Europa Posted July 27, 2004 Share Posted July 27, 2004 Why didn't the germans use their 88 mm aa guns as artillery? Seems to me like it got a reasonable range in that role and since the barrel probably could be risen enough so why not? Same with the american 90 mm aa. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pvt. Ryan Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 Didn't they? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Europa Posted July 28, 2004 Author Share Posted July 28, 2004 Why aren't they in cm then as artillery or have I missed something? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamingknives Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 "...since the barrel probably could be risen enough..." Do you think? It being designed to shoot at bombers at 20-30,000'? The problem is that it uses a fixed charge and is a high velocity gun, making it difficult to adjust the range. Indirect fire with 88mm, AFAIK, consisted of shallow ballistic arc and time-fused shells (intended for the AA role). Particularly nasty as, being as the shells travelled supersonically, the soldiers couldn't hear them coming. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 In theory they could have been, but they were assigned (obviously) for AA role. They were designed and needed for that and the gun crews would then had to be trained for another function beside AA and DF. Since the 105mm was more effective for ground pounding, it would have been inefficient management of resources... which OTOH makes you wonder why Germans <u>didn't</u> do it. Btw. I recall the 88mm caliber may have been originally used by the Germans for coastal artillery in WWI era..? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denwad Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 it also doesn't have indirect fire equipment either. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Harmes Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 I've read that it was used for indirect fire. In fact, in Spike Milligans war memoirs, he recalls a specific event when he first experienced being shelled indirectly by 88s in Tunisia. He even states that they were the worst guns to be shelled by because you couldn't hear the shell coming! I think the book this is in is: Rommel? Gunner Who?... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CombinedArms Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 I'm sure I've read many references to the US 76 mm gun, mounted on TDs, being used for indirect fire-- despite the same issues as confronted the German 88. Maybe not ideal for the purpose but in war you use the weapons you've got at the moment to accomplish the tasks at hand... Similarly, a howitzer isn't an ideal direct fire or AT weapon, but if your battery is under attack, you'll use it for that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 Which is, however, very different from a weapon being used as a dedicated artilery piece. Machineguns could and were also used for indirect fire, but I'm sure no one would suggest that they could have replaced mortars. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willbell Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 Oh for craps sakes. Have I entered Wonderland, or are you guys just stroking this guy in the most subtle way I've ever witnessed? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Russian Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 I have read several accounts where the 88's were used as indirect artillery. As has been pointed out almost any weapon can be made to fire indirectly. When a weapon is used for something other than the intended purpose it is not generally very effective. I mean, just look how poorly the 88mm Flak did as an anti-tank weapon. However, if the fire was observed and not just map firing then the 88's should have done as well as any other gun. They could be corrected by the observer and they should have done tolerably well. Firing blindly is not usually effective no matter which system you are using. Panther Commander 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinetree Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 Originally posted by willbell: Oh for craps sakes. Have I entered Wonderland, or are you guys just stroking this guy in the most subtle way I've ever witnessed? subtle?...here?....yeah,right. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willbell Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 Sorry, my evil twin grabbed the keyboard. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.