where the gun received the 4K index. In 1931, 3 guns were presented. For 1932, the plan was 25 guns, the plant presented 3, but military acceptance did not accept any. At the end of 1932, the system had to be discontinued. Not a single 37-mm cannon model hit the Red Army. 1930

The Rheinmetall 3.7 cm automatic cannon entered service in 1935 under the name 3.7 cm Flak 18. One of the significant drawbacks was the four-wheeled carriage. It turned out to be heavy and clumsy, so a new four-frame carriage with a separable two-wheel drive was developed to replace it.
The 3.7 cm anti-aircraft automatic gun with a new two-wheeled carriage and a number of changes in the design of the machine gun was named 3.7 cm Flak 36.

There was another option, 3.7cm Flak 37, differing only in a complex, controlled sight with a counting device and a predictive system.

In addition to standard carriages mod. 1936, 3.7 cm Flak 18 and Flak 36 machine guns were installed on railway platforms and various trucks and armored personnel carriers, as well as on tank chassis.

Production of Flak 36 and 37 was carried out until the very end of the war at three factories (one of them was in Czechoslovakia). By the end of the war, the Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht had about 4,000 37-mm anti-aircraft guns.

Already during the war, based on the 3.7 cm Flak 36, Rheinmetall developed a new 3.7 cm assault rifle Flak 43.

Automatic rev. 43 had fundamentally new scheme automation, when part of the operations were carried out using the energy of exhaust gases, and part - due to rolling parts. The Flak 43 magazine held 8 rounds, while the Flak 36 was designed to hold 6 rounds.

3.7 cm machine gun mod. 43 were mounted on both single and twin gun mounts.

During the Second World War, there was a “difficult” level of altitude for anti-aircraft guns from 1500 m to 3000. Here the planes were out of reach for light anti-aircraft guns, and for the guns of heavy anti-aircraft artillery this altitude was too low. In order to solve the problem, it seemed natural to create anti-aircraft guns of some intermediate caliber.

German designers from the Rheinmetall company offered the military a gun known under the symbol 5cm Flak 41.

The operation of automation is based on a mixed principle. Unlocking the barrel bore, extracting the cartridge case, throwing the bolt back and compressing the bolt knurled spring occurred due to the energy of the powder gases removed through the side channel in the barrel. And the supply of cartridges was carried out due to the energy of the rolling barrel. In addition, the automation used a partial fixed rollout of the barrel.
The barrel bore was locked with a longitudinally sliding wedge bolt. The machine is fed with cartridges from the side, along a horizontal feed table using a 5-round clip.
In the stowed position, the installation was transported on a four-wheeled cart. In a combat position, both moves were rolled back.

The first copy appeared in 1936. The development process was very slow, as a result, the gun was put into mass production only in 1940.
A total of 60 anti-aircraft guns of this brand were produced. As soon as the first of them entered the active army in 1941, major shortcomings emerged (as if they had not been at the training ground).
The main problem was the ammunition, which was poorly suited for use in anti-aircraft gun.

Despite the relatively large caliber, the 50 mm shells lacked power. In addition, the flashes of the shots blinded the gunner, even on a clear sunny day. The carriage turned out to be too bulky and inconvenient in real combat conditions. The horizontal aiming mechanism was too weak and worked slowly.

Flak 41 was produced in two versions. The mobile anti-aircraft gun moved on a biaxial carriage. The stationary gun was intended for the defense of strategically important objects, such as the Ruhr dams. Despite the fact that the gun was, to put it mildly, unsuccessful, it continued to serve until the end of the war. True, by that time there were only 24 units left.

To be fair, it should be said that guns of this caliber were never created in any of the warring countries.
The anti-aircraft 57-mm S-60 was created in the USSR by V.G. Grabin after the war.

Assessing the actions of German small-caliber artillery, it is worth noting its exceptional effectiveness. The anti-aircraft cover of the German troops was significantly better than the Soviet one, this especially applies to initial period war.

It was anti-aircraft fire that destroyed most IL-2 lost due to combat reasons.
The high losses of the Il-2 themselves should be explained, first of all, by the specifics of the combat use of these attack aircraft. Unlike bombers and fighters, they operated exclusively from low altitudes - which means that they were in the range of actual fire from small-caliber German anti-aircraft artillery more often and longer than other aircraft.
The extreme danger that the Germans posed to our aviation small-caliber anti-aircraft guns, was due, firstly, to the perfection of the material part of it. The design of the anti-aircraft installations made it possible to very quickly maneuver trajectories in the vertical and horizontal planes; each gun was equipped with an anti-aircraft artillery fire control device, which provided corrections for the speed and heading of the aircraft; tracer shells made it easier to adjust fire. Finally, German anti-aircraft guns had a high rate of fire; Thus, the 37-mm Flak 36 installation fired 188 rounds per minute, and the 20-mm Flak 38 – 480.
Secondly, the saturation of the German troops and air defense of rear facilities with these means was very high. The number of barrels covering the targets of the Il-2’s strikes continuously increased, and at the beginning of 1945, up to 200-250 20- and 37-mm shells could be fired per second (!) at an attack aircraft operating in the zone of a German fortified area.
The reaction time was very short, from the moment of detection to the opening of fire. First aimed shot small-caliber anti-aircraft battery was ready to give within 20 seconds after the detection of Soviet aircraft; The Germans introduced corrections for changes in the course of the IL-2, their dive angle, speed, and range to the target within 2-3 seconds. The concentration of fire from several guns on one target they used also increased the likelihood of defeat

Based on materials:
http://www.xliby.ru/transport_i_aviacija/tehnika_i_vooruzhenie_1998_08/p3.php
http://zonawar.ru/artileru/leg_zenit_2mw.html
http://www.plam.ru/hist/_sokoly_umytye_krovyu_pochemu_sovetskie_vvs_voevali_huzhe_lyuftvaffe/p3.php
A.B. Shirokohdrad "God of War of the Third Reich"

2 cm anti-aircraft gun FlaK 30/38

Flak-30 and Flak-38 anti-aircraft guns were a very widely used air defense weapon of the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe and SS troops. A company of such guns (12 pieces) was part of the anti-tank division of all infantry divisions, the same company was an integral part of each motorized anti-aircraft division of the RGK, attached to tank and motorized divisions. (In addition to a company consisting of 12 Flak-30/38 anti-aircraft guns, the division also had two four-gun batteries of 88-mm Flak-18/36/37 cannons.)

Flak-30 in Norway

The scale of use of Flak-30/38 cannons is evidenced by the fact that in May 1944, the ground forces had 6,355 cannons of this type, and the Luftwaffe units providing German air defense had more than 20,000 20-mm cannons. Light automatic cannons Flak-30 and Plak-38 had basically the same design. The Flak-38 gun was a modernized version of the Flak-30, with a slightly shorter barrel length (113 calibers instead of 115), it had a 30 kg lighter weight in the firing position and a significantly higher rate of fire, amounting to 220-480 rounds per minute instead of 120-280 rounds per minute at Flak-30. Both guns were mounted on a light wheeled carriage, which in the firing position provided all-round fire with a maximum elevation angle of 90°. The automatic sightings of these guns generated vertical and lateral leads and made it possible to aim the guns directly at the target. Input data into the sights was entered manually and determined by eye, except for the range, which was measured by a stereo rangefinder. In addition to the standard Flak-30/38 variants, there was also a 20-mm Gebirgsflak-38 mountain anti-aircraft gun with more than half the weight and quadruple 20-mm guns, which had very high firepower - 800/1800 rounds per minute.

Quad installation of 2-cm Flak-Vierling on the deck of a destroyer

By September 1, 1939, the Luftwaffe had 6072 Flak-30/38 installations. In 1939-1945. About 14 thousand of these installations were built.

The monoblock barrel was easily separated from the receiver. The barrel was replaced in 11 seconds. A muzzle brake was screwed onto the barrel. The trigger mechanism made it possible to fire single shots and bursts. Store fed, magazine - 20 rounds.

The advantages of the installation were the simplicity of the device, the possibility of quick assembly and disassembly, and low weight. Disadvantages are sensitivity to contamination and thickening of the lubricant, lack of continuous power supply, decreased reliability at a high barrel elevation angle.

There were 4 types of cartridges for anti-aircraft guns. The armor penetration of the sub-caliber armor-piercing tracer projectile model 40 was at a distance of 100 m at an impact angle of 60 degrees. - 39 mm, and at a distance of 500 - 20 mm.

	Flak-30	Flak-38
Caliber, cm	2	2
	145,1	145,1
	450 / 770	420 / 720
	from -19 to +90	from -20 to +90
	360	360
	100-120	220
	up to 60	up to 60
Calculation, pers.	5	5
Firing range, m	4800	4800
Height reach, m	3700	3700

Flak-30 in combat position

3.7 cm anti-aircraft automatic guns FlaK 18, 36, 43

The 3.7-cm Flak-18 automatic anti-aircraft gun was developed by Rheinmetall and entered service with the German army in 1935. The main disadvantage of the gun was its heavy and clumsy 4-wheeled vehicle. Therefore, to replace it, a 3.7-cm anti-aircraft gun was developed with a new two-wheeled carriage and a number of changes in the design of the machine gun. Already during the war, the Rheinmetall company modernized the Flak-36, introducing a new automation system, which increased the rate of fire. The new system was called Flak-43.

Flak-18/36/43 installations were in service with both the Luftwaffe and ground forces. By September 1, 1939, the troops had 1030 installations. In total, during the war years, about 12 thousand Fak-36 installations and about 5900 Flak-43 installations were manufactured. Performance characteristics The automation of the Flak-18 and Flak-36 assault rifles worked due to recoil with a short barrel stroke. With Flak-43, part of the operations was carried out by venting gases. Compared to the Flak-18, the Flak-36 added a hydraulic brake and recoil skid. The barrel of the machine guns was a monoblock with a flame arrester; it took 25-30 seconds to replace. The valve is piston, longitudinally sliding. The Flak-18 and Flak-36 assault rifles were powered by clips of 6 rounds, while the Flak-43 was fed by clips of 8 rounds. There were 3 for guns type of cartridges, armor penetration with an armor-piercing tracer projectile at a distance of 500 m was 35 mm at an impact angle of 90 degrees, and 25 mm at an impact angle of 60 degrees. << 3.7 cm Flak-36 in reflection of a night raid

	Flak-18	Flak-36	Flak-43
Caliber, cm	3,7
Barrel length with flash suppressor, cm	362,6	362,6	362,6
System weight in combat/stowed position, kg	1750 / 3560	1550 / 2400	1250 / 2000
Vertical aiming angle, degrees.	from -5 to +85	from -8 to +85	from -7.5 to +90
Horizontal aiming angle, degrees.	360
Practical rate of fire, rds/min	80	120	150
Highway speed, km/h	up to 50
Firing range, m	6500
Height reach, m	4800

3.7 cm Flak-36	3.7 cm Flak-18

8.8 cm anti-aircraft gun FlaK 18, 36, 37

In 1928, a group of designers from the Krupp company began designing an 8.8 cm anti-aircraft gun in Sweden. Then the developed documentation was delivered to Essen, where the first prototypes were manufactured. The system was called 8.8-cm Flak 18. In 1933, the guns began to enter service with the troops.

Parade with Flak-18 guns

The gun had a semi-automatic shutter, which was in itself an achievement for that time. The shooting was carried out from a pedestal carriage, which had four frames arranged crosswise. The beds rested on the ground with their jacks. In the stowed position, the gun was mounted on a “special trailer 201”, which was a four-wheeled, sprung cart with two wheel travels; the middle of the cart was formed by the base of the gun carriage and frame.

The 8.8 cm Flak 18 gun received its baptism of fire in Spain as part of the Condor Legion. Based on the results of combat use, some of the Flak 18 guns were equipped with an armor shield to cover the crew. In turn, the units dismantled the charging tray and the unsatisfactorily functioning mechanical rammer.

8.8 cm Flak-18/36 anti-aircraft gun in North Africa

In 1936, the modernized 8.8 cm Flak 36 gun was put into service. The internal structure of the barrels of both guns and the ballistics were the same. The “special trailer 202” was used as a vehicle. The design of the carriage was simplified. Brass parts have been replaced with steel, resulting in lower installation costs. In 1939, the cost of the 8.8 cm Flak 36 was 33,600 Reichsmarks.

Loader of 8.8 cm cannon	8.8 cm anti-aircraft gun in a firing position

Some changes were made in 1939, and the new model was called 8.8-cm Flak 37. Most of the components of the guns mod. 18, 36 and 37 were interchangeable, for example you could often see a Flak 18 barrel on a Flak 37 carriage.

Production of Flak-18 to Flak-36 during the war

	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945
Number of installations	183	1130	1872	2876	4416	5933	715

By September 1, 1939, the ground units of the Luftwaffe consisted of 2,459 8.8 cm Flak 18 and Flak 36 cannons. The ground forces first received 8.8 cm cannons in 1941 (126 guns). In 1942, another 176 guns were received, in 1943 - 296, in 1944 - 549 and in 1945 - 23 installations. In August 1944, the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe had 10,930 Flak 18, 36 and 37 guns, which were used on all fronts and in the Reich air defense. The Italians had a certain number of these guns under the name 88/56 S.A.

Flak 18/36 anti-aircraft guns were used unusually and very effectively in the Afrika Korps and on the Eastern Front. During the attacks, tractors with guns moved behind the advancing tanks, ready to fire at any moment. Thus, heavy losses were inflicted on the enemy, who had tanks with better armor.

Several Flak 18 guns were mounted on the 12-ton Sd.Kfz.8 half-track partially armored vehicle in 1940.

8.8 cm Flak-18/36 anti-aircraft gun on the Sd.Kfz.8 vehicle

In 1943, 14 Flak 37 guns were mounted on the Sd.Kfz.9 half-track vehicle. System weight 25 tons. Crew 9 - 10 people. The cabin and engine are armored.

After the surrender of Germany, Flak-18, 36, 37 guns were in service with a number of countries for some time. In particular, they were used in North Korean air defense during the Korean War.

Performance characteristics

The barrel of the Flak 18, 36, 37 guns consisted of a casing, a pipe and a breech. Semi-automatic horizontal wedge shutter. The system was transported using 2 moves, which were separated when the system was transferred from the traveling position to the combat position. The system had a tube installer and a pneumatic rammer.

In total, for the Flak-18, 36, 37 guns there were 4 types of shells - 2 high-explosive fragmentation and 2 armor-piercing. Reach of guns in height: ballistic ceiling 10600 m, height of actual fire - 7675 m. Armor penetration by an armor-piercing projectile at a distance of 1500 m was about 120 mm. Loading is unitary.

Type projectile	Initial speed, m/s	Range firing, km	Projectile weight, kg	Explosive weight, kg
High explosive	820	14800	9	0,698
Armor-piercing	720	ok 35	7,1	250

8.8 cm Flak-18/36 anti-aircraft gun with crew

8.8 cm FlaK 41 anti-aircraft gun

During the bombing of German cities, Allied planes tried to fly as high as possible. In May 1944, the command of the 1st Air Defense Division of Berlin reported to the leadership: “At the current height of raids of 7 - 8 km, 8.8 cm anti-aircraft guns mod. 36 and 37 have reached the limits of their reach.” Therefore, anti-aircraft guns with a large firing range were urgently needed.

In 1939, the Rheinmetall company received a contract to create a new gun with improved ballistic characteristics. The gun was originally called the Gerat 37. This name was replaced in 1941 by the 8.8-cm Flak 41, when the first prototype of the gun was produced. The first production samples (44 pieces) were sent to the Afrika Korps in August 1942, and half of them were sunk in the Mediterranean Sea along with German transport. Tests of the remaining samples revealed a number of design flaws that were difficult to eliminate.

Since 1943, these guns began to arrive in the Reich's air defense. In February 1944, the Reich's air defense had 279 Flak-41 guns.

Performance characteristics

The barrel of the Flak 41 guns originally consisted of three parts - chamber, middle and muzzle. At the end of 1944 they switched to a monoblock pipe. Semi-automatic horizontal wedge shutter. The cartridge was refueled using a hydropneumatic rammer. The gun had electro-hydraulic drives for horizontal and vertical guidance. The gun carriage had 4 cross-shaped frames, resting on the ground in the firing position.

Ballistics and projectile data

In total, 5 types of projectiles were developed for Flak 41 guns - 2 high-explosive fragmentation shells with different types of fuses and 3 armor-piercing ones. The gun's height reach: ballistic ceiling 15,000 m, actual fire height - 10,500 m. Armor penetration with an armor-piercing tracer projectile at a distance of 1,000 m was 159 mm, and armor-piercing sub-caliber - 192 mm.

Type projectile	Initial speed, m/s	Range firing, km	Projectile weight, kg	Explosive weight, kg
High explosive	1000	19800	9,4	1
Armor-piercing tracer	980	4000	10,2	0,64

8.8 cm Flak-41 anti-aircraft gun

In 1933, the Krupp and Rheinmetall companies were asked to produce two prototypes of a 10.5 cm anti-aircraft gun. Comparative tests took place in 1935, and in 1936 the 10.5 cm gun from Rheinmetall (product 38) was recognized as the best and put into mass production under the name 10.5 cm Flak 38. 10.5 cm gun The Flak 38 initially had electro-hydraulic guidance drives (DC), the same as the 8.8 cm Flak 18 and 36, but in 1936 the UTG 37 system (power frequency AC) was introduced, used on the 8. 8-cm Flak 37. At the same time, a barrel with a free pipe was introduced. The system modernized in this way was named 10.5 cm Flak 39. To increase the effective firing ceiling of 10.5-cm anti-aircraft guns, a 10.5-cm fragmentation active-rocket projectile was created. Its muzzle velocity was 800 m/s, and then the jet engine accelerated it to 1150 m/s. However, the end of the war did not allow the launch of active-missile projectiles into mass production. Similar active-missile projectiles were created for the 12.8 cm Flak 40 cannon. But even here things did not go beyond the release of a pilot batch. Speaking about technical innovations in the design of anti-aircraft shells, it should be noted the creation of high-frequency radio fuses, the action of which is based on the Doppler effect. For example, radio fuses were produced by the companies Donaulandische Apparatebau in Vienna (Kakadu fuse) and Blauppunkt-Werke in Berlin (Trichter fuse). At the moment of flying past the target, such fuses were triggered when the distance between the projectile and the target became minimal. Radio fuses were used both in anti-aircraft artillery shells and in prototype anti-aircraft guided missiles. The defeat of Germany did not make it possible to launch shells with radio fuses into mass production. The 10.5 cm Flak 38 and 39 remained in production throughout the war, despite the fact that the ballistic characteristics of the 8.8 cm Flak 41 gun were almost equal to them.

The 10.5 cm Flak 38 and 39 anti-aircraft guns were only in service with the Luftwaffe. By the beginning of the war, the troops had 64 guns.

Production of Flak 38 and 39 during the war

1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945
38	290	509	701	1220	1131	92

In August 1944, the Luftwaffe consisted of: 116 Flak 38 and 39 on railway installations; 877 - on stationary installations; 1025 - on carts of type 201.

Performance characteristics

The 10.5 cm Flak 39 barrel had a free tube consisting of three parts: chamber, middle and muzzle. The chamber and middle parts were connected at the front end of the chamber, and the joint between them was blocked by a sleeve. The middle and muzzle parts of the pipe were connected in the rifled part of the channel, and the joint between them did not overlap. The parts of the free pipe were collected in a shell or prefabricated pipe and tightened with nuts. The advantage of the composite pipe was the ability to replace only the middle part, which was most susceptible to fire. The gun had a semi-automatic wedge shutter. Semi-automatic mechanical type, cocked when rolling up. Hydraulic recoil brake of spindle type with constant recoil length and hydropneumatic knurler. The balancing mechanism is spring-type, pulling type. 10.5 cm gun mod. 38 and 39 were fully automatic. The guidance, feeding and fuse installation mechanisms were driven by electric motors.

The four-gun battery of 10.5 cm guns had a special gasoline engine that drove a DC generator with a voltage of 220 V and a power of 24 kW. The generator supplied power to the electric motors mounted on the guns. Each gun had 4 electric motors: vertical guidance, horizontal guidance, rammer and automatic fuse installer. In the Flak 39 guns, the electric motors were converted to alternating current in order to be able to connect to the city network. The normal crew consisted of a squad leader and 9 servants, plus 2 people for manual loading.

Guns arr. 38 and 39 were the first German anti-aircraft guns to have SCR-584 radars connected to their fire control devices. Like all 8.8 cm guns, the 10.5 cm guns fired from the ground from a cross-shaped carriage, and when moving to the stowed position they were mounted on two wheel travels.

Ballistics and projectile data

In total, 3 types of shells were developed for the Flak 38, 39 guns - 1 high-explosive fragmentation shell with different types of fuses and 2 armor-piercing shells. The gun's height reach: ballistic ceiling 12,800 m, effective fire height - 9,300 m at an initial speed of 880 m/s. The armor penetration of an armor-piercing projectile at a distance of 1500 m was 138 mm at an initial speed of 860 m/s.

10.5 cm anti-aircraft gun FlaK 38, 39

An order for the development of a 12.8 cm anti-aircraft gun was issued to Rheinmetall in 1936. The company submitted prototypes of Product 40 for testing in 1938. In December 1938, the first order was given for 100 installations. At the end of 1941, the first batteries with 12.8 cm Flak 40 anti-aircraft guns entered the troops.

Initially, it was assumed that mobile 12.8-cm units would be transported on two vehicles, but later it was decided to limit ourselves to one four-axle vehicle (“special trailer 220”). But during the war, only one mobile battery (6 guns) entered service. In August 1944, Germany had in service: 6 mobile units; 242 permanent installations; 201 railway installations (on four platforms). By February 1945, the number of stationary installations increased to 362, the number of mobile and railway installations did not change.

The 12.8 cm Flak 40 was a fully automated unit. Guidance, supply and reloading of ammunition, as well as installation of the fuse, were carried out using 4 asynchronous three-phase generators with a voltage of 115 V. The four-gun battery of 12.8 cm Flak 40 was served by one generator with a power of 60 kW. In 1942, the development of a new 12.8 cm cannon (product 45) began, but it was never put into service until the end of the war. The 12.8 cm gun 45 had a longer barrel, a larger volume of the charging chamber and, accordingly, a higher initial speed and ballistic ceiling.

12.8 cm FlaK 40 anti-aircraft gun

When creating a 12.8 cm two-gun stationary installation, the base from the 15 cm installation 50 was used. The prototypes of the two-gun installation were called “product 44”. The serial installations were named 12.8 cm Flakzwilling 40. The first four-gun battery was installed in Berlin in the spring of 1942 (according to other sources, in August 1942). In August 1944 there were 27 installations in service, and in February 1945 there were 34 installations. (The installations were manufactured at the Hanomag plant in Hannover. At the beginning of 1944, they made one installation per month, at the end of the same year - 12 installations per month. The installations were part of the air defense of large cities, including Berlin, Hamburg and Vienna .

Performance characteristics

	12.8 cm Flak 40	12.8-cm Flakzwilling 40
Caliber, cm	12,8
Barrel length, cm	783,5
Weight of the system in combat (stationary installation) / stowed position, t	18 (13) / 27	(27)
Vertical aiming angle, degrees.	from -3 to +87	from 0 to +87
Horizontal aiming angle, degrees.	360
Rate of fire, rds/min	10-12	20-24

Ballistics and projectile data

Two types of projectiles were developed for the Flak 40 guns - high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing. The height of actual fire from a high-explosive fragmentation projectile with a remote fuse was 12,800 m. The armor penetration of an armor-piercing projectile at a distance of 1,500 m was about 150 mm. Loading, like all anti-aircraft guns, is unitary.

Projectile	Initial speed, m/s	Ballistic ceiling, m	Table range, m	Projectile weight, kg
High explosive (12.8 cm Sprgr.L/5.5m)	880	14800	20950	26,0
Armor-piercing (12.8 cm Pzgr.Flak 40)	860	-	4000	28,35

12.8 cm FlaK 40 anti-aircraft gun as a museum exhibit

At the firing position.

FlaK 38 in the museum.

Image of the FlaK 38 anti-aircraft gun

Characteristics

Year of issue
1938

Total produced
?

Weight
14600 kg
Calculation
? Human
Shooting characteristics
Caliber
105 mm
Initial projectile speed
880 m/s
Maximum firing range
17700 m
Height reach
11800 m
Rate of fire
up to 15 shots/min.

Description

The gun was developed by Rheinmetall Borsig as a naval anti-aircraft gun, but it was decided to adapt it for use on land. The ground version of the gun was put into service at the end of 1937 under the designation “105-mm anti-aircraft gun model 38”.
During World War II, the cannon was used for air defense of cities, industrial enterprises and naval bases. Due to its heavy weight in the stowed position (14,600 kg), the gun was practically not used in the air defense system of the troops.
A significant portion of the FlaK-38 guns were mounted on carriages with cross-shaped frames, the design of which ensured all-round firing with a maximum elevation angle of 85°. The hydraulic horizontal and vertical guidance system was driven by DC electric motors powered by an autonomous generator. The gun had a semi-automatic wedge bolt with an electric trigger, which allowed it to fire at a rate of fire of 12-15 rounds per minute.
In 1939, the FlaK 38 was modernized and received the designation FlaK-39, which differed from the original model in the design of the carriage, as well as in the fact that the electric motors of this gun operated not on direct current, but on alternating current, which made it possible to connect the power supply system of the gun to a conventional electrical network without using autonomous current generators. The batteries of FlaK-39 guns also had improved fire control devices. The aircraft were fired with fragmentation shells weighing 15.1 kg with an initial speed of 880 m/sec. An armor-piercing projectile weighing 15.6 kg with an initial speed of 860 m/sec was also developed for the gun.
In August 1944, the Luftwaffe anti-aircraft units responsible for the country's air defense were armed with 2018 FlaK-38/39 cannons. Of this number, 116 guns were mounted on railway platforms, 877 on stationary positions, and 1025 on conventional carriages.