It was used throughout the Second World War. The Mk 2 grenade was manufactured by the USA and was the standard US Army Infantry hand grenade from 1918 until the 1960s. The 88 earned its reputation as the best overall gun of the war and was feared by Allied airmen, tankers, and soldiers because of its accuracy, lethality, and versatility. The standard gun could fire a 17-pound grenade climbing thousands of feet into the air and bursting into 1,500 or more shards which could cause damage anywhere within 200 yards.

The models of the early 88mm guns were 56 calibers long, meaning the barrel length was 56 times its diameter. The term “flak” is a short form of the German word Flugzeugabwehrkanone meaning “aircraft-defense cannon.” Later on, “flak” in English became a generic term for ground anti-aircraft fire.ĭuring Operation Battleaxe the 88 cost the British about 90 tanks and almost 1,000 men, raising the morale of the German side. The 88 was originally positioned as an aircraft defense weapon. It was one of the most feared artillery pieces with the Germans using it widely from North Africa to the Russian front. The 8.8cm Flak 18/36/37/41 commonly known as the 88 or the Acht-acht was an 88mm anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun used during the Second World War by the Germans. The fighter could have been a game changer for the Germans given the necessary resources and time, but it remains one of the many “what ifs” of the Second World War. While about 1,400 Me 262 were produced, only 300 of them were used in combat. While the production of the fighter started before the Second World War, it suffered many problems, both political and logistical. Me 262 pilots claimed a total of 542 Allied kills. Armament included four 30mm MK 108 cannons and two 550lb (250kg) bombs (A-2a only), and 24×2.2-inch R4M rockets.

The performance of the Me 262 included two lower Junkers Jumo 004 B-1 turbojets, 8.8kN (1,980lbf) each, with a range of 652 miles (1050km) reaching a maximum speed of 541mph (870 km/h) with 37,565-foot (11,450km) ceiling. The Me 262 was more heavily armed than any other Allied fighter, surpassing the British jet-powered Gloster Meteor. It was called Schwalbe, German for “swallow” in fighter versions and Sturmvogel, German for “storm bird” in higher bomber versions. The aircraft was the German effort to turn around the war in 1945. It was manufactured by Germany during the Second World War.

The Messerschmitt Me 262 was the world’s first jet-powered fighter aircraft.

Forgotten hope 2 weapons