War Park 2022-12-16 13:20 Posted on Shanghai
In the final street battle of the movie Saving Private Ryan, three German soldiers were seen launching an anti-aircraft cannon on US soldiers atop a Tiger tank, mercilessly tearing the US soldiers to pieces. This gun is the German Flak 38 20mm anti aircraft defense gun, the most widely deployed light weapon of the German army during Second World War, and the largest number of air defense guns produced by the German army.
The 20mm Flak 38 was introduced to the German army in 1939. In the Air Force, it was mainly responsible for air defense, but it was also often used for ground fire support by the Army. In the Army, it was used to attack armoured vehicles, light tanks and to kill large numbers of enemy ground troops. In the summer of 1941, the Germans invaded the Soviet Union. In a battle in western Ukraine, German Luftwaffe ground forces destroyed 10 Soviet light tanks with 20 mm anti-aircraft guns, As a result, the 20mm Flak 38 became a powerful and popular weapon for German air defense and ground warfare.
After the end of the Spanish Civil War, aircraft developments resulted in aircraft speeds increasing significantly and the Flak 38 20 mm anti-aircraft gun fire rate was just too low to meet their intended military requirements. Therefore, Flak 38 anti-aircraft gun was instead deployed to ground troops. Coupled with its relatively light combat weight, many trucks, trucks, tanks, and armored vehicles were converted as anti-aircraft vehicles.
This anti-aircraft gun can use a variety of artillery shells, such as high-explosive, towed and air-fired bombs. At the same time, it can also fire armour-piercing photoelastic or tungsten core high-speed armour piercing bomb (Pzgr.40 or APSV.40). The initial muzzle speed was reduced to 830 meters per second when the armour-piercing photoelastic is fired, whereas the initial speed is 975 meters per second when the high-speed armour-piercing bomb is used. The high-speed armour-piercing bomb can break through 49 mm thick armor at a distance of 300 meters.
Film removed...
The film shows the 20mm Flak 38 gun being unloaded from the trailer and ready to fire. As the war progressed, the 20mm anti-aircraft guns were unable to pose much of a threat to aircraft in terms of firepower and rate of fire. However, when used against soft targets such as infantry and light armored units, it had more destructive power than machine guns. Light weight, small size, almost all vehicles can towed it. Even infantry can push it forward, and hence, gradually become a weapon in the hands of infantry.
This month War Park launched two FLAK 38 20mm anti-aircraft guns and gun sets in Snow and German Grey.
KH088 Winter German 20mm Flak38 Gun & Gun Crew https://www.toysoldiersgalleria.com/.../war-park-kh088...
KH089 Winter German 20mm Flak38 Gun Team Officer
KU111 German Grey 20mm Flak38 Gun & Gun Crew https://www.toysoldiersgalleria.com/.../war-park-ku111...
KU112 German Grey 20mm Flak38 Gun Team Officer https://www.toysoldiersgalleria.com/.../war-park-ku112...
Original Chinese text on weibo follows below:
“不讲武德”打步兵-德军38型20毫米防空炮
战争公园 2022-12-16 13:20 Posted on 上海
《拯救大兵瑞恩》最终巷战中，三名德军士兵推出了一门防空炮，瞬间将蚁附在虎式坦克上的美军士兵撕成了碎片。这就是德军38型20毫米防空炮，是第二次世界大战中德国军队最重要的轻型防空炮，也是德国军队产量最多的防空炮。
20mm Flak38型单管防空炮在1939年开始装备德军。在空军防空炮部队中，它主要担负防空任务，但也经常为陆军作地面火力支援；在陆军部队中，则更多地用作对装甲车、轻型坦克的攻击与对敌方集群冲锋士兵的大量杀伤。1941年夏季，德军入侵苏联，在乌克兰西部的一次战斗，德军空军地面部队用20mm防空炮击毁了10辆苏军轻型坦克，因此，20mm Flak38型防空炮成为了德军防空与地面作战的有力武器。
西班牙内战结束后，各国飞机的飞行速度变得更高，而38型20毫米防空炮射速太低，已经符合军方要求。因此38型防空炮大量装备给地面部队使用，由于战斗重量轻，故很多货车，卡车，战车，装甲车给改装为防炮载具。
这种防空炮可以使用多种炮弹，用于对空射击时一般采用高爆、曳光、空爆弹。同时还可以使用穿甲曳光弹、钨芯高速穿甲弹（Pzgr.40或APSV.40）。当发射穿甲曳光弹的时候炮口初速降低至每秒830米，使用高速穿甲弹时的初速为每秒975米。这种高速穿甲弹可以在300米的距离上击穿49毫米厚的装甲。
《冒牌上尉》电影中展现了20mm Flak38型防空炮从拖车上卸下来到准备射击的全过程。随着战争走到后期，20mm防空炮无论火力和射速上都无法对飞机造成太大威胁。但是在打击步兵等软目标和轻型装甲单位的使用中，显示出了比机枪更强大的威力。重量轻、体积小，几乎所有车辆都能拖曳，甚至步兵能推行前进，逐渐成为步兵手中的利器。
本月战争公园推出了雪地和德国灰两款FLAK38型20mm防空炮及炮组。