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Originally Posted by George Hopp
As I recall the original 88 did come out in 1918. So as I said above, the numbering appears to reflect the year the weapon became operational.
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88mm had been a common German gun calibre for a long time - the first one being introduced in 1873. There were indeed 88mm guns in use during WW1, but the Flak 18 owed nothing to them. Its development was started in 1925, and the gun and ammunition were quite different from earlier guns - the only thing it shared in common was the calibre.
Similarly, the Luftwaffe's standard 7.9mm aircraft MGs at the start of WW2, the MG 15 and MG 17, were both 1930s developments. In contrast, the Army's MG 34 and MG 42 did reflect the dates of introduction.
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