What was flak during the war?

The versatile 88mm cannon was Germany's main heavy antiaircraft—or “flak”—gun during World War II. When an 88mm projectile exploded at altitude, it sent out jagged metal fragments that tore through nearby aircraft. It also left a characteristic black cloud hanging in the sky.

What was the purpose of flak?

Flak is a contraction of German Flugabwehrkanone (also referred to as Fliegerabwehrkanone) meaning "aircraft-defense cannon", the original purpose of the weapon. In English, "flak" became a generic term for ground anti-aircraft fire.

What is flak in war?

“Flak,” which was short for the German fliegerabwehrkanone, or literally “flyer defense cannon,” was the primary threat to bomber crews over their targets.

What was the flak in ww1?

The 8.8 cm Flak 16 was a German 8.8 cm anti-aircraft gun from World War I, forerunner of the 8,8 cm FlaK/PaK Flak 18/36/37 of World War II. Its contemporary name was the 8,8 cm K. Zugflak L/45.

How many planes were shot down by flak in ww2?

German day- and night-fighter pilots claimed more than 70,000 aerial victories during World War II. Of these, an estimated 745 victories were attributed to jet fighters. Flak shot down 25,000–30,000 Allied planes.

Flak Hit Statistics For World War II Heavy Bombers

How effective were flak guns?

flak gun was very effective. A single hit was pretty much guaranteed to bring down a B-17 or B-24. A near miss could cause enough damage to slow a four engined bomber down to the point it broke formation and was easy meat for the fighters.

How effective were flak?

Although flak jackets offered some protection against small caliber bullets and shell fragments, ultimately they proved to be less effective than hoped. Flak jackets are now generally considered to be inferior to modern ballistic vests.

Can a flak gun destroy a tank?

It could kill a Sherman tank or most other allied tank at over a mile range with pinpoint accuracy, it can also used to shoot down bombers and fighter planes, and even target infantry using high explosive rounds and fire light artillery barrage.

How does flak know when to explode?

Most rounds are based on a timer that uses the rotation of the round to determine when to detonate. The timer is mechanically programmed by the fire control system attached to the gun and then the rifling of the gun gets the round spinning. After a set number of rotations, the round explodes.

How did flak shells explode?

Today's close range solutions offer a bit more precision than just spamming the sky with shells and hoping to do some damage. In World War II, how did "flak" work? A good way of describing flak is a mid-air grenade. Rounds are shot into the air which then explode damaging aircraft with the explosion and shrapnel.

Can flak stop missile?

The flak is a strong defensive weapon unlocked by the Armoury. After a set amount of time the shell bursts into multiple shells which can shoot down missiles/rockets along with mortars. A single flak can sometimes get rid of a whole missile swarm or several rockets at once, making it the best counter to these.

What was the best artillery piece of ww2?

One of the most famous artillery pieces of the Second World War, the German 88mm gun had a well-deserved reputation for deadly accuracy and destructive power.

How do planes avoid flak?

In order to avoid taking flak fire from the Germans on the ground, Allied bomber crews were forced to fly their planes at a higher altitude before lowering down to attack their targets. This made them a prime target for the enemy, who was particularly adept at shooting Allied bombers.

How was flak timed?

The shells had a timer so they would blow up after a couple seconds of flight time. If the shell it exploded close enough to a plane there was a chance the shrapnel might hit do some serious damage.

Do militaries still use flak?

As “Flak” existed in the twentieth century, no, however, a modern equivalent of the radar guided air defense gun is deployed widely by all major militaries.

What is flak damage?

Flak AA is the slowest, both in RPM and bullet speed at 40 RPM per gun, with a bullet speed of 1,500 studs per second. However, it more than makes up for this with a 200 damage per hit. Also, if the flak shell explodes near or on a plane, it will deal 20 damage for every part of the plane the explosion hits.

How accurate was flak in ww2?

German flak guns were not very accurate. You basically put a shell up and exploded it hopefully in the path of a enemy aircraft. The Allies greatly improved their AA guns when they developed the proximity fuse for shells. That allowed them to fire the guns and if it came close to the target it exploded.

Does flak explode in air?

The versatile 88mm cannon was Germany's main heavy antiaircraft—or “flak”—gun during World War II. When an 88mm projectile exploded at altitude, it sent out jagged metal fragments that tore through nearby aircraft. It also left a characteristic black cloud hanging in the sky.

Why was the flak 88 so effective?

It could easily provide firepower in a full 360degree traverse and it could penetrate the frontal armor of any Allied tank on the field. The gun's distinctive, heavily sloping front armor could deflect most oncoming rounds. The barrel was produced in two segments and the breech was semi-automatic.

What was the best anti aircraft gun in ww2?

The Swedish-designed rapid-fire Bofors 40-mm gun was the most widely used antiaircraft weapon of World War II. In the 1939–45 conflict, the Bofors was in the arsenal of most Allied and Axis nations and in all theaters of the war.

Can a flak jacket stop a 9mm?

You may also have heard the term “flak jacket.” A flak jacket protects against artillery shell and grenade fragments. Although some flak jackets, or fragmentation vests, such as the PASGT, can protect against 9mm FMJ handgun bullets, that's not the intended purpose.

Can you stop a tank with a grenade?

Grenades were first used against armored vehicles during World War I, but it wasn't until World War II when more effective shaped charge anti-tank grenades were produced. AT grenades are unable to penetrate the armor of modern tanks, but may still damage lighter vehicles.

Did Vietnam soldiers have bulletproof vests?

The body armor vest was developed for use in Vietnam by the US Army and was manufactured under licence in Vietnam.

How thick were flak towers?

With concrete walls up to 3.5 m (11 ft) thick, their designers considered the towers to be invulnerable to attack by the standard ordnance carried by RAF heavy bombers at the time of their construction.

How high could flak guns shoot?

The heavy gun could propel its 20.25-pound high-explosive shell to altitudes beyond 30,000 feet at a rate of about 15 projectiles per minute. When an “88” shell hit directly, it often completely destroyed a bomber. The versatile gun earned nearly mythical status among Allied flyers, infantrymen, and tank crews.