Description

In 1934, the 20 mm anti-aircraft gun Flak 30, developed by the German company Rheinmetall, was adopted by the Luftwaffe. Based on the combat experience with the gun in Spain, Mauser upgraded it, and the new model was named the 2 cm Flak 38. The upgraded gun used the same ammunition as the Flak 30, with changes primarily aimed at increasing the rate of fire, which rose from 245 to 480 rounds per minute. The cost of one 2 cm Flak 38 anti-aircraft unit was 6,500 Reichsmarks. The new gun began entering service in the second half of 1940 and soon became a common close-range air defense tool in the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe. Besides combating aircraft, the gun could also be used to engage lightly armored targets. A company equipped with twelve 2 cm Flak 38 guns was part of the anti-tank battalion of infantry divisions, and similar companies were also included in tank and motorized divisions. Production of these guns continued until the end of World War II.