Sd.Kfz. 6/2
Contents
Description
The 3.7 cm Flak 36 auf Selbstfahrlafette or simply Sd.Kfz. 6/2 was a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun based on the half-track chassis Sd.Kfz. 6, armed with a 3.7 cm FlaK 36 L/98 anti-aircraft gun. This SPAA was developed to counter Allied and Soviet airpower, as well as protect Luftwaffe airfields from aerial attacks. As the truck's platform was occupied by the anti-aircraft mount, a single-axle trailer was attached for carrying ammunition. Initially, there was no armour shield for the gun, and it was only added in later production series modifications. Most Sd.Kfz. 6/2 were deployed with Luftwaffe air defence units, but some SPAAs also served with Wehrmacht and SS troops. The Sd.Kfz. 6/2 was first tested on the Eastern Front in 1941, but subsequently saw widespread use. It was manufactured by companies Büssing-NAG, Daimler Benz, BMM, Praga from 1941 to 1943, with a total of 339 Sd.Kfz. 6/2 assembled.
The Sd.Kfz. 6/2 was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces prior to Update 1.41. In terms of its mobility characteristics, the SPAA is comparable to most medium tanks, allowing it to keep pace with allies while covering them from aerial attacks. The main advantage of the SPAA is its 37 mm gun with instant reloading and impressive rate of fire, which provides dense fire and can deal with not only any aircraft but also some tanks. However, one should not be caught in the enemy's sights too often: apart from the gun shield, the Sd.Kfz. 6/2 has no armour and can be easily destroyed even by machine gun fire. The same applies to aircraft - while the armour shield may protect the gun crew during a head-on attack, a side or rear approach by an aircraft can be fatal for the vehicle.
General info
Survivability and armour
Armour type:
- Structural Steel
- Rolled homogeneous armour (Gun shield)
| Armour | Front | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 3 mm (3-9°) Grille 3 mm (83-84°) Front hood |
3 mm | 3 mm | 3 mm |
| Gun Shield | 7 mm (25-33°) | 10 mm | N/A | N/A |
Notes:
- There is practically no armour on this vehicle aside from the gun shield which can protect from some light machine gun fire and shrapnel from nearby explosions
Mobility
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 55 | 10 | 10.4 | 163 | 248 | 15.67 | 23.85 |
| Realistic | 50 | 9 | 102 | 130 | 9.81 | 12.5 | |
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
Main armament
| 37 mm FlaK36 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 318 (6) | 160 | -8°/+85° | ±180° | N/A | 30.82 | 42.66 | 51.80 | 57.28 | 60.94 | 0.49 | 0.43 | 0.40 | 0.38 |
| Realistic | 20.83 | 24.50 | 29.75 | 32.90 | 35.00 | |||||||||
The driving compartment at the front of the vehicle creates a dead zone for the gun, that means that when an enemy is straight ahead you'll have to manoeuvre to get the gun on target. Take this into account when positioning your vehicle.
Ammunition
- Default: APHE · FI-T - This belt can fulfill both roles (anti-aircraft and anti-tank) only at the cost of a halved rate of fire for effective shells against a specific target (especially for the anti-tank role) until dedicated belts are available.
- Sprgr. 18: FI-T - This belt is adapted to the anti-air role as it contains only incendiary rounds. It will deal good damage to aircraft but will deal next to no damage to ground vehicles.
- PzGr: APHE - This belt deals decent damage against lightly armoured vehicles and planes but excels against tanks. When targeting ground vehicles, aim for weak spots.
- M.Gr.18: HEI-T - This belt excels in the anti-air role: with an increased muzzle velocity and a larger explosive filler, it deals heavier damage to airplanes than the "Sprgr. 18" belt. It will deal next to no damage to ground vehicles.
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | ||||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| FI-T | 7 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | |
| APHE | 49 | 46 | 33 | 22 | 14 | 10 | |
| HEI-T | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| FI-T | 820 | 0.62 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 49.3 | 79° | 80° | 81° | ||||
| APHE | 770 | 0.69 | 1.2 | 9 | 22.1 | 47° | 60° | 65° | ||||
| HEI-T | 914 | 0.55 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 108 | 79° | 80° | 81° | ||||
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 50 (+3) | 46 (+7) | 43 (+10) | 39 (+14) |
| 5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
7th rack empty |
8th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
| 36 (+17) | 29 (+24) | 18 (+35) | 0 (+53) | Yes |
There are 15 ammunition boxes strung about the bed of the truck. Two under the loader, three sitting on the tailgate, and the rest under the benches behind the driver. Most tankers won't bother trying to ammo rack you thanks to your exposed crew members, so bring as much as you want. However, near misses from aircraft and tanks alike could set off a box since they are kind of everywhere if you do take a full load, so follow alternate recommendation if one has concerns for this.
Notes:
- Take a full loadout (53 clips of 6 rounds) if the battle might last.
- Alternately, pack only 36 clips in order to keep all ammo boxes under the bed bench for shorter battles like AB.
Usage in battles
To use this machine to its fullest capabilities, stay away from areas of heavy combat, as you can be taken out very easily, especially by machine gun fire and HE shells. You should always stay behind friendly troops, but don't stay at spawn as it is most likely the first place enemy planes will go to drop bombs.
If you want to fight with the tanks, you'll definitely need to research APHE-only belts. However, the APHE's lacklustre penetration means this option is extremely limited and highly discouraged for a Sd.Kfz. 6/2 user. This is a tactic that should only be used as a last-stand measure against a flanking enemy that is unaware of the Sd.Kfz. 6/2's position. Avoid any open terrain, watch the battlefield situation carefully and wait, or use your speed to get out of any unfavourable battle condition. When the suitable target is spotted and in-range, it is a good idea is to reverse around the corner turned sideways, with your gun aiming at the expected enemy direction. This manoeuvre exposes only half of your turret and makes it possible to very quickly hide again behind the corner when needed. Your driver, engine and more than half of the vehicle remain hidden the whole time, meaning the damage from kinetic shell would be reduced, but chemical shells would still finish off the tank upon contact. This kind of positioning also significantly shortening the exposure time and lowering the chance of being immobilised. When targeting tanks, aim at side armour of the hull and/or turret, or just hit any weak spots. Make sure the enemy is close by, generally less than 400 m, as the aim dispersion and massive recoil of the gun can cause the shells to spray everywhere, a bad idea if wanting to take out the enemy as quick and precise as possible.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- 37 mm capable of dealing heavy damage to planes upon contact
- Deadly against light tanks and lightly-armoured tank destroyers
- Decently fast (50 km/h top speed)
- Very short reloading time
- Losing 1 or 2 crew members have no noticeable effect on vehicle performance (apart from temporary immobilisation for example)
- Having no armour is also an advantage - AP/APCR Rounds that most players use often just harmlessly pass through the vehicle without doing any damage
- Difficult to destroy in one shot unless using pure HE rounds as APHE rounds will often just pass through without detonation
- Some players don't recognize this vehicle as any kind of threat, and carelessly show their sides that just might be able to be penetrated with the 37 mm AP
- Friendly tanks around you often have higher priority for all enemies, meaning you can often escape from combat unharmed, or surprise unsuspecting enemies
Cons:
- No armour - single HE shell from anything will usually knock out the vehicle
- Very vulnerable to damage from overpressure: artillery strikes, even being 20 m away from you, will destroy the vehicle
- Entire crew vulnerable to being strafed by planes and tank machine gun fire
- Slow rate of fire can make shooting down faster planes difficult
- Gun goes up when it is traversing over the driver, preventing you from firing ahead of your vehicle
- Ammo can run out if not careful
- Gun recoil is ridiculous, making continuous fire useless against any decently armoured target
- Knocked out easily if rammed by an airplane (RB)
History
The gun
The 3.7 cm FlaK cannon was an anti-aircraft gun capable of fully automatic fire at a rate of 150 rounds per minute and is able to fire onto Allied aircraft up to four kilometres away. Multiple variants were made for the FlaK cannon from the 3.7 cm FlaK 18/36/37/43. The FlaK 18 was the initial variant with a dual-axle mount. The Flak 36 was a simplified variant with a lighter single-axle mount, the FlaK 37 has a simplified sighting system, and the FlaK 42 was the variant made for the German Kriegsmarine for their surface ships and U-boats. Of the variants, the FlaK 36 and 37 were the most produced guns
The vehicle
The Sd.Kfz.6 was a half-track designed in 1934 for the purpose of towing the 10.5 cm leFH 18 howitzer or 11 men in the back of the half-track, which could be covered by a canvas structure to protect the crew from the elements of nature. The vehicle was powered by a Maybach HL 54TUKRM 6-cylinder engine with 115 hp. Along with its use as a tractor for the 10.5 leFH 18 howitzer and other artillery pieces, the vehicle was to be used to tow heavy equipment for engineer units. Production was carried out by both Büssing-NAG and Daimler-Benz corporations. About 750 units were made during its production life until 1942.
Anti-aircraft mount
As World War II progressed, the need for a mobile air defence capable of engaging low flying targets became urgent. German engineers attempted to fill this need by modifying vehicles to fit an anti-aircraft gun. The Sd.kfz.6 half-track was modified with a new superstructure on the back, removing the backseats where the passengers would be. The superstructure allows the installation of a traversable anti-aircraft gun. The gun of choice for the Sd.kfz.6 was the 3.7 cm FlaK 36, the conversion for the vehicle was designated the 3.7 cm Flak 36 auf Selbstfahrlafette Sd.Kfz.6/2.
The Sd.Kfz.6/2 has the FlaK cannon mounted on the back, however, there is no gun shield for the crew to provide small arms protection from the ground. Thus, the ground support role for the vehicle was not a recommended role and is more best against flying targets. However, a modification on the vehicle by the crew to give protection against small arms and shrapnel. Ammunition for the gun was towed on a separate trailer towed by the half-track.
Modifications on the Sd.Kfz.6 into the Sd.Kfz.6/2 was carried out from 1941 to 1943, whereof the 750 of the Sd.Kfz.6, 339 were converted into the anti-aircraft variant. As the war progressed, the Sd.Kfz.6/2 were supplemented with the more numerous Sd.Kfz.7 half-track.
| Archive of the in-game description | |
|---|---|
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To fight against enemy aircraft, German designers developed a new AA gun based on the 5-ton Sd.Kfz. 6 produced by the company Bussing-NAG. The new AA vehicle had a 37 mm 3,7 cm FlaK 36 L/98 anti-aircraft gun with a 98-calibre long barrel placed on a rotating carriage. The vehicle carried 120 shells, towed by a Sonderanhänger Sd.Ah. 57 trailer. The anti-aircraft gun traveled with spare barrels. The 10.4 ton setup supported a crew of 5 to calculate the gun's trajectory. The anti-aircraft gun's effective rate of fire was 120 rounds per minute. The gun could fire at targets up to an altitude of 4,800 m. In stowed position, the sides of the towing vehicle were raised, and in combat situations they were reclined to facilitate a circular range of fire. The vehicle could reach a speed of 50 km/h and had a maximum range of 317 km. The AA vehicle was produced by the companies Bussing-Nag, Daimler Benz, Böhmisch-Mährischen Maschinenfabrik, and Praga from 1941 to 1943. A total of 339 were built. During production, the gun was fitted with a shield to protect those performing the calculations from bullets and shrapnel. Shield construction varied. At least 200 Sd.Kfz. 6/2 anti-aircraft guns entered the service of the Luftwaffe, and the rest joined the Wehrmacht's anti-aircraft divisions. An anti-aircraft division consisted of 9 AA vehicles. This vehicle was used in combat on all fronts. | |
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Germany anti-aircraft vehicles | |
|---|---|
| Wheeled | Sd.Kfz.222 |
| Half-track | Sd.Kfz.251/21 · Sd.Kfz. 6/2 |
| Flakpanzer IV | Wirbelwind · Ostwind · Ostwind II · Kugelblitz · Zerstörer 45 |
| Other Flakpanzers | Flakpanzer I · Flakpanzer 38 · Flakpanzer 341 |
| Wiesel AWC | Wiesel 1A4 · Ozelot |
| Radar SPAAG | Gepard · Gepard 1A2 |
| Missile SPAA | FlaRakPz 1 · FlaRakRad |
