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The Flak30 How To

The Flak30 is, in my opinion, one of the most versatile units in the German inventory.  Unfortunately, most players waste their ammo, and as a result, their effectiveness, trying to shoot air units that they have little chance of hitting or killing. The following is a guide to players who enjoy the Flak30 as much as I do, and is also a work in progress to accommodate changes in allied tactics.

First, the topic of placement is CRITICAL. Too many players will wheel their Flak30 out into the middle of a base because they think that a 360 degree field of view is advantageous. The exact opposite is true, you should place yourself in a position where you have 180 degrees or less to cover. This will allow you keep a close watch in front of you and not bother with what is behind you. A common tactic of strafing planes is to have the first plane strafe the base and attract attention, and while you track the plane a full 180 degrees and try to get a rear shot, additional planes will zero in on your tracers and hit you from behind.

I have a personal preference with placing my Flak30 at the exit to the garage. I have only about 120 degrees to cover and I am safe from strafing planes above. I sometimes have to move so Halftracks can back in to hook up an 88, but this is rare. Another good spot is against a base wall.



Also,make sure you set up away from another Flak30 or Pak36. Clustering close together just makes it easier for strafers.

Once you have a good placement, the second issue is target acquisition. After you switch over to crew member 2, some players will immediately use the target crosshairs zoom option (numpad ".") and start scanning. A better approach is to always have a finger on the zoom button but to scan from the non-zoomed view. This allows a larger field of view and a quick keypress to change over to the zoom view.

Without zoom


With zoom


Next is target selection. This topic is certain to have a lot of viewpoints and opinions from varying players, but I take a basic approach; which plane can do more damage? In my view, this is the Blenheim. Not only does it have a good strafing cannon, but also bomb delivery capabilities. After the Blens are gone, then give the fighters something to think about.

So, now you have your plane sighted, and you have switched over the zoom view to start tracking. When is the best time to shoot? First let me get this off my chest:

DO NOT BOTHER SHOOTING AT A PLANE WHEN THEY ARE CIRCLING THE BASE SEARCHING FOR TARGETS!!!!! THIS PRACTICE IS WHAT GIVES THEM TARGETS!!!

The Flak30 only has 15 clips of HE rounds and 3 clips of AP rounds, so do not waste precious ammo on planes you have little chance of hitting. Instead, be patient, and wait for the enemy to start their strafing run. Most pilots do not have a particular target in mind when they start a strafing run, so do not give them any clues as to where you are. In addition, some players seem to reply on the HE rounds latent explosive to do the job for them. This explosive goes off after a certain amount of time from firing (somewhere around three seconds). Without the aid of range finding equipment, the chance of you even getting close is so miniscule as to not warrant trying. Again, just a waste of ammo.

I have come to rely on other Flak30 crews to start throwing tracers at a plane that is too far away, giving the pilot a target, just to take some of the heat off of myself. It pains me to watch a perfectly good Flak30 become meat for a Blenheim bomb because the crew gave the pilot a target early in his approach. Just as bad is the Flak30 crew that shoots at a plane that is too far off, only to empty a clip and have to wait for the reload when the plane is in the kill zone.

So be patient. Let the plane line up for its strafing run, and let it get close. The closer the plane is, the easier it is to score a hit, and it gives the pilot less of a chance to correct his strafing fire towards you. The rule of thumb that I use is: when I can their propellers, I start shooting.

[I will place example pics when I get them]

Then, of course, is the usage of Flak30’s as anti-ground weapons. I feel intense pity to the Bedford driver who enters my base when I have a Flak30. Three quick hits will kill the Bedford, and leave you with a good number of shells left for any infantry that comes out. Aim low for the infantry so the explosions are at their feet, since it is the HE blast that gets them.

As for tanks, results can vary. The A13, R35 and S35 are pretty easy to take out with HE rounds. For best results, hit the Backspace key before you start shooting so the next clip is AP. I tend to suffer from blood-lust when faced with a tank up close, so I spray the surface of the tank with shells, with little regard to placement. I will rely on the community to advise me on shell placement. As for the Char, consult a Char killers guide for best placement, and pray.

A typical outing in the life of a Flak30 crew


Patience is the key! Do not worry about not having tank-campers or flyboy-vulchers kill numbers. The Flak30 does nto carry alot of ammo so even three or four kills is a good day.

Good Hunting!!