12.8cm Flakzwilling 40

Double-Barreled Anti-Aircraft Gun System [ 1942 ]

The Flakzwilling 40 was nothing more than a double-barreled version of the successful FlaK 40 anti-aircraft gun system.

Authored By: JR Potts, AUS 173d AB | Last Edited: 05/21/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

Advertisements

The double 12.8 cm (128mm) "Flakzwilling 40" was a variant of the very successful 12.8 cm FlaK 40 that was designed to replace the fabled 88mm anti-aircraft gun system that proved doubly effective (and thusly feared) as a tank-killing gun to the Allies. The double-barreled FlaK 40 was a large gun system that needed to be broken down into more relatively compact components if transportation of the unit to a new location was required. As such, engineering efforts were made to use these guns in static positions in and around major strategic cities like Berlin, eliminating the need for their transporting to other positions. Some of the "doubles" were mounted and fixed onto flat railcars to fulfill long-range mission requirements while still others were affixed to flatbed heavy trailers allowing them to be towed by vehicles such as the SdKfz 9 series halftrack. In its heavy trailer form, the platform fielded six solid rubber tires on each side and was further supported by way of a rugged suspension needed to hold the 12 ton gun system.

The Flakzwilling 40 used a horizontal semi-automatic sliding block and was electrically fired each shell after they had entered the breech by way of a powered rammer. The recoil was Hydropneumatic in nature while the elevation reach for the gun barrels was from -3 degrees to a + 88 degrees while traverse was a full 360 degrees. Each 57.2lb shell vertical range was 12.5 miles which made it possible to engage all of the Allied bombers then in use. A full operating crew including an officer (Captain), two gunners and as many as seven ammunition handlers were need to maintain the excellent optimal 12- to 20-rounds per minute firing rate.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Service Year

1942

Origin

Nazi Germany

Crew

10
CREWMEN

Production

125
UNITS

Rheinmetall-Borsig - Nazi Germany

(View other Vehicle-Related Manufacturers)

Nazi Germany

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Anti-Aircraft / Airspace Denial
Base model or variant can be used to search, track, and neutralize airborne elements at range.

Length

25.7 ft
7.83 m

Width

9.6 ft
2.92 m

Height

9.8 ft
3 m

Weight

24,000 lb
10,886 kg

Tonnage

12.0 tons
LIGHT

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base 12.8cm Flakzwilling 40 production variant. Length typically includes main gun in forward position if applicable to the design)

Powerplant: None. This is a towed or static anti-aircraft gun piece.

Range

12.4 mi
(20.0 km)

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base 12.8cm Flakzwilling 40 production variant. Compare this entry against any other in our database)

2 x 12.8cm (128mm) gun barrels

Supported Types

Graphical image of an artillery gun tube/barrel

(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)

Depedend upon ammunition carrier.

Flakzwilling 40 - Base Series Designation

Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of the Bulge

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Kursk

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental military vehicles

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns / operations.