How did anti-aircraft flak work?

Flak basically worked as a giant explosive that was fired up into the air, where the detonating and shrapnel would damage/take out the aircraft. There were multiple different kinds of flak rounds used during the war, all having varying degrees of effectiveness.

What was the best anti-aircraft gun WW2?

Flak 37
FHCAM – 88 mm Flak 37 Anti-Aircraft Gun. The “88” was the most famous and feared artillery weapon of World War II.

Was the flak 88 used as artillery?

The 88mm Flak was used as a flak gun, and the Germans also found it very useful as an anti-tank weapon due to its high muzzle velocity. It wasn’t as useful if used as artillery. Variations of the 88 were also used in the Tiger series of heavy tanks, again counting on the gun as an excellent anti-armour weapon.

How did flak work in ww2?

Are flak guns effective?

As for a true anti-aircraft gun (A SPAAG, primarily), they are of decent effectiveness against low-flying fixed wing aircraft, and can be deadly if used against helicopters; however, they are also typically quite vulnerable to anti-radiation missiles (as in order to have any chance of tracking and hitting most targets.

How did WWII flak work?

The versatile 88mm cannon was Germany’s main heavy antiaircraft—or “flak”—gun during World War II. When an 88mm projectile exploded at altitude, it sent out jagged metal fragments that tore through nearby aircraft. The rings around the barrel represent aircraft shot down by the gun crew. …

How did ww2 anti aircraft guns work?

Anti-aircraft guns fire during World War II. Air defenders using timed fuses had to fire a lot of rounds to bring anything down. While flak and other timed-burst weapons could bring down planes, it typically took entire batteries firing at high rates to actually down anything.

How did WWII Flak work?

How does a flak work?

Flak, or Fliegerabwehrkanone, works by arming artillery class cannons for the use of Anti-Air duties. Flak as we know it ( the exploding ordinance variety ) works by using fuses. One may use a timed fuse in the shell. After so many seconds, the shell would detonate like a times bomb.

What is anti-aircraft fire called?

antiaircraft gun, artillery piece that is fired from the ground or shipboard in defense against aerial attack. The most effective of these was the German 88-millimetre Fliegerabwehrkanone; its abbreviated name, flak, became a universal term for antiaircraft fire.