Tommie calls it Archie,....

[IV/JG1_Kaiser]

FlaK is Archie to Englanders, what did Germans call AAA?

 

Only a curiousity.

Edited March 24, 2009 by IV/JG1_Kaiser

[Siggi]

Herr Bald?

[Rickitycrate]

I don't know but I call it bloody hell. Keeps killing my DiD career pilots. I know the DiD is TiT in german. Archie is also known as Ack Ack.

[Olham]

If I knew, what AAA is...

FLAK is short form of Flugabwehr-Kanone (that's a canon to defend flights with).

But AAA sounds the same to me - AntiAircraft Artillery - or am I wrong?

[Hauksbee]

FlaK is Archie to Englanders, what did Germans call AAA?

 

 

FLAK is a German acronym [sorta] for Flieger Abwehr Kannon, well, not an acronym per se, more like a distinctly German way of forming nicknames. Shutz Polezei [ordinary police force] becomes 'Shupo', Geheim Staats Polezei becomes 'Gestapo'. In the German army, the chaplin was called SAK. [Anti-Sin Cannon]

EDIT: Apologies to Olham for my high-school German.

 

AntiAircraft Artillery - or am I wrong?

 

 

You're right.

Edited March 24, 2009 by Hauksbee

[UK_Widowmaker]

Anti Sin Cannon!...lmfao!!

[Cameljockey]

I call it a pain in the gluteus maximus!

 

CJ

[Dej]

FlaK is Archie to Englanders, what did Germans call AAA?

 

Only a curiousity.

 

To the best of my knowledge - whatever that's worth - the Germans only ever called it 'Flak', if not the full name. I've found no reference to any other name and Germany was the only force that was 'into' anti-aircraft artillery before the war - on account of experience gained in the Franco-Prussion war of 1870, so had time for the phrase to be in common usage.

 

Englanders also called it 'ack-ack', for AA, more so in the latter part of the war I believe.

 

There was also the 'flaming onions' which was the name British pilots gave to fire from the 37mm revolving barrel anti-aircraft gun, which the Germans referred to as 'lichtspucker' (light spitter)

[IV/JG1_Kaiser]

Thanks Gentlemen.

 

Oldham, I'm sorry I mixed my wars a little. AAA is the modern term for "Anti Aircraft Artillery"

 

I was aware that FlaK was a contraction, hence the capitalization of the K.

 

The search continues!

[Olham]

Which search? As I said: "FlaK" comes from "Flugabwehr-Kanone".

And we use it for any Anti Aircraft Gun. The big 8,8 cm were simply called Acht-Acht (Eight-Eight).

The 2cm-Machine Canons were called "Leichte FlaK", the four of them in a turret on a tank were called

"Wirbelwind" (Whirlwind?) - but it was all "FlaK".

Haven't heard of any other name.

Edited March 24, 2009 by Olham