War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Wirbelwind

2021-01-11T15:17:51Z

U109518871: added a pro for the wirbelwind

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_flakpanzer_IV_Wirbelwind
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft (SPAA) vehicle {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.43]].

The Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind is a anti-aircraft platform on a Panzer IV chassis. Armed with quad 20 mm FlaK38 cannons, this machine will absolutely obliterate any enemy plane that's unfortunate enough to cross paths with it. Due to the high fire rate, this machine effectively spews out a river of high explosives. Any airplane unfortunate enough to even touch that stream will at least burst into flames, if not more severe damage. However, they are incredibly easy to spot because of the tracers. While an individual 20 mm shell does not do much damage, it is very hard when using the Wirbelwind to hit an aircraft with only one shell. The sheer number of shells fired can overwhelm enemy aircraft and act like a laser, cutting off pieces and burning others. This tank, considering its BR, has the potential to be a viable anti-tank thanks to having about 60 mm of penetration. If a Sherman is caught from the flank, you can very much ruin their day.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

The armour surrounding the turret can provide a small amount of protection against plane machine guns, but the amount of armour on its turret is still low and it has an open top so it's best to destroy the attacking plane quickly or move out of the way.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80 mm (11°) ''Front plate'' 20 mm (72°) ''Front glacis'' 80 mm (11-12°) ''Lower glacis''|| 30 mm || 30 mm (4-15°) || 10 mm
|-
| Turret || 16 mm (19-24°) || 16 mm (21-27°) || 16 mm (17-22°) || N/A
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Some track links are placed on the front glacis, adding 15 mm armour at their area.
* Belly armour is 10 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=426|rbMinHp=265}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

If the Wirbelwind is to be used in an anti-air role, mobility modules are not as important as the Sprgr. modification, which gives the vehicle access to a purely high-explosive ammo belt. The Horizontal Drive and Elevation Mechanism modules are also useful.

The PzGr 40 modification gives this vehicle a decent anti-tank capability, although this upgraded ammo belt will still not be able to penetrate heavily-armoured targets.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|FlaK38 (20 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[FlaK38 (20 mm)|20 mm FlaK38]] (x4) || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 3,200 (20) || rowspan="2" | 1,920 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+90° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 52.84 || 73.13 || 88.80 || 98.20 || 104.47 || rowspan="2" | 5.20 || rowspan="2" | 4.60 || rowspan="2" | 4.24 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 35.70 || 42.00 || 51.00 || 56.40 || 60.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| PzGr || API-T || 46 || 45 || 33 || 23 || 15 || 11
|-
| PzGr 40 || HVAP-T || 64 || 63 || 33 || 23 || 15 || 11
|-
| Sprgr. || HEFI-T || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| PzGr || API-T || 780 || 0.15 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| PzGr 40 || HVAP-T || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A
|-
| Sprgr. || HEFI-T || 900 || 0.12 || 0.3 || 0.1 || 10.2 || +0° || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
|}

====Belt types====
{| class="wikitable"
| '''Belts''' || '''Shell composition''' || '''Combat usage'''
|-
| align="left" |'''''Default ''''' || align="left" | [[:Category:Ammunition#Kinetic_energy_shells|API-T]], [[:Category:Ammunition#Cannon_shells|HEFI-T]] (Armour Piercing Incendiary tracer – High Explosive Fragmentation Incendiary tracer) shell || align="left" | 50% of this belt are useless against tanks or planes. However against other SPAA this belt can reliably take out crew, armament, ammo and engine. Having one belt in reserve does not hurt.
|-
| align="left" |'''''Sprgr.''''' || align="left" | [[:Category:Ammunition#Cannon_shells|HEFI-T]] (High Explosive Fragmentation Incendiary tracer) shell || align="left" | Versus planes and open combat compartment vehicles. Aircraft will usually take three to six hits. Heavy armoured attackers and bombers may require more though.
|-
| align="left" |'''''PzGr''''' || align="left" | [[:Category:Ammunition#Kinetic_energy_shells|API-T]] (Armour Piercing Incendiary tracer) shell || align="left" | Intermediate usage until the better PzGr 40 can be used. Decent enough versus light tanks and other vehicles from the rear. Due the lack of HE filler underwhelming damage, yet still better than the PzGr 40.
|-
| align="left" |'''''PzGr 40''''' || align="left" | HVAP-T, API-T (High Velocity Armour Piercing tracer - Armour Piercing Incendiary tracer) shell || align="left" | Best penetrating shell of this vehicle. However, the damage effects are very poor. In close combat snipe for modules and crewmember for increased survival rate. Nothing is more annoying than emptying a clip and then to get destroyed in the reload because the enemy gunner survived. Against angled armoured it is not very effective like any other ACPR shell, this is offset by the very high base penetration though.
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''160''' || 36 ''(+128)'' || 32 ''(+128)'' || 24 ''(+136)'' || 20 ''(+140)'' || 16 ''(+144)'' || 12 ''(+148)'' || 8 ''(+152)'' || 0 ''(+160)'' || style="text-align:left" | Yes
|-
|}

Clips with 20 rounds each (3,200 rounds max)

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Ammunition clips in turret do not empty

== Usage in battles ==


Being the first anti-aircraft of a modified Panzer IV, it is superior to the previous vehicle, the [[Sd.Kfz. 6/2|3.7-cm Flak 36 auf Selbstfahrlafette Sd.Kfz. 6/2]] in many areas and has little to none disadvantages. One notable disadvantage would be the lack of penetration of API-T rounds compared to the prior 3,7 cm cannon. It is recommended to stay away from areas of combat as your quad 20's will do practically nothing against the front plates of heavier armoured enemies at its rank, against which its only defence is to blind enemy vehicles with a barrage of fire and hope allies will neutralize the threat. However, firing a stream of HVAP-T rounds into an enemy's side plates can lead to a very fast elimination.

In terms of advantages with the 20 mm autocannons, the quad-mount gives the Wirbelwind the ability to fire a lethal stream of explosive round at any pilot who wanders into your sights.

'''Anti-Aircraft:''' 
While in tank guns, dispersion (the MOA cone that is used to determine accuracy) is something that is ideally kept to a minimum, this vehicle benefits from it by having shots spread out in a sort of "shotgun" effect, rather than having four separate beams of projectiles. This means that if you can get your lead point right, your odds of shredding aircraft with even a momentary burst is exceptional compared to other types of AA present at the ranks that you will be operating this vehicle. Unfortunately, this rapid-fire ability is hindered by the 20 round magazine capacity for each cannon (for a total of 80 rounds), meaning that it is best to fire 3-5 round bursts to make effective use of what ammunition you have and your magazine size. This is one of the few areas the Wirbelwind is caught lacking, the others being an open crew compartment roof and the fact that your SPAA houses most of its crew in a thinly armoured turret.

Some of these disadvantages with the Wirbelwind can be mitigated by working with another SPAA. Two Wirbelwinds about 30m apart prove a daunting combination to enemy aircraft as their crossed streams maximize their ability to hit and it is very hard to neutralise both in one go. Besides doubling their spotting ability — when one sees the other firing, he or she will be quick to acquire the same target and proceed to severely worsen the aeroplane's day. For this reason, as a matter of etiquette, do not fire into the air if you do not see anyone, so as not to mislead your teammates.

'''Attack:''' 
It is highly discouraged to use the Wirbelwind aggressively since it can be hard to always get such a favourable engagement (and also it is not the SPAA's job to do so). However, should a player choose such an attack plan, they should consider either being supported by friendly tanks as an additional gun or cover, or flanking wide and make effective use of cover and concealment against thin-skinned vehicles. Use roads less-traveled to remain hidden. No matter which manoeuvre that is used, stay vigilant for enemy aircraft to avoid them spotting and pouncing on the Wirbelwind. Even if equipped with the PzGr 40 belt for anti-tank purposes, eighty 20 mm shells from the Wirbelwind can still mess up an aircraft's flight time.

Once the question of manoeuvring to an advantageous position is answered, the next concern is seeing if the 20 mm have enough firepower to be of any threat to the enemy downrange. While the PzGr 40 APCR belt can be a threat to enemy light tank, lightly armoured tank destroyers like the [[M18 GMC|M18 Hellcat]], and also enemy anti-air vehicle, the shell's penetration decreases drastically at range and it's not enough to deal with more heavily armoured vehicles, with the side armour of some medium tanks even being a questionable option. The Wirbelwind's armour is only enough to reduce the damage done by aeroplanes, which makes engaging any sort of tank very dangerous. As such, pick targets wisely and make sure to either take them out within one belt's worth of shells or hold fire to avoid drawing any attention at all.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High rate of fire (1,800 rounds per minute combined!) allows it to spray shells in an aircraft's path and quickly take them down
* Impressive ammo capacity of 3,200 rounds (~2 minutes of continuous fire)
* Excellent gun elevation and depression allows it to deal with targets regardless of their location
* Powerful guns with various belts: HE belt will devastate planes at close range, while HVAP can go through side armour and quickly knock out the crew of common enemies like [[M4]], [[T-34 (1942)]] and [[Cromwell (Family)|Cromwell]]
* Excellent turret traverse makes it possible to stay on aircraft
* Excellent hull armour for an AA vehicle, can resist low-penetrating tanks like [[M24]], T-34 (1942) and 75 mm M4
* High driving speed able to move from cover to cover with little to no problem
* Due to being a AA many enemies will incorrectly shoot your front with their mg which would not pentrate your thick amour for a spaa

'''Cons:'''

* Weak turret protection: open top design makes vehicle vulnerable to strafing runs by enemy aircraft, especially those with .50 cals like the [[P-40 (Family)|P-40]], and the thin armour can get penetrated by other SPAA like [[M16 MGMC|M16]], [[ZSD63]] and [[GAZ-MM (72-K)|GAZ]] trucks
* Less effective at firing at distant aircraft
* Reloading rate sub-par compared to other SPAAs at 5.6 seconds
* With continuous firing, a magazine is emptied very fast so strict trigger control is important
* 20 mm shells have difficulty dealing with bombers due to both durability and the typical altitude of targets
* Weak side armour, where an ammo rack is located

== History ==

===Development===
Development of self-propelled anti-aircraft guns that could keep up with the Panzer formations were not taken into consideration in the early years of World War II due to the Luftwaffe's superiority over the air, but gradual losses in the Luftwaffe and inability to support their flights gave the Allies the upper hand in the air, granting them air superiority. The growing air power of the Allies forced the Germans to develop methods to protect their tank formations from strafing from Allied aircraft, one early design to protect the front line tanks was the ''Flakpanzer IV Mobelwagen'', an interim design as Flakpanzer designs underwent development. SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Wilhelm Krause of the 12th SS Panzer Division came up with the concept of the '''Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind''' in the summer of 1944. The commander of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment, SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche, received this and presented it to Hitler, to which he approved for its development.

The design called for use of the proven Panzer IV design. The Wirbelwind uses the Panzer IV hull, but the original Panzer IV turret was removed and replaced with an open-topped nine-sided turret that mounted the anti-aircraft armament. The anti-aircraft armament chosen for the vehicle was a quadruple mounted 2 cm FlaK 38. Though a closed-top turret design was desired, the number of gasses given out by the gun made this impossible for the crew. The production of the Wirbelwind commenced at the Ostbau Werke at Sagan, Silesia. Between 87 to 105 Wirbelwinds were manufactured from May to November 1944, with the discrepancies due to differences in the Wehrmacht service records and Ostbau Werke's production records.

===Combat usage===
The troops nicknamed the Wirbelwind the ''"Keksdose"'' (Biscuit Tin) due to its unique turret shape. The Wirbelwind was equipped with Panzer formations to protect them against low-flying aircraft. During the Battle of Normandy in 1944, flak units in the 12th SS Panzer Division were credited with shooting down 45 allied planes. However, there weren't enough to go around in the front-lines so many Panzer formations were left vulnerable to enemy aircraft due to lack of availability of the Flakpanzers. Not only did their small numbers made their effect on the front minimal, but the 20 mm cannon was also determined to insufficient against the more armoured aircraft that the Allies are fielding. Thus, the design was changed to not use the quadruple 2 cm Flak 38, but instead the 3.7 cm FlaK 43 in the new designation [[Ostwind|Flakpanzer IV Ostwind]]. Aside from that the Wirbelwind also served as a ground support role, which it proved very well at with its rapid firing 20 mm cannons.

It was determined that the Flakpanzer IV in the ''Wirbelwind'' and ''Ostwind'' configurations were to be replaced by the [[Kugelblitz]] by early 1945, in an attempt to yet again increase the firepower of the anti-aircraft guns. But this never happened due to the war ending before the Kugelblitz could be deployed.

=== In-game description ===
After losing air superiority, the Wehrmacht needed to improve the AA weapons of its armored tank divisions. The Wirbelwind AA vehicle was built on the chassis of the Pz.IV tank. It was the first specialized, self-sufficient means of defending armored tank divisions against enemy aircraft. The Flakvierling 38 installation was placed in an open turret protected by 16 mm of armor plating. Unlike various other self-propelled AA systems, this AA weapon struck a balance between protection, deployment time, and firepower. Between July, 1944 and March, 1945 105 of these mounts were built. They were used on the Western and Eastern Fronts. The first prototype was built on the basis of a remodeled Pz.IV by Krupp-Druckenmuller GmbH Berlin-Mariendorf in May, 1944.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=spaa&vehicle=germ_flakpanzer_IV_Wirbelwind Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Wirbelwind looking for planes.jpg|thumb|none|300px|The {{PAGENAME}} scanning the sky for target aircraft.]]</li>
</ul></div>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|naeDoEwZ5Pg|'''German SPAAs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:22 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|kjkhasXkZwc|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}

Sd.Kfz.251/21

2021-01-01T04:08:09Z

U109518871: Added how to play

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_sdkfz_251_21
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Sd.Kfz.251-21.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German SPAA {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Hot Tracks"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull ||
{| class="wikitable"
|14.5 mm (6°) ''Engine compartment''
14.5 mm (30°) ''Driver cabin''
8 mm (41°) ''Lower glacis''
|}
| ___ mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=142|rbMinHp=88}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|MG 151 (15 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[MG 151 (15 mm)|15 mm MG 151]] (x3) || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | _,___ (___) || rowspan="2" | 700 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+49° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Pzgr. L'spur (Default):''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''SprGr:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}
* '''Pzgr. L'spur:''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''H-Pzgr.:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="7" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Pzgr. L'spur (Default) ||37||35||25||17||12||8
|-
| SprGr ||37||35||25||17||12||8
|-
| Pzgr. L'spur ||37||35||25||17||12||8
|-
| H-Pzgr. ||50||48||35||25||18||12
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''4''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==
play this vehicle as your average AA, or equip the ap shells and flank enemy tanks. Remember to watch out for heavy tanks which usually have strong armour.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Fast rate of fire
* Three machine guns can make aiming less forgiving because of the large volume of fire
* Has an dedicated anti tank belt, the H-Pzgr., which can go trough most tanks from the side
* Good top speed
* Very fast turret traverse
* Crew members are quite spread out, difficult to one shot without HEAT

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is extremely poor, can be penetrated by heavy machine guns and can be easily destroyed by artillery
* Open topped, strafing planes can be devastating
* Near non existant gun depression
* Gun elevation is quite poor for an anti-air vehicle.
* Can be hullbroken
* Reload time stock of 18.2 seconds can be dangerous
* Acceleration is mediocre at best
* Small caliber machine guns lack stopping power compared to the previous 20mm and 37mm

== History ==

=== [[wt:en/news/6991-development-sd-kfz-251-21-deadly-triplets-en|Devblog]] ===
By 1942, German engineers recognized the need of the Wehrmacht for a light SPAAG to provide cover for frontline troops against low flying aircraft and set about developing a suitable vehicle on the chassis of available halftrack designs. In 1943, this need became even more emphasized with limited German production capacities being unable to produce the required number of Flakpanzers that the Wehrmacht had been requesting.

Subsequently, German engineers decided to outfit the widely used Sd.Kfz. 251 halftrack with a three-barrel AA mount, initially equipped with 15 mm, later with 20 mm cannons, in order to meet the Wehrmacht's demand. The new modification became known as the Sd.Kfz 251/21 and went into production in 1944.

By the time the Sd.Kfz. 251/21 entered service, troops more widely used it as a support vehicle in the late stages of the war, with the vehicle performing well in this role. Nonetheless, over 380 units of the Sd.Kfz. 251/21 were produced until the end of the war, many of which through conversion of older modifications.

== Media ==
<gallery mode="packed" caption="Sd.Kfz. 251/21 Devblog Images" heights="150">
File:Sd.Kfz. 251-21 WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
File:Sd.Kfz. 251-21 WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
File:Sd.Kfz. 251-21 WTWallpaper 003.jpg|
File:Sd.Kfz. 251-21 WTWallpaper 004.jpg|
File:Sd.Kfz. 251-21 WTWallpaper 005.jpg|
File:Sd.Kfz. 251-21 WTWallpaper 006.jpg|
</gallery>

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6991-development-sd-kfz-251-21-deadly-triplets-en|[Devblog] Sd.Kfz. 251/21: Deadly Triplets]]

{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}

Sd.Kfz.251/21

2021-01-01T04:05:07Z

U109518871: Added usage in battle

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_sdkfz_251_21
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Sd.Kfz.251-21.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German SPAA {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Hot Tracks"]].

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull ||
{| class="wikitable"
|14.5 mm (6°) ''Engine compartment''
14.5 mm (30°) ''Driver cabin''
8 mm (41°) ''Lower glacis''
|}
| ___ mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=142|rbMinHp=88}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|MG 151 (15 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[MG 151 (15 mm)|15 mm MG 151]] (x3) || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | _,___ (___) || rowspan="2" | 700 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+49° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
|-
! ''Realistic''
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Pzgr. L'spur (Default):''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''SprGr:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}
* '''Pzgr. L'spur:''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''H-Pzgr.:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="7" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Pzgr. L'spur (Default) ||37||35||25||17||12||8
|-
| SprGr ||37||35||25||17||12||8
|-
| Pzgr. L'spur ||37||35||25||17||12||8
|-
| H-Pzgr. ||50||48||35||25||18||12
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''4''' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __ ''(+__)'' || __
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

''This vehicle can be used in multiple roles,''

AA: find a open or elevated area that is secured by allies. Remember to load the deticated air targets belt. 3 fragmentation tracers and one armour piercing tracer. Once you find a plane, make sure you have a good amount of ammo in your guns or else it will take a long time to reload. Try shooting each time the plane moves slow or close to you, E.g at the top of a loop or pulling out of a dive in front of you.

Hunting light tanks/multirole: load either the 2 fragmentation tracer and 2 armour piercing tracer or the 3 amour piercing tracer and 1 fragmentation tracer. Then, go to a hidden spot or stay still and look for light tanks. Once you find them, try shooting the turret of lightly armored targets or flanking more heavily armored tanks. This can also still be used as aa but to less effect, see above on how to use as aa.

Tank hunting:use the 3 armor piercing tracer and 1 hvap round. The 3 apt can pen lightly armoured targets and the hvap can pen even heavy tanks when flanking them. (note, this setup is not effective against every heavy tank, some have strong side armour. Nor is this any good with planes. These rounds will overpenatrate planes.)then hide in either a hull down, or behind a rock. Then if a light tank appears, you should be able to pen frontal. If a heavy or medium/spg appears, try flanking them. For the heavy, look closely at the tank, if it is a tank with bad side armour, go for it. If it has strong side armour Eg. Kv1 or tiger, look for weak spots or ignore.

=== Pros and Cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Fast rate of fire
* Three machine guns can make aiming less forgiving because of the large volume of fire
* Has an dedicated anti tank belt, the H-Pzgr., which can go trough most tanks from the side
* Good top speed
* Very fast turret traverse
* Crew members are quite spread out, difficult to one shot without HEAT

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is extremely poor, can be penetrated by heavy machine guns and can be easily destroyed by artillery
* Open topped, strafing planes can be devastating
* Near non existant gun depression
* Gun elevation is quite poor for an anti-air vehicle.
* Can be hullbroken
* Reload time stock of 18.2 seconds can be dangerous
* Acceleration is mediocre at best
* Small caliber machine guns lack stopping power compared to the previous 20mm and 37mm

== History ==

=== [[wt:en/news/6991-development-sd-kfz-251-21-deadly-triplets-en|Devblog]] ===
By 1942, German engineers recognized the need of the Wehrmacht for a light SPAAG to provide cover for frontline troops against low flying aircraft and set about developing a suitable vehicle on the chassis of available halftrack designs. In 1943, this need became even more emphasized with limited German production capacities being unable to produce the required number of Flakpanzers that the Wehrmacht had been requesting.

Subsequently, German engineers decided to outfit the widely used Sd.Kfz. 251 halftrack with a three-barrel AA mount, initially equipped with 15 mm, later with 20 mm cannons, in order to meet the Wehrmacht's demand. The new modification became known as the Sd.Kfz 251/21 and went into production in 1944.

By the time the Sd.Kfz. 251/21 entered service, troops more widely used it as a support vehicle in the late stages of the war, with the vehicle performing well in this role. Nonetheless, over 380 units of the Sd.Kfz. 251/21 were produced until the end of the war, many of which through conversion of older modifications.

== Media ==
<gallery mode="packed" caption="Sd.Kfz. 251/21 Devblog Images" heights="150">
File:Sd.Kfz. 251-21 WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
File:Sd.Kfz. 251-21 WTWallpaper 002.jpg|
File:Sd.Kfz. 251-21 WTWallpaper 003.jpg|
File:Sd.Kfz. 251-21 WTWallpaper 004.jpg|
File:Sd.Kfz. 251-21 WTWallpaper 005.jpg|
File:Sd.Kfz. 251-21 WTWallpaper 006.jpg|
</gallery>

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6991-development-sd-kfz-251-21-deadly-triplets-en|[Devblog] Sd.Kfz. 251/21: Deadly Triplets]]

{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}

Bf 110 G-4

2021-01-01T03:38:07Z

U109518871: Added usage in battles and added a couple cons.

{{Specs-Card
|code=bf_110g_4
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German twin-engine fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "New Power"]].

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 6,200 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 569 || 552 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 26.2 || 27.2 || 9.3 || 9.3 || rowspan="2" | 450
|-
! Upgraded
| 615 || 591 || 23.8 || 25.0 || 16.5 || 12.5
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 490 || 490 || 290 || ~11 || ~4
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 360 || < 350 || < 370 || > 715
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


* 5 mm steel underneath pilot
* 6 mm steel underneath gunner
* 6 mm steel above and below liquid cooling systems
* 6 mm steel in front of engines
* 8.5 mm steel in front of gunner (note that the gunner is rear-facing)
* 8.5 mm steel in front of radar equipment in cockpit
* 8.5 mm steel between radar antennae and nose-mounted cannon ammunition
* 10.5 mm steel beside and in front of pilot's controls
* 10.5 mm steel behind pilot's head
* 58 mm bulletproof glass in front of pilot
* Self-sealing fuel tanks (2 in each wing)

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|MK 108 (30 mm)|MG 151 (20 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 2 x 30 mm MK 108 cannons, nose-mounted (128 rpg = 255 total)
* 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons, Schräge Musik-style in front of gunner (240 rpg = 480 total)

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|SC50JA (50 kg)|SC250JA (250 kg)|SC500K (500 kg)|SC1000L2 (1,000 kg)}}
{{main|Wfr.Gr.21|MG 151 (20 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons, belly-mounted (400 rpg left + 350 rpg right = 750 total)
* 12 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs + 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons (600 kg total)
* 2 x 250 kg SC250JA bombs + 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons (500 kg total)
* 1 x 500 kg SC500K bomb + 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons (500 kg total)
* 2 x 500 kg SC500K bombs + 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons (1,000 kg total)
* 1 x 1,000 kg SC1000L2 bomb + 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons (1,000 kg total)
* 1 x 1,000 kg SC1000L2 bomb + 1 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb + 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons (1,250 kg total)
* 4 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons
* 4 x Wfr.Gr.21 rockets + 2 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons
* 4 x Wfr.Gr.21 rockets + 4 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons

=== Defensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Defensive}}

{{main|MG 81 (7.92 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is defended by:

* 2 x 7.92 mm MG 81 machine guns, dorsal turret (750 rpg = 1,500 total)

== Usage in battles ==

This plane plays mostly like its predecessor, but it has the added bonus of search radar and a pair of upwards firing mg 151 cannons. This plane is also slightly slower and climbs worse due to the drag of the search radar and the extra radar operator. A strategy for experienced pilots is to turn the plane upside down and use the upwards firing guns to strafe ground targets,just remember to pull up in time! This plane is like a fusion between the bf110 g2 and the do 217 n2. You can use strategies used on both planes on this aircraft but less effectively. Watch out for enemies that can out-turn you, have a better climb than you, or if there are a horde of them.

=== Manual Engine Control ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
|-
! rowspan="2" | Mixer
! rowspan="2" | Pitch
! colspan="3" | Radiator
! rowspan="2" | Supercharger
! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
|-
! Oil !! Water !! Type
|-
| Not controllable || Controllable Auto control available || Controllable Auto control available || Controllable Auto control available || Separate || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Great variety of payload options
* Very powerful armament
* Has Schräge Musik cannons
* Can carry powerful Wfr.Gr.21 rockets
* Can carry the large SC1000L2
* Has radar capability

'''Cons:'''

* Not very manoeuvrable
* Rockets are hard to aim (they fire in an upwards arc meaning you will have to fire them at ground targets while shallow diving)
* Third crew member radar operator means slightly more weight than other Bf 110s
* Has the same db 605 engine as its predecessor meaning it is slower and climbs slower due to the extra drag and crewmate
* Due to it being slower, it gets even more easily get killed by the horde of allied seagulls in a dogfight.
*

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

== Media ==

''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==

''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==

''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on the aircraft;''
* ''other literature.''

{{AirManufacturer BFW}}
{{Germany twin-engine fighters}}