German anti-aircraft guns were produced massively, especially during the last three years of the WW2, to protect their cities and industrial complex against Allied air raids. Therefore, the Wehrmacht deployed heavy and light anti-aircraft guns to prevent their arms factories from being destroyed by American and British bombers. The heavy anti-aircraft guns ranged in calibers from 88 to 128mm, which were powerful enough to shoot down Allied bombers flying at high altitudes; the second ones were 20-to-50mm guns used against medium and low-flying Allied planes, such as ground attack and fighter aircraft.
These German guns were deployed on the outskirts of big cities, industrial areas, and military camps perimeters. The most massively produced and used was the 88mm AA gun, which was also employed in the anti-tank and anti-bunker role. They had the official designation of "Flak", which is the German acronym for "Flugabwehrkanone" ("air defense canon"). Despite the fact that most of them were excellent weapons, and manufactured by the thousands, they could not stop the enemy bombing raids on German cities and factories once the Allied had won air supremacy over the Luftwaffe.
Heavy Anti-Aircraft guns
8.8 cm Flak 36/37/41. It was powerful 88mm gun, which was also used to destroy enemy tanks and armored vehicles. It had a muzzle velocity of 1000 m/s (3,280 ft/s) and a ceiling of 14,600 m (48,230 ft).
Below, the renowned and powerful 88mm Flak M36 gun on the outskirt of Bremen in 1943
10.5 cm Flak 38/39. It looked like an 88mm AA gun, with the difference that it was bigger in caliber (105mm), and that it was fitted with electrical control system. It had a maximum ceiling of 12,800 m (41,995 ft).
Below, a 10.5 cm Flak model 38/39
12.8 cm Flak 40. It had a fixed platform and was set up near factories and on the cities outskirts. Its maximum ceiling was 14,800 m.
The 12.8 cm Flak 40 on its two four-wheeled bogies
Light Anti-Aircraft guns
- 2 cm Flak 30/38. This truck-towed 20mm gun was used against low-flying aircraft. Its breecher was fed from a 20-round ammunition box.
- 2 cm Flakvierling 38. It was designed by Mauser and mounted four guns together in one platform firing synchronized at once (in unison).
- 3.7 cm Flak 36/37
- 5 cm Flak 41
German AA guns in action (video).
