When Flak 88s Hunted Warships: How These Guns Ruled Coastal Defenses

[@FactBytes]

Play World of Warships: Legends for free: wowsl.co/3YXYVxy Thank you WOWS Legends for sponsoring this video

[@SharkHustler]

Well-done presentation, mate. As a lifelong self-professed WWII 'expert', I never knew the '88' was used in this role! Thanks for sharing this informative and well-narrated story.

[@FactBytes]

Wow! Thanks for the visit 🙂

[@RubyMarkLindMilly]

Flak 88 anti everything gun

[@RubyMarkLindMilly]

Superb stuff as always 👍

[@Knuck_Knucks]

"Ya know... I bet we could deliver some pain if we pointed these things at some shipping. It worked on tanks!" 🐿

[@TSD4027]

Gun was meant to fire miles into the sky and target heavy bombers, its no wonder it would be good against tanks and lightly armored coastal ships.

[@Stopcryinguwuss]

Interesting..didn't know the 88 was used against ships. Well done.

[@FactBytes]

Thanks!

[@Riazor1370]

Almost nazi german light cruisers and destroyers have 88 I think. Albeit the naval version.

[@dn2064]

Even 37mm AT guns were a thing

[@dirkusmaximus9268]

Also from U- boats and raiders….Nicely armour piercing ! Against small boats, so torpedoboats and subs, even destroyers , it has enough power to pierce their thin armour…Or just shoot the bridge 😅 So good, so versatile, so smart and handy.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

It was an informative and wonderful historical coverage episode about German designed 88mm flank guns which used by Axis powers successfully against Allies during WW2. as successful multiple purposes gun in 2000 meters at that times....thank an amazing ( Factbytes) channel for sharing

[@wazza33racer]

Except for Italian battleships.......which were too elegant for battle and just stayed in harbor.

[@scottmalkinson6983]

Hahahaha good one mate.

[@williamzk9083]

Italian Battleships didn't have fuel to do much.

[@geoffreyscheuerman2378]

The Flak 88 was truly a Wunderwaffe. The Germans had a lot of them everywhere. This may play a big factor in their early successes and why they were so difficult to defeat in the later part of the war. Like the Stuka and the Tiger tank, the 88 is legendary.

[@MurrayBayes]

THANKS FOR THAT...I HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT FOOTAGE BEFORE....PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

[@kensmart1766]

The 88 is the everything artillery piece....

[@michaelkenny8540]

No. The claim is fiction. It was the heavy Italian guns that won the day. The 88 was a pea-shooter in comparison.

[@NoManClatuer-pd8ck]

Thanks for the hard work on this video. My apologies for those less than grateful members of the audience. Seek, Sick, Sucks, don't care. really enjoyed the content.

[@lewisclarke2680]

Yup it was a great bit of kit

[@steveclapper5424]

It was a fearsome weapon.

[@Knuck_Knucks]

My God. How horrific to have been a helpless Marine or any crew member on the Sikh. Death by a thousand cuts the 88s deluverd was next level. Thanks for sharing... 🐿

[@FactBytes]

Thanks for the visit!

[@michaelkenny8540]

The 88s played a minor part in what was overwhelmingly an Italian victory. There were 30 German and 48 Italian AA guns guarding Tobruk so even if we just count AA guns there more Italian ones. The Italians also had 5 Naval coastal batteries. 1) Batt. Bellotti, 2) Batt. Tordo, 3)Batt. Dandolo, 4) Batt. 76 (at Punta Tobruk) & 5) Batt. Grasso. These, along with Army Batteries had 46 medium guns, 100mm x 14, 120mm x 20 & 152 x 12. They also had 32 x 76mm guns. It is absurd to claim these guns achieved nothing and it was all due to the German Flak guns.

[@FactBytes]

Thanks for the insight.. the narrative the video is based on is basically from some British sources.

[@janmale7767]

Lying through omission,quoting things out of context,creating 'click baity' titles!

[@davekreitzer4358]

Very enjoyable video this one is ! ✔️

[@FactBytes]

Thanks for the visit

[@markfung5654]

❤ thank you. I love a no AI video

[@Luftpvp]

Can't beat a FactByte video on a Saturday morning

[@FactBytes]

Thank you 😊

[@LemonHead-sq5ws]

My booty stank

[@DoctorCreepy]

How about the 128mm were they used for anti-shipping as well?

[@dirkusmaximus9268]

Guess not, only used where needed, AA, and PAK ?, far less build. The artillery in the Atlantic Wall was more heavy, and howitzers smartly place far more behind the line.

[@martinpower9023]

Great video

[@FactBytes]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@joseph-sj7do]

UK had 3.7 inch AA Gun as good as the 88mm but they were never used as Anti Tabk fespite being trialed on 1938 Manouvers , Colonel Von Luck wrote in his book (cannot remember title) only time he ever daw it used sgainst ground targets was when Tobruk was captured and the AA 3.7 inch guns protecting Port levelled their barrelss and foted on the Panzers but wothout Anti Tank Shells rhey only used high explosive but did do damage to the Panzers

[@Farquad76.547]

I can tell how fat your fingers are just from this comment

[@apothecarymaybe3402]

Where the hell did you learn to type? The 88mm was hands down the best anti-tank gun of the war, and easily one of the best anti-aircraft guns. The Bofors 40mm was probably the best anti-aircraft gun and is still used on ships today as well as on armoured vehicles for anti-drone warfare. Not bad for a gun designed in the 1930's.

[@williamzk9083]

The UK 3.7 inch AAA gun was an excellent AAA weapon and was deadly when given the proximity fuse it had none major issue: along with its greater power it was noticeably heavier than the 8.8cm FLAK 37. This weight made it less mobile and less tempting to use near the front lines. There was no effort to provide a gun shield and less effort to provide low angle sights. 8.8cm FLAK guns not only provided anti aircraft defense but were used in the counter artillery role to air burst above enemy artillery and could provide provide protection against tank breakthroughs. It wasn't the best but it was the most versatile. -There were actually two versions of the Ordinance gun: the basic 3.7 inch gun and a version which was a bored down 4.5 inch gun capable of much higher velocities. The Germans would have been glad if they had this weapon as their own 10.5cm FLAK 39 had only slightly better altitude capability than the 8.8cm FLAK 37. -There was also the 8.8cm FLAK 41 which had much higher velocity (1020m/se versus 820m/se) and the 8.8cm PAK 43. -Thye 3.7 inch gun was widely used in the counter artillery role by the British Army. -Post war versions with RoF of nearlty 60rpm were produced and there was an attempt to shoot down V2 missiles with it.

[@apothecarymaybe3402]

@@williamzk9083 A good read, but without question the 88mm was the best anti-tank gun of the war. Being able to take out all allied tanks at 2000m plus and the heavier Russian tanks at 1500m, it says enough. Even the Panther with it's 75mm could take out all allied tanks with ease, it would struggle with the heavier Russian tanks. In the end I wasn't there, so I can't tell you first hand. I can only go on what I've read from those that were there, watched from those that were there. The 88mm was the most feared anti-tank gun by the allies. That's why it was mounted on so many chassis. It was a tank killer.

[@TP-ie3hj]

I love the 88 but taking out a destroyer with one would be luck at best. While they fired on the ship, the 152mm coastal arty and 130 mm guns were also used to fire on these ships. Its also stated an air attack from the axis took out these ships. It was far more likely the Italians were the ones who defeated this raid and the 88s were in the same area.

[@michaelkenny8540]

If you read on the actual raid it was the Italian guns who did all the damage. There were a few German guns in the area and as is usual, they claimed all the credit for themselves. It absurd to claim such a low-calibre gun as the 8.8cm would do prove fatal to a Destroyer.

[@richardrichards5982]

@@michaelkenny8540 I think that you are right on this one, the Italian coastal guns were in a position to do the damage. There were two Flak batteries of around 12 total 88mm guns in the area, 6 inland in AA role and 6 near the coast. These were apparently not in a location to fire on the destroyers. It was the British reports that claimed the damage was done by German 88s. Not sure if the Germans claimed anything in this raid. Will have to research more.

[@blitzy3244]

yeah I think the 128mms were doing the critical hits

[@dovidell]

4:25 is HMS Barham !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! , NOT the German Battleship Bismark !!

[@gothamgoon4237]

'Participated in the hunt and sinking of the Bismark'. Processed to show a video clip of the BRITISH battleship Barham sinking in the med after being torped by a uboat.

[@partygrove5321]

Tough for a towed gun to hunt anything, much less a warship

[@michaelkenny8540]

It totally ignores the large calibre Italian coastal guns which did most of the damage. There were very few Germans involved but the fanboys do what they always do-claim it was some German wunder-weapon that saved the day. It is total fiction

[@markfung5654]

❤❤for the KZbin algorithm

[@FactBytes]

Thanks for the visit.

[@Otokichi786]

3:28 World of Warships ad over.

[@oceanmariner]

Sikh is pronounced seek.

[@ryleeculla5570]

Land sea and air

[@bobbrown674]

HMS Seek not Sick

[@gothamgoon4237]

It's not pronounced Toe-bruk, it's pronounced To-bruk.

[@davebradshaw2537]

You keeping saying HMS Sick forced me to stop watching this for and give you a dislike.

[@FactBytes]

www.reddit.com/r/Sikh/s/NKcBuVt3r7

[@ianbradshaw1770]

You tell em our kid!

[@michaelkenny8540]

A gross distortion of the actual events. It was overwhelmingly an Italian victory and very few Germans were involved. There were several italian coastal guns firing but as usual the '88' fanboys try and claim the credit for everything.

[@FactBytes]

Apart from German sources, the majority of British accounts also attribute the sinking of the ship to Flak 88s.

[@michaelkenny8540]

@@FactBytesI looked into this raid some years back in response to claims it was the 88's that did it. It just was not true. There were quite a few heavy Italian guns and very few Flak guns. German participation was low and it was overwhelmingly an Italian victory.

[@michaelkenny8540]

@@FactBytes Not correct. The ships were under fire from Italian 6 inch guns as well as a few 88's. As is the usual way the very minimal German involvement is over-emphasised and the credit for the Italian victory is stolen from them. I am guessing you have not used any Italian sources only German. There were 13 Italian coastal defense batteries with 47 medium-caliber guns and 78 AA guns (30 German, 48 Italian) around Tobruk. In 'Destroyer Down, an Account Of Destroyer Losses 1939-45.' (Pen & Sword 2010 ISBN 1848842708) on page 136 you can find accounts that clearly state it was the shore batteries that were hitting her.........''With heavy hearts we turned out to sea and raced away. There were still a few landing craft round Sikh, but it was impossible to tell whether those contained further installments of troops who were to land, or some who had returned from shore. For the next 10 minutes the batteries continued to fire at us and shells whistled down fairly close, but now we were moving at high speed and every second getting farther away. No further hits were scored on this ship, but I fear that Axis gunners had the easiest target of a lifetime in the Sikh. While we were racing away, and until she slipped out of sight behind the horizon, shore guns continued to fire at her. I could see the columns of water leaping up on all sides of the stricken vessel, and smoke pouring from her. But Sikh refused to give in. For every flash from the shore guns, I saw a defiant answering flash from the guns of the crippled ship. I could still see those flashes when she was nothing more than a tiny speck at the base of a huge column of dirty grey smoke. X gun, the last of Sikh's 4.7s to keep firing, fell silent only when its ammunition ran out. With Zulu having gone, Sikh took the full anger of every gun within range. Around 0800 Captain Micklethwait ordered abandon ship. Sikh had no boats, their place having been taken up by landing craft. Carley rafts were lowered for the wounded, and anything floatable was thrown overboard. Scuttling charges were detonated and Captain Micklethwait went below to check that Sikh was flooding. Satisfied with the result, he returned to the upper deck and jumped into the sea. Thirty minutes later he saw his command go down.''.................................Sikh had to be scuttled as the gunfire did not 'sink' her.

[@barrysharp9792]

Please pronounce the names of the thing your talking about properly. It's pronounced " seek " as in the Indian men who wear a turban. It's not " Sick " as in unwell. Many other mispronounced words in this video but this was the one that really annoyed me.

[@michaelmayfield4304]

It's an AI voice. These cheap videos are incapable of doing proper pronounciations.

[@FactBytes]

Actually, the correct pronunciation of "Sikh" sounds closer to "sick," not "seek." This is a common English mispronunciation. I've learned this directly from my Sikh friends, and you’ll find the same explanation on forums like Quora and Reddit from Indians. You could be right about other mispronounced words though.

[@barrysharp9792]

​@@FactBytes I have just ask my neighbour who is a Sikh and he says the way I pronounce it is the way he says it. Maybe it's one of those words that has many ways to pronounce it like Nevada.

[@erwinsell184]

😂 you should ask a Sikh person how is pronunciation is,you soo wrong

[@barrysharp9792]

​@@erwinsell184 maybe read my comment before you speak. It stops you looking so stupid. 😂

[@kevinhanson8142]

It’s pronounced seek, not sick

[@FactBytes]

www.reddit.com/r/Sikh/s/NKcBuVt3r7

[@uweyaa]

The face of english looks not so HAPPY!!!😉

[@johnallen7807]

it is pronounced "Seek" not "Sick", for God's sake you're worse than a coputer game!

[@FactBytes]

The Punjabi/Indian pronounciation of the word is closer to 'sick'. www.reddit.com/r/Sikh/comments/1foyor2/is_sikh_pronounced_sick_or_seek/

[@stefanoskolovouris7223]

You say lies, you show us an explosion of an English war ship, not Bismarck , lies, lies, lies