World War II Database

Country of Origin	Russia
Type	Anti-Aircraft Gun
Caliber	85.000 mm
Length	7.050 mm
Weight	4890.000 kg
Ammunition Weight	9.20 kg
Ceiling	10.200 km
Muzzle Velocity	900 m/s

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe 85 mm M1944 (KS-18) air defense guns were modernized 85 mm M1939 (52-K) guns, with the most significant difference being the 1944 design's ability to accept more powerful charges. The appearance of KS-18 guns was very similar to that of the 52-K predecessors. KS-18 guns were considered effective weapons against both German aircraft as well as tanks. They have a maximum ceiling of over 10,000 meters when used as an anti-air weapon, and a maximum range of about 18 kilometers when fired on ground targets. A number of them were captured by the German forces and were pressed into service under the designation 8.5cm Flak M44(r) or 8.8cm Flak M44(r), with the former using captured Soviet ammunition and the latter re-barreled to accept German 8.8-centimeter shells. Many of them remained in service after WW2 and saw action in the Korean War and the Vietnam War with forces friendly to the Soviet Union. Overall, about 6,000 examples were built.

Source: militaryfactory.com ww2dbase

Last Major Revision: Mar 2013

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