10.5 cm FlaK 38

• Name — 10.5 cm Flak 38 • Origin — Nazi Germany • Type — Anti-aircraft gun • Is Ranged — yes • Is Artillery — yes • Service — 1937–62 • Used By — Nazi Germany (1937-45), French Navy (1953-62) • Wars — World War II • Designer — Rheinmetall • Design Date — 1933 • Manufacturer — Rheinmetall • Production Date — 1936–45 • Number — Approx 4,200 • Spec Label — Flak 39 • Weight — 10,224 kg (22,540 lbs) • Length — 6.648 m • Part Length — 5.547 m L/52.8 • Width — 2.4 m • Height — 2.9 m • Crew — 10 • Cartridge — 105 × 769 mm. R • Cartridge Weight — 15.1 kg • Caliber — 105 mm (4.13 in) • Barrels — One, 36 grooves with right-hand increasing twist from 1/48 to 1/36 • Rate — 15–18 rounds per minute • Velocity — 881 m/s (2,890 ft/s) • Range — 17,600 m (19,247 yds) ground target 9,450 m (31,003 ft) effective ceiling • Max Range — 11,400 m (37,401 ft) maximum ceiling • Breech — Horizontal semi-automatic sliding-block • Recoil — Hydro-pneumatic • Elevation — -3° to +85° • Traverse — 360°

The Flak 38 was introduced as a competitor to the 8.8 cm Flak 18. In this role it proved to be too heavy for field use while having roughly similar performance as the 88 mm, therefore it was used primarily in static mounts. The Flak 39 was an improved version, which replaced the electrical gun laying system with a mechanical one.

The 10.5 cm SK C/33 was used by the Kriegsmarine, the German Navy. Related to the Flak 38, it was installed on the and classes of battleships as well as the - and cruisers. After the war, it was used for a few years by the French Marine Nationale on the reconstructed ex-Italian light cruisers, and. In the late 1940s, the French also planned to equip the battleship Richelieu with twelve of these mountings, but the project was cancelled due to credit shortage. They were mounted in pairs on an electrically powered tri-axial mounting, intended to compensate for the motion of the ship and maintain a lock onto the intended target. The mounting was not properly waterproofed and as the mountings were open to the weather and sea swell, this resulted in a high maintenance burden.

• Illustration — A twin mounting without its protective shield, exposing the positions of the three aimers for the rotation, elevation and canting axis. • Illustration — "Flak" (1944) de-classified official U.S. War-Department training film reel. • Illustration — 10.5cm German anti-aircraft munition