During World War II, medium and large-caliber anti-aircraft artillery acquired particular importance for the defense of Germany. Since 1940, British long-range bombers, and since 1943, American "flying fortresses" have systematically erased German cities and factories from the surface of the earth. Air defense fighters and anti-aircraft guns were the only means of protecting the military potential and the population of the country. Heavy bombers from England and especially the United States carried out raids at high altitudes (up to 10 km). Therefore, the most effective in the fight against them were heavy anti-aircraft guns with high ballistic characteristics.
During 16 massive raids on Berlin, the British lost 492 bombers, which amounted to 5.5% of all sorties. According to statistics, for one downed plane there were two or three damaged, many of which could not be restored later.
American flying fortresses carried out raids in the daytime and, accordingly, suffered more significant losses than the British. Particularly indicative was the raid of flying fortresses B-17 in 1943 on the ball bearing plant, when the German air defense destroyed about half of the bombers participating in the raid.
The role of anti-aircraft artillery is also great in the fact that a very large percentage (more than the allies admit) of bombers dropped bombs anywhere, just to leave, or not to enter the anti-aircraft fire zone at all.
Work on the creation of medium-caliber anti-aircraft guns for the German armed forces began in the mid-20s. In order not to formally violate the terms of the restrictions imposed on the country, the designers of the Krupp company worked in Sweden, under an agreement with the Bofors company.
Anti-aircraft gun created in 1930 7, 5 cm Flak L / 60 with a semi-automatic shutter and a cruciform platform, was not officially adopted for service, but was actively produced for export. In 1939, the unrealized samples were requisitioned by the German Navy and used in the anti-aircraft units of the coastal defense.
Rheinmetall was founded in the late 1920s 75 mm anti-aircraft gun 7, 5 cm Flak L / 59, which also did not suit the German military and was subsequently proposed by the USSR in the framework of military cooperation with Germany.
The original samples, made in Germany, were tested at the Research Anti-Aircraft Range in February-April 1932. In the same year, the gun was put into service in the USSR, under the name 76-mm anti-aircraft gun mod. 1931 g.».
Cannon mod. 1931 was a completely modern weapon with good ballistic characteristics. Its carriage with four folding beds provided circular fire, with a projectile weight of 6, 5 kg, the vertical firing range was 9 km.
Designed in Germany 76mm. the anti-aircraft gun had an increased margin of safety. Calculations have shown that it is possible to increase the caliber of the gun to 85 mm. Subsequently, on the basis of the anti-aircraft gun "arr. 1931 ", was created "85 mm gun mod. 1938".
Among the Soviet weapons that fell into the hands of the Germans in the first months of the war, there was a large number of anti-aircraft guns. Since these guns were practically new, the Germans willingly used them themselves. All 76, 2 and 85mm cannons have been recalibrated to 88mm so that ammunition of the same type can be used. By August 1944, the German army had 723 Flak MZ1 (r) guns and 163 Flak M38 (r) guns. The number of these guns captured by the Germans is unknown, but it can be said for sure that the Germans had a significant number of these guns. For example, the Daennmark anti-aircraft artillery corps consisted of 8 batteries of 6-8 such cannons, about twenty of the same batteries were located in Norway.
In addition, the Germans used a relatively small number of other foreign medium-caliber anti-aircraft guns. The most widely used Italian cannons 7.5-cm Flak 264 (i) and 7.62cm Flak 266 (i)as well as Czechoslovakian cannons 8, 35-cm Flak 22 (t).
In 1928, the designers of the Krupp company, using elements of 7, 5 cm Flak L / 60, began in Sweden the design of an 8, 8-cm anti-aircraft gun. Later, the developed documentation was delivered to Essen, where the first prototypes of the guns were made. The Flak 18 prototype appeared back in 1931, and the mass serial production of 88-mm anti-aircraft guns began after Hitler came to power.
The 88mm anti-aircraft gun, known as the Acht Komma Acht, was one of the finest German guns of World War II. The gun had very high characteristics for that time. A fragmentation projectile weighing 9 kg. had an altitude reach of 10600 m and a horizontal range of 14800 m.
The system called 8.8cm Flak 18 passed the "baptism of fire" in Spain, after which they began to mount a shield on it to protect it from bullets and shrapnel.
Based on the experience gained during operation in the troops and during the fighting, the gun was modernized. The modernization mainly affected the barrel structure developed by Rheinmetall. The internal structure of both barrels and ballistics were the same.
The modernized 8, 8-cm cannon (8, 8-cm Flak 36) entered service in 1936. Subsequently, some changes were made in 1939. The new model was named 8.8cm Flak 37.
Most cannon assemblies mod. 18, 36 and 37 were interchangeable, for example, one could often see the Flak 18 barrel on the Flak 37 gun carriage. The Flak 36 and 37 gun modifications differed mainly in the carriage design. The Flak 18 was transported on a lighter wheeled cart Sonderaenhanger 201, so in the stowed position it weighed almost 1200 kg lighter than later modifications carried on the Sonderaenhanger 202.
In 1939, Rheinmetall was awarded a contract to create a new gun with improved ballistic characteristics. In 1941. the first prototype was made. The weapon received the name 8.8 cm Flak 41. This gun was adapted for firing ammunition with an enhanced propellant charge. The new gun had a rate of fire of 22-25 rounds per minute, and the muzzle velocity of a fragmentation projectile reached 1000 m / s. The gun had an articulated carriage with four cruciform bases located. The design of the gun carriage provided fire at an angle of elevation of up to 90 degrees. The automatic shutter was equipped with a hydropneumatic rammer, which made it possible to increase the rate of fire of the gun and facilitate the work of the crew. The height of the gun had a reach of 15,000 meters.
The first production samples (44 pieces) were sent to the Afrika Korps in August 1942. Tests in combat conditions revealed a number of complex design flaws. Flak 41 guns were produced in a relatively small series. In August 1944, there were only 157 guns of this type in the troops, and by January 1945, their number had increased to 318.
88-mm cannons became the most numerous heavy anti-aircraft guns of the III Reich. In the summer of 1944, the German army had more than 10,000 of these guns. 88-mm anti-aircraft guns were the armament of anti-aircraft battalions of tank and grenadier divisions, but even more often these guns were used in anti-aircraft units of the Luftwaffe, which were part of the Reich air defense system. With success, 88-mm cannons were used to combat enemy tanks, and also acted as field artillery. The 88-mm anti-aircraft gun served as a prototype for a tank gun for the Tiger.
After Italy's surrender, the German army received a large number of Italian weapons.
Throughout 1944, at least 250 90-mm Italian anti-aircraft guns, named 9 cm Flak 41 (i), were in service in the German army.
In 1933. a competition was announced to create a 10.5 cm anti-aircraft gun. Firms "Krup" and "Rheinmetall" produced two prototypes each. Comparative tests were carried out in 1935, and in 1936. The 10.5-cm cannon of the Rheinmetall company was recognized as the best and was put into mass production under the name 10.5-cm Flak 38 … The gun had a semi-automatic wedge breechblock. Semi-automatic mechanical type, cocked when rolling.
As part of military-technical cooperation, four 10, 5-cm Flak 38 cannons were delivered to the USSR and tested from July 31 to October 10, 1940 at a research anti-aircraft range near Evpatoria. They underwent joint tests with the domestic 100-mm anti-aircraft guns L-6, 73-K and the land version of the B-34. Tests have shown the superiority of the German model in most indicators. The very precise operation of the automatic fuse installer was noted. However, for some reason, it was decided to launch the 100 mm 73-K series. However, the "gunners" of the plant. Kalinin did not manage to do this.
The 10.5 cm Flak 38 gun originally had electro-hydraulic guidance drives, the same as the 8.8 cm Flak 18 and 36, but in 1936 the UTG 37 system was introduced, which was used on the 8.8 cm Flak 37 gun. a barrel with a free pipe was introduced. The system thus modernized was named 10.5cm Flak 39.
The anti-aircraft gun 10, 5 cm Flak 38 began to enter the arsenal of the German army en masse at the end of 1937. Flak 39 appeared in units only at the beginning of 1940. Both types differed mainly in the design of the carriage.
The 10.5 cm Flak 38 and 39 remained in production throughout the war, despite the fact that the 8.8 cm Flak 41 gun was nearly equal in ballistic performance.
The guns were mainly used in the air defense of the Reich, they covered industrial facilities and Kriegsmarine bases. In August 1944, the number of 105-mm anti-aircraft guns reached their maximum. At the time, the Luftwaffe had 116 cannons mounted on railway platforms, 877 cannons mounted fixedly on concrete foundations, and 1,025 cannons fitted with conventional wheeled carriages. The batteries of the Reich defense consisted of 6 heavy cannons, and not 4 each, as was the case in the front-line units. 10, 5-cm cannon mod. 38 and 39 were the first German anti-aircraft guns to which the FuMG 64 "Mannheim" 41 T radars were connected to the PUAZO.
Work on the creation of a 128-mm anti-aircraft gun at the Rheinmetall company began in 1936. The first prototypes were presented for testing in 1938. In December 1938, the first order for 100 units was given. At the end of 1941, the troops received the first batteries with 12.8 cm anti-aircraft guns.
12.8cm Flak 40 was a fully automated installation. Guidance, supply and delivery of ammunition, as well as the installation of the fuse was carried out using four asynchronous generators of three-phase current with a voltage of 115 V. A four-gun battery 12, 8 cm Flak 40 was served by one generator with a capacity of 60 kW.
The 128 mm 12, 8 cm Flak 40 cannons were the heaviest anti-aircraft guns used during World War II.
With a mass of a fragmentation projectile of 26 kg, which had an initial velocity of 880 m / s, the reach in height was more than 14,000 m.
Anti-aircraft guns of this type were delivered to the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe units. They were mainly installed on stationary concrete positions, or on railway platforms. Target designation and anti-aircraft fire adjustment were carried out according to data from radar posts.
Initially, it was assumed that mobile 12, 8-cm installations would be transported on two carts, but later it was decided to limit itself to one four-axle carriage. During the war, only one mobile battery (six guns) entered service.
The first battery of 128 mm cannons was located in the Berlin area. These cannons were mounted on powerful concrete towers 40-50 meters high. Air defense towers, in addition to Berlin, also defended Vienna, Hamburg and other large cities. 128-mm cannons were installed on top of the towers, and below, along the protruding terraces, were located smaller-caliber artillery.
In August 1944, the armament was: six mobile units, 242 stationary units, 201 railway units (on four platforms).
In the spring of 1942, the Berlin air defense system received twin 128-mm anti-aircraft guns 12, 8 cm Flakzwilling 42. When creating a 12.8-cm two-gun stationary installation, a base from an experimental 15-cm installation was used.
In August 1944, there were 27 installations in service, and in February 1945 - 34 installations. There were four installations in the battery.
The installations were part of the air defense of large cities, including Berlin, Hamburg and Vienna.
1.09.1939 Germany had 2459 - 8.8 cm Flak 18 and Flak 36 and 64 - 10.5 cm Flak 38 guns. In 1944 the production of 88 mm, 105 mm and 128 mm guns reached its maximum, 5933 - 8, 8-cm, 1131 - 10, 5-cm and 664 -12, 8-cm were produced.
With the advent of radar stations, the effectiveness of shooting, especially at night, has increased significantly.
By 1944, anti-aircraft radars were armed with all heavy anti-aircraft batteries of air defense objects in the country. Heavy motorized anti-aircraft batteries operating at the front were only partially provided with radars.
German anti-aircraft guns of medium and large caliber during the war, in addition to their direct purpose, proved to be an excellent anti-tank weapon. Although they cost significantly more than anti-tank guns of their caliber and were used for lack of a better one. So, in 1941, the only weapon capable of penetrating the armor of Soviet KV tanks were anti-aircraft guns of 8, 8 cm and 10, 5 cm caliber. Of course, we are not talking about corps and RVGK artillery. However, until September 1942, when the number of 8, 8 cm and 10, 5 cm anti-aircraft installations at the front was small, they hit relatively few Soviet T-34 and KV tanks (3, 4% - 8, 8-cm cannons and 2, 9% - 10, 5-cm cannons). But in the summer of 1944, 8.8 cm guns accounted for from 26 to 38% of destroyed Soviet heavy and medium tanks, and with the arrival of our troops in Germany in winter - in the spring of 1945, the percentage of destroyed tanks rose to 51-71% (on different fronts). Moreover, the largest number of tanks was hit at a distance of 700 - 800 m. These data are given for all 8.8 cm guns, but even in 1945 the number of 8.8 cm anti-aircraft guns significantly exceeded the number of special 8.8 cm anti-tank guns. guns. Thus, at the last stage of the war, German anti-aircraft artillery played an essential role in land battles.
After the war, before the adoption of 100-mm anti-aircraft guns KS-19 and 130-mm anti-aircraft guns KS-30, a number of 8, 8-cm, 10, 5-cm and 12, 5-cm German guns were in service with the Soviet Army. According to American sources, several dozen 8, 8 cm and 10, 5 cm German guns took part in the Korean War.
