a. General
The well-known German 88-mm dual-purpose Flak 36 has, according to
a recent British report, now been greatly improved upon in the new dual-purpose
88-mm Flak 41, which develops, without choked boring, the remarkable estimated
velocity of 3,400 fs. The 36 was considered a high-velocity gun with a muzzle
velocity of only 2,690 fs. As an antiaircraft weapon, the new gun is believed to
have a maximum ceiling of 45,000 feet, and an effective ceiling of 36,000 to
38,500 feet as compared to 32,500 maximum and 26,250 effective, for the older
gun. This excellent performance is not the result of firing a lighter projectile. In
fact, the new shell weighs 22.4 pounds against 21 pounds for the 36. The
propelling charge has been stepped up from 5.34 pounds to 11.9 pounds, more than
half the weight of the shell.
b. The Gun
As indicated in the accompanying sketches, the new gun can be recognized
by the thick sleeve that projects about a yard in front of the shield and by the
longer barrel--about 3 feet more than that of the 36. In spite of its increased
power, the gun is reported to be lighter than the old 88, due to a better and lighter
design of the carriage. The shield has been built up on the sides, an improvement
on the 36, and the gun is equipped for electric firing. According to report, the
recoil mechanism is quite similar to the Flak 36, but strengthened. It is probable
that some of these guns have been provided with self-propelled mounts, thus
enabling them to be used for antitank as well as antiaircraft purposes. Such
weapons would be a formidable answer to our own tank-destroyer with the long 155. The
armor penetration at long antitank range is practically 6 inches, and the
trajectory is obviously quite flat.
|
Against homogenous armor the performance with the APCBC* shell, as
compared with the Model 36, is as follows:
Range yards |
Normal |
30 Deg. |
|
Flak 41 | Flak 36 |
Flak 41 | Flak 36 |
Point Blank | 7.76 in | --- | 6.65 in | --- |
500 | 7.28 in | 5.08 in | 6.26 in | 4.33 in |
1,000 | 6.85 in | 4.69 in | 5.87 in | 3.97 in |
1,500 | 6.42 in | 4.33 in | 5.47 in | 3.58 in |
2,000 | 5.98 in | 3.94 in | 5.12 in | 3.23 in |
2,500 | 5.59 in | --- | 4.76 in | --- |
c. The AP Ammunition
The APCBC projectile, as stated, weighs 22.4 pounds, with the remarkably
small bursting charge of 2.12 ounces of HE--scarcely more than the load of some
hand grenades. The decrease in the HE capacity from 1.6 percent in the Flak 36,
21-pound shell to only 0.59 percent in the 41 is in line with the German policy of
decreasing the HE capacity while increasing the weight of the APCBC shell. The
complete round is 45.5 inches long against 34.2 for the Flak 36. The propellant
charge of 11.9 pounds is of the flashless type. While hitherto only the heavier
antiaircraft guns have been electrically fired, this ammunition is fitted with an
electric-type primer instead of a percussion primer. The projectile is reported
to have a black-and-white tip. From documentary sources, a similar type of
shell is known to exist for ordinary 88's. The rounds are stated to be packed
separately in metal cylinders.
*Armor-piercing capped with ballistic cap (British abbreviation)