88mm Flak 36 gun restored at Fort Bliss

[Rakkasan187]

On January 20, 2023, the Soldiers of the 377th Transportation Company, 142nd DSSB, 1AD DSB and an M88 recovery vehicle crew from Company B 1-77 Armor, once again partnered up and used their technical skills and expertise to pick up the 1AD museums rare WW2 German Flak 36 8.8 cm Anti-aircraft gun from the FT Bliss LRC paint shop. This flak gun was in dire need of restoration and conservation after being stored outside for many years due to space limitations. The flak gun was transferred to the 1AD museum in Germany from a former East German military museum in Dresden after reunification of West and East Germany.

 

The name 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. In informal use, the guns were universally known as the Acht-acht ("eight-eight") by Germans and the "eighty-eight" by the Allies.

 

This particular antiaircraft gun was manufactured in 1939 and has a serial number of 237 making it one of the earlier model productions of Flak 36 guns. More research is currently being conducted on this piece and hopefully in the near future more information can be found about the history of what German units used this piece in WW2. If you recall the images of the gun prior to restoration and repaint it was desert/sand/tan colored. The 1AD museum staff had agreed that we wanted to show some of the variations in paints used rather than another sand-colored piece of equipment and after some research decided on the German Dunkel Grau (dark grey) paint.

 

While clearing out boxes in the museum I was happy to locate the gauges that were in a box marked "Soviet BMP" parts. Since I had been doing extensive research on the Flak gun and scoured over pictures, I was able to immediately identify the range finding gauges that belonged on the gun. We were able to also locate the stabilizing stakes that are now reunited back with gun. 

[Proud Kraut]

Awesome, the Acht-acht looks brand new, well done!

[BrianD]

Definitely one of the most iconic artillery pieces in history, especially WWII.  Very cool and the refurb outcome looks amazing!

[Ivydiv]

First class restoration. Job well done. Thanks for posting. Dave

[Rakkasan187]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

 

Our restoration shop will appreciate your comments.

 

Leigh 

[snake36bravo]

Can only agree. A nicely done cosmetic restoration. This appears to have the same degree of aim as before which leads me to believe the traverse and elevation wheels werent freed. While I'll just say that's not at all RAL 7021 Dunkelgrau which would be right for this early Flak 36 and more RAL 7040 (Kriegsmarine) it sure beats letting this sit to rust away outside. Nice to see you kept the kill rings as well. 

 

 

 

Hopefully the research will reveal the unit and area of capture before this went East.