Flak is a contraction of German Flugabwehrkanone (also referred to as Fliegerabwehrkanone) meaning aircraft-defense cannon, the original purpose of the weapon. Observers may not be practical in many situations, the ground may be uneven, and the practice is slow in any event. Measures 1 5/8 inches wide by 2 1/8 inches tall. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. NOTE: Click on images to view larger size. Making the right shell for your gun's role and gauge can be difficult as the sheer number of options is staggering. it's only used against airborne targets a cloud of tiny pellets "Shrapnel" shells, named for their inventor, are used to kill people with bits of metal even when those people are hiding behind walls, in a trench, etc. Vote! The most common type of shell contains shotround pellets of lead or steelinstead . They showered the Soviets with aa guns, keeping them in a position. The units come from different Camps in Warpath. As most of the British heavy anti-aircraft guns were deployed in a long, thin coastal strip, dud shells fell into the sea, safely out of reach of capture. By 1942 the standard loading for fixed .303s was half loaded with AP and half with incendiary bullets. Copyrights 2023 All Rights Reserved by Scientific Know-How Inc. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. fine for not having a boat licence qld; cherokee brick products The Flakpanzer 341 is armed with 2 37mm FlaK 44 cannons side by side in the turret. As opposed to earlier designs, the B Mark VI was a true incendiary rather than tracer ammunition. The main suppliers were Crosley, RCA, Eastman Kodak, McQuay-Norris and Sylvania. Each gun, usually of 88mm caliber, could project a shell to 20,000ft and could knock out an aircraft within 30 yards of the shell burst. Nickel construction with gold gilt high lights. Bullet 50 feet from the plane? 56.25 degrees Back; It is unclear how the air brakes of the trailers are relevant to unlimbered guns. Time to blow. Understanding how the shell types behave and when to use them is important to achieving optimum results in battle. But when the reflected signal was out of phase then the combined radio signal amplitude would decrease, which would decrease the plate current. A minor problem encountered by the British was that the fuze was sensitive enough to detonate the shell if it passed too close to a seabird and a number of seabird "kills" were recorded. There were a few that were specifically armoured like the Russian Il-2 and German Hs 129 ground attack aircraft to withstand light flak hits. These are enough to make up for its cons. It's called a hammer because that's how it works: like a conventional hammer driving a nail into wood, it uses a relatively large mass pushing forward onto a relatively small mass (the firing pin), so it magnifies force. Flak Ammo is a type of bullet that spreads in flight, making it good for medium-ranged combat. flak vest: [noun] a special jacket that is worn by soldiers, police officers, etc., for protection against bullets or exploding shells. And if that don't work use more gun.". The shell detonates and sends a flurry of ball bearings and shrapnel in all directions. [26][27], Looking for a short-term solution to the valve problem, in 1940 the British ordered 20,000 miniature tubes from Western Electric Company and Radio Corporation of America that were intended for use in hearing aids. As long as you do not have any new information, there were no apcr shots for the 3,7 cm Flak 43. June 14, 2022; can you shoot someone stealing your car in florida . As the war progress and the manpower shortage increased thousands of able-bodied flak men were transferred to the army. Working with Western Electric Company and Raytheon Company, miniature hearing-aid tubes were modified to withstand this extreme stress. [64] [65], 120mm HE mortar shell fitted with proximity fuze, 120mm HE mortar shell fitted with M734 proximity fuze, 60mm HE mortar shell fitted with proximity fuze. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Eine andere -Site. Luckily the much higher altitude B-17s ( which were designed to fly around 30,000 ft and above and a bomb sight that was supposed to work at that level) were friendlys to land at the airbase. Incendiary ammunition is a type of ammunition that contains a chemical that, upon hitting a hard obstacle, has the characteristic of causing fire/setting flammable materials in the vicinity of the impact on fire. Built around a miniature radio transmitter and receiver, the VT fuse overcame the major disadvantage of the time and contact fuses and was capable of detecting its target and detonating within 75 feet. The main targets for these proximity fuze detonated bombs and rockets were anti-aircraft emplacements and airfields.[62]. No wonder they abbreviated it.). Flak as we know it ( the exploding ordinance variety ) works by using fuses. They were widely used by Germany throughout the war. Thousands of aircraft were shot down, and tens of thousands were damaged, not to mention the horrendous cost in lives and those wounded. Flak in World War II takes the reader from the invasion of Poland in 1939 right to the last Japanese aircraft shot down by AA fire in August 1945. Vote! Flak ammunition is a shell filled with high explosive that is designed to explode at a certain time or position during its flight. The amplitude of the reflected signal corresponded to the closeness of the target. The versatile 88mm cannon was Germany's main heavy antiaircraftor "flak"gun during World War II. This is particularly dangerous when they strike flammable substances or dry brush. In this video, you'll find out the percentages of where Allied bombers got hit the most. The 3.7 cm Flak 18/36/37/43 was a series of anti-aircraft cannon produced by Nazi Germany that saw widespread service in the Second World War. Some sectioned shells from the First World War. It was considered (and later patented by Brandt) for use with anti-aircraft missiles fired from the ground. Feb 19, 2014 Jack Beckett, Guest Author. [33] Later, the Ordnance Development Division of the National Bureau of Standards (which became the Harry Diamond Laboratories and later merged into the Army Research Laboratory in honor of its former chief in subsequent years) developed the first automated production techniques for manufacturing radio proximity fuzes at a low cost. "[27][30] As Tuve understood, the circuitry of the fuze was rudimentary. Flak is defined as the bursting shells shot at aircraft from enemy guns on the ground, or criticism or opposition. [37] Other locations include Ft. Fisher in North Carolina and Blossom Point, Maryland. e Weapons. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. At the beginning of the war, the first British gun-laying Mark I (GL I) radars entered service with several AA batteries. A common form used in modern air-to-air weapons uses a laser as an optical source and time-of-flight for ranging. Join in if you dare! [38], While working for a defense contractor in the mid-1940s, Soviet spy Julius Rosenberg stole a working model of an American proximity fuze and delivered it to Soviet intelligence. Any analysis that does not examine all components of the system, and acknowledge that interference with any part of it can sharply reduce its effectiveness, is incomplete. It was justifiably feared by Allied airmen, tankers, and foot soldiers because of its accuracy, lethality, and versatility. Ignition is often delayed by varying means until after impact. Regular $179.99 (Save $50.00) $129.99. Ammo. " Therefore, firing a +1 arrow from a +1 shortbow results in a +2 to the attack and damage rolls. The story of flak in World War II is one of those forgotten stories of World War II. While it fits well into the Allied narrative of how the strategic bombing campaign robbed the German army of valuable munitions, it was only partially true. [9] Their system involved a small, short range, Doppler radar. An example of flak is the exploding ammunition that can damage a military plane when flying over enemy territory. These bombers required repair, causing service rates to fall and thus reducing the number of bombers available for new operations. The result was a heterodyne beat frequency which corresponded to the velocity difference. Bonus Pack. [57], The Pentagon refused to allow the Allied field artillery use of the fuzes in 1944, although the United States Navy fired proximity-fuzed anti-aircraft shells during the July 1943 invasion of Sicily. It was one of the most recognizable and most feared German weapons of the war. Pressure sensors are usually used in combination with other fuze detonation technologies such as acoustic and magnetic induction. The designation VT means variable time. It must be remembered that Flak defences were designed, not to shoot bombers down, but to force them to drop their loads from a higher altitude and thus reduce their accuracy. With the invention of Jet fighters, he explained to me that the flak guns had become obsolete so they had to be repurposed. 56/57 single axle ammunition trailer towed by late war self-propelled Flak guns. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. <br /> [61], Bombs and rockets fitted with radio proximity fuzes were in limited service with both the USAAF and USN at the end of WW2. ][clarification needed] radio doppler proximity fuze, which employed the Doppler effect of reflected radio waves using a diode detector arrangement that they devised. Incendiary ammunition is a type of ammunition that contains a chemical that, upon hitting a hard obstacle, has the characteristic of causing fire/setting flammable materials in the vicinity of the impact on fire. The Marine heavy AA guns on Guadalcanal, for example, in 1942 forced Japanese to bombers to fly higher reducing their accuracy to a great extent, but you never hear or read about it. Life on Royal Navy aircraft carrier(1960), Hush-Kit Joe talking 10 favouriteaircraft, The case for the P-47 Thunderbolt being the greatest fighter of the Second WorldWar, The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt MafiaFamily, 10 things you need to know about the P-47Thunderbolt. Flak-damaged bombers were forced out of formation, making them easy prey (for both Allied and Axis fighter forces) for marauding fighters. Why do I stay the same weight no matter what I do? To shoot right click with the loaded gun in your hand and it should shoot. Doppler Radar was able to detect how close objects are to the radio wave source. AA shrapnel also killed and wounded tens of thousands of aircrew, significantly reducing the overall efficiency and morale.. Veteran rocker Rod Stewart has no doubt what outcome of the Ukraine-Russia war would most benefit humanity, telling an interviewer he's backing Ukraine because, "If the Ukrainians lose it's the end of civilization as we know it.". Listed is also some of the guns captured from other countries and used by the German armed forces. The old man was a Vietnam vet and happened to be a gunner of said Flak guns. The huge flak towers Hitler had built got to actual military use finally. Each ammo type may or may not stack in player's inventory depending on their uniform, and in vehicle or structure's inventory depending on their type. 31. Also, where the crewmen of these planes were most likely to be hit. Before then, they always return false. [2] The British Royal Flying Corps forbade the use of incendiary ammunition for air-to-air combat with another airplane, as their use against personnel was at first considered to be a violation of the St. Petersburg Declaration. Though deadly, the effective range of these bullets was only 350 yards (320 m), as the phosphorus charge burned quickly. . Before that, they can be purchased from the vending machine outside Crazy . By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Berlin has repeatedly lobbied Bern to shift policy after requests for permission to send Ukraine Swiss-made ammunition acquired by Germany decades ago were denied. ", Oruzhiye Podvodnogo Udara (Underwater Weapons), "The Development of the Radio Proximity Fuze", Naval Historical Centre Radio Proximity (VT) Fuzes, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Proximity_fuze&oldid=1141413451, It was important in defense from Japanese, It was an important part of the radar-controlled anti-aircraft batteries that finally neutralized the German, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 23:27. Proximity fuzes are designed for targets such as planes, missiles, ships at sea, and ground forces. Each unit has its own specified abilities and stats. I would say the Germans and the Allies had guns and systems that were equal in effectiveness. At the start of The Blitz, it was estimated that it took 20,000 rounds to shoot down a single aircraft, [6] other estimates put the figure as high as 100,000[7] or as low as 2,500. There was a reason the official histories downplayed the effectiveness of German flak. [9] Rockets have relatively low acceleration and no spin creating centrifugal force, so the stresses on the delicate electronic fuze are relatively benign. Getting that right was harder than you would think with the limited means of getting the planes altitude and speed right and they would only have a few minutes at most to do so. The 3D kit is a Sondernhnger Sd. Not surprised there is a lot of misinformation about the flak, is there is about how the bombing raids and their escorts worked. [4], Belgian inventor de Wilde, who was living in Switzerland, invented a new bullet in 1938. There were also over two thousand suppliers and subsuppliers, ranging from powder manufacturers to machine shops. The tank chosen was Germany's own Leopard Main Battle Tank (MBT). The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". When the distance between the fuze and the target changed rapidly, then the phase relationship also changed rapidly. Personal thoughts on it:Probably the cannon works with some sort of a pneumatic contraption. Whats the difference back then to your description? Procurement contracts increased from $60 million in 1942, to $200 million in 1943, to $300 million in 1944 and were topped by $450 million in 1945. [39] It was not a fuze for anti-aircraft shells, the most valuable type. This is the standard high-explosive type ordnance initially designed for the German 88mm FlaK cannons in the early period of WW2, and then successfully used by the later tank KwK.36 cannons too, in the period 1933-45. This pattern changes with shrinking distance: every half wavelength in distance (a half wavelength at this frequency is about 0.7meters), the transmitter is in or out of resonance. [10], The National Defense Research Committee assigned the task to the physicist Merle A. Tuve at the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism. Magazines contain . Flak is an acronym/initialism forthe German word, Flugabwehrkanone, meaning aircraft-defence cannon. A German artillery crew relaxes next to their 88 mm gun. In order to be used with gun projectiles, which experience extremely high acceleration and centrifugal forces, the fuze design also needed to utilize many shock hardening techniques. It is estimated that it increases the lethality by 5 to 10 times, compared to these other fuzes.[4][5]. In Germany, more than 30 (perhaps as many as 50)[19] different proximity fuze designs were developed, or researched, for anti-aircraft use, but none saw service. Indeed when you compare these numbers to the more effective 128mm AA gun the numbers are intriguing. That means the fuse was outperforming traditional rounds three to one in routine combat conditions. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. It also left a characteristic black cloud hanging in the sky. How doesit compare with fighter interceptors for effectiveness? It is possible that this is a mistake by the author of the report, and that his is intended to refer to limbered guns . "I've never really looked at it like that," he said. Although it gave accurate ranges, it could not produce good azimuth indications or elevation figures. From left to right: 90 mm shrapnel shell, 120 mm pig iron incendiary . When the flak batteries pinpointed an aircraft the guns were fired in salvos designed to burst in a sphere of 60 yards in diameter in which it was hoped to entrap the target. Protective vests called flak jackets were first used in World War II; the word flak comes from the abbreviated form of the German word Flugabwehrkanone, a type of antiaircraft gun. However, British scientists were uncertain whether a fuze could be developed for anti-aircraft shells, which had to withstand much higher accelerations than rockets. https://www.quora.com/Why-cant-A-A-missiles-be-used-against-ground-targets-and-A-G-missiles-against-air-targets. It was a game changer and fortunately for the US Navy they had it when the kamikaze appeared. It was lightly armored, but extremely mobile . Magnetic sensing can only be applied to detect huge masses of iron such as ships. The US found that flak that was high generally caused some damage to bombers but was far less likely to shoot them down than flak that was low. It would have never been used in action. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. A timer fuze can be set to explode a few meters above the ground but the timing is vital and usually requires observers to provide information for adjusting the timing. How many shells are fired to down an aircraft? Influence firing mechanisms often use a combination of acoustic and magnetic induction receivers. The one on your picture is either 2 or 3. German WWII Luftwaffe Flak Artillery Badge. [34][37][38] The use of the Doppler effect developed by this group was later incorporated in all radio proximity fuzes for bomb, rocket, and mortar applications. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Flak is a contraction of German Flugabwehrkanone (also referred to as Fliegerabwehrkanone) meaning ", As Flak existed in the twentieth century, no, however, a modern equivalent of the radar guided air defense gun, Flak as we know it ( the exploding ordinance variety ) works by, Protective vests called flak jackets were first used in World War II; the word flak comes, The largest artillery pieces employed by the Army against Axis forces was the M1 240mm howitzer, which could fire 360-pound shell out to a range of, The heavy gun could propel its 20.25-pound high-explosive shell to altitudes beyond. Warpath Units. It had a low muzzle velocity and was only accurate to about 200 yards, assuming ammunition was available to fire - which was rarely. Its price point is 75 cents per round and its bullet weight is between 147 and 175 grains. Winchester 9mm Ammo 100 Ct. Flak, or Fliegerabwehrkanone, works by arming artillery class cannons for the use of Anti-Air duties. Proximity fuzes fitted to such weapons as artillery and mortar shells solve this problem by having a range of set burst heights [e.g. Over the course of the German V-1 campaign, the proportion of flying bombs flying through the coastal gun belt that were destroyed rose from 17% to 74%, reaching 82% during one day. Acting like a normal bullet in flight, then after a short delay, it will explode into 5 more bullets. Marines christened their new recruit "Reckless" for the work she would do in resupplying recoilless rifles, known as "reckless rifles" in Marine jargon. In December of that year the British Air Ministry purchased the design. Is Wolfram|Alpha just an online equation solver. I think the TF2 Engineer summed it up perfectly: "How am I going to stop some big mean mother hubbard from tearing me a structurally superfluous new behind? One may use a timed fuse in the shell. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. All of these suffered from the large size of pre-WWII electronics and their fragility, as well as the complexity of the required circuitry. The 88 earned its reputation as the best overall gun of the war. Throw a couple hundred of em into the air and theyll do work. World War I. This design was used in both the British No44 Pistol and the German Rheinmetall-Borsig BAZ 55A fuzes. What does cholera look like under a microscope? It was from the cannon shells and incendiary bullets that had hit my machineBullets were going between my legs, and I remember seeing a bright flash of an incendiary bullet going past my leg into the gas tankThen a little red tongue licked out inquiringly from under the gas tank in front of my feet and became a hot little bonfire in one corner of the cockpit.". The War Office proved uninterested in the concept and told the two to work on other issues. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Saturday NatSec Roundup - Lawyers, Guns & Money. The guns have a fire rate of 250 shots per minute each, which gives a shot per second value of about 4 per gun. More American 8th Air Force aces were shot down by flak than enemy fighters.. [ 12 August 2002, 09:22 AM: Message edited by: Martin Bull ], [ 12 August 2002, 04:29 PM: Message edited by: Martin Bull ], [ 13 August 2002, 12:48 PM: Message edited by: Martin Bull ], (You must log in or sign up to reply here. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The NDRC research highlighted the speed of sound as a major limitation in the design and use of acoustic fuzes, particularly in relation to missiles and high-speed aircraft. This doesnt take into account the number of aircraft that were severely damaged by flak.. Similarly, incendiary ammunition was used against non-rigid observation balloons. When an 88mm projectile exploded at altitude, it sent out jagged In his words, "The one outstanding characteristic in this situation is the fact that success of this type of fuze is not dependent on a basic technical idea all of the ideas are simple and well known everywhere. Press J to jump to the feed. Many postwar histories accepted the testimony of leading figures within the Luftwaffe that ground based AA defences achieved limited success in destroying Allied bombers. Weapons and Ammunition. Due to their specialist nature they tend to be more expensive and larger than their standard counterparts. 50 Rounds of 140gr FMJ 9mm Subsonic Ammo by Sellier & Bellot. Indeed, even before the kamikaze appeared the US Navy made major improvement to their ships AA defenses with better radar direction, improved AA directors and gunsights and most importantly, more guns. If my health was such that I was still in to historical board and miniatures games I betcha this would, umm, lets say, engender energetic conversation, in that realm. You are at a gateway to WWII discussion, research, exploration, & analysis. One of them was an anti-aircraft shell that had spring-loaded wings that would pop out and slice through enemy aircraft. By the summer of 1941 the Germans introduced their Wurzburg gun laying radar.. Others mentioned how flak guns were used in Vietnam, I went on an immersion trip with my college down to one of the poorest counties in the U.S. met a pastor there and helped him fix up his church, and some of the nearby buildings. His in-depth and comprehensive study of German flak defences clearly showed how effective they really were. Items that can be anointed include weapons, shields, and grenade mods. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Firing Coilguns draws power from connected Supercapacitors, as well as ammunition . [9] Tuve's group was known as Section T, not APL, throughout the war. Flak in World War II takes the reader from the invasion of Poland in 1939 right to the last Japanese aircraft shot down by AA fire in August 1945. Regular $49.99 (Save $15.00) or 7k? L/4.5 (Kz.) . It was first tested as a part of a detonation device for bombs that were to be dropped over bomber aircraft, part of the UK's Air Ministry's "bombs on bombers" concept. This was only partially true. Wooden precise replica of the German 88mm anti-aircraft FlaK guns and Tiger-I ammunition - 8.8cm Sprgr.Patr. Most of the official Allied histories downplayed its role. It was so important that it was a secret guarded to a similar level as the atom bomb project or D-Day invasion. [44] One tube was an oscillator connected to an antenna; it functioned as both a transmitter and an autodyne detector (receiver). In 1944 the number of 128mm rounds per aircraft shootdown was 3,000, less than one-fifth the number expended by its 88mm counterpart. Flak is defined as the bursting shells shot at aircraft from enemy guns on the ground, or criticism or opposition. Is paralegal higher than legal assistant? [60] German divisions were caught out in open as they had felt safe from timed fire because it was thought that the bad weather would prevent accurate observation. Mention has to be made of the development of gun laying radar. The distance between the fuze and the target was not constant but rather constantly changing due to the high speed of the fuze and any motion of the target. And with all that jungle, he said nothing shredded them better than Flak fire and napalm fire. Its interesting that we continue to use the term todaycatching flak at the office as one example., Flak in the Second World War was very effective. I suppose some of how a flak battery worked will be in the book but I became interested after seeing site/foundations for a flak battery which still existed in a park in my home town. [9] A breadboard circuit was constructed and the concept was tested in the laboratory by moving a sheet of tin at various distances. Despite intense work by the Germans to finish the project, it was finally put out of action by a raid on 6 July 1944 before a single shell . This signal is sent through a band-pass filter, amplified, and triggers the detonation when it exceeds a given amplitude. This permitted the purchase of over 22 million fuzes for approximately one billion dollars ($14.6 billion in 2021 USD[51]). A 155mm artillery fuze with selector for point/proximity detonation (currently set to proximity). How many shells does a flak gun fire per minute? Its interesting at how effective the flak was but still a gradual attrition and conversely how difficult it was for Allied Bombers ability to find and to destroy the targets they wanted ( which then evolved into area bombing) but they still threw enormous resources into strategic bombing. Use a gun. Entering service in 1965, the Leopard 1 is one of the most famous tanks of the Cold War and Modern Era. As a result, Ukrainian forces have . However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Proximity fuzes are also useful for producing air bursts against ground targets. If either is wrong, then even accurately aimed shells may explode harmlessly before reaching the target or after passing it. One hopes that they were prepared for a . A cartridge for a shotgun is called a shell. How much is it worth today? First large scale production of tubes for the new fuzes[9] was at a General Electric plant in Cleveland, Ohio formerly used for manufacture of Christmas-tree lamps.
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