A quick look at the German 8.8cm Flak Gun | THE 'EIGHTY EIGHT'

The 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41 is a German 88 mm anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun, developed in the 1930s. It was widely used by Germany throughout World War II and is one of the most recognized German weapons of the conflict. The gun was universally known as the Acht-acht ("eight-eight") by the Germans and the "eighty-eight" by the Allies. Due to its lethality, especially as a tank killer, the eighty-eight was greatly feared by Allied soldiers.

Development of the original model led to a wide variety of guns.[10] The name of the gun applies to a series of related guns, the first one officially called the 8.8 cm Flak 18, the improved 8.8 cm Flak 36, and later the 8.8 cm Flak 37. Flak is a contraction of German Flugabwehrkanone (also referred to as Fliegerabwehrkanone) meaning "aircraft-defense cannon", the original purpose of the weapon. In English, "flak" became a generic term for ground anti-aircraft fire. Air defense units were usually deployed with either a Kommandogerät ("command device") fire control computer or a portable Würzburg radar, which were responsible for its high level of accuracy against aircraft.

The versatile carriage allowed the 8.8 cm Flak to be fired in a limited anti-tank mode when still on its wheels; it could be completely emplaced in only two and a half minutes. Its successful use as an improvised anti-tank gun led to the development of a tank gun based upon it: the 8.8 cm KwK 36, with the "KwK" abbreviation standing for Kampfwagen-Kanone (literally "battle vehicle cannon", or "fighting vehicle cannon"), meant to be placed in a gun turret as the tank's primary armament. This gun served as the main armament of the Tiger I heavy tank.

In addition to these Krupp designs, Rheinmetall later created a more powerful anti-aircraft gun, the 8.8 cm Flak 41, which was produced in relatively small numbers. Krupp responded with another prototype of the long-barreled 8.8 cm gun, which was further developed into the anti-tank and tank destroyer 8.8 cm PaK 43 gun used for the Elefant and Jagdpanther, and turret-mounted 8.8 cm KwK 43 heavy tank gun of the Tiger II.

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[_Matsimus_]

What is that thing?! Also should I do a video on it? Let me know!

[chkoha]

This one is a Panzerwerfer 42 on an Opel Maultier halftrack chassis

[Firefocus-fzwe]

The armored half-truck is a Panzerwerfer 42. It's a German MLRS system.

[philpeko]

As experts told you, this is a Panzerwerfer 42 (so, on an Opel Maultier halftrack chassis). But as no one has addressed your question about the searchlight, I must admit I have never seen such a setting for PzW 42, no photograph ever present a searchlight. Plus, this seems odd, this spotlight might be in the line of fire, which is never clever.

[slartybartfarst]

I Love that the Flak 88 was around so long before it rose to fame.

[subukai]

I had to dig up my old book I bought when I was a kid.

"Maultier" Panzerwerfer
Distinguishing Features: Armored version of the Maultier chassis (a standard truck) with Carden-Lloyd suspension. Flat sloping rear with a Nebelwerfer gun which could be traversed and elevated remotely. The Nebelwerfer had 2x5 rocket tubes.
Assessment: A mobile SP carriage with good cross-country performance. The armour was similar to that of the Sd Kfz 251 half-track.
In service: From 1944 with Panzerwerfer battalions. Used to bring down heavy concentrations of fire.

Ref: F.M.vonSenger und Etterlin 1968 German Tanks of World War II 1926-1945.

[MegaTigerII]

that vehicle is the panzerwerfer 42, about 300 were made so its quite spectacular to run across one. Some games ive seen utilizing this vehicle are CoH2, OST Front (DLC) and of course Warthunder. I feel OST Front closer then others captures the true essence of what this vehicle would have been like.

[anthonykaiser]

Most German incoming was 105mm, often mistakenly identified as 88.

[Mightytoon]

15cm Panzerwerfer 42 auf Sf (Sd Kfz 4/1)

Kapgruppe/78th panzer artillery regiment

In service in East Pomerania in March 1945. A Nebelwerfer battery consists of six launchers and each vehicle was armed with a 10-tube rocket launcher.

Specs:
Crew: 3
Weight: 7.8 tonnes
Width: 2.2m
Length: 6.0m
Height: 2.5m
Engine: Opel 3.6l 6 cylinder
Speed: 40km/hr (24.9mph)
Range: 130km (80.8 miles)
Radio: FuG Spr Ger 'f'

[JohnBooth-blrh]

Nice video Matt as always thanks for sharing.

[KarlKarpfen]

The vehicle you are trying to identify is a Sd.Kfz. 4/1 15 cm Panzerwerfer 42. It's the armoured upgrade of the Sd.Kfz. 3 with a "Nebelwerfer" turret. That's the German contemporary (and reaction) to the BM-13 "Katyusha", after the trailer-mounted 15cm-Nebelwerfer 41 proved to be insufficiently mobile for the eastern front.

[arturbalakhnin]

Panzerwerfer 43, this is what it is. Translation: panzer (Tank or armored vehicle) Werfer (througher, launcher) the best sounding translations is IMHO TankLauncher 43

[TheArklyte]

It's an interesting comparison with soviet 85mm, which was also based on Rheinmetall 75mm AA gun.
First soviets had designed a new carriage for it, but then they experimented with how much of a caliber increase that gun can survive. Turned out they were able to "stretch" it to 85mm without severe redesign of the system.
Meanwhile germans designed a completly new gun from ground up.
Tl;dr in terms of WWII engineering soviets knew they were poor, germans acted like they weren't.

[showdown]

Matsimus taking time off, Matsimus also posting more videos than ever

[davidcomtedeherstal]

the 8.8 was also used as anti-tank gun.

[BHuang]

Germany's most infamous artillery piece!

[brockmawdesley]

The vehicle was a 15 cm Panzerwerfer auf Sd.kfz. 4 half track multiple rocket lancher. They were used in The Battle of the Bulge.

[craigfisher]

Spot light likely Infrared modification.

[Alasdair-lm]

It’s in warthunder you can go to the wiki it will have some info there

[alexanderstordeur]

Looks like their typical half track with the hawing cow rocket launchers..