WWII Flaks

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Anti-Aircraft Artillery

During the war, Soviet ground AA guns shot down 21645 planes: 14657 were victims of the small-caliber automatic cannons (25mm and 37mm), 4047 destroyed by the 76mm and 85mm guns.

Russian flak crew near shot down german aircraft
A. Korolyov and his battery commander I.Devayev near the shot down German plane

Russian Flak Battery, 1942 Russian Balloon Crew

Known Soviet Flak Aces:
Sergeant Pjotr Petrov, 37mm cannon commander of 93rd separate AA regiment - 20 planes.
1st sergeant Ivan Shalov, 37mm cannon, 632 ZAP - 18 planes + some infantry.
Master sergeant Nikolaj Botzman, 37mm cannon, 75 GvZAP - 15 planes.
1st sergeant Ivan S. Fursenko, gun commander 2012 ZAP - 14 planes + 5 tanks (data on 23.7.44).
1st sergeant N.I. Semochkin, 37mm cannon commander, 24 ZAP - 12 planes.
Private Klavdia Barhotkina (female) - 12 planes.
Sergeant Daniil H. Guba, gun commander 256 GvZAP - 10 planes + some ground targets.
Sergeant G.A. Zamulja, 85mm gun - 9 planes + some ground targets.
1st sergeant Vasily Saveliev, gun commander - 8 planes.
1st sergeant I.S. Korotkov, 37mm cannon, 977 ZAP - 7 planes.
Jr. sergeant Anatoliy G. Vavilov, gunner 1334 ZAP - 7 planes (data on autumn 1942).
Sergeant Pyotr T. Volkov, gun commander1334 ZAP - 7 planes.
Corporal Pyotr A. Zhulyabin, 981 ZAP - 7 planes.
1st sergeant A. Korolyov - 6 planes (data on July 1943).
1st sergeant Alexander F. Zubarev, gun commander 1181 ZAP - 6 planes.
Guards sergeant Melnikov, 37mm gun commander - 6 planes.
Master sergeant Mihail I. Kozomazov, MG platoon commander 632 ZAP - 5 planes.
Sergeant Vasiliy T. Gurin, gun commander 1346 ZAP - 5 planes.
Corporal Pavel G. Lavrentiev, 981 ZAP - 5 planes.
If you can enlarge this incompleted list, please E-mail me.

**Flak comparison table**
country	model	caliber, mm	muzzle speed , m/s		shell weight , kg		vertical angles	R.O.F. , shot/min		range , m		armor penetration, mm		clip size
country	model	caliber, mm	HE	AP	HE	AP	vertical angles	pract.	max.	horizontal	vertical	at 500m	at 1km	clip size
USSR	1940 72K	25	910	900	0.288	0.286	-10..+85	70	240..250	6000	2000	light		7
USSR	1939 61K	37	880	872	0.732	0.785	-5..+85	60	180	8500	6500	40	31	5
USSR	1931 , 1938 3K	76	813	816	6.5	6.61	-3..+82	15..20		14600	9250	78	68
USSR	1939 52K	85	800	880	9.54	9.2	-3..+82	15..20		15650	10230	110 *	100
GB	Mk.II	40 L56	900	823	0.88	0.91			120	9870	5000
GB	Mk.III	94	792		12.7			20		14000	17000
GB	Mk.II	133	854		36.25			7..10		17380	24600
USA	M1 Bofors	40	875		0.875	0.934		60	120	9900	4800			4
USA	M2	90	670	823	9.55	10.63	0..+80	25		10790	17700
USA	M1	120	945		22.7			10..12		14170	25300
Germany	Flak 30/38	20 L65	900	800	0.115	0.14	-20..+90	120..150		4400	2000			20
Germany	Flak 103	30							250		4700
Germany	Flak 18	37 L60	820	770	0.62	0.685	-10..+90	60..80	150..160	6500	4800			6
Germany	Flak 41	50						130			9400			5
Germany	Flak 36	88	820		9.0			15..20		15000	11000	93	87
Germany		105	880		15.1			..15		17700	12800
Italy	Scotti	20 L77	830		0.125		-10..+85		200..220		2500			12
Italy	Breda 1935	20 L65	830	850	0.135		-10..+80		250		2135			12
Italy		90 L53	830		9.6	10.6	-2..+82	..15		12000	9200	**	90
country	model	caliber, mm	muzzle speed , m/s		shell weight , kg		vertical angles	R.O.F. , shot/min		range , m		armor penetration, mm		clip size
country	model	caliber, mm	HE	AP	HE	AP	vertical angles	pract.	max.	horizontal	vertical	at 500m	at 1km	clip size

* - Soviet 85mm AP round penetrated 120mm armour at 100m; more effective APDS round also existed.
** - Italian 90mm AP round penetrated 126mm armor at 100m.

Russian 37mm flak gun Russian 76mm flak gun model 1931
Soviet 37mm automatic flak gun and 76mm flak gun model 1931