Question : What colour would Flak 88 ammunition be ?

[modelwarrior]

I am having a few problems working out the correct colour for shells for an 88 Flak. Basic guides says brass and yellow for Flak and black for AP , but brass was in short supply within a few years of ww2 breaking out and the Germans swapped to steel. So would all shells be basic metal colour after that instead of the usual brass ?

[Fitz]

The steel shells were given an anti-rust coating which was (I think) usually black.

[FreakyFenton]

Found this on a quick google, I used the german search term and entered 88 Munition or alternatively "8.8cm Geschütz Munition" should also harbour good results. I'll include one of the pictures that is labelled in English and shows a few types as well as one of the Bastkörbe (i.e. an ammunition case from a plant fiber) which should help.

[modelwarrior]

Thanks for the info. I have found some pictures as well. The yellow is HE,black AT and the green timed ? It seems the steel casings were plated in copper or brass so they would not look very different from the original brass casings. I suspect they were boxed differently as well to help identification ?

[Golgotha]

Loads of reference pictures are available https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GCEB_enGB953GB953&sxsrf=APq-WBsNmSs4s-PtHJzNfulPDGwhLnX5Fw:1650386622013&source=univ&tbm=isch&q=88mm+german+wwii+shells&fir=mVhjDMpRfwpODM%252CcFb7mTuPWpjr2M%252C_%253BB7GUfqzZx6D5tM%252CvqhnmAZ_CAvWRM%252C_%253BsvcE_LW4B7sFCM%252CsLtgBqO_sOrC6M%252C_%253B6wryDttWzNUPhM%252CrWDFWloKLVgeaM%252C_%253BDiMwli1nDtscCM%252CQc6Dmc4fr-yipM%252C_%253B7VVlTuvjapoIYM%252C4uSfvDblX-UVWM%252C_%253Brw9ZrT0-ZnCs7M%252CsLtgBqO_sOrC6M%252C_%253B8ivZsNmFjlB9TM%252CLkRJ5_lvhFYbmM%252C_%253BSDxW-it_-jjOgM%252C-pc5JijkGMbykM%252C_%253Bsy7A1wgrxIG-UM%252CJMeTyITiBAs25M%252C_%253B_q3wgecZTQelMM%252CMwv9objWA3J0DM%252C_%253B7oUd_zLPlwtXvM%252CmEFIkasjscXLNM%252C_%253BFu59uDkzPbNu1M%252CsLtgBqO_sOrC6M%252C_%253BPt6n6LXBAMotPM%252CQS9RMlfqjJnKbM%252C_%253BlesyoUe-mod7cM%252CkqQdI-ZfnTL16M%252C_&usg=AI4_-kTRWedWf4qd2yWdnHePr2LCN4xtBQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi5kuOiyaD3AhUMTsAKHUmHByEQ7Al6BAgCEAo&biw=1280&bih=520&dpr=1.5&safe=active&ssui=on#

[FreakyFenton]

I would use brass, that is the colour usually used, I've never really stumbled across a mention of steel casings.

Alas for the pointed tips, I'd check guides that might still be available, such as "Munitionsrichtlinien" or some stuff like that. Basically army manuals on what colour denominates what use.

[modelwarrior]

I would use brass, that is the colour usually used, I've never really stumbled across a mention of steel casings.

Alas for the pointed tips, I'd check guides that might still be available, such as "Munitionsrichtlinien" or some stuff like that. Basically army manuals on what colour denominates what use.

As mentioned above even the steel casings were plated in copper or brass so they looked for all intense purposes like brass.