Towards the end of May 1940, the Allies found themselves nearly trapped in the Low Countries.
The Germans executed a swift advance,
which inadvertently left their flanks vulnerable to a counterattack.
Seizing the opportunity, the British promptly launched an offensive with 86 tanks.
The mighty advance was split into two columns, positioned approximately five kilometers apart,
while an additional 60 French tanks bolstered the main force.
On the opposite side was General Erwin Rommel and his exceptional 7th Panzer Division.
The Allied attack was successful at first. Numerous Germans were taken prisoner, and
the British tanks demonstrated immunity to their 3.7-centimeter PaK guns. Overcome with panic, the
Germans realized their weapons were ineffective against the enemy armor, prompting General Rommel
to muster all available artillery, including a potent weapon: the 8.8-centimeter Flak.
The combined firepower ultimately halted the British advance and forced them into a retreat.
But notably, the most lethal German weapon of World War
2 was not originally intended to be an anti-tank gun at all.
Enemy Above
Aircraft began to see military use even before World War 1. While limited and rudimentary,
early aircraft types served in reconnaissance and bomber roles. As the war erupted, aircraft
development accelerated with the introduction of new technologies. Innovative designs were
created for bombing enemy positions, initially using small hand-tossed bombs, and then more
specialized types emerged, capable of carrying larger payloads affixed to their airframes.
Despite their moderate effectiveness, aircraft posed a significant threat to military and
industrial targets, necessitating the development of ground-based anti-aircraft defenses.
Moreover, initial protective measures were simplistic, using conventional
artillery guns mounted to enable skyward aiming, which proved crude and ineffective.
The chances of bringing down a hostile aircraft were slim. And while being engaged with the Allies
on the Western Front, the Germans learned the need for more purpose-built weapons.
In 1916, the first trucks armed with 8.8-centimeter anti-aircraft
guns appeared on the frontlines, laying the groundwork for more advanced gunnery.
Respectable firms like Krupp and Ehrhardt, which would later become Rheinmetall, then developed
their own versions. And although both models experienced moderate success and saw extensive
action in the war's later stages, neither had a significant impact on the development of the
legendary 8.8-centimeter Flak—a weapon that would ultimately carve out a name for itself.
A Troyan Horse
After Germany’s defeat in World War 1, the nation was prohibited from developing
military technologies, including anti-aircraft guns. Consequently, many domestic companies
collaborated with European arms manufacturers. One such case was Krupp, which partnered with
the Swedish Bofors armaments manufacturer in the 1920s and eventually owned a third of its shares.
Towards the end of the decade, Krupp learned that the German Army sought
a new anti-aircraft gun—one that would deceive France and
Britain into believing it was an outdated design, even though it was far from it.
The new gun was expected to fire a 10-kilogram round at a muzzle
velocity of 900 meters per second. Besides, the mount had to enable a
full 360-degree traverse and an elevation range of -3 to 85 degrees. Both the gun
and the mount were to be placed on a cross-shaped base with four outriggers.
In later years, the specifications would include a firing rate of 15
to 20 rounds per minute and the use of high-explosive rounds with a 30-second fuse.
As for the desired caliber, 75 millimeters were deemed insufficient; therefore, the 8.8-centimeter
caliber, which had already been tested during the war, appeared more suitable for a heavy gun.
Furthermore, 8.8 centimeters was established as the minimum caliber,
with larger ones permitted as long as the weight did not exceed nine tonnes.
The towing trailer also needed to reach speeds of up to 40 kilometers per hour when towed by
a half-track or larger truck. Additionally, the speed of redeployment was deemed crucial.
Equals
Recognizing that the development of such a weapon could take years, Army officials acknowledged the
urgent need for temporary solutions. Consequently, in 1931, Krupp engineers began constructing the
gun in complete secrecy. By the fall of 1932, they had delivered two guns and ten trailers.
Soon after, the guns proved highly satisfactory and were officially adopted for service as
the 8.8-centimeter Flugabwehrkanone 18, or anti-aircraft gun. They were poised to participate
in Germany's rearmament when Adolf Hitler rose to power. However, contrary to popular belief,
the primary role of the 8.8-centimeter Flak was in static defense rather than offensive deployment.
As tensions on the continent escalated, the new anti-aircraft gun underwent several modifications,
including an improved platform and base for enhanced stability.
Interestingly, the Germans also introduced a new three-part barrel to accommodate the
high rate of fire and an armored shield to protect the gunners.
The updated Flak 36 model was adopted a few months before the outbreak of World War 2,
followed by the Flak 37, which featured advanced instrumentation. Nevertheless, the German military
remained unsatisfied with the performance of existing weapons and sought improvements.
In response, Rheinmetall developed a new 8.8-centimeter design with a longer cartridge
and barrel. Boasting a speed of 1,000 meters per second, an effective ceiling of 11,300 meters,
and a range of 14,700 meters, General der Flakartillerie Otto Wilhelm von Renz described
the formidable Flak 41 as being: (QUOTE) "Almost equal to the 128-mm."
Debut
In 1936, a Civil War erupted in Spain. The leader of the Nationalists, Francisco Franco,
was viewed as a potential ally by Fascist Germany. Consequently, when he appealed
to Adolf Hitler asking for military aid, the Fuhrer was eager to help the Spaniard.
At the time, all rebel forces were stationed in Africa, and, to Franco’s detriment,
the Republicans controlled the Spanish Navy.
This meant he could not safely redeploy his troops to Spain.
Forced to seek foreign aid, Franco turned to Germany for equipment. That summer, six He 51
and 20 Ju 57 aircraft secretly arrived in Spain. This modest fleet would serve as the foundation
for the so-called German Condor Legion's Air Force in Spain during the war. In addition,
the German ground troops operating in Spain were supplied with several 8.8-centimeter Flaks
to arm the F/88 anti-aircraft battalion, which consisted of two heavy and two light batteries.
As fate would have it, from May 11, 1937, onwards, the originally anti-aircraft
gun discovered another role for which it would become more renowned. On that day,
the Flak was deployed against two enemy T-26 tanks near Toledo, with strikingly auspicious results.
Following the first-ever recorded success of the 8.8-centimeter gun against enemy armor,
the Flak guns were, ironically, extensively utilized for engaging ground targets.
After the Spanish conflict, the Flak’s performance was deemed highly satisfactory,
having excelled in ground operations—a completely different role than initially envisioned.
With its tremendous firepower and range, some German officers advocated for its
use as an anti-tank weapon, most notably General Ludwig Ritter von Eimannsberger.
Big Guns
The first theoretical combat use of the 8.8-centimeter Flak by the Germans was
during the occupation of the Sudetenland. However, the operation was peaceful,
and thus the guns were never fired. During the Polish campaign, the Flak saw minimal use,
as the Polish Air Force was quickly defeated and Polish armor was virtually non-existent.
By the time World War 2 erupted, the Germans possessed approximately
3,000 Flak 18s. Drawing on their combat experience, Hitler ordered the Flak 18
to be adapted for engaging ground targets, which led to the addition of a sight for direct firing.
However, the platform had a significant weakness:
its limited mobility. As such, two modifications were made.
First, a small batch of ten guns was placed on a half-track chassis. Second, the Bunkerknacker,
or bunker destroyer, was developed as a towed version using an armored vehicle. Both models
had an optimized elevation of -4 to 15 degrees, which precluded them from anti-aircraft roles.
Nevertheless, when the Western Allies entered the war on May 10, 1940,
the Germans were equipped with a formidable gun capable of piercing even the 60-millimeter-thick
armor of the French Char B1 tank. Only a week into the fighting, a battery from the 38th
Flak Regiment held their defensive position near Montcornet and decimated several French tanks.
Reportedly, the Flank pierced an 18-ton tank frontally and destroyed another two 32-ton tanks,
and a fourth vehicle was abandoned by its crew after witnessing the destruction of
their companions. Remarkably, these hits were achieved from a range of over 2.5 kilometers.
Mind The Gap
Arguably, it was the African theater where the 8.8-centimeter Flank truly shone.
Initially, the Germans were not interested in the area,
but they had to assist their Italian allies when they failed to conquer Egypt in 1940.
That February, the Deutsches Afrikakorps under General Erwin Rommel arrived on the continent.
The main firepower was provided by the Panzer III, armed with short five-centimeter guns,
and several Panzer IVs, supported by a contingent of the Flak Regiment. However, despite their towed
anti-tank guns, the Germans were relatively vulnerable to enemy armor. As such, the Flak
8.8 was deployed as a mobile force to enhance their firepower. And what's more, due to the
Luftwaffe's temporary air supremacy at the time, the guns could be allocated for various roles.
For instance, during Operation Battleaxe in June of 1941, the German Flaks eliminated no
fewer than 90 British tanks. Five months later, the Flak 8.8 destroyed ten Mk.IV
Cruiser tanks in just two days, clearing the path for a German advance to El Adem.
However, as the Panzer units repelled the enemy and the Germans and Italians
went on the offensive, the Flak battery was left behind and became vulnerable to British attacks.
Even so, the 8.8-centimeter guns provided the firepower necessary to protect a gap between the
German and Italian units, costing the British five tanks, 20 trucks, and several artillery batteries.
In return, the Germans lost only two soldiers, and another two were wounded within an entire month.
Ultimately, 19,650 examples were built during the conflict, and the widely-used Flak became one of
the most iconic weapons of the war—even though it was not originally designed as an anti-tank gun.
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