| 12.8 cm Flakzwilling 40 | |
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| General Historical Information | |
| Place of origin: | Germany |
| Category: | Anti-Aircraft gun Anti-Tank gun |
| Used by: |
Germany |
| Debut in FHSW: | v0.4 |
| Passengers: | 1 |
| Calibre: | 128mm |
| Elevation: | -3° to +88° |
| Traverse: | 360° |
| Rate of Fire: | 40 rpm (each 20 rpm) |
| Specially designed bunker: | Flakturm IV |
| Position 1: | Gunner |
| Historical Picture | |
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The 12.8 cm Flak 40 was without any doubt the most powerful Anti-Air gun of World War two and this variant, the 12.8 cm Flakzwilling 40, makes this gun a notorious bomber killer!
Development of the gun began in 1936, with the contract being awarded to Rheinmetall Borsig, the first prototype gun was delivered for testing in late 1937 and completed testing successfully. The gun weighed nearly 12 tonnes in its firing position, with the result that its barrel had to be removed for transport. Limited service testing showed this was impractical, so in 1938 other solutions were considered.
The eventual solution was to simplify the firing platform, based on the assumption it would always be securely bolted into concrete. The total weight of the system reached 26.5 tonnes, making it practically impossible to tow cross-country. In the end this mattered little, since by the time the gun entered production in 1942 the production of mobile guns larger than 105 mm was prohibited. In August 1944 there were 450 such cannons available. As a result only a few were built and used. There were four twin mounts on the fortified anti aircraft Zoo Tower, and they were also on other flak towers protecting Berlin, Hamburg, and Vienna. Approximately 200 were mounted on railcars, providing limited mobility.
The gun fired a 27.9 kg (57.2-pound) shell at 880 m/s (2,890 ft/s) to a maximum ceiling of 14,800 m (48,556 ft). Compared with the 88mm FlaK 18 & 36, the 128 used a powder charge four times as great which resulted in a shell flight time only one-third as long. This made aim against fast-moving targets much easier.
A variant was the 12.8 cm Flakzwilling 40, those are two Flak 40's built on one chassis, capable of firing 20 rounds per minute. Used mainly on flak towers. Production started in 1942 with 10 twin sets produced, another eight in 1943, and in February 1945 a total of 34 were available.
In FHSW, the gun can be used as anti-tank and anti-aircraft and also anti-ship (light ships and carriers can be destroyed (see Bombing the Reich) by this gun!). Used on the small classis BF42 flakbunker, in special modeled flaktower like the Flakturm. On the Flakturm, four Flakzwilling are to be used along other small flakguns. Each person can use two Flakzwillings.
This gun is so powerful, that can destroy a Maus tank in the front with only 2 shots! And of course in FHSW! You can find this gun in late war maps like Bombing The Reich and Alpenfestung.
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