Fast Assembly Kit
Wargame APPROVED

The FlaK 36 anti-aircraft guns were the result. The design made use of a two-piece barrel for easier replacement of worn liners. The trailer design was also improved for quicker setup time, though the weight of the trailer had increased. The trailer design improvement was significant, as guns mounted on these new trailers could be dropped into firing position while they were still mounted on their towing wheels. This new feature allowed FlaK 36 guns to accompany fast-moving mobile offensive units that characterized the first years of the war in Europe and North Africa. In North Africa, they were also used to ambush Allied tanks to great effectiveness. It was around this time that 8.8-centimeter guns began to appear in in German cities. They were often deployed in multi-gun static anti-aircraft batteries, usually in groups of four guns each coordinated by a single controller. The next variant, FlaK 37, had its instrumentation improved to allow the commander of each battery-deployed gun to better follow directions from battery directors. As the 8.8-centimeter guns were improved, the designers attempted to keep the parts as interchangeable across variant designs as possible to improve logistics. During the invasion of France, while the German tanks were out-classed by the heavier French counterparts, 8.8-centimeter guns were deployed in anti-tank roles against French tanks. In North Africa, they began to serve in anti-tank roles more often. They were reported on a few occasions to have penetrated over 150-millimeter of armor at a distance of 2 kilometers, making them very effective tank killers. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union in mid-1941, they continued to serve in the dual anti-aircraft and anti-tank role. As the war went on, however, they gradually reverted back to their original role as anti-aircraft guns in an attempt to counter the intensifying American and British air raids. Informally, all 8.8 cm FlaK guns (including the FlaK 41 successors) were known by the German military as Acht-acht, 8-8. By Aug 1944, there were 10,704 8.8 cm FlaK 18, FlaK 36, and FlaK 37 guns in active service.

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