Flakpanzer IV
Flakpanzer IV was the name of four variants of a German anti- aircraft tank in World War II , all of which were based on the chassis of the Panzerkampfwagen IV .
history
The armored units of the Wehrmacht were as good as defenseless against low-flying attacks from enemy fighter-bombers . When the Allied air superiority in the further course of the war made troop movements almost impossible during the day, Colonel General Heinz Guderian demanded a defensive weapon against low-flying aircraft, which should directly follow the tank units in movement and in combat.
Initial developments, in which light anti-aircraft guns were simply placed on the existing chassis of armored vehicles, did not prove to be successful because the sighting devices and the ammunition feeder were not designed for such mobility and the crew could not be swiveled along. For this reason, the Heereswaffenamt decided in 1943 to have its own self-propelled gun. The first such vehicles to be built were 162, in which the 2 cm flak was housed on the chassis of the Panzer 38 (t) . These vehicles did not prove themselves due to their low firepower.
It was then decided to use the tried and tested chassis of the Panzer IV , which was used in large numbers . At first Hitler was skeptical of such a solution, because he feared that it would cost too much in relation to the benefit. It was not until September that he approved the Flakpanzer IV. In December 1943, the two prototypes were presented to him. One had the 2 cm Flak Vierling 38 and the other the 3.7 cm FlaK 43 on a Panzer IV chassis.
variants
Moving van
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In January 1944, the model with the 3.7 cm anti-aircraft gun was designated as a series vehicle and production started the following month. The flak tank was in service from March 1944. The "Panzerflak self-propelled gun (3.7 cm) on Panzerkampfwagen IV (Sd.Kfz. 161/3)" was also called "Möbelwagen" by the troops due to its total height of over 3 m. With a crew of seven and ammunition equipment of 416 rounds, the vehicle weighed 25 tons. The foldable superstructure parts originally consisting of two 10 mm thick armor plates were later replaced by simple 20 mm thick plates. During use, these superstructure walls had to be folded down, which created a wide step platform, but the weapon and its crew were completely unprotected. A total of 240 vehicles were manufactured by Deutsche Eisenwerke .
Whirlwind
The "whirlwind" was considered to be the first real flak tank, as it had a fully rotating turret. With a crew of five, the "Flakpanzer (2 cm) on the chassis of the Panzer IV (Sd.Kfz. 161/4)" had a combat weight of 22 tons. The vehicle was armed with the 2 cm Flakvierling 38 , which had a high firepower. The angled rotating tower consisted of 16 mm thick plates welded together. To enable unhindered observation, it was open at the top, but could be covered with a tarpaulin when it rained. In the tower were the commander and next to him the gunner, while the two loaders sat on either side of the weapon. The lateral straightening speed was 28 ° / s with the manual drive and 60 ° / s with the hydraulic slewing mechanism used later. A total of 3200 rounds of ammunition could be carried in 90 magazine boxes. The vehicles were assembled in the OKH- owned company Ostbau in Sagan in Lower Silesia . From August 1944 to February 1945, 105 whirlwinds were produced.
east wind
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In July 1944 the first prototype of the "Ostwind" was produced. This vehicle had the 3.7 cm FlaK 43 on the chassis of the Panzer IV version G. The turret, similar to the whirlwind, was a little lower, but more spacious, especially since there was now only one loader. 1000 rounds of ammunition were carried for the weapon. The radio equipment was available to all crew members. Although the vehicle was ready for series production in September 1944, production only began in November due to a lack of materials. As with the whirlwind, the chassis were taken from the Panzer IV repairs. The prototype of the "Ostwind" took part in the Ardennes offensive and was then returned to the factory unharmed. A total of 43 vehicles were manufactured by the Deutsche Eisenwerke in Duisburg.
At the turn of the year 1944/45, two of the “Wirbelwind” with the “Destroyer 45” and of the “Ostwind” with the “Ostwind II” or a prototype of a successor were made. The “Destroyer 45” was armed with the 3 cm Flak Quad 103/38 and the “Ostwind II” the 3.7 cm Flak Zwilling 44 (version of the Type 43 ) with two adjacent tubes. These two prototypes were considered to be the most powerful anti-aircraft tanks of the Second World War.
Ball lightning
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The end of the development was the “Kugelblitz” anti-aircraft tank, which was developed jointly by the Heereswaffenamt and Daimler-Benz and of which the draft drawings were available in May 1944. According to the plans, this vehicle was to become the standard anti-aircraft tank. For the first time, a completely closed rotating tower was used, which was designed as a spherical housing. With the hydraulic swivel device, a target speed of 60 ° / s could be achieved. The height swivel range ranged from −7 to + 80 °. The commander, gunner and loader were in the 20 mm armored turret. The commander assigned the target to the gunner using a tracking device. In the final version, the commander should have a small dome with a periscope and a spatial range finder. The armament consisted of two adjacent 30 mm MK 103/38 cannons. It was a modified version of the MK 103 airborne gun, which had a rate of 425 rounds / min and a range of 5700 m. The first machine gun of the German army , they had a belt-fed, which represented a marked improvement over the previously used magazines or frame. Due to its significantly higher firepower compared to the 20 mm cannon, this flak cannon was also called "Jabo-Schreck". A total of 1200 rounds of ammunition were carried. It was planned that 30 units / month of the Kugelblitz would be produced from February 1945 and would replace all previous flak tanks. Due to the war, however, there was no longer any series production; By the end of 1944, only a small pilot series of five had been produced. The Kugelblitz was by far the most modern anti-aircraft tank of the Second World War and was regarded as a trend-setting design until the end of the 1950s.
After a trial at the Ohrdruf military training area , at least one specimen is said to have been used at the front. This tank was used in defensive battles around Spichra , apparently on the direct orders of Gauleiter Sauckel . In the course of the advance of American troops in April 1945, the German positions there came under constant fire. The flak tank received a hit, which threw its tower away and remained there on a slope until it was recovered in 1999. The tower is currently in the Kiel Air Defense Collection (naval arsenal), which is subordinate to the Dresden Military History Museum .
literature
- Fritz Hahn: Weapons and Secret Weapons of the German Army 1933–1945. 3rd edition, special edition in one volume. Bernard & Graefe, Bonn 1998, ISBN 3-7637-5915-8 .
- Walter J. Spielberger: The Panzerkampfwagen IV and its variants (= military vehicles. Vol. 5). Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1975, ISBN 3-87943-402-6 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Spielberger: The Panzerkampfwagen IV and its varieties. 1975, p. 106.
- ↑ Thomas Jentz, Panzer Tracts 23, p. 50.
- ↑ Spielberger: The Panzerkampfwagen IV and its varieties. 1975, pp. 114-116.
- ↑ Spielberger: The Panzerkampfwagen IV and its varieties. 1975, pp. 115-116.
- ↑ Spielberger: The Panzerkampfwagen IV and its varieties. 1975, p. 116.
- ^ Walter J. Spielberger: The way to the anti-aircraft tank Gepard. The historical development of the German anti-aircraft tank. Bernard & Graefe, Munich 1980, ISBN 3-7637-5197-1 , pp. 100-101.
- ↑ Spielberger: The Panzerkampfwagen IV and its varieties. 1975, pp. 117-121.
- ↑ "60 years ago: The battles for Hörschel, Spichra and Creuzburg - Part 2" on "mihla.de"
- ↑ http://www.panzerbaer.de/models/48_cmk_flakpz_kugelblitz-a.htm