Originally developed as an anti-aircraft weapon, the infamous ‘eighty-eight’ or ‘88’, as it became known by Allied troops, had a high muzzle velocity, allowing it to reach the higher ranges bombers were capable of. This feature also made it an exceptionally deadly anti-tank weapon, as many Allied tank crews learned to their peril. As such, the 88 was also deployed as a conventional artillery piece. As one infantryman noted, the 88 was “anti-everything”...