3.7 cm Flak 43
Anti-aircraft gun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 3.7 cm Flak 43 was a light anti-aircraft (AA) gun used by Nazi Germany during World War II. It was derived from the 3.7-centimeter (1.5 in) Flak 18/36/37 series of AA guns. It was provided with single- and twin-gun mounts, the latter being designated as the 3.7 cm Flak 43 Zwilling and was in service from 1944 to 1945. In addition to versions used by the Kriegsmarine (German Navy), it served as the main armament of the Ostwind and Möbelwagen and was proposed for use in the Flakpanzer Coelian self-propelled AA guns.
| 3.7 cm Flak 43 | |
|---|---|
A Flak 43 Zwilling in Northern France, mid-1944 | |
| Type | Anti-aircraft gun |
| Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1944-1945 |
| Used by | Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Rheinmetall-Borsig |
| Designed | 1939–1943 |
| Produced | 1944–1945 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 355 kg (783 lb) |
| Barrel length | 2.106 m (82.9 in) (57 calibers) |
| Crew | 3–4 |
| Shell | 37 × 263B |
| Shell weight | 635–700 g (1.4–1.5 lb) |
| Caliber | 37 mm (1.5 in) |
| Breech | Gas-operated |
| Elevation | -10° to +90° |
| Traverse | 360° |
| Rate of fire |
|
| Muzzle velocity | 790–820 m/s (2,600–2,700 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range |
|
| Feed system | 8-round clips |
Background and description
Rheinmetall-Borsig redesigned the Flak 36/37 to incorporate the gas-operated breech mechanism of the 3-centimeter (1.18 in) MK 103[1] and to reduce the number of man-hours required to manufacture it from 4320 to 1000.[2] The most obvious change was the adoption of a horizontal feed system from the vertical system of the earlier guns. The feed tray was positioned inside the oversized trunnions at the gun's center of gravity so it could be reloaded without disturbing the gun's aim. These changes significantly lightened the gun and made it faster to traverse and elevate.[2]
Naval use
The Kriegsmarine used a version of it on surface ships as the 3.7 cm Flak M43 in its own single- and twin-gun mounts; its Flak LM 44 mount had the guns side-by-side, unlike the Zwilling.[3]
