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German 20mm Flak in WW2


After World War One the Reichswehr was forbidden by Article 169 of the Versailles Treaty from having certain weapons, including anti-aircraft guns. After the Inter-Allied Military Control Commission withdrew in 1926, the practical training of motorized batteries to shoot at aerial targets was initiated, in secret of course, in the Reichswehr's motor transport battalions. The first light automatic weapon for engaging low-flying aircraft to reach the units, in 1928, was the Swiss-built 20mm Oerlikon. This weapon was purchased by many European states and during the Second World War they were captured by German troops in almost every theater. As the performance of the 20mm Flak 28 was comparable to that of the later German 20mm Flak 30 and 38, it was mainly used at home during the war. However because the shell casings were of a different shape than those of the German 20mm anti-aircraft guns, after the captured stocks of ammunition were used up a special facility had to be established to manufacture the casings, which were then fitted with the standard German 20mm projectile.