It wasn’t long after the advent of flying war machines before militaries developed weapons to shoot them down. Germany experimented with anti-aircraft guns in World War I and, despite post-Versailles restrictions that ostensibly limited German war industry, in the 1930s they designed the Flak 18, an accurate, high-muzzle-velocity, 88mm anti-aircraft gun. It proved its worth during the Spanish Civil War and became one of the best known and most feared weapons of World War II. Tens of thousands of Allied airplanes fell victim to 88mm Flaks during the course of the war. The gun was eventually adapted for use on tanks, but the Germans deployed the majority of the Flaks in its original anti-aircraft role for home defense.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 01, 2023 13:20 UTC