The most famous German antitank weapon of WWII was the"eighty-eight", an 8.8cm cannon that appeared in several guises (for instance, FlaK 18, FlaK 36 or FlaK 37). This deadly Flugabwehr-Kanone was originally designed as an antiaircraft weapon, but it performed admirably in the ground role as well, to the great detriment of Allied tank crews. The 8.8cm gun was built in large numbers, and it proved to be a successful design in both anti aircraft and anti tank roles.