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Depends on where and how it hits.

Flak shells, the type used for antiaircraft fire, were commonly fused to explode at a given altitude, not on impact. The idea was to have the shell explode near the aircraft, then the shrapnel from the shell would spread out in all directions. If close enough to an airplane this would damage it, perhaps enough to bring it down.

A direct hit could blow the wing off a plane. On the other hand, there are instances on record where the gunners set the fuses for the wrong altitude, causing flak shells to shoot right through an airplane without exploding. In such a case the airplane might well make it home safely, provided nothing else went wrong.

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14y ago

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