Toy Soldier Gallery
Hermann Historica Auktion
login / register
Last Update: 05.02.2019, 21:31
Last Author: Norbert Schrepf

88 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun

bearbeiten

88 gun equipped with steel fron shield

Catalogue image of Lineol's 88 anti aircraft gun, screwing mechanism

Lineol model, camoflaged version, sliding mechanism

Olive green painted postwar version of Hausser's 88 anti aircraft gun


The 8.8cm Flak (Flugabwehrkanone = anti aircraft gun) was one of the most effective and feared German guns of the Second World War especially in ground combat. Thousands of enemy tanks may have been destroyed by this weapon and it was also highly successful as an anti-aircraft weapon. This gun had been in development since 1928 and was available to the army by 1933. It was first used in Spain during the civil war (1936-39). Of the types 18, 36 and 37, there were 10,930 guns in action up to August 1944. The ammunition consumption rose from about 500,000 rounds per month in the year 1941/42 up to 3,175,400 rounds by the end of 1944. The "Achtacht" (eight-eight), as it was called by the soldiers, was in action up to the end of the war. The latest development of the 8.8 cm Flak 41 was first in use in the North Africa campaign. Up to the end of the war there were more than 25,000 guns of the types 18/36/37/41 built.

The Luftwaffe anti-aircraft batteries were equipped with 4 guns each, while there were also heavy batteries with 6 guns each. For use against surface targets, a steel front shield was fitted.

bearbeiten

Technical Data

calibre: 88 mm
barrel length: 4930 mm
rate of fire: 15-20 rds/min
dimensions in firing position
- length: 7620 mm
- width: 2305 mm
- height: 2418 mm
weight on transport:7200 kg
maximum firing range:14860 m
maximum firing altitude:10600 m


bearbeiten

Models

Several models of this gun have been produced by Hausser/Elastolin and Lineol.


Hausser started with its early model of an 8.8 anti aircraft type gun in 1934 under the internal production number 1/748. However this model was not very detailed.

In 1936 Lineol started producing its model of this gun which is a much more detailed version. However the scale of this model is larger than the 1:22 scale of the 7.5 cm soldiers. It seems that there exist 3 different variations of this model:

camouflaged painted, with a screwing mechanism for mounting the gun,
camouflaged painted, with a gliding mechanism for mounting the gun,
grey painted, with a sliding mechanism for mounting the gun.

Now it was on Hausser/Elastolin to respond to this much more attractive model from its main competitor Lineol. In the Price List of 1938 and a typewritten company internal list there is specified an anti aircraft gun (3 parts) under the internal number 748N.

Unfortunately both sources do not provide a picture which would allow identification of the model. However its resale price was specified as RM 13.50 in the second source which is nearly twice as much as the price of RM 8.25 for the equivalent Lineol model. It may be possible to assume that Hausser did not see a chance of introducing this model to the market and therefor produced the cheaper version 748½ which was then sold for RM 6.25. This model was first offered in 1939 under the internal number 748½. However this model again is not very detailed and missed a lot of the features of the original weapon. To my knowledge it was only produced in grey painted colour before and during the war. For a short time after the end of the war this model was produced again, but this time painted olive green.


edit article

Member Comments

No comments so far.

Make a Comment

close
Menu Reports
transparent