Country: Germany Type: 2cm FLAK 38 Model: FlugAbwehrKanone 38 Manufacturers: ark, dfb, byf, czs, eeo, edj Date: 1943 Serial Number: Lafette 136 and 137 |
In 2018, after nearly 20 years of recovering and restoring parts, the German 2cm (20mm) FLAK 38 anti-aircraft gun in the QuestMasters Museum collection has completed restoration. This German 2cm FLAK 38 was recovered from a farm just outside of Bastogne, Belgium in the late 1990's. This FLAK 38 had sat virtually untouched since the conclusion of World War Two, although missing many parts, including the 2cm Flak 38 cannon. The missing parts were removed after the war. During the original inspection, two small .50 caliber entrance holes were found in the main mount flooring. This 2cm Flak 38 has been restored to BATFE compliant deactivated non-firing standards. The history of which FLAK unit that this gun served with in Belgium during World War Two is currently unknown. |
This German 2cm FLAK 38 painted in red oxide primer during restoration. The parts painted ordnance tan are original paint. Many parts are still required at this point to complete this restoration. |
German Sonderanhanger 51 Trailer, left photo. This trailer was recovered from Bastogne, Belgium in 1998. All of the original parts remain intact, including the original French manufactured 6.50-20 tires (although heavily worn). This trailer was slightly modified after the war by removing the front gun mount attaching point and modifying the lunette ring. The tail light and license plate are the only items needed prior to the final camouflage painting and unit marking application. This trailer was also used with the German 2cm FLAK 30, and German Scheinwerfer Searchlight. |
Storage Boxes for the 2cm FLAK 30 and 38 magazines, left photo. Each box held two 20 round magazines. Also shown are ten 20 round magazines. In the foreground of the photo are two different magazine production types: the early style with view holes in the side to verify the number of rounds remaining in the magazine and the later type with a solid side and one viewing hole. Note the weight markings on the side of magazine storage box "25Kg". |
Ammunition types, above three photos. High Explosive (top two magazines) and High Explosive - Red Tracer (bottom magazine), left photo. Armor Piercing (top magazine), High Explosive - late war style (center magazine) and High Explosive, center photo. High Explosive Incendiary - Red Tracer (top magazine) and Armor Piercing - Yellow Tracer (bottom magazine), right photo. |
Twenty two shipping crates for 2cm Ammunition, left photo. Shown here are several different examples of production styles, paint schemes and various marking styles. Early war crates utilized steel carrying handles while late war crates used rope handles. |
Visierkasten 2cm FLAK 38 Optics Storage Box for the 2cm FLAK Schwebekreisviser 30 or 38 with mounts and 3x8 scope. Packing label on the inside of storage box (right photo). Note that this box has been re-labeled at least two times during re-issue. |
Spare parts for the 2cm FLAK 38, left photo. Oil container, top; 3x8 Optical Ground Sight, center top; Bolt, Bolt Carrier and Firing Pin, center left; Grease Container (also used with the MG-42), center right; Pliers, left bottom and Ruptured Casing Extractor with Shell Casing, right bottom. Most of the spare parts for the 2cm FLAK 38 would be stored in the storage box located on the Sonderanhanger 51 trailer fender or in the small compartment at the front of the gun mounting platform. |
German 2cm Flak 38 Elevation Gear Box, above left and right photo. This gear box is the late war stamped steel style and retains most of the original ordnance tan paint over red oxide primer. Two styles of control wheels have been seen: a solid early cast style and a stamped steel style, as seen above. The exact date of transition from one style to another is not currently known. This gear box will be used in the restoration of QuestMasters 2cm FLAK 38. |
German 2cm FLAK 38 receiver, above two photos. The gun receiver has been cut just behind the ammunition chamber and is missing. The receiver top cover is also missing on this weapon. |
German 2cm Flak 38 Empty Shell Basket, above left photo. This basket was mounted on the right side of the 2cm Flak 38 gun. It is currently shown missing the mesh cover to catch the shell casings when expended. 2cm Flak 38 Transverse Control box, above right photo. This box was mounted in the center of the gun mount and controlled left and right transverse. It is shown with original ordnance tan paint. Two styles of control wheels have been seen: a solid early cast style, as seen above and a stamped steel style. The exact date of transition from one style to another is not currently known.The control box is marked: "ark" and dated: 1942. The top of the control wheel is marked in raised letters: 775. This control box was recovered from Normandy France in 2010. |
German 2cm Flak 38 Gun Mount with Elevation Rings, above left photo. This is the mounting that held the 2cm FLAK 38 gun to the mount and allowed it to elevate and recoil when fired. The top of the recoil mount, just below where the gun sits is marked: 11922 dfb (Gustloff Co., Waffenbrik Suhl) 41 with a Heer (Army) Waffen Amt: WaA4. The face of the recoil spring housing is marked: byf (Mauser-Werke KG, Obendorf am der Neckar) 5036 1941 with a Kreigsmarine (Navy) Waffen Amt: Eagle with "M". It is not uncommon to see intermixed gun parts, as armorers would often not pay attention to individual markings, but rather to put full effort at any means necessary to make a weapon operational if it had been previously damaged. This mount has been crushed glass blasted and painted with red oxide primer in preparation of the rest of the 2cm Flak 38 components. This mounting was recovered from Normandy France in 2010. |
German 2cm Flak 38 Elevation Ring Pin, above left photo. This pin was used to secure the arms around the elevation rings on the gun mount. Four are required per gun system, three are currently missing. This pin was recovered from Normandy, France in 2010. German 2cm Flak 38 Elevation Shock Absorber, above right photo. This tube mounted below the gun mount in front of the transverse control box. This tube applied resistance to the mount so that when elevated or depressed the gun would not fall suddenly. Some traces of ordnance tan paint remain. |
German 2cm Flak 38 with Luftwaffe (Air Force) crew, above left photo. German 2cm Flak 38 with Heer (Army) crew, above right photo. This 2cm Flak 38 has had the optic support arm replaced with an earlier Flak 30 optic support arm. Photo courtesy German Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-102-0892-16 Northern Europe 1942/1943. Photographer: Frass. |
German 2cm Flak 38 with Heer (Army) crew, above left photo. Photo courtesy German Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-219-0597-15 Russia June/July 1943 German 2cm Flak 38 with crew, above right photo. Photo courtesy German Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-725-0190-01 Russia Winter 1943/1944. Photographer Reimers. |
German 2cm Flak 38 with crew, above photo. Photo courtesy German Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-298-1768-14 Northern France 1943/1944. Photographer: Scheck. |
German 2cm Flak 38 destroyed next to a causeway, above two photos. Note that the optical sight has been removed and damage to the gun center armor. |
German 2cm Flak 38 Lower Left Armor Plate, above left and right photo. This is one of six sections of armor that made up the front armor on the 2cm Flak 38 anit-aircraft gun. Two additional plates were used, one to go around the gun and one for the gunner in front of the optical sight. This section of armor is the lower left section. The plate is marked 1941, Nr. 1506 edj 2 H 5. This armor has been painted several times: the first layer of paint is grey, the second layer of paint is a dark ordnance tan and the final layer of paint being a lighter ordnance tan. It was recovered from La Gleize, Belgium in 2010. |
German 2cm FLAK 38 Lafette, above two photos. The right front leg of the Lafette or base mount is stamped: 2cm Flak 38 _ Lafette 137 dfb MU, with a Heer (Army) Waffen Amt weapons inspection stamp. The upper gun mount is stamped on the front left side directly next to the battery box: 2CM FL 38 LAF 136. It is currently unknown why the serial number of the base mount (137) and the upper mount (136) do not match. |
2cm FLAK 38 Schwebekreisviser 38 Optical Sight, above left photo. The cosmetically restored steel mount was ground recovered from Norway in 2011. It has been crushed glass blasted to bare metal, red oxide primed and repainted in ordnance tan. The Z.F. 3x8 optical ground sight is marked on the left side: Z.F. 3x8 Flak dzl 8447 and marked on the right side: 2cm This Z.F. 3x8 sight was recovered from France during WWII. 2cm FLAK 38 Optical Sight Computer, above right photo. The bakelite components pictured on the right were recovered from a German production factory in Poland in the 1990s. The large bakelite box in the center of the photo is the computer face that was mounted in the optical sight box on the rear of the gun mount. It is not currently known if the other components pictured are all for the 2cm FLAK 38. |
German 2cm Flak 38 Restored Parts, above left and right photo. The left photo contains 2cm Flak 38 elevation controls, armor support arms, the optical sight support base and various mount parts. The right photo contains the optical sight support arm and support arm controls. These parts have been crushed glass blasted and painted in red oxide primer. These parts were recovered from Poland in 2011. |
German 2cm Flak 38 Elevation Bearing Retaining Arms, above left photo. The arms are stamped with the part number and manufacturer: 22103 czs. German 2cm Flak 38 Gunner Control Pedal with Linkage Box, above right photo. These parts were recovered from Poland in 2011. |
German 2cm Flak 38 Optical Sight Control Arm and Computer Housing, above left photo. This housing is shown unrestored. The red oxide primed cover in the bottom of the photo is used when the optical computer was not mounted. It was found in Poland in 2011. German 2cm Flak 38 Elevation Gear Control Wheel, above right photo. This gear box is the late war stamped steel style. It is marked by the manufacturer: eeo with a Heer Waffen Amt. This wheel will replace the damaged one pictured below. This wheel was recovered from Poland in 2011. |
German 2cm Flak 38 Center Front Armor Plates, above photo. These two armor plates were mounted in the center front on either side of the gun. Note that these were attached to the front armor with large thumb screws that were secured with wire. Both sections were recovered from Poland in 2011. QuestMasters is currently seeking the remaining missing armor for this 2cm Flak 38 restoration. |
2cm FLAK 38 Optical Sight Computer parts, above left and right photo. These additional bakelite components that are pictured on the left and right were also recovered from a German production factory in Poland in the 1990s. The large bakelite box in the center of the photo is the computer face that was mounted in the optical sight box on the rear of the gun mount. Many of these parts are duplicates and will be spare parts during the restoration of this 2cm Flak 38. |
2cm FLAK 38 Optical Sight Electrical Connector, above photo. This electrical connector was used to power the optical sight. It is marked Fl. 50551-9. |
German 2cm Flak 38 Center Front Armor Plate, above photo. This armor plate was mounted in the center front of the gun. The armor mounted to the front base of the 2cm Flak 38 gun and moved with the gun as it was elevated. The armor is marked 1943 edj 270 C4178 with a Heer (Army) Waffen Amt. This section was recovered from Poland in 2012. |
German 2cm Flak 38 Main Armor Plate, above left photo. This armor plate was mounted on the main section of armor, on the top right of the gun. This section was recovered from Poland in 2012. German 2cm Flak 38 Base Mount, above right photo. This section of the base mount was recently cut from a 2cm Flak 38 that was destined as scrap. The rest of the mount was beyond restoration, but this section was cut to restore the heavily damaged section on the Quest Masters 2cm Flak 38. The damage on the Quest Masters mount prohibits the entire 2cm Flak 38 to be mounted on the Sonderanhanger 51 Trailer. This section was also recovered from Poland in 2012. |
RESTORATION AND THE ACQUISITION OF PARTS: |