Flak anti-aircraft guns - Germany: books

Luftwaffe Flak and Field Divisions 1939-1945 - Rare photographs from Wartime Archives (Images of War)

In true Images of War Series style, this authoritative book tells the unique story of Hitler's Luftwaffe Flak and Field Divisions in words and rare images. From the outset of WW2, Göring's Luftwaffe Flak units saw extensive fighting with their 2cm, 3.7cm and deadly 8.8cm anti-aircraft guns.

By the time of the Nazis' invasion of Russia, Luftwaffe ground forces had been expanded and were being used in both the army support and air roles. After initial success on the Eastern Front turned to stalemate and huge losses, Hitler ordered the raising of Luftwaffe Field Divisions to bolster the Army.
These were initially under Göring's command but, in late 1943, were handed over to the Army and re-organised as standard infantry divisions (of three two-battalion rifle regiments) retaining Luftwaffe designations. The most famous was the elite Hermann Go¨ ring Divisions, which was re-organised as a Panzer Division.

By 1944 there were no less than twenty-one Luftwaffe Field Divisions plus many similar regiments, fighting on all fronts. Of all German anti-tank weapons, the 8.8cm gun was the most feared and destructive.
"Luftwaffe Flak and Field Divisions 1939-1945" describes the evolution of this unique element of the Nazi war machine by means of clear text and superb images

Die leichte und mittlere Flak 1906-1945

Durch den Einsatz der beiden ersten 3,7 cm-Ballonabwehrkanonen (BAK) der Firma Krupp begann ein rasanter Aufstieg dieser jungen Waffengattung als zwingend erforderliche Antwort auf die rasche Weiterentwicklung der Kampfflugzeuge. Dabei kam es auch, zumindest aus heutiger Sicht, zu abenteuerlichen Konstruktionen.
Im Zweiten Weltkrieg gab es in der deutschen Wehrmacht keine Waffengattung, die nicht Einheiten mit der 2 cm- und 3,7 cm-Flak besaß ­ ob zum Schutz der eigenen Truppenverbände vor gegnerischen Tieffliegerangriffen oder zur Unterstützung auf dem Gefechtsfeld beim Vormarsch.

In diesem Bildband wird die Entwicklung der leichten und mittleren Flak beschrieben und an Bildbeispielen aufgezeigt sowie anhand von Detailskizzen aus Luftwaffendienstvorschriften erläutert. Eindrucksvolle Fotos zeigen diese Waffen im Einsatz an allen Fronten und auf See.

Im Verlauf des Krieges mussten auch die Abwehrwaffen gegen die immer schnelleren und stärker gepanzerten Schlachtflugzeuge verbessert werden. So lieferte die Industrie leistungsstärkere 4 cm-, 5 cm- und 5,5 cm-Flak. Jede leichte und mittlere Flak war mit einer eigenen Zielvorrichtung und einem Rechengerät zur Ermittlung der Vorhaltewerte versehen, um die von ihnen verlangte große Beweglichkeit im Gefecht und ein selbstständiges Handeln jeder einzelnen Bedienungsmannschaft zu gewährleisten.
Die gebräuchlichsten Flak-Visiere sowie das Entfernungsmessgerät Em 1mR36 und der 60 cm-Scheinwerfer werden als Ortungsgeräte für die le/mittl. Flak beschrieben und im Bild gezeigt.

Flak 88 Manual - 8.8 cm Flugzeugabwehrkanone (Models 18/36/37/41) (Haynes Military Manual)

The 8.8cm Flugzeugabwehrkanone 18/36/37/41 - the 'Flak 88' - was one of the most successful and influential artillery gun types in the German arsenal in the Second World War.

Chris McNab tells the historical, technical and tactical story of this legendary weapon including insights into operating procedures, ammunition types, crew roles and experience, and the weapon's performance in all key theatres, primarily in terms of its anti-aircraft and anti-tank uses.

First-hand accounts of the gun in combat, plus engineer and operator manuals, are supported with archive photographs and detailed close-ups of preserved 88s in the Crompton and Muckleburgh Collections.

The German 88 Gun in Combat - The Scourge of Allied Armour

This book by renowned World War II historian Janusz Piekalkiewicz presents the history of the famous German "88? in its ground combat role - a role it mastered.
First used by the Legion Condor in Spain, the 88 was soon recongnized as a superb anti-aircraft weapon. When Rommel turned the 88's on British tanks in North Africa its anti-tank capabilities became legendary.
Over 200 action and close-up photographs show the 88 gun throughout its us in the Second World War on all fronts.

88 mm FlaK 18/36/37/41 and PaK 43 1936-45 (Osprey)

The German 88 mm was by far the most famous and versatile artillery weapon of World War II. It was first used as an anti-aircraft weapon by the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War and saw further service in the German invasions of Poland and France, where it was first used in its anti-tank role. This role was particularly successful and the 88 became feared by tank crews from North Africa to Russia. Apart from these two main roles the 88 mm was used as the main weapon on late-war German tanks, as a self-propelled gun, and even as an aerial weapon.

This book covers all these variants, explaining their design, development and operational use.

Contents: Introduction - Development - The next generation of flak guns - The self-propelled anti-aircraft guns - The Pak guns - The tank guns - The self-propelled units - Miscellaneous 88s - Bibliography - Colour plate commentary - Index.

German 88mm Gun vs Allied Armour : North Africa 1941-43 (Osprey)

Few weapons developed a more deadly reputation than the German '88' in the role of anti-tank gun, its long reach and lethal hitting power making it a significant problem for every type of British and later American armour.
Despite its individual potency, it was almost always utilized as part of a comprehensive system of defences that relied on a mix of weapons carefully deployed in anticipation of the enemy's likely avenue and method of attack. Used in this way, the 88 became a particularly deadly part of the Afrika Korps' attempts to shatter British armoured power in the Western Desert.

Initially extremely successful over the course of 1941 and 1942 in Operations Battleaxe and Crusader, the Allies' tactics and vehicles (such as the American-made M3 and the Crusader III) eventually evolved to deal with the 88's awesome power.
This detailed book tells the story of that evolution and provides an in-depth treatment of this key weapon of World War II.

The Heavy Flak Guns 1933-1945

Superb study of the German 88, 105, 128 and 150mm anti-aircraft guns and the ballistic directional equipment.