Flakpanzer IV "Ostwind" ( German Flakpanzer IV "Ostwind" - east wind ), full name - 3.7 cm Flak 43 auf Sfl PzKpfw IV - German anti-aircraft self-propelled gun (ZSU) during World War II based on the medium tank PzKpfw IV . It was developed in 1944 as a successor to the earlier Wirbelwind self-propelled anti-aircraft gun.
| Flakpanzer IV Ostwind | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type of | ZSU |
| A country |  Germany |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Krupp Grusonwerke AG (chassis), Deutsche Eisenwerke AG (enclosure), Deutsche Röhrenwerke AG (tower), Rheinmetall AG (gun), Ostbau Werke (assembly) |
| Years of production | 1944 |
| Total released | 43–45 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight kg | 25,000 |
| Booking mm | 10-80 |
| Type and model of engine | 12-cylinder V-shaped carburetor Maybach HL 120 TRM |
| Speed km / h | 38 |
| Power density , h.p. / t | 12.5 |
| Engine power hp | 300 |
| Cruising range, km | 200 |
| Main armament | 1 × 3.7 cm FlaK 43 L / 89 (1000 rounds in clips) |
| Additional weapons | 2 × 7.92 mm MG 34 (1350 rounds 7.92 x 57 mm Mauser ) |
| Length mm | 5920 |
| Width mm | 2950 |
| Height mm | 3000 |
| Crew (calculation), people | 5 (Commander, Gunner, Charger, Driver, Radio Operator) |
The Panzer IV tank turret was removed and replaced with an open-ended hexagonal turret that housed one 37mm Flak 43 gun. In addition to its role as an anti-aircraft weapon, the Rheinmetall rapid - fire gun was highly effective as an self-propelled gun for suppressing lightly armored vehicles and weakly protected fortifications. It would be preferable to develop a fully enclosed vehicle, but this was impossible to achieve due to a problem with the smoke of the fighting compartment as a result of firing from a gun. Machine manufacturing was set up at a factory called Deutsche Eisenwerke in Duisburg .
The main improvement in machine parameters compared to the Wirbelwind ZSU was associated with an increase in the range of the gun. She also had a slightly better armored turret, and a second MG34 machine gun .
Despite the fact that in August 1944, industry received an order for the production of 100 machines, from December 1944 to March 1945 only 30 were produced (22 of them were converted by repairing the PzKpfw IV ). Only 8 tanks were built from scratch (1 in February and 7 in March 1945). Produced by Ostbau Werke in Sagan ( Silesia , now - the territory of Poland ).
Content
Ostwind in popular culture
In computer games
Flackancer IV Ostwind is featured in the games behind the enemy lines , Company of Heroes and Company of Heroes 2 , War Thunder , and Hearts of Iron IV , Battlefield 5 .
Bench Modeling
Ostwind is widely represented in bench modeling. Prefabricated plastic model-copies of the Ostwind ZSU on a scale of 1:35 are produced by the companies Zvezda ( Russia ), Tamiya ( Japan ), Dragon ( China ), Trumpeter ( China ).
Literature
- Seherr-Thoss, Hermann von . Anti-Aircraft Tanks versus Ground Attack Aircraft. (Eng.) // Interavia : Review of World Aviation. - Geneva: Interavia SA, 1954. - Vol. 9 - No.8 - P.541.