88mm Flak 36
w/Flak Artillery Crew

Dragon/DML, 1/35 scale

Reviewed by Cookie Sewell

Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf.D Three in One will be available online from Squadron.com

There is arguably no other gun on the planet that is as famous – or infamous – as the German 8.8 cm FlaK 36 antiaircraft gun. Legendary as the "Kraut 88" (which nearly every American soldier in Europe or North Africa claims shot at him) this was one of the handiest and most useful weapons in the German arsenal. Designed as an antiaircraft gun, the power to sling a shell up to nearly 25,000 feet (8,000 meters) also enabled it to propel an antitank projectile through nearly any tank built during the Second World War.

The origins of the 88 stem from German joint projects carried out during the 1920s when Germany was proscribed from building armaments. They instead carried out "scientific" projects which saw the development of the 3.7 cm PaK 36 antitank gun with the Soviets and a 7.5 cm AA gun with Bofors of Sweden. This was a purpose-built weapon from Krupps on a cruciform carriage that used single wheel bogies front and rear in march order, and unfolded two legs to the sides when emplaced. The simple yet effective carriage design permitted 360 traverse and elevation up to 85 degrees, both of which permitted the effective tracking and engagement of aircraft of the day. But in 1930 the gun was rejected by the German War Office as it was not sufficient for the needs they saw in the future.

In 1931 Krupps and Bofors returned to the design of an antiaircraft gun, and essentially scaled up their 7.5 cm effort to 8.8 cm. This threw a projectile 43% heavier to a slightly lower altitude (8000 meters vice 9000 for the 7.5 cm) but was more effective due to the larger fragment pattern of the heavier shell. The carriage was more sophisticated with controls and adjustments to level the carriage before firing, and the gun also had a semi-automatic breech with flip-out loading tray. This gun was adopted as the 8.8 cm FlaK 18 soon after the Nazis came to power in 1933. The FlaK 18 was used in Spain with good effect; later it was joined by its replacement on the production lines, the 8.8 cm FlaK 36 which began production in 1936.

The FlaK 36 did not differ greatly from the FlaK 18, and in point of fact many parts were interchangeable. The barrels from the Flak 18 and FlaK 36 were interchangeable (although the latter was of a superior design with replaceable liner). The carriages were slightly different with the FlaK 18's Sd.Anh. 201 using a single front wheel and dual rear wheels, and the FlaK 36's Sd.Anh. 202 using duals front and rear. This provided it a bit better cross-country mobility. Standard tractor for these guns was the Sd.Kfz. 7 8-ton halftrack, configured to carry the crew and a large number of ready rounds in four-round cases.

While the FlaK 18 and FlaK 36 were dual-purpose weapons – fitted with AA and direct fire sights, and occasionally gun shields for crew protection, the FlaK 37 was a more sophisticated version dedicated strictly to antiaircraft tasks. Overall more than 11,000 88s were built between 1933 and 1945.

The 88 came into sharp prominence during the invasion of Russia in 1941 when the Germans found to their horror it was the only gun capable of stopping the Soviet KV-1 and KV-2 heavy tanks, and not always with reliable penetration. New projectiles were fielded, and by the time of the major battles in North Africa the Germans knew the full capabilities of the gun and what it could do to tanks. The gun's ballistics were also used in the creation of the 8.8 cm KwK 56 gun used in the Tiger I tank.

While later guns such as the FlaK 41 were considered the best of the 88mm weapons, the FlaK 36/37 are the ones most people think about when they think 88.

In 1973 Tamiya released a then-stunning kit of the FlaK 36/37 with a full crew and a BMW motorcycle for good measure. For a then pricey cost of $10.98, this was the 1973 Kit of the Year, hands down. But time has rolled on, and this kit is still 1973 vintage and it shows. Details are soft or too thick (such as the gunshield) and the Sd.Anh. 202 bogies are attached with bolts and nuts. To top it off, the crew that seemed so good then now shows up to be a bunch of stocky 5'2" dwarves.

Happily, DML has now released a brand-new ground up kit of the famous 88 and it is stunning to say the least. DML has lately pioneered the way in providing a variety of options, and this kit is no exception. It comes with a total of four gun barrels – two aluminum, two styrene – to provide the options for either a Flak 18 or Flak 36 barreled weapon. The kit can be built with or without gunshield, and that is only the start.

The box is "packed with vitamins" as they used to say – 20 sprues, a cardboard sheet with the decals, etched brass and highlighted parts, and a small case with the turned aluminum and brass parts. These include either aluminum or styrene balance cylinders, both for travel (zero elevation) or operational (high angle elevation) settings. The loading tray, seats, stakes, jack pads, and other elements all provide a choice between march order and combat order display. This is a much more sophisticated kit than the Tamiya one, and the parts are far more accurate in scale and representation of the original parts (I just shot photos last year of the Ordnance Museum's Flak 18 and Flak 36 for a fellow modeler, so am familiar with all of the "bits" on them.)

The kit does not come with vinyl tires but "hard" styrene ones; as they have a "street" pattern to match the originals, each tire consists of two sidewalls and three inner sections with offsets to create tread depth.

The majority of the assembly steps cover the two Sd.Anh. 202 bogies, and there are just enough differences to make life miserable if you mess up. The directions appear clear but you must take your time and pay attention. Also the bogies are attached more like the actual carriage (look Ma, no bolts) so the modeler will have to be patient.

The crew are new and well done in the now traditional DML standard, but are in the winter "snowsuits" which may cause some problems for modelers who want a more generic crew. (For those of you stuck with the Tamiya "dwarves" DML is going to offer this kit separately as No. 6275, but then you are still stuck with the Tamiya gun at the end of the day.)
No crew weapons are provided, but the stereoscopic rangefinder is a six-piece accessory.

The model comes with three turned brass 88 rounds, as well as six full and six empty styrene ones; end caps are all etched bras with headstamp markings on them. A total of eight ammo cases – four wood crates and four wicker cases – are included with the kit.

Finishing directions are provided for a total of six different pieces, covered on two decal sheets: U/I, North Caucasus 1942; "Herman Goering" Division, Sicily 1943; U/I, Stalingrad 1942; 10th Panzer Division, Tunisia 1943; 18th Luftwaffe Flak Regiment, Lybia 1941; and "Grossdeutschland" Division, Eastern Front 1943. The gun shield for the "Herman Goering" gun is provided with decals in the sheets included with the kit.

Overall this kit is a true state-of-the-art piece and one that will be a star in many dioramas – even out of the box it is an impressive model. Now the question I hear most is – "Is DML going to do a new 8-tonner to match it?" Well, that's not my call!

Thanks to Freddie Leung of DML for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Review Text Copyright © 2005 by Cookie Sewell
Page Created 24 April, 2005
Last updated 15 May, 2005

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