8,8cm Flak`s from Finland

[JHa]

Finnish Navy has abandon these flak`s from coast artillery bases. Those are still in shooting conditition (last year we shoot about 300 rounds in same day without any problems..)

[hchris]

Did you take any videos of shooting?

[Zünder]

Pictures of the rounds used would be nice to.

[K-9]

Those are still in shooting conditition (last year we shoot about 300 rounds in same day without any problems..)

Are those 88s still officialy used in active service? AT role, maybe? And is ammunition for those still manufactured or are shooting left-over WW2 ammo stocks?

[Mark V]

Those are still in shooting conditition (last year we shoot about 300 rounds in same day without any problems..)

Are those 88s still officialy used in active service? AT role, maybe? And is ammunition for those still manufactured or are shooting left-over WW2 ammo stocks?

Those 88s were long time a go sent to coastal batteries for training guns for conscripts. Common practice here. Old guns are shot till they fail, or ammunition supply is exhausted, or ammo becomes too dangerous to use. Old guns never retire here - they die with their boots on...

Ammo ?? Old stocks.

Maybe the last use of genuine 88s in world ?? Kinda sad... Same guns fought in defence of cities Helsinki and Kotka in year 1944. Germans truly knew how guns should be built !!


Mark V

[Rommel8]

are they for sale is my question

[Mark V]

are they for sale is my question

Quite a few 88s are as memorials and museum pieces already (one 1 km from here). Don't know what is planned for those. Hope they end up somewhere better than as new Gillette blades...

[Harri]

I hope so too. Why don't they sell these to collectors and museums? I think many of them would pay a lot for these beauties. How much is offered? There are both fixed (without trailers) and movable versions. Additionally there were also modified Soviet 88 mm (ex-85) and original 76 mm AA guns in Finland. What was their destiny? Crapping?

Old heavy AA guns were mobed to Coastal Artillery already straight after the war (because there was a temporary 120 mm calibre restriction) but 88 mm guns remained in AA use until early 1970's after which they too were moved to movable Coastal Artillery. Nowadays 130 mm field guns are used in that role.

[Tom Houlihan]

What was their destiny? Crapping?

Harri, I do hope you meant "scrapping?"

Those things are sweet! Can you imagine the reaction when some American reenactor unit comes trundling up in their new Sherman, and see one of these coming around on 'em!!

I wonder what the neighbors would think if I put one of those in my front yard?

[Harri]

What was their destiny? Crapping?

Harri, I do hope you meant "scrapping?"

Most likely it is something derived from the word "crap" and if so then it must mean... ups!

Those things are sweet! Can you imagine the reaction when some American reenactor unit comes trundling up in their new Sherman, and see one of these coming around on 'em!!

I can. Tuco should buy a few for the Finn Grand Fest... I think after the event he would make a little fortune by selling these.

I wonder what the neighbors would think if I put one of those in my front yard?

How much will you offer?

[Mark V]

I wonder what the neighbors would think if I put one of those in my front yard?

How much will you offer?

Hey,

We are in posession of pieces of artifacts and engineering art - they don't come cheap.

Think about it: An fully working and serviced, genuine German 88mm FlaK gun.... (ammo would not be sold with it - i presume, and hope for sake of mailmen delivering advertisement junk mail....)

[fault code 12]

were the guns moved on their own limbers during transport and what was used as prime mover..dont tell me you guys have a fleet of Sd.Kfz 7's hidden away too (...crosses fingers and books flight to Finland... ..)

[Javichu]

Spanish "8.8 Trubias" , direct copies almost identical, sell by around 6000€ in Spain...Deactivated and in bad shape .

[Harri]

were the guns moved on their own limbers during transport and what was used as prime mover..dont tell me you guys have a fleet of Sd.Kfz 7's hidden away too

As you can see the guns are in almost original shape.

Unfortunately the prime movers were trucks because Finland didn't have Sd.Kfz. 7 half-tracks. After the war I think also White half-tracks were used.

Spanish "8.8 Trubias" , direct copies almost identical, sell by around 6000€ in Spain...Deactivated and in bad shape .

These absolutely original and working "acht-acht" Flaks should be much more valuable. Hopefully those who are responsible of selling these weapons understand their real value. I'd say at least 60.000€/pcs would be a reasonable starting point for further discussions. If my records are correct in 1944 Finland had a total of 18 movable and 72 fixed 88 mm AA guns. I think their numbers are nowadays slightly lower.

In 1944 there were also 18 Soviet 88 mm (reworked 85 mm) AA guns and a total of 115 Soviet 76 mm AA guns in Finland. Does anybody know what has happened to them after the war?

[Tom Houlihan]

Someone ought to at a minimum take a LOT of photos, good detail shots, for model builders.