From its “accidental” discovery as anti-tank gun in Spain, the Flak.18 always were a coveted piece for tank destroyers units. Its exceptional power and effective range, allowed them to knock-out almost any Allied tank until the end of the war.Usually, the Allied tank crews reached by an 88mm shell, received the impact of the projectile before hearing the boom of the gun’s shot due to its high muzzle velocity.Flak.18 had a maximum rate of fire of 20 rounds per minute in anti-aircraft role thanks to its semi-automatic loading system that ejected the empty cap, leaving the way clear for reloading. Although this rate of fire was only maintained for short periods of time.These guns were handled by the Luftwaffe units until 1938, who did not want to leave them to the Heer’s artillerymen. Usually they dismantled the fire control devices to save weight, leaving them useless for the mission that were created, the AA defense.The “88” were normally used in 4 guns batteries assigned to mixed anti-air battalions. They fought on all fronts from France to Russia, destroying thousands of tanks and armoured vehicles in each theater of operations.
