3.7 cm Flak 43

3.7 cm Flak 43
A Flak 43 Zwilling in Northern France, mid-1944
TypeAnti-aircraft gun
Place of originNazi Germany
Service history
In service1944-1945
Used byGermany
WarsWorld War II
Production history
DesignerRheinmetal-Borsig
Designed1939–1943
Produced1944–1945
Specifications
Mass355 kg (783 lb)
Barrel length2.106 m (82.9 in) (57 calibers)
Crew3–4

Shell37 × 263B
Shell weight635–700 g (1.4–1.5 lb)
Caliber37 mm (1.5 in)
BreechGas-operated
Elevation-10° to +90°
Traverse360°
Rate of fire
  • 250 rounds per minute (cyclic)
  • 180 rounds per minute (practical)
Muzzle velocity790–820 m/s (2,600–2,700 ft/s)
Effective firing range
  • 6,585 m (7,201 yd) (ground targets)
  • 4,800 m (15,700 ft) (ceiling)
Feed system8-round clips

The 3.7 cm Flak 43 was a light anti-aircraft (AA) gun used by Nazi Germany during World War II. It was derived from the 3.7-centimeter (1.5 in) Flak 18/36/37 series of AA guns. It was provided with single- and twin-gun mounts, the latter being designated as the 3.7 cm Flak 43 Zwilling and was in service from 1944 to 1945. In addition to versions used by the Kriegsmarine (German Navy), it served as the main armament of the Ostwind and Möbelwagen and was proposed for use in the Flakpanzer Coelian self-propelled AA guns.