88mm – Conclusion

The 88 in all its version was an exceptional weapon, that served it crews without fail. It was not just a reliable and well designed machine but it achieved results on every encounter. The failing of the gun was not in the men or the machine but in the many faceted nature of war. That …

88mm – Other Versions

The 88mm was well utilised for both land and air targets however their were versions that were ship borne, the Schiffskanone C/35 and the Unterseebootlafette C/35 were just such versions. Both were used for arming surface and sub-surface vessels, in the case of sub-surface we refer to U-boats. These versions were technically unrelated to the …

88mm – Self-Propelled (Pt. 3 of 3)

The second specialised tank destroyer was known as the Sturmgeschutz 8.8cm PaK 43/2 SdkfZ 184. Informally it was known as the Elefant or Ferdinand after the designer Dr. Ferdinand Porsche the acclaimed and famous automotive designer who lent his expertise to the German war effort. It was ordered by Hitler himself who was pressing for …

88mm – Self-Propelled (Pt. 2 of 3)

The chassis was a PzKpfw IV hull and suspension and was fitted with a Maybach HL 120 TRM V-12 water cooled inline engine. It output 300hp at 3,000rpm to produce a top speed of 40km/hr on paved surfaces and 24km/hr cross-country. Its fuel tank gave it a combat range of 200km. The chassis was laid …

88mm – Self-Propelled (Pt. 1 of 3)

This refers to the SdKfz 164 which was called the Rhinoceros or the Hornisse. It represented a first for the German army as it was the first tracked self-propelled anti-tank gun to enter its service. It was fitted with a PaK 43/1 L/71 version of the 88mm gun. The mobile platform was designed specifically for …