War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Sd.Kfz.234/2

2023-12-23T18:14:35Z

U153755289: I wonder if you know How they live in Tokyo If you seen it, then you mean it Then you know you have to go

{{About
| about = German light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Sd.Kfz.234 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_sdkfz_234_2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Sd.Kfz.234_2.jpg|ArtImage_Sd.Kfz.234-2.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is the first production variant and most well-known version of the [[Sd.Kfz.234 (Family)|Sd.Kfz.234 family]], a heavy armoured car used mainly as a reconnaissance vehicle, featuring the turret of the prototype VK 16.02 Leopard housing a [[KwK 39 (50 mm)|50 mm KwK 39]] cannon next to an MG42 machine gun. The Sd.Kfz 234 series were primarily built as a further improvement to Germany's reconnaissance vehicles after learning of the effectiveness of said type of vehicle with combat reports of the Sd.Kfz. series 231/232/233.

It was introduced in [[Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica"]]. A respectable armoured car, the {{PAGENAME}} presents great speed and a significant 50 mm KwK39/1 cannon. Due to its status as a light tank, and thus having the ability to scout, it should put more emphasis on its speed to put itself in an advantageous position to sight targets for allies, with its gun only for emergencies should an enemy vehicle try to get an upper hand on the vehicle. I wonder if you know

How they live in Tokyo

If you seen it, then you mean it

Then you know you have to go.
== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Vision ports)
* Wheel (Tires)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 30 mm (40°) ''Front plate'' 15 mm (70°), 30 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' 30 mm (35°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (34-35°) ''Top'' 8 (10-35°) + 4 mm || 10 mm (21°) ''Upper glacis'' 10 mm + 10 mm (46°) ''Lower glacis'' || 15 (20°) ''Driver compartment'' 5 mm ''Crew & engine compartments''
|-
| Turret || 30 mm (20°) ''Turret front'' 30 + 50 mm (conical) ''Gun mantlet'' || 14.5 mm (24-25°) || 14.5 mm (25°) 8 mm (22°) ''Pistol port'' || 8 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Torsion bars and wheels are 10 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
* Mudguards and storage boxes are 4 mm thick.
* Vision ports on car body are 10 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=325|rbMinHp=186}}

The Puma can reach a speed of around 45 km/h on flat terrain. Thanks to its transmission, it can drive in reverse with the same speed and manoeuvrability. Due to its wheeled design, it struggles in sand, snow, and mud. It is also hard to keep going straight in a line at high speeds. The game does offer some degree of compensation for this via the "Activate Cruise Mode" control binding under the "Tank Driving" subsection. When using Cruise Mode, hold down the desired key you bound its activation to, and steer with mouse movements, this allows pinpoint steering while retaining speed. However, you cannot shoot while using Cruise Mode, so use it wisely.

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

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

{{main|KwK.39/1 (50 mm)}}

The Puma fields the 50 mm KwK39/1 cannon, similar to the one in the late Panzer III models, as well as the same ammunition. The cannon was designed for an anti-tank role, and it does its job well. It can select from an APC shell penetrating 106 mm, which should be the main round, two APCR shells with 130 mm and 137 mm penetration respectively (a few of the better ones should be carried into battle, especially if you uptier the Puma, so it might see KV-1s, as well for long-range sniping), and an HE shell which can be used against AA trucks. As the APC shell has no ballistic cap, it might struggle against angled armour, so it is best to go for side shots. With a reload of 4.1 seconds and high velocity shells, this tank can do the job both in close quarters and at long range.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK.39/1 (50 mm)|50 mm KwK.39/1]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 55 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 13.3 || 18.4 || 22.4 || 24.8 || 26.4 || rowspan="2" | 4.81 || rowspan="2" | 4.25 || rowspan="2" | 3.92 || rowspan="2" | 3.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.3 || 9.8 || 11.9 || 13.2 || 14.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:KwK.39/1 (50 mm)/Ammunition|PzGr 39, PzGr 40/1, PzGr 40, Sprgr. 38}}

==== [[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
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''55''' || 33 ''(+22)'' || 29 ''(+26)'' || 25 ''(+30)'' || 21 ''(+34)'' || 17 ''(+38)'' || 13 ''(+42)'' || 9 ''(+46)'' || 5 ''(+50)'' || 1 ''(+54)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_Sd.Kfz.234-2.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|MG42 (7.92 mm)}}

The Puma has a coaxial MG42 that can't penetrate the weakest tank armour and is only useful against exposed crew members.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG42 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG42]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,950 (150) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Puma adopts a lot of typical light tank tactics. To play this vehicle well, you must shoot and scoot. Your fast reload times with a very fast reverse speed makes it ideal for firing around a corner, then backing up and flanking. The tank is very fast on the road; however, it has poor performance off-road, so it is not recommended on desert maps and muddy maps where you can get slowed down by the terrain. Since you have weak armour and a compact crew module, penetrative shots typically result in your destruction. It is advised to not brawl with tanks and to flank whenever possible, using your speed and mobility versus enemy tanks as your armour. Use the terrain to your advantage, firing over hills and making good use of your gun depression. Sidescrape corners and do not hold angles, as you will most likely be destroyed.

The tank's speed in combination with its low spawn cost in RB as a light tank makes it ideal to spawn in at the start of the game and capture the objective in 2 or 3 point domination. This guarantees you spawn points for a respawn and gives you opportunities to flank the enemy.

The real beauty of the Puma is its ability to flank around different parts of the map rapidly. It is extremely manoeuvrable and can traverse most types of terrain very quickly (avoid mud). You should take up a covert playstyle with this vehicle. Even if you see an enemy, you should only fire at the perfect moment, where you are guaranteed a score. This especially applies to T-34s and KV-1s, where hits to the side or rear are far more effective. This being said, the 5 cm gun is a great gun. It is easy to use, high velocity, accurate and has a good range of ammunition.

Notable enemies you will meet are the [[T-34 (1942)]] and [[M4]] Sherman, along with armoured tanks like the [[Churchill I]], [[Matilda III]], [[Valentine XI]], and the [[KV-1 (L-11)]] These tanks are difficult to penetrate and require advanced knowledge of weak spots, so it is advised to avoid these where possible. Medium tanks are easier to combat if flanked; however, it is not always reliable due to the weak penetration of the PzGr 39 and the poor penetration of sloped armour for PzGr 40.

Out of all the enemies you will meet, the T-34s are probably the biggest threat. The sloped armour is difficult to penetrate, and they have excellent mobility, meaning you will meet them often. The gun is also utterly devastating for the Puma. The high explosive filler and range of shells will make short work of your vehicle. If you encounter an T-34 (any variant), aim for the turret cheeks and take out the gunner. Aiming at the frontal hull armour is unreliable and often results in a ricochet. T-34s are also very, very mobile, so it is best to go for side shots on them if you insist on engaging them.

Shermans also present the problem of sloped frontal armour. The M4A1 isn't as much of an issue, but the M4/M4A2/M4A3 variants are more difficult to penetrate. From the side, Shermans have flat armour and tall profiles. They are easy to destroy when flanked, but they too have exceptionally good mobility, especially cross-country, so they can be even more of a pain to deal with than T-34s. They also have short-stop stabilizers and .50 cals which make them even more of a threat.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* The gun is powerful, fast to reload, and can effectively penetrate armour on the M4's front at 200 m. Its APCR has a penetration of up to 137 mm, which is effective against KV-1
* Extremely high forward and reverse speeds make it the fastest vehicle on the road; can get to positions quickly or retreat fast
* Small and narrow frontal profile allows it to hide behind small bushes or rocks; it's also harder to get hit
* Can be a great scout vehicle in higher ranks due to its fast speed. Even the [[M18 GMC]] cannot easily outrun it
* Only 8 mm side armour, meaning some shells will go straight through without being detonated
* Has a wide range of good-looking camouflage to unlock. Suitable for almost every terrain/map
* Has 6 smoke grenades, that create a wide frontal screen when launched; very useful when trying to cover up a general area
* Surprisingly durable at times, due to inexperienced players shooting at the front, ignoring the crew member lying in the back
* Gun mantlet is thick and covers most of the turret, which makes the turret surprisingly durable

'''Cons:'''

* Thin armour overall, can get killed by almost anything including artillery strikes, strafing planes and [[M2 Browning (12.7 mm)|.50 cal M2 Browning]]
* Vulnerable to overpressure (HE shells, artillery strikes, bombs, and rockets)
* Compact crew compartment, will be easily destroyed in one shot
* Relatively slow turret rotation, combined with the sharp turns at high speed, it is hard to aim
* Relatively low calibre shells tend to bounce off angled armour, angled hull of the [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]] is almost impossible to penetrate
* Starts to snake around at high speeds, making it hard to control, needing counter-steering.
* Sluggish mobility on snowy and desert maps, which takes away its mobility advantage
* Cannot turn in place due to wheels
* Hard to control at top speed

== History ==

{{:Sd.Kfz.234/2/History}}
== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_sdkfz_234_2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Sights

* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/675135/en/ RideR2's Realistic gunsight (TZF4a, TZF 5a/b/d/e/f/f2, TZF 9b/b1/c/d, TZF 12/a) for Pzkpfw II, Pzkpfw III, Pzkpfw IV, Pzkpfw V, Pzkpfw VI] (Sd.Kfz.234/2 included)

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="250">
File:Sdkfz. 2342 media 1.png|A Sd.Kfz.234/2 engaging an M4A1 Sherman
File:Sdkfz.2342 media 2.png|A Sd.Kfz.234/2 and a T-50 performing a flanking attack on an M4A1 Sherman
</gallery>

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[T18E2]]
* [[AEC Mk II]]
* [[SARC MkVI (2pdr)]]
* [[SARC MkVI (6pdr)]]
* [[AB 43|AB43]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4713-development-sd-kfz-234-2-puma-the-nimble-feline-predator-en|[Devblog] Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma: The Nimble Feline Predator]]

{{Germany light tanks}}
[[Category:Wheeled ground vehicles]]

Wiesel 1A4

2023-12-21T20:23:44Z

U153755289: /* Description */

{{About
| about = German SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Wiesel (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_wiesel_1_mk20
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

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

The Wiesel 1A4, while very weak in both armour and armament, is very small and fast compared to most other vehicles at its BR. Given the ability to spot, use thermals, and help teammates with repairs, the Wiesel handles a lot closer to a light tank than an SPAA as it has very limited gun elevation at 45°. Even with its poor elevation, the Rh202 is capable of taking down aircraft found at its BR such as the [[Su-9]] as well as lightly-armoured vehicles like the [[U-SH 405]].
It's wonderful.

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

The armour is very thin throughout the vehicle, only able to protect from shrapnel and rifle-calibre machine gun fire. Anything with a calibre of 12.7 mm or larger will penetrate. The external fuel tank provides a minor increase in protection, but is still able to be penetrated by large-calibre machine guns. The interior armour provides minor protection to spalling and small shells, but isn't guaranteed to stop anything above 12.7 mm upon penetration. Two vents can be found on the tank with 5 mm of armour, one on the top above the radiator and the other in the middle of the left side, while not much of a difference, if shot at the right angle rifle-calibre machine gun fire can penetrate. The driver and gunner are sitting in a line if looking directly from the front or at a slight angle, which increases the likelihood of getting both knocked out with a single shot. Moreover, as there are only 2 crew members, losing even 1 man will knock out the vehicle unless on a point with crew replenishment.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Front, side, rear, roof, turret)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 8 mm (61°) ''Upper glacis'' 8 mm (10°) ''Lower plate'' 8 mm (67°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (33°) ''Top'' 8 mm ''Bottom'' 8 mm (34°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (47°) ''Upper plate'' 8 mm (29°) ''Lower plate'' 8 mm (29°-55°) ''Fuel Tank'' || 8 mm (29°) ''Front glacis'' 8 mm (29°) ''Driver compartment'' 6 mm ''Fighting compartment'' 5 mm ''Engine vents''
|-
| Turret || 8 mm (51°) ''Turret front'' 6 mm (6°) Optic 6 mm (3°-7°) Ammo || 8 mm (21-40°) Turret || 8 mm (27°) || 6 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* There is a 5 mm RHA internal plate separating the engine compartment from the crew.
* Tracks, suspension wheels, and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.
* Mudguards and storage boxes are 5 mm thick, mud flaps are 2 mm thick.
* The gun breech is 150 mm thick and the gun mount is 6 mm thick (including ammo boxes).

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=124|rbMinHp=77}}

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

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

{{main|Rh202 (20 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[Rh202 (20 mm)|20 mm Rh202]] || 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" | 400 (100) || rowspan="2" | 800 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+45° || rowspan="2" | ±110° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 52.8 || 73.1 || 88.8 || 98.2 || 104.5 || rowspan="2" | 10.40 || rowspan="2" | 9.20 || rowspan="2" | 8.48 || rowspan="2" | 8.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 35.7 || 42.0 || 51.0 || 56.4 || 60.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''DM51A1:''' {{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|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}
* '''DM43:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''DM63:''' {{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|APDS|Armour-piercing discarding sabot}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}

{{:Rh202 (20 mm)/Ammunition|HVAP-T, HEFI-T, APDS}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo type
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''4''' '''400''' || ''Magazines'' ''Rounds'' || 3 ''(+1)'' 300 ''(+100)'' || 2 ''(+2)'' 200 ''(+200)'' || 1 ''(+3)'' 100 ''(+300)'' || 0 ''(+4)'' 0 ''(+400)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* The ammunition is modeled as 4 magazines of 100 rounds.
* Even though racks 3 & 4 both are fed into the gun, the gun still reloads when switching from rack 3 to 4.

== Usage in battles ==

The Wiesel 1A4 is small, light and thus has great acceleration, which can help you to get to positions early and to arrive at capture points before the enemies. Given its very low profile, it can hide behind almost everything and can provide support for the team. The Wiesel 1A4 is very lightly armoured, thus it should not be used to attack enemies head-on but instead act as an intelligence vehicle for the team, scouting and marking enemies on the minimap for your teammates. The Rh202 20 mm is effective against lightly armored vehicles, but it has low post-penetration damage, meaning you may need to aim for specific components to do significant damage. It is very effective if used as a spotter because it has Generation 3 thermals, something essentially no other vehicle at its BR can boast, and with its low profile and high mobility it gets around the map extremely effectively. As for anti-aircraft purposes, its limited elevation of 45 degrees can hinder its performance, but the gun makes quick work of any low flying aircraft that fly within your elevation range. With this much scouting, the Wiesel 1A4 can also work as an effective segway into an aircraft, as you can scout enemies constantly while hiding in unorthodox spots and lead your teammates to the unsuspecting enemies in front of you. It is especially effective in uptiers, as you may feel that your other vehicles may not handle opponents of a higher BR bracket, and thus want to support the team via aircraft or helicopters instead.

Another useful ability is the fact that the Wiesel 1A4 is equipped with a Laser Rangefinder (LRF). This allows the Wiesel to precisely determine the range to a target and automatically elevate its gun barrel, letting your shots connect with very little margin for error. This has two main uses - the first, to hit light targets such as enemy SPAAs ([[ZSU-23-4]]s, [[ZSU-37-2]]s, [[ZSU-57-2]]s and [[M163]]s among many others) or IFVs ([[M3]], [[BMP-1]]s and [[BMP-2]]s) with pinpoint accuracy at range, to reduce the chance of enemy return fire. The second is in a squad, where you may team up with vehicles such as the [[Centurion Mk.5 AVRE]] to gauge the precise distance to a target using your LRF, allowing your squadmate to lob a shell with lethal accuracy with your help. This, however, may require some pre-planning between the two users before the match and will only come into play with careful coordination.

In conclusion, the Wiesel 1A4 has a rather passive playstyle, with very limited anti-tank options. You can rush a capture point early on with your mobility, find a well-protected hiding spot and scout enemy targets for your team before getting into an aircraft after dying, or try and support your teammates more directly by flanking aggressively with the APDS belt to shred enemy IFVs and light tanks, disable the barrels, tracks and engines of heavier armor and shoot down the occasional aircraft or helicopter (the latter of which can be LRFed for better precision). In premade squads it can also be an effective battle coordinator for the squad with its good thermal vision sights, small size, scouting and laser rangefinder.
=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent acceleration and mobility
* Good anti-air capability
* Low profile, can hide in small areas
* High rate of fire on the Rh202 20mm
* Access to 3rd generation thermals, the DM63 APDS belt and a laser rangefinder
* Can scout enemy targets
* Effective firepower against lighter enemy targets
*High utility

'''Cons:'''

* Paper-thin armour
* Lacks consistent anti-tank abilities against contemporary enemies
* Low post-penetration damage
* Non-360° turret
* Gun overheats relatively quickly
* Poor gun elevation compared to other SPAAs

== History ==

=== Development ===
Initially developed in 1979 by Rheinmetall for the Bundeswehr as an airborne light armoured vehicle, the Wiesel was equipped with Rheinmetall's own Mk 20 RH-202 20 mm autocannon and designed to be small enough to fit inside standard NATO transport aircraft and even the CH53G Sea Stallion helicopter. The Wiesel was supposedly capable of being air dropped alongside airborne elements and was meant to act as armoured support for airborne troops though this idea was abandoned due to many failed tests. The Wiesel 1A4 was designed to combat infantry, tanks, armoured vehicles, and even aircraft. The Wiesel program was temporarily shut down in 1978 due to a lack of adequate funding though continued development later after interest was heard from other countries. The Bundeswehr eventually ordered 343 Wiesels in 1985.

=== Combat usage ===
The Wiesel 1A4 first saw service in 1993 as a part of the UN mission to Somalia ([[wikipedia:United_Nations_Operation_in_Somalia_II|UNOSOM II]]) as part of the German peacekeeping force. Soon after, the Wiesel participated in NATO's Implementation Force ([[wikipedia:Implementation_Force|IFOR]]) which took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1995-1996. Continuing after was NATO's Stabilization Force ([[wikipedia:Stabilisation_Force_in_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina|SFOR]]) also taking place in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1996-2004. It participated in yet another NATO mission in Kosovo as part of the Kosovo Force ([[wikipedia:Kosovo_Force|KFOR]]) from 1999-Present (2022). The Wiesel then was a part of [[wikipedia:Operation_Essential_Harvest|Operation Essential Harvest]] taking place in the Republic of Macedonia in 2001 to combat insurgencies. Lastly, Wiesel took part in the International Security Assistance Force ([[wikipedia:International_Security_Assistance_Force|ISAF]]) in Afghanistan from 2001-2014.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_wiesel_1_mk20 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|QRb3o5OJsHo|'''Wiesel 1: Firepower for the Fallschirmjäger''' - ''Military History Visualized''}}

== See also ==


; [[Wiesel (Family)]]

* [[Wiesel 1A2]]
* [[Ozelot]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7376-development-wiesel-armored-vehicles-mk20-tow-2-adwc-en|[Devblog] Wiesel armored vehicles: MK20/TOW/2 ADWC]]

{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}

Kugelblitz

2023-12-21T10:11:10Z

U153755289: minor grammar changes

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_flakpanzer_IV_Kugelblitz
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Flakpanzer IV "Kugelblitz"''' is the third variant of the [[Flakpanzer IV (Disambiguation)|Flakpanzer IV self-propelled anti-aircraft gun family]]. The Panzer IV medium tank chassis is combined with a newly designed oscillating turret to provide complete protection for the crews. This turret was completely enclosed, with overhead protection and full traverse. The disruption caused by Allied bombing efforts prevented mass production from taking place.

Introduced in [[Update 1.43]], the Flakpanzer IV "Kugelblitz" is an extremely competitive vehicle. Its twin-mounted 30 mm Maschinenkanone 103/38 provides high destructive power against enemy air and ground targets. The main armament is fast-firing and precise, requiring only one or two shells to bring down even a bomber. Players can also equip armor-piercing ammunition belts to target enemy ground units. This machine can quickly destroy a column of enemy targets with well-executed flanking manoeuvres.

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

[[File:Kugel-xray.png|thumb|The X-Ray view of the Kugelblitz in the hangar, the 5 crew members locations inside the vehicle are visible, giving a visual understanding of the vehicle's survivability.]]
The Kugelblitz has high armor values compared to most SPAA, but the armour will not protect it against the main caliber guns of tanks at the battle rating. The survivability is quite good, the crew is well spaced and numerous, and the ammunition is unlikely to detonate. The Kugelblitz has excellent protection against strafing runs from enemy aircraft, although some aircraft cannons may penetrate the 10 mm hull armor and cause an engine fire.

Since the ball turret is enclosed and separated from the hull, the Kugelblitz can still operate its cannons after a successful penetration of the hull.

'''Armor type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armor

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80 mm || 30 mm || 20 mm || 10 mm
|-
| Turret || 30 mm ''Turret housing'' 20 mm ''Turret ball'' || 30 mm ''Turret housing'' 20 mm ''Turret ball'' || 30 mm ''Turret housing'' 20 mm ''Turret ball'' || 20 mm
|}
'''Notes:''' 


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


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

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

The Kugelblitz has a comparatively low gun traverse speed when not upgraded, so the Horizontal Drive and Elevation Mechanism modules are quite important. Another very useful modification is the M.Gr. ammo belt, which almost completely composed of high-explosive shells and helps to increase damage dealt to enemy aircraft. The two Pz.Gr. modules allow the vehicle to better engage enemy ground forces. These belts contain more high-penetration rounds than high-explosive ones, and increase the vehicle's effectiveness against armored targets. Still, they will not be able to penetrate most tanks frontally at this tier, and are better suited for engaging lightly-armored vehicles.

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

{{main|MK103/38 (30 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[MK103/38 (30 mm)|30 mm MK103/38]] (x2) || 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" | 1,200 (100) || rowspan="2" | 450 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+80° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 52.8 || 73.1 || 88.8 || 98.2 || 104.5 || rowspan="2" | 13.00 || rowspan="2" | 11.50 || rowspan="2" | 10.60 || rowspan="2" | 10.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 35.7 || 42.0 || 51.0 || 56.4 || 60.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-I|Armour-piercing incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI-T|High-explosive incendiary tracer (minengeschoß)}}
* '''M.Gr.:''' {{Annotation|HEI-T|High-explosive incendiary tracer (minengeschoß)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI-T|High-explosive incendiary tracer (minengeschoß)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI-T|High-explosive incendiary tracer (minengeschoß)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-I|Armour-piercing incendiary}}
* '''Pz.Gr.:''' {{Annotation|AP-I|Armour-piercing incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-I|Armour-piercing incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-I|Armour-piercing incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI-T|High-explosive incendiary tracer (minengeschoß)}}
* '''Pz.Gr. H:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI-T|High-explosive incendiary tracer (minengeschoß)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI-T|High-explosive incendiary tracer (minengeschoß)}}

{{:MK103/38 (30 mm)/Ammunition|HEI-T, AP-I, HVAP-T}}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''12''' || 6 ''(+6)'' || 0 ''(+12)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Ammunition is modeled as 12 magazines of 100 rounds.

== Usage in battles ==


'''Overview:'''

The Kugelblitz is a dedicated AA, however the guns do have decent penetration and the Kugelblitz has some armor and survivability, so targeting enemy ground vehicles is a possibility. However, air targets should still be the main focus of the Kugelblitz. Due to the survivability and firepower, the Kugelblitz is best placed near the frontlines in case it needs to support a teammate against an enemy ground vehicle, but it should not be directly in view of enemy tanks.

'''Tips:'''

The Kugelblitz is best used as a second or third spawn, because aircraft will not spawn at the beginning of the match. Do not engage aircraft too early, as you will only expose yourself. Begin firing at no more than 1-1.5 km range for the best effect. Always watch out for multiple aircraft, as one may hit you with bombs or rockets while you are distracted. The fast firing 30 mm guns are extremely potent, and will quickly dispatch most air targets after a few hits, even against heavy fighters and bombers. It is a good idea to learn the weak spots of enemy ground vehicles you will commonly face near the Kugelblitz's BR, as knowing these will allow the Kugelblitz to deal maximum damage.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* High rate of fire for a 30 mm cannon
* Fast turret rotation speed
* Very good at taking out other SPAA or lightly-armored vehicles
* Average movement speed
* Is closed-top unlike other open-top SPAAs, protecting it from lots of strafing that could otherwise be fatal
* HVAP round can penetrate 77 mm, improving efficacy against other tanks

'''Cons:'''

* Although having thick armor for an SPAA, it's still only a Panzer IV hull and not enough to stop any kind of tank shell at its rank, or fire from .50 cal HMGs
* Long reload time
* HVAP belt is 2/3 HE rounds, reducing effectiveness

== History ==


===Design===
In 1943, the Luftwaffe lost the control of the sky on the Eastern front. This made German armoured divisions become the target of enemy attackers and fighter-bombers. The German Army already had plenty of SPAA vehicles developed as interim solution at its disposal to protect ground forces. But these vehicles suffered from major weaknesses: they were almost all very lightly armored and open-top, exposing the crew to enemy fire, they had very tall silhouettes as they were improvised vehicles and they relied on a 20 mm caliber that starts being to ineffective at taking down enemy aircraft. The need for an enclosed crew compartment and a superior caliber were core requirements of the design.

===Development===
The development of the Kugelblitz relies on a previous project, a spherical Flak turret, designed to provide German submarines with adequate anti-aircraft defense capability. The oblate turret featured twin 30 mm cannons and was originally developed in early 1944 by the firm Alkett also responsible for the construction of SPAA vehicles. The turret was however never adopted by the German navy. This led the engineers of the firm to reuse the same type of design it for the needs of the new SPAA project.
Development started of the Kugelblitz in late 1944. The chassis chosen to integrate the turret remained a Panzer IV. The main difference was that a Tiger I turret ring was fitted on the Pz.IV to accommodate the large turret. Five prototypes were built but never tested. Mass production was even planned but never happened due to the intense Allied bombings of German factories from 1944 to 1945.

===Combat usage===
The Kugelblitz was never approved for service, as its development was not yet completed when the war ended in Europe. Several prototypes briefly saw combat during the Battle of Berlin or in engagements throughout Germany.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
A continuation of the line of German AA vehicles based on the Pz.IV tank. It was the first AA vehicle to have a fully enclosed turret. Only two were ever built, and they may not have been used in combat. Both of the AA vehicles that were released ended up in the anti-air artillery training battalion stationed at the Ohrdruf training ground in Thuringia.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_flakpanzer_IV_Kugelblitz Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|naeDoEwZ5Pg|'''German SPAAs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:32 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|PosWOnOGkSo|'''Best experimental vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 7:28 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|HGEXluz5nFA|'''A Successful Dead End? - Kugelblitz''' - ''Military History Visualized''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[Flakpanzer IV]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Flakpanzer 341]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/639|[Devblog] Flakpanzerkampfwagen IV "Kugelblitz"]]
* [[wikipedia:Kugelblitz|[Wikipedia] Kugelblitz]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2-germany-leichte-flakpanzer-iv-3-cm-kugelblitz/ <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Leichte Flakpanzer IV 3 cm "Kugelblitz"]

{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}