what's "H.E. Flak"

[Peter Ocker]

Hi everyone, sounds crazy, but even as a German I have no idea what "H.E. Flak" could mean !!??
I found this in a CIOS document, was just mentionned there in a side-sentence, no other details. Also googleing didn't help......
thanks in advance, best regards, Peter Ocker

[byron-]

I would say "Heeres Eisenbahnflak"

[stephen f. polyak]

I suggest that H.E. (or HE) may refer to the type of ammunition being used; i.e., in this case, H.E. would mean high explosive. HE shells (allowing blast and fragmentation damage mechanisms) were commonly employed against aircraft, particularly in large caliber anti-aircraft (AA) weapons; e.g., 88-mm flak.

In addition to HE rounds, small caliber AA ammunition (e.g., 20 & 30 mm light flak), included non-explosive A.P. (or AP) armor piercing rounds.

Variants of both types (HE and AP) also included incendiary (I) damage mechanisms. In that case, the ammunition designations would be HEI and API.

[yogybär]

I don't believe the "hochexplosiv" theory.

These types of ammo were called "Spreng-", "Panzerspreng" (Pzspr.), "Brandspreng" (Brdspr) or "Minen"-geschosse, at least in the Luftwaffe.

Peter, kannst Du ein bischen mehr über den Kontext verraten ?

[Peter Ocker]

Dear all, thank you for your ideas.
Well, problem seems to be if the note "H.E. Flak" used in an english-language CIOS-report is a German or English wording.........

I am working on a book on Hans Jacobs, a german glider designer being active from 1927 to 1951. In a CIOS report he was interrogated and in a small sentence, it is only mentionned that he was involved in experiments:
" He carried out experiments on reducing the blast effect of H.E. Flak, which led to constructing fuselage sections with two skins."
Thats all thats mentionned !!!!!!!

Any idea is most welcomed.......
please don't wonder if I'm not replying before end of january, will leave Europe for a business trip to South America.

Best regards, Peter Ocker

[David Ransome]

I would say that within that context, and thinking of other documents that I have studied, it would be 'High Explosive'.

Regards,

David

[harrison987]

Agree...

H.E. Flak in an English report is High Explosive.

Mike

[Horst Weber]

Good evening !

In a German WW 2 term, H. E. would never be "high explosive", even if the munition-type was a kind of "hoch explosiv". The act of destruction, caused by the ammo was described like "Panzer-Brand-Spreng-Granat-Patrone" was noticed: e.g. PzBrSprGrPtr. Never HE for High Explosive or Hoch Explosiv.

Postwar, when the European Forces, including Germany were standarsized into NATO terminology, those ammo terms came up. In my BW-time., HE was always "High Explosive", shot from a 20mm, 30mm, 40mm or 76mm weapon of the Bundeswehr. Myself served in the Panzertruppe of the Bundeswehr and we had in our LEOPaRD I or in our M-48-A2-GA-2 HEAT(High Explosive Anti Tank), HESH (High Explosive Smash Head) and APDS (Armour Piercing Discharging Sabots) as ammunition.

H.E. was never a term of German ammo.

All the best,

borsto

[yogybär]

As it is cited from an english context, "high explosive" makes sense.

[stephen f. polyak]

Further, the term "flak", although a German term, became, I believe, part of the lexicon of allied airmen in WW2, as they were subjected to the fury of various degrees of German anti-aircraft artillery.

High explosive projectiles/shells employ the effects of blast produced by detonation (resulting in shock wave and over-pressure loading) to inflict physical damage to aircraft structures; fragmentation adds to damage potential by perforating and weakening structures. Resistance to these effects may be gained by structural strengthening, load path redundancy, and incorporating damage tolerant design attributes. Thus, fuselage sections with two skins, while not weight friendly, would appear to be an attempt to otherwise reduce the lethality of HE munitions.