"Nazi Flak Tower Vienna" Topic

"German leaders realized the importance of bombardment aviation and air defense during the process of re-weaponing of new aircraft forces – Luftwaffe. The common practice of air defense barrier outside the cities turned to be inefficient within the realities of a new World War. This approach makes cities almost unarmed if the aircrafts managed to reach the center. German Luftwaffe obtained great experience of city bombing and aircraft defense in Poland when German air forces destroyed a significant part of Warsaw. And, of course, Battle for Britain, had transformed the realities of war and aircraft defense. The turning point for the future Nazi Flak towers (Flakturm) was a bombing raid on Berlin, accomplished by Brits on August 26, 1940. It had a little more than just military impact, but physiological for both sides. Adolf Hitler was impressed by this event and he now had interest in Anti Aircraft Towers (Flakturm or Flakturme) – a project of new massive Flak towers, which would have to protect German cities, such as Berlin and others. Nazi Fuhrer gave strict instructions to force the construction of the new type of anti-aircraft defense. Hitler even made his own drawings of the future flak towers both with Albert Speer. Alongside with Berlin, Flakturm (Flak towers or anti-aircraft towers) tended to defend Hamburg and Vienna in the first places…."
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Amicalement
Armand

Thanks Tango, very interesting. I am going to make up some models to use in my Target for Tonight games.

Alan L…..how do you like those rules? Am very tempted to get them (in fact, there's a question…..where can I get them?)

Dave, the rules can be purchased through Amazon.

We have a very active Facebook group to develop the rules and we have come up with some interesting variations and house-rules to make them more of a game than a simulation. Although the rules are geared towards Lancasters, we have come up with stats for most of the other RAF bombers for variety.

I myself play them in 1/300 scale with 6 Lancasters and 5 night-fighters, so there is no big outlay, although it is always tempting to get Halifaxes as well as earlier period planes such as Hampdens, Wellingtons and Stirlings. Some in the group play with 1/600 scale models: it is a matter of personal taste as there is no actual ground scale. Planes move from one tile to the next representing zones such as take off, over the sea, enemy coast, over Germany, flak zone, over the target and then back home by the same. In each zone, various particular risks can occur and this is where you might encounter a night-fighter or mechanical problems.

I think they give an interesting game, even when played solo against the system: it certainly is a long way to Berlin and back and not everyone makes it back to Blighty! In my last game with just 3 planes, the 2 novice crews made it back but my veteran crew went down to a Ju88 on the way home with everyone baling out, save for the pilot who heroically held his crate in the air to allow the others out but didn't make it himself. All 3 planes in fact dropped slightly short of the target.

I have been there and seen those! Very impressive. And ugly :)

A votre service mon ami!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

You do wonder what advantage a large, concreted "flak tower" enjoyed over simply situating the AA guns in open country at the outskirts of the city. They seem like a waste of resources that would have been better spent building additional AA guns. The only comparable structures that make sense to me are the British Maunsell Forts, but they were built in the water where it would otherwise not have been possible to position AA guns.

To see the value of a FlaK tower you have to think like Hitler, because it was he that ordered their construction. Upon discovering that, contrary to Goring's boast, Berlin could indeed be bombed, Hitler ordered that FlaK towers should be built.

They were to serve three main purposes;
1. A visual representation of the government's desire to protect the population
2. A safe place to store valuable items such as museum collections and public documents
3. Air raid protection

If you put your guns in the target city then if that city is raided all the guns will have something to shoot at. Put the same number of guns outside the city then they are either too widely spaced to have the same effect, or, if you concentrate them, then they could find themselves not under the approach path of the bombers and therefore be useless in that raid.

Of course if you are shooting at bombers that are already near or over your city you have lost that fight to some degree. But if Hitler wants it, Hitler gets it. It doesn't have to make sense.

Of course if you are shooting at bombers that are already near or over your city you have lost that fight to some degree.

Yup, what goes up, must come down – even 88mm rounds.

That's why most AA guns use burn-thru tracers. When the tracer burns out, it sets off the bursting charge. Keeps the whole shell from landing back on your head!

Yeah, you do still have fragments coming down, but that's a lot less hazardous to your health.