The Secret Weapon the US Was Most Afraid of

Towards the end of May 1940, the Allies found themselves nearly trapped in the Low Countries. The Germans executed a swift advance, which inadvertently left their flanks vulnerable to a counterattack. Seizing the opportunity, the British promptly launched an offensive with 86 tanks.

The mighty advance was split into two columns, positioned approximately five kilometers apart, while an additional 60 French tanks bolstered the main force. On the opposite side was General Erwin Rommel and his exceptional 7th Panzer Division.

The Allied attack was successful at first. Numerous Germans were taken prisoner, and the British tanks demonstrated immunity to their 3.7-centimeter PaK guns. Overcome with panic, the Germans realized their weapons were ineffective against the enemy armor, prompting General Rommel to muster all available artillery, including a potent weapon: the 8.8-centimeter Flak.

The combined firepower ultimately halted the British advance and forced them into a retreat. But notably, the most lethal German weapon of World War 2 was not originally intended to be an anti-tank gun at all.

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[anthonyburke]

In Syria, in WW2, my Father was an Artilleryman on a 25 pounder, his gun wore out. His Battery were issued capture Nazi 88mm guns and fought them for the next 8 to 9 months. Fast forward 40 years and he and I were walking through a museum and he spotted “his” gun, down to the scars on the gun from a close air burst that killed half his crew and wounded him.

[CardinalStandard]

My late-grandfather flew in B-17's over Europe in World War II. He used to tell me that he didn't get really nervous when the German fighters attacked, he instead focused on firing at them. He passed away a few years ago but said that he and his crew would get nervous when they would starting hearing the roar of 88's around German cities they were going to bomb. He said that many of the men that flew bombers over Europe eventually learned to be able predict when the flak would explode after hearing the 88's thunderous report. He had several pieces of flak in his body and said that more than 60 years after the fact that he still awoke from dreams of hearing the 88's and counting down to flak burst.

[mhh]

I was lucky enough to work for a one day to a veteran of Africa Korps while I was living in Mallorca. He had photos on shelves, and I commented that 88mm raged the Brittish. He asked me do I know something about the war, I said I do. He started to serve me snapches and beer and food, and showed me his photo albums and told me stories. At the end of the day, and I stayed long, I was piss drunk when my mate came to pick me up. This was 2004, and as a Finnish WW II enthusiast, I was very lucky to have that day.

[jdwin]

My father was a US paratrooper in Market-Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. In the latter campaign, the Germans were withdrawing. In order to disable equipment they had left behind they fired two 88mm rounds at one of their abandoned trucks from two kilometers away. The way my father described it, they were so accurate that he could extend his arms and touch both entry points simultaneously.

[COACHWARBLE]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention the fact that when the Germans retreated on the Eastern front they always took their 88s with them. By the end of the war the concentration of flak 88s in Germany was insane. The 8th Air Force didn’t fear German fighters, they feared the flak.

[StratBurst]

My Father was a Sgt in a US Army Combat Engineer Battalion in WW2. He was at D Day & the Battle Of the Bulge. He told me that the only thing that scared him was an 88 with a well-trained crew. The 88s were also used on the Tiger 1 & 2 tanks and because of superior optics and the 88 combined it proved devastating for allied armor.

[henryblanton]

My father was with the 66th “Black Panther” Infantry Division in France as an Infantryman. When I was young I built a Model of the 88mm “Rifle” as dad referred to the 88mm.
When I asked him if he ran into any problems concerning the 88mm he said that if knew where any were located you called in an air strike and let the Air Corps take care of them.
If the 88mm crew(s) knew where you were, just give them 3 Rounds and they could put the 2d Round in your hip pocket.

[mainiacpats]

In artillery school in the US prior to WW2, my relative was receiving training. The trainer showed everyone a super gun, described everything about it. It’s superior firing ability, etc. Then to the trainee’s disappointment they learned, this was a German gun and they would need to learn everything they could to stop it.

[ATLBraves]

This is why Rommel is known to this day. His ability to adapt and “do more with less” was unmatched. He loses at Arras, the German flank is cut, and the entire war looks different.

[chuckg]

Arguably the most versatile and effective field piece of WWII. Even today it's sleek design still says 'contemporary'

[jpmtlhead]

My father was a driver on a M4 in Tunisia when they were hit by an 88 from 1 mile away, the shell went trough the front side of the turret and exit on the rear, taking half of the tank commander body in the process.
My dad said that he pissed his pants on the spot while shaking like a leaf...and crying. That happened only 6 days after he and his unit arrived in tunisia. Never seen a battle in his young life.

[jimmyjones]

As a decorated Waffen SS Soldier, my late father saw action with the 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41 Gun, in the 10th SS PanzerDivision Frundsberg, during the Normandy offensive.

[What_do_I_Think]

Some things missing from the video:

- Rommel did succeed to repel a British counter-assault in France only by deploying 88s against the heavily armored Matilda tanks. The canons of the existing German tanks could not deal with the Mathilda armor. If it were not for the 88s the whole campaign in France could have gone down at that point. That would have change the whole 2nd WW.

- The Tiger tank was allegedly build "around" the 88 flak canon, to utilize its power. A modified version of the canon was incorporated into the tank and was one of the reasons, this tank was feared by many.

So I think, the role of this canon in the 2nd WW can not be overestimated.

[tgmccoy]

My late Father in Law was a tanker in Patton's 3rd the were hit by an 88 the round went through the engine compartment and out the other side. They all got out.

[rofyle]

My grandfather always talked about this weapon whenever he mentioned his time over there. The 88. He told us it was the one weapon that scared him and all his buddies. Apparently, because sixty years later he was still talking about it. He also used to tell us it was the loudest damn thing he's ever heard.

[sunrise]

It is also worth mentioning that the 8.8 gun was also used in heavy tanks such as the famous Tiger tank, which was feared by the enemy. Its 8.8 gun had far superior firepower to the American Sherman tank but also to the Russian T34 tank.

[roscoewhite]

Apparently a British tank commander was asked for his memories of coming up against 88-millimetre guns in battle. He replied, "All I remember is this bloody big bang, and then much later a voice saying "For you the war is over.""

[kyle]

I would love to have been there for the moment of panic when they were like "just point the thing directly at them man"

[fidelarroyo]

I had a old German friend that was a soldier during WW2 I asked him what made it so good he replied it was a big rifle .

[Turbox]

A major strengt of the 88 was, that it only needed 2 minutes to deploy and been fire ready. They build 14k pieces, that's a branch of it's own.