| 2 cm Flak 38 C/38 | |
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| General Historical Information | |
| Place of origin: | Germany |
| Category: | Anti-Aircraft Gun |
| Used by: |
Germany |
| Debut in FHSW: | Debut in Battlefield 1942 |
| Passengers: | 1 or 2 |
| Calibre: | 2 cm |
| Ammunition: | 20 x 138 mm B |
| Elevation: | -12° to +90° |
| Traverse: | 360° |
| Rate of Fire: | 180 rpm |
| Maximum Range: | 2200 metres |
| Mobile: | Yes |
| Used by vehicles / ships: | Sd.Kfz. 10/4 Sd.Kfz. 10/5 Prinz Eugen Bismarck Prinz Eugen |
| Specially designed bunker: | Small Flakturm |
| Position 1: | Gunner or driver |
| Position 2: |
Gunner |
| Historical Picture | |
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Originally developed for the German Navy (the Kriegsmarine), the 20 mm gun C/30 fires 20 x 138 mm shells and it temporarily equiped Heinkel He 112 bombers for experimental purposes.
Revealing being particularly effective, Rheinmetall studied ways to adapt the gun to the army and developed the 20 mm Flak 30 and 20 mm Flak 38 while improving the rate of fire up to 220 rounds per minute. It was adopted by the German army in 1938. A lighter version is built by the firm Mauser designed for mountain troops and paratroopers to provide them with antiaircraft artillery: it was called 20 mm Gebirgsflak 38 (or 20 mm GebFlak 38) and took service in 1942.
If the use of these guns is devoted against aircraft, many of them are used against infantry in horizontal site, especially during the battle of Normandy in protection of strongpoints (such as the Pointe du Hoc or the Maisy battery).
The 2 cm Flak 38 design also made an impact on the design of the Japanese 20 mm Type 2 gun.
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