Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. This shell casing is totally inert and deactivated following guidelines provided by the ATF. This example is offered in excellent condition with original markings.
The 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41 is a German 88 mm anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun from World War II. It was widely used by Germany throughout the war, and was one of the most recognized German weapons of that conflict. Development of the original model led to a wide variety of guns. This example includes a ground-dug projectile, and is one of the variants used aboard the Tiger I heavy tank. The bottom of the zinc-plated steel casing is stamped:
521
aue 42
8.8cmFlak18
(8.8cm 30St)
This indicates manufacture by Metall u. Eisen GmbH, Nuernberg. The casing measures 22½” tall on its own, and with the projectile inserted, it measures roughly 34½” tall. The projectile appears to have been added to the casing at one point, which has caused some oxidation to the casing itself. The projectile retains a piece on the bottom which still unscrews to show the interior of the projectile.
The name FlaK 88 applies to a series of related guns, the first one officially called the 8.8 cm Flak 18, the improved 8.8 cm Flak 36, and later the 8.8 cm Flak 37. Flak is a contraction of German Flugzeugabwehrkanone meaning "aircraft-defense cannon", the original purpose of the weapon. In English, "flak" became a generic term for ground anti-aircraft fire. In informal use, the guns were universally known as the Acht-acht ("eight-eight") by Germans and the "eighty-eight" by the Allies.
The versatile carriage allowed the 8.8 cm FlaK to be fired in a limited anti-tank mode when still on its wheels; it could be completely emplaced in only two and a half minutes. Its successful use as an improvised anti-tank gun led to the development of a tank gun based upon it: the 8.8 cm KwK 36, with the "KwK" abbreviation standing for Kampfwagen-Kanone (literally "battle vehicle cannon", or "fighting vehicle cannon"), meant to be placed in a gun turret as the tank's primary armament. This gun served as the main armament of the Tiger I heavy tank.
In addition to these Krupp designs, Rheinmetall later created a more powerful anti-aircraft gun, the 8.8 cm Flak 41, which was produced in relatively small numbers. Krupp responded with another prototype of the long-barreled 8.8 cm gun, which was further developed into the anti-tank and tank destroyer 8.8 cm PaK 43 gun used for the Elefant and Jagdpanther, and turret-mounted 8.8 cm KwK 43 heavy tank gun of the Tiger II.
This would be perfect for any WWII ordnance collection. Ready to add to your collection and display!
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