how does flak ammunition work

It was from the cannon shells and incendiary bullets that had hit my machineBullets were going between my legs, and I remember seeing a bright flash of an incendiary bullet going past my leg into the gas tankThen a little red tongue licked out inquiringly from under the gas tank in front of my feet and became a hot little bonfire in one corner of the cockpit.". As the missile cruises towards its target the laser energy simply beams out into space. It examines heavy flak defences, flak over the battlefield, the failure of ship AA defences early in the war; specifically the Bismarck and the sinking of the Prince of Wales and Repulse in 1941, AA defences against the worlds first cruise missile (V-1), right up to the human guided missile that was the kamikaze in the Pacific., I was inspired after reading Edward B. Westermanns book Flak: German Anti-Aircraft Defenses 1914-1945. Proximity fuzes are also useful for producing air bursts against ground targets. 56.25 degrees Back; It is unclear how the air brakes of the trailers are relevant to unlimbered guns. [58] After General Dwight D. Eisenhower demanded he be allowed to use the fuzes, 200,000 shells with VT fuzes (code named "POZIT"[59]) were used in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. For security reasons, and to confuse the enemy, it was initially called 'de Wilde' ammunition, even though the design was almost entirely different from the original version. A proximity fuze (or fuse) is a fuze that detonates an explosive device automatically when the distance to the target becomes smaller than a predetermined value. how does flak ammunition work - construccionesryc.cl Front shows a flak 88 artillery gun in the center with a German eagle clutching a swastika in his talons at the top. How did flak guns work in WW2? "I've never really looked at it like that," he said. Flak, or Fliegerabwehrkanone, works by arming artillery class cannons for the use of Anti-Air duties. By the summer of 1941 the Germans introduced their Wurzburg gun laying radar.. Welcome to the WWII Forums! [21][22], In 1936, the Air Ministry took over Bawdsey Manor in Suffolk to further develop their prototype radar systems that would emerge the next year as Chain Home. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The anti-aircraft artillery range at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico was used as one of the test facilities for the proximity fuze, where almost 50,000 test firings were conducted from 1942 to 1945. It was understood that the limited application was not ideal; a proximity fuze would be useful on all types of artillery and especially anti-aircraft artillery, but those had very high accelerations. [61], Bombs and rockets fitted with radio proximity fuzes were in limited service with both the USAAF and USN at the end of WW2. Also in 1944, fuzes were allocated to the British Army's Anti-Aircraft Command, that was engaged in defending Britain against the V-1 flying bomb. In December of that year the British Air Ministry purchased the design. [9] A breadboard circuit was constructed and the concept was tested in the laboratory by moving a sheet of tin at various distances. Firing pin: Strikes the back of the flare and causes it to explode and shoot off down the barrel. According to 5e designer Jeremy Crawford, " Bonuses stack, unless a feature or item tells you otherwise. She carried 24-pound ammunition shells and other supplies across the rugged, remote terrain of the Korean Peninsula that was inaccessible to trucks. The same is true of bombers. EDIT: And it's only used against airborne targets because airplanes have to be light-weight in order to be able to fly; a cloud of tiny pellets like that will shred an airplane, but won't do much against a tank or battleship or other such armored targets. Acting like a normal bullet in flight, then after a short delay, it will explode into 5 more bullets. NOTE: Click on images to view larger size. Throw a couple hundred of em into the air and theyll do work. Two of the four tubes in the VT fuze were used to detect, filter, and amplify this low frequency signal. The same is true of bombers. Exiting that black smoke is the invisible shrapnel that will hit the aircraft. Feb 19, 2014 Jack Beckett, Guest Author. All of these earlier methods have disadvantages. A simulated battle conditions test was started on 12 August 1942. This article focuses on which ammo to select in a given . [26][27], Looking for a short-term solution to the valve problem, in 1940 the British ordered 20,000 miniature tubes from Western Electric Company and Radio Corporation of America that were intended for use in hearing aids. The shell detonates and sends a flurry of ball bearings and shrapnel in all directions. [7], One fighter pilot who was shot down by incendiary ammunition while flying in the Battle of Britain describes his experience:[8].mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, "I could smell powder smoke, hot and strong, but it didn't make me feel tough this time. WWII Naval Kriegsmarine Coastal Flak Artillery Badge Most of the official Allied histories downplayed its role. Due to their specialist nature they tend to be more expensive and larger than their standard counterparts. The 88 earned its reputation as the best overall gun of the war. Luftwaffe flak batteries could be assigned to the army at any time and thousands were. Built around a miniature radio transmitter and receiver, the VT fuse overcame the major disadvantage of the time and contact fuses and was capable of detecting its target and detonating within 75 feet. Thus the shell does not have to hit the aircraft just be relatively close. Pilots were permitted to deploy them against only zeppelins and balloons. In mid-November 1939, a German neon lamp tube and a design of a prototype proximity fuze based on capacitive effects was received by British Intelligence as part of the Oslo Report. Vote! Welcome to WWII Forums! Definitions of flak . [2] The British Royal Flying Corps forbade the use of incendiary ammunition for air-to-air combat with another airplane, as their use against personnel was at first considered to be a violation of the St. Petersburg Declaration. Flash Sale. There were also over two thousand suppliers and subsuppliers, ranging from powder manufacturers to machine shops. [6] Vote! Optical sensing was developed in 1935, and patented in the United Kingdom in 1936, by a Swedish inventor, probably Edward W. Brandt, using a petoscope. Press J to jump to the feed. the ASRAAM and AA-12 Adder) use lasers to trigger detonation. A particularly successful application was the 90mm shell with VT fuze with the SCR-584 automatic tracking radar and the M-9 electronic fire control computer. Most Allied bombers and fighters were armoured against fighter attack, but not flak. How do flares and flare guns work? - Explain that Stuff The Fabricated Sniper Rifle is a ranged weapon, a more advanced version of the Longneck Rifle. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Saturday NatSec Roundup - Lawyers, Guns & Money. It was first tested as a part of a detonation device for bombs that were to be dropped over bomber aircraft, part of the UK's Air Ministry's "bombs on bombers" concept. An HE-Frag shell with time fuse. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Its interesting that we continue to use the term todaycatching flak at the office as one example., Flak in the Second World War was very effective. One may use a timed fuse in the shell. These include rounds for the Gepard aerial flak system that Ukraine has successfully deployed against Iranian-made suicide drones, in particular. Soviet artillery and tanks weren't able to penetrate the huge concrete tower, allowing the Germans to keep shooting. Who does the voice of Vanessa on Phineas and Ferb? How do you write a good story in Smash Bros screening? The revolutionary fuse that won World War II - We Are The Mighty If you show up late for work for a third day, you'll probably take some flak from your coworkers they'll take verbal shots at you. Is Wolfram|Alpha just an online equation solver. "[27] The critical work of adapting the fuze for anti-aircraft shells was done in the United States, not in England. And any flak that comes his way for winding up any opponents doesn't bother him, nor secretly please him, too much. 3.7 cm Flak 18/36/37/43 | Military Wiki | Fandom [46] Captain S. R. Shumaker, Director of the Bureau of Ordnance's Research and Development Division, coined the term to be descriptive without hinting at the technology. The heavy gun could propel its 20.25-pound high-explosive shell to altitudes beyond 30,000 feet at a rate of about 15 projectiles per minute. Press J to jump to the feed. The US found that flak that was high generally caused some damage to bombers but was far less likely to shoot them down than flak that was low. Many postwar histories accepted the testimony of leading figures within the Luftwaffe that ground based AA defences achieved limited success in destroying Allied bombers. So, why was the 8.8 FLAK in WW2 used by german troops against tanks? Automatic fuze setters were used as an 88 could fire 15-20 shells per minute and even the 128mm could manage 12 per minute. While it fits well into the Allied narrative of how the strategic bombing campaign robbed the German army of valuable munitions, it was only partially true. [9] Rockets have relatively low acceleration and no spin creating centrifugal force, so the stresses on the delicate electronic fuze are relatively benign. A cartridge for a shotgun is called a shell. Some sectioned shells from the First World War. Coilgun - Official Barotrauma Wiki In many ways the term gun-laying was a misnomer when applied to the GL I. Was armour speed a better defence from flak? But what about people. This signal is sent through a band-pass filter, amplified, and triggers the detonation when it exceeds a given amplitude. So the changing phase relationship between the oscillator signal and the reflected signal complicated the measurement of the amplitude of that small reflected signal. Flak-How does it truly work? | WWII Forums They never pooled their resources, instead each would go their own way, often siting individual radars in the same place., Two myths about flak: one it was not very effective, from an Allied point of view, and second the Allied bombing campaign against Germany created a second front siphoning off thousands of men to man the guns and robbing the German army of valuable men. With their moderate rate of fire, and typically inexpensive ammunition, they can make for good defensive weapons. While no one invention won the war, the proximity fuze must be listed among the very small group of developments, such as radar, upon which victory very largely depended. The T-3 fuze had a 52% success against a water target when tested in January, 1942. Like infantry it's worth noting that air burst rounds work on the same basic principle as flak and are used by mortars, artillary, etc. Thank you. Spreader: Used against swarms in order to spread out the shots and damage as many as possible. However, the phase relationship between the oscillator's transmitted signal and the signal reflected from the target varied depended on the round trip distance between the fuze and the target. . These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. I can't remember where I read it now but in the early days of World War Two, the British Air Ministry was deluged with well-meaning crackpot ideas. First large scale production of tubes for the new fuzes[9] was at a General Electric plant in Cleveland, Ohio formerly used for manufacture of Christmas-tree lamps. e Weapons. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. When the distance between the fuze and the target changed rapidly, then the phase relationship also changed rapidly. Regular $179.99 (Save $50.00) $129.99. But that number is misleading. Upon being triggered, the thyratron conducted a large current that set off the electrical detonator. [17], The fuze was later found to be able to detonate artillery shells in air bursts, greatly increasing their anti-personnel effects.[18]. Acoustic proximity fuzes are actuated by the acoustic emissions from a target (example an aircraft's engine or ship's propeller). [57], The Pentagon refused to allow the Allied field artillery use of the fuzes in 1944, although the United States Navy fired proximity-fuzed anti-aircraft shells during the July 1943 invasion of Sicily. Observers may not be practical in many situations, the ground may be uneven, and the practice is slow in any event. In Germany, more than 30 (perhaps as many as 50)[19] different proximity fuze designs were developed, or researched, for anti-aircraft use, but none saw service. The first bomb in the stick was fitted with an impact fuze while the other bombs were fitted with pressure sensitive diaphragm actuated detonators. All of this in one go, it would not be possible to do it like it is shown ingame. It was considered (and later patented by Brandt) for use with anti-aircraft missiles fired from the ground. Fabricated Sniper Rifle - ARK: Survival Evolved Wiki Not FLAK in particular but I wanted to clear up a bit about fragmentation shells in general. it's only used against airborne targets a cloud of tiny pellets "Shrapnel" shells, named for their inventor, are used to kill people with bits of metal even when those people are hiding behind walls, in a trench, etc. The Hush-Kit Book of Warplanes will feature the finest cuts from this site along with exclusive new articles, explosive photography and gorgeous bespoke illustrations. Its price point is 75 cents per round and its bullet weight is between 147 and 175 grains. Mention has to be made of the development of gun laying radar. The guns have a fire rate of 250 shots per minute each, which gives a shot per second value of about 4 per gun. Influence firing mechanisms often use a combination of acoustic and magnetic induction receivers. Flak Ammo is a type of bullet that spreads in flight, making it good for medium-ranged combat. Design of the type began as early as 1936 under the charge of the Rheinmetall-Borsig concern and then known as the "Gerat 40", intended as an in-the-field gun system for the German Army. How effective was it in WW2? It took away from the narrative of how successful the Allied bombing campaign was and the heavy price they paid. Reverse is maker marked S.H.u.Co. [44] One tube was an oscillator connected to an antenna; it functioned as both a transmitter and an autodyne detector (receiver). L/4.5 (Kz.) The gun pits were arranged to enable the high altitude flak guns ( probably British army 3.7 in guns) fire in unison to create a box pattern when the shells exploded at the preset height and would follow the track of the bombers That was the means a lethal zone was put where the bombers were expected to be. university of phoenix alumni license plate frame. They're running out of ammunition. ; "Precision Radar,", Smith, Peter C. Kamikaze: To Die for the Emperor. I once interviewed a WWII flak veteran, who talked about how they used their cannons against enemy infantry and soon, that became a more common use of their cannons than actually firing at airplanes. Does magical ammunition stack with a magical weapon? Personal thoughts on it:Probably the cannon works with some sort of a pneumatic contraption. There was a variant of the Stielgranate 41 (hollowed charge, stick grenade) for the 3,7 cm Flak weapons (18, 36, 37, 43) to emergency fight back heavy armored vehicles. Stewart pledged his support for Ukraine while visiting a hospital in Essex, England, adding more fighter . German flak defenses were responsible for more than half of all Allied aircraft losses. Because that flak did not actually "miss." By means of its fuzing, it exploded close enough to the aircraft to send an unseen shower of a thousand metal fragments flying out of it and into the aircraft. Despite intense work by the Germans to finish the project, it was finally put out of action by a raid on 6 July 1944 before a single shell . [31] Tuve claimed that despite being pleased by the outcome of the Butement et al. Flak-How does it truly work? | WWII Forums It would have never been used in action. Butement, W. A. S., and P. E. Pollard; "Coastal Defence Apparatus", Butement, W. A. S., et al. Understanding how the shell types behave and when to use them is important to achieving optimum results in battle. A time- or height-triggered fuze requires good prediction by the gunner and accurate timing by the fuze. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". How Ammunition Works | GunGoddess.com It uses Advanced Sniper Bullet for ammo. The distance between the fuze and the target was not constant but rather constantly changing due to the high speed of the fuze and any motion of the target. Similarly, incendiary ammunition was used against non-rigid observation balloons. Most of the official Allied histories downplayed its role. Getting that right was harder than you would think with the limited means of getting the planes altitude and speed right and they would only have a few minutes at most to do so. It was justifiably feared by Allied airmen, tankers, and foot soldiers because of its accuracy, lethality, and versatility. Due to the forward speed of the bomber, bombs fitted with pressure detonators would all explode at about the same height above ground along a horizontal trajectory. In his words, "The one outstanding characteristic in this situation is the fact that success of this type of fuze is not dependent on a basic technical idea all of the ideas are simple and well known everywhere. The Schmetterling, Enzian, Rheintochter and X4 guided missiles were all designed for use with the Kranich acoustic proximity fuze. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Advanced Cannons and some simple weapons use custom shells designed by players through Ammo Controllers and customisers. What is the meaning of the word swappable? The only Allied option was tactical infatry inserted to upset the German air defenses and provide a diversion for the larger forces to come in after. The .308 is the most preferred caliber for snipers all over the world. Image courtesy the German Federal Archive. In 1944 the number of 128mm rounds per aircraft shootdown was 3,000, less than one-fifth the number expended by its 88mm counterpart. It does not store any personal data. ELI5: How does flak ammo work and why is it only used against - reddit You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Armor Penetration Table. It examines heavy flak defences, flak over the battlefield, the failure of ship AA defences early in the war; specifically the Bismarck and the sinking of the Prince of Wales and Repulse in 1941, AA . The Browning M2 .50 Caliber Machine Gun, Heavy barrel is an automatic, recoil operated, air-cooled machine gun with adjustable headspace and is crew transportable with limited amounts of . [68], During WW2, pressure activated fuzes were developed for sticks (or trains) of bombs to create above ground airbursts. The pin and catch are not present. The Allied fuze used constructive and destructive interference to detect its target. Life on Royal Navy aircraft carrier(1960), Hush-Kit Joe talking 10 favouriteaircraft, The case for the P-47 Thunderbolt being the greatest fighter of the Second WorldWar, The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt MafiaFamily, 10 things you need to know about the P-47Thunderbolt. Don't Panic! Category:Alternate Ammunition - BattleTechWiki Trenches and firing pits and broken ground / shell holes provide decent cover against metal fragments from explosives that blow up when hitting the ground. Flak can refer to criticism or worse, explosive shells from an antiaircraft weapon. [54], Vannevar Bush, head of the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) during the war, credited the proximity fuze with three significant effects. Berlin has repeatedly lobbied Bern to shift policy after requests for permission to send Ukraine Swiss-made ammunition acquired by Germany decades ago were denied. fine for not having a boat licence qld; cherokee brick products [64] [66], During WW2, the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC) investigated the use of acoustic proximity fuzes for anti-aircraft weapons but concluded that there were more promising technological approaches. Flak Cannon - Official Barotrauma Wiki The Deadly 88 - Was Germany's Flak 18/37 the best gun of World War Two There are two basic ways to do that, make the shell explode at the time when it is near the target, or make it explode when the shell is simply near the target. While "flak" refers to anti-aircraft fire, the concept of proximity fusing and shrapnel isn't restricted to aircraft. When the flak batteries pinpointed an aircraft the guns were fired in salvos designed to burst in a sphere of 60 yards in diameter in which it was hoped to entrap the target. (96) And so, there is evidence that there may soon be a pivot towards a Plan B; a long term insurgency, similar to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. As these projects moved from development into prototype form in the late 1930s, Butement turned his attention to other concepts, and among these was the idea of a proximity fuse: Into this stepped W. A. S. Butement, designer of radar sets CD/CHL and GL, with a proposal on 30 October 1939 for two kinds of radio fuze: (1) a radar set would track the projectile, and the operator would transmit a signal to a radio receiver in the fuze when the range, the difficult quantity for the gunners to determine, was the same as that of the target and (2) a fuze would emit high-frequency radio waves that would interact with the target and produce, as a consequence of the high relative speed of target and projectile, a Doppler-frequency signal sensed in the oscillator.[24]. Incendiary projectiles, in particular those intended for armor penetration, are more effective if they explode after penetrating a surface layer, such that they explode inside the target. It has a speed of between 2,600 to 2,700 ft/s; an energy of between 3,300 and 3, 500 Joules. The versatile 88mm cannon was Germany's main heavy antiaircraftor "flak"gun during World War II. While smaller shells without fuzes will need to actually hit the aircraft to damage it, most all other AAA will have some type of fuzing. The main targets for these proximity fuze detonated bombs and rockets were anti-aircraft emplacements and airfields.[62]. They were used in land-based artillery in the South Pacific in 1944. how does flak ammunition work - marconasedkin.de Flak as we know it ( the exploding ordinance variety ) works by using fuses. Flakpanzer Gepard - Tank Encyclopedia They provide a more sophisticated trigger mechanism than the common contact fuze or timed fuze. One may use a timed fuse in the shell. After that a fresh shot could be positioned in a more favorable position by possibly a telescopic actuator using the gas compressed previously. Aircraft shot down or damaged was a bonus. It not just one or the other.. Flakpanzer 341 - War Thunder Wiki As Flak existed in the twentieth century, no, however, a modern equivalent of the radar guided air defense gun is deployed widely by all major militaries. Before you . What is the safe score in JEE Mains 2021? This permitted the purchase of over 22 million fuzes for approximately one billion dollars ($14.6 billion in 2021 USD[51]). An example of flak is the exploding ammunition that can damage a military plane when flying over enemy territory. [37] Other locations include Ft. Fisher in North Carolina and Blossom Point, Maryland. Flash Sale. Discussion in 'Weapons & Technology in WWII' started by 9th Waffen SS, Aug 12, 2002. The 3.7 cm Flak 18/36/37/43 was a series of anti-aircraft cannon produced by Nazi Germany that saw widespread service in the Second World War. Ammo Test: Will Your Short Barrel 9mm Penetrate Heavy Clothing? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Flak in World War II takes the reader from the invasion of Poland in 1939 right to the last Japanese aircraft shot down by AA fire in August 1945. [34][37][38] The use of the Doppler effect developed by this group was later incorporated in all radio proximity fuzes for bomb, rocket, and mortar applications. Both are surrounded by an oval oak leaf wreath. I know that UT weapons aren't supposed to be something realistic, but if someone wanted to analyze for example the flak cannon, how would it do all the stuff it is supposed to do? You measure the distance to the target, set the shell for that distance (or a few meters behind), and aim above the target. The largest artillery pieces employed by the Army against Axis forces was the M1 240mm howitzer, which could fire 360-pound shell out to a range of 23,000 meters (14.3 miles). Facing flak over 'RSS illiterate' remark, Kumar Vishwas issues clarification,In a video, Kumar Vishwas said that he was talking about a boy who works in his office and, coincidentally, is also an RSS worker. For alternate autocannon ammunition, see the Special Munitions category. In December 1940, Tuve invited Harry Diamond and Wilbur S. Hinman, Jr, of the United States National Bureau of Standards (NBS) to investigate Berkner's improved fuze and develop a proximity fuze for rockets and bombs to use against the German Luftwaffe. In-Store Only. Also, where the crewmen of these planes were most likely to be hit. Before then, they always return false. Anointment | Borderlands Wiki | Fandom There are few weapons (aside from shotguns and large game hunting rifles) which have been built that fire projectiles between .50 caliber (0.50 inches/12.7 mm, roughly 13 mm caliber) and 20mm caliber, though the 14.5 mm caliber is used by some Soviet machineguns such as the KPV and antitank rifles such as PTRS, PTRD, and . The Japanese did not develop a robust AA defensive system. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. One hopes that they were prepared for a . navigation search. Shrapnel wounds became so common that eventually any wound from a metal fragment tended to be called "shrapnel" in general: from hang grenades, from debris thrown by an explosion, etc.

Mike Mazurki Cause Of Death, Jeremy Jauncey Girlfriends, Race Team Mechanic Salary, San Antonio Crime Rate Map, Articles H

how does flak ammunition work