5 cm FlaK 41
The 5 cm Flak 41 (Flugabwehrkanone 41) was a German 50 mm (2.0 in) anti-aircraft gun produced for defending the intermediate zone above the range of light (37 mm (1.5 in)) guns, but below the ceiling of the heavy (75 mm (3.0 in) and above) pieces. The gun proved inadequate and was produced only in small numbers.
Also recorded as 5cm Flak 41
5 cm FlaK 41
- Field
- anti-aircraft gun.
- Region
- Nazi Germany and Germany.
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Documentary summary
The 5 cm Flak 41 (Flugabwehrkanone 41) was a German 50 mm (2.0 in) anti-aircraft gun produced for defending the intermediate zone above the range of light (37 mm (1.5 in)) guns, but below the ceiling of the heavy (75 mm (3.0 in) and above) pieces. The gun proved inadequate and was produced only in small numbers.
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wikipedia incomplete · checked 25 September 2026
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wikidata · Q238579 · wikipedia · 5 cm Flak 41
In this article
Development
Development
Development of the gun was slow: it began in 1936, but the contract was awarded to Rheinmetall-Borsig only in 1940. The gun was produced in two models, one mounted on a two-axle trailer, the other one stationary and used for defending important industrial installations. Neither was a success, and they shared the same faults. The speed of traverse was too slow for fast-moving targets and the gun proved underpowered, even though the propellant gave a blast powerful enough to dazzle the aimer in broad daylight. The relatively heavy cartridge (the shell alone weighed 2.2 kg (4.9 lb)) was cumbersome and heavy when loaded in 5-round clips. The gun was automatic, gas-operated, and locked by the breech block dropping down, which engaged the buttress guides on the block against the guides on the jacket. The recoil of the breech operated the feed mechanism. The buffer was mounted centrally in the cradle, between the two springs of the recuperator. Altogether 60 examples of the 5 cm Flak 41 were produced, starting from 1941, with only 24 of them still in use in 1945. Later German attempts to create a medium anti-aircraft gun focused on 55 mm (2.2 in) weapons (Gerät 58) and the 5 cm Pak 38-derived Gerät 241.
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Nazi Germany and Germany.
Country
5 cm FlaK 41 is associated with Nazi Germany and Germany.
Country
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.5cm Flak 41. 14 May 2019.
- 2.5 cm Flak 41: Antiaircraft Gun Materiel. Technical Manual, War Department, June 29, 1943.
- 3.Bishop, Chris. The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. Barnes & Noble Books. 168. 1998. 0-7607-1022-8.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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