War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

StuG III F

2022-07-15T02:12:27Z

U75930390: /* Usage in battles */

{{About
| about = German tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = StuG III (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_stug_III_ausf_F
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ('''StuG III F''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. An improvement over the [[StuG III F|StuG III A]] with the installation of the longer [[StuK 40 (75 mm)|75 mm StuK 40 L/43]] gun.

This tank destroyer has a very high first-shot knock-out ability, due to the superb penetration, damage and accuracy of its gun. Right off the bat, the gun will easily penetrate medium tanks and the KV-1 at certain ranges, and the APCR ammo can consistently pen KV-1's at most ranges. Furthermore, its gun is very accurate and with proper range-finding and aim, hitting the bow gunner's port on a T-34 is possible from 800 meters. However, its frontal armour is insufficient for any form of "slugging match" and its reload time is extensive, so it should be used at long-medium ranges and moved into cover once a shot is fired.

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


With a maximum of only 50 mm of armour on the superstructure, the StuG III Ausf. F is vulnerable to most guns that it faces, and even to lower rank vehicles if they get close enough. It must instead rely on its low profile in order to stay hidden and avoid incoming fire.

The driver, commander, and gunner are seated in a row on the left side of the tank, and a single shot that penetrates that side of the superstructure will usually result in all three of them being disabled, rendering the StuG III completely helpless. On the left side is the loader as well as a generous ammunition rack, and shots to that side of the tank usually result in a much quicker return to the hangar.

It should also be noted that the thin roof armour can be vulnerable to aircraft cannon fire, or even heavy machine guns at very close ranges.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 30 mm (86°), 50 mm (50°) ''Front glacis'' 50 mm (23°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm || 30 mm (33°) ''Top'' 30 mm (11°) ''Bottom'' || 17 mm
|-
| Superstructure || 50 mm (9-10°), 30 mm (76°) || 30 mm || 30 mm (26-30°) || 11 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.

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


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

The mobility of the {{PAGENAME}} is very similar to that of the [[Panzer III]] medium tank on which it is based. It is quite adequate for relocating and keeping up with other tanks.

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

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

{{main|StuK40 (75 mm)}}

The 7,5 cm StuK 40 L/43 is almost identical to the 7,5 cm KwK 40 L/43 on the Pz.IV F2. It is one of the best guns in the game for its rank, combining excellent penetration, lethal APHE shells, high velocity, average rate of fire, and high accuracy, complementing the StuG's playstyle as a medium/long range tank destroyer. Unfortunately, the StuG III does not have the gun depression of the PzKpfw IV F2, and thus is not so good at taking advantage of terrain.

The StuK 40 also has access to an APCR round with excellent penetration, but its lethality is a lot worse than the APHE shell and it is very rare that the extra penetration is needed. The HEAT round is not worthy of consideration since its penetration is inferior to the APHE round's penetration at ranges up to 2,000 m.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[StuK40 (75 mm)|75 mm StuK40]] || 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" | 44 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+17° || rowspan="2" | ±10° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 13.2 || 18.3 || 22.2 || 24.6 || 26.1 || rowspan="2" | 7.67 || rowspan="2" | 6.79 || rowspan="2" | 6.25 || rowspan="2" | 5.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.9 || 10.5 || 12.8 || 14.1 || 15.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 137 || 135 || 123 || 110 || 98 || 88
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 163 || 159 || 143 || 126 || 110 || 96
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 740 || 6.8 || 1.2 || 14 || 28.9 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 450 || 4.4 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 872.1 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 919 || 4.1 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 550 || 5.74 || 0 || 0.1 || 686 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| K.Gr.Rot Nb. || 540 || 6.2 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''44''' || 22 ''(+22)'' || 17 ''(+27)'' || 1 ''(+43)'' || style="text-align:left" | No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Front right empty: 22 ''(+22)'' shells.

== Usage in battles ==

StuGs, with their thin side and top armour, should be careful of their position. If operating alone, StuGs should either move to the flanks in order to catch the enemy unaware, or operate behind friendly lines. Staying behind cover is preferable, although many rock formations will block the gun trajectory (whilst other tanks can simply shoot over them). Do always keep at least one flank covered, if the enemy is within range.

A particularly useful indicator is the [[Marder III]]. It features a similar gun, but are taller, and has a largely exposed crew. As a result of the latter, Marders are very fragile. If a Marder survives in a certain position, then the StuG is likely to do too.

The best tactic, of course, is to operate in cooperation with the team.

Operate in a squad with other StuGs, and at least one Pv.IV or Pz.III. They are taller, and might thus attract the enemy's attention, but draw fire away from the StuG for support while the StuG uses its powerful gun to destroy the enemy before it destroys the allied medium tanks.

When fighting without support, relocate after each shot as the StuG III is sufficiently mobile to evade detection often; also, if the team does not have air superiority, seek wooded areas, as otherwise any plane armed with 20 mm cannons can attempt to penetrate through the thin roof armour.

A StuG's best call in close combat should be constantly moving, keeping the Driver's viewpoint and it's opposite side, which is almost always a one shot due to the ammo sat there. Many times a StuG may not even move thinking their frontal armor is invincible, and this is where many tanks are able to outmaneuver the StuG's turn rate and hit the vulnerable side.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

* [[ZSD63]]: this SPAA has access to a full AP belt with 60+mm of penetration which makes it able to penetrate the StuG from any angle (even frontally) up close, and its quick rate of fire can finish all your crews with a short burst. Do not shoot at the hull below the turret as there is absolutely nothing inside, shoot the turret or the front hull. Multiple shots might be needed as its armour is so thin your shells will not detonate. Slightly angle your tank when reloading to avoid it penetrating your thin vertical armour. It has a rather boxy and tall hull with a geometric turret sitting at the back, slightly similar to a Wirbelwind's. You can also tell by looking at how it fires: the sound and green tracers are very rapid, much like a buzzsaw, but then it will remain silent for half a minute reloading. Note that an experienced ZSD player will hold its fire or shoot in single salvos with long halts between, making it look like that it's reloading.

* [[Sherman]]: any type of Sherman, with its stabilized main gun and high-calibre machine guns, has the capability to shoot out your tracks and transmission and kill you easily. Thankfully you can one-shot most Shermans frontally, but the Sherman will normally have the first shot off which requires you to defend until you are able to fire back. Angling your StuG like said above should be a common practice in any fight, and making your barrel and tracks hard to destroy should be the most important thing in the event of a one on one fight with a Sherman. Many competent Sherman players will normally avoid any frontal fight with a StuG and instead flank and hit the sides before the StuG is aware. Spatial awareness and keeping your surroundings in check is very key to being a good StuG player.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Powerful 75 mm cannon with decent penetration, great accuracy and velocity, and a piercing APCR shell: even with the stock AP it can frontally one-shot most opponents like [[M4]], [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]], [[M24 (Family)|M24]] or even the [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1]]
* Good mobility for relocating quickly
* Large gun mantlet and sections of highly sloped armour often deflect poorly aimed shots
* Low silhouette makes the StuG easy to conceal in RB and SB
* Completely enclosed vehicle means it resists strafing aircraft and artillery better than other SPGs

'''Cons:'''

* Poor survivability: weak, unsloped frontal armour of only 50 mm easily gets penetrated by common tanks like the [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]], 75 mm [[M4]] or even [[M3 Stuart (Family)|M3 Stuarts]], and once penetrated 3 crew are lined up for the shot, destroying the StuG
* Rather limited gun depression limits its capacity in hills
* Lack of a turret makes reacting to flanking enemies harder, especially against common opponents such as the [[M24 (Family)|M24]], [[M22]] and [[GAZ-MM (72-K)|GAZ]] trucks
* Obstacles on the ground (eg. stone walls) can easily block the low-profile StuG's view and gun

== History ==

===Development===
The role of a self-propelled gun came from combat experiences in World War I. During the German offensives on the Allied front, infantry lacked artillery support against fortifications in places out-ranged by their heavy artillery behind the lines. A need for a mobile artillery piece was necessary to keep up with the German infantry and fight enemy fortifications with a direct-fire assault role. The father of this concept was German General Erich von Manstein and was coined as the ''Sturmartillerie'' (assault artillery), and these units were to be embedded in infantry divisions.

On June 15, 1936, Daimler-Benz AG was ordered to develop a support vehicle mounting the 75 mm howitzer as its armament in a casemate structure with a traverse of 25 degrees. The vehicle was to provide full protection for its crew and be no taller than an average soldier. Daimler-Benz repurposed the chassis and running gear of their [[Pz.III E|Panzer III]] design for the role. These new vehicles were named the '''Sturmgeschütz III''' (assault gun), or the shortened '''StuG III''' and the finished designs were sent to Alkett for prototype production and five were produced in 1937. These prototypes were made of mild steel and had the 75 mm StuK 37 L/24 cannon, an adaption of the original 75 mm KwK 37 cannon on the [[Pz.IV E|Panzer IV]]. This gun would be featured on the StuG III variants Ausf. A to Ausf. E. The StuG III entered production from January 1940 to the end of the war on April 1945 due to the many upgrades done on the vehicle to increase serviceability and its low cost. At about a total production of 11,300 StuG III and its variants, the StuG III design was the most produced armoured fighting vehicle in German service.

===Design===
The StuG III had a fully enclosed armoured shell, keeping the crew safe within the vehicle. As a casemate structure, it has a limited traverse range for its front view, and the whole vehicle must be turned if a target is outside its traverse range. The StuG III featured about 50 mm of armour on the front, but about 30 mm of armour everywhere else, this was upgraded as the war progressed to 80 mm. The suspension system is identical to the Panzer III's, a torsion bar system. The StuG III had a crew of four, the commander, driver, loader, and gunner. Initial variants lack machine guns, so the StuG was required to work with support units to ensure it does not get overrun by infantry. It wasn't until December 1942 when a machine gun could be accommodated for the loader to use. Initial variants also did not have a commander's cupola so his view was quite restricted. However, models after September 1943 had them installed.

===Combat usage===
The StuG III was placed in the artillery branch of the Wehrmacht Heer as neither the infantry nor Panzer forces could accept the StuG vehicle. The StuGs were organized into battalions with 18 vehicles organized into three batteries of six vehicles each. The intent of the vehicle was to provide close support for infantry and so it was meant to destroy lightly-armoured targets and fortifications, not tanks. The vehicle served well in its intended role in the early parts of World War II in Poland and France Campaigns, proving highly successful. One prominent commander of the StuG III is Michael Wittman, who would eventually become the most popular tank ace in German service. However, during the German campaigns in World War II, they encounter more heavily armoured and armed tanks in the Allied sides, such as the French heavy tank Char B1, but it was the Soviets [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] and [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]] tanks that made the Germans rearm their vehicles to be better able to combat these tanks.

The [[StuG III A|initial Stug III design]] was up-gunned to better combat these newer tanks. The original 75 mm StuK 37 was inadequate so like the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer IV]]s, it was given a 75 mm StuK 40 L/43 cannon. This variant was the '''Ausf. F''' and with its new cannon, could penetrate about 91 mm of armour inclined at 30 degrees at 500 meters distance, being able to engage the Soviet T-34 designs. This upgrade changed the StuG III role from its usual infantry support role into a tank destroyer, though it can serve both roles with acceptable performance. The design was changed with an exhaust fan on top of the vehicle to vent out propellant fume that could accumulate in the tank from firing the cannon. An additional 30 mm of armour was welded on the tank to up the front armour from 50 mm to 80 mm in thickness. This, plus with the StuG III's low profile makes its concealment very easy to ambush tanks with its powerful 75 mm cannon. Some later models from December 1942 onward have the StuG III Ausf. F mounted the longer 75 mm StuK 40 L/48 cannon more commonly seen on the ''[[StuG III G|Ausf. G]]'' variant. Another redesign in 1942 had the StuG III chassis built from the improved [[Pz.III J|Panzer III Ausf. J]] and [[Pz.III L|Ausf. L]] with better rear armour protection and hull design. This redesigned variant was called the ''Ausf. F/8''. About 616 StuG III Ausf. F and F/8 were produced from March 1942 to December 1942.

This up-gunned StuG III variant was better able to destroy Allied armours like the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34]]s and the [[M4A1|M4 Sherman]]s. Another upgrade to the StuG III gave it the longer 75 mm StuK 40 L/48 cannon, and this variant was called the [[StuG III G|StuG III Ausf. G]].The vehicles were deemed very successful and attributed to more tank kills than any other armoured fighting vehicle in German service. The success of the StuG III urged Germany to prioritize the production of casemate structure vehicles built from chassis of other vehicles for further development in tank destroyers such as the [[Jagdpanther|JagdPanther]], [[Jagdpanzer 38(t)|Jagdpanzer 38(t)]], and the [[Ferdinand|Ferdinand]].

The StuG III design was also made into different variants with different armaments, such as a 105 mm howitzer on the ''[[StuH 42 G|StuH 42]]'' , a flamethrower on the ''StuG III (Flamm)'', and even a 150 mm sIG 33 infantry gun on the ''Sturm-Infanteriegeschütz 33B''.

===Legacy===
The StuG III design would see service in the entire war due to its adaptability to the changing course of the war, going from an offensive support weapon to a defensive tank destroyer. The StuG III holds the distinct title of knocking out the most Allied tanks in German service with about 20,000 tanks tallied, much more than the better [[Panther D|Panther]] and [[Tiger H1|Tiger]] tanks. It was a widely-exported design to Germany's allies, such as Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Spain, and Finland. The StuG III would continue serving in various countries past World War II in conflicts in the 1960s, such as the Six Days War in Syria's service that was donated by the Soviet Union. Today, some are still serving as static pillboxes on the Golan Heights.

=== In-game description ===
During the first battles on the Eastern Front, the low efficiency of the StuG III assault gun's anti-tank abilities became apparent. Stronger assault guns were needed to fight the Soviet T-34 and KV tanks. From the beginning of 1942 onward, the StuG III began to be outfitted with a long-barreled 75 mm Rheinmetall-Borsig StuK40 L/43, which had a long 43 caliber barrel. To give the gun a 20° horizontal field of fire, the cut-out in the front of the tower had to be enlarged. A ventilation fan was installed in the roof of the cabin to vent gases from the crew compartment. Some of the Ausf. F assault guns received a gun with a spherical muzzle brake.

Beginning in May 1942, an armour-covered Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung smokescreen system was installed in the rear of the vehicle's hull. In June 1942, the two front headlights were replaced by a single Notek blackout light installed on the middle of the upper-front hull. In August 1942, the configuration and angle of the tower forward armour plating was changed. Standard ammunition capacity was increased to 54 shells by no longer storing the shells in individual containers. Thanks to these changes, the vehicle's weight grew to 23,200 kilograms.

Production of the new Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. F released 364 vehicles between March and September 1942. This was the first variant of the StuG III to see large-scale production.

The Greater Germany artillery division was the first unit to receive the new vehicle, obtaining 22 self-propelled guns.

An important advantage of all of this SPG variants was its minimal profile, greatly reducing its chances of taking direct hit from long- and medium-range threats and allowing it to effectively use many different kinds of cover.

== Media ==


;Skins

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

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|a9IFP5bBY7Q|'''{{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;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Germany tank destroyers}}

Ostwind

2022-07-15T01:50:18Z

U75930390: /* Usage in battles */

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

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German SPAA {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.43]]. The younger brother of the infamous Wirbelwind, Ostwind, is another German SPAAG, which is another force to be reckoned with. It switches quad 20mm autocannons for one 37mm gun, which comes with its advantages and disadvantages. The chassis is the same as on the previous SPAAG. While the player doesn't have to reload the primary weapon, which allows for the continuous fire, he or she has to be aware of overheating. Default belt works wonders against planes and ground tech alike.

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


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
!Armour
!Front (Slope angle)
!Sides (Slope angle)
!Rear (Slope angle)
!Roof
|-
|Hull
|20 mm (70°) ''Upper Glacis''
80 mm (10°, 20°) ''Front, Lower Glacis''
|30 mm
|20 mm
|10 mm
|-
|Turret
|25 mm (50°)
|25 mm (50°)
|25 mm (50°)
!
|}

The Ostwind is lightly armoured, as most anti-air vehicles are, but is also unexpectedly survivable. With 5 crew members and a fairly spacious crew compartment, it is not uncommon for the vehicle to survive a direct hit from a shell, even one containing explosive filler. A center-mass shot to the hull will often only hit the ammunition storage, and there is a good chance that the ammo will not detonate in these situations.

However, this does not mean that the Ostwind is incredibly well-protected by any stretch of the imagination. It is still only a lightly armoured SPAA, and enemy tanks will have absolutely no trouble destroying it. Usually, a well-placed shot can at least cripple the Ostwind's ability to move or fire. Also note that the Ostwind's turret is completely exposed, making the three crew members within very vulnerable to strafing attacks by enemy aircraft.

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


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

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

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

{{main|FlaK43 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[FlaK43 (37 mm)|37 mm FlaK43]] || 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" | 1,000 (8) || rowspan="2" | 250 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+87° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 30.82 || 42.66 || 51.80 || 57.28 || 60.94 || rowspan="2" | 0.31 || rowspan="2" | 0.28 || rowspan="2" | 0.25 || rowspan="2" | 0.24
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.83 || 24.50 || 29.75 || 32.90 || 35.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|APHE|Armour-piercing high-explosive}}{{-}}{{Annotation|FI-T|Fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''Sprgr. 18:''' {{Annotation|FI-T|Fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''PzGr:''' {{Annotation|APHE|Armour-piercing high-explosive}}
* '''M.Gr.18:''' {{Annotation|FI-T|Fragmentation 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
|-
| Default || 49 || 46 || 33 || 22 || 14 || 10
|-
| Sprgr. 18 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| PzGr || 49 || 46 || 33 || 22 || 14 || 10
|-
| M.Gr.18 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Belt details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| Sprgr. 18 || FI-T || 820 || 0.62 || 0.3 || 0.1 || 49.3 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| PzGr || APHE || 770 || 0.69 || 1.2 || 9.0 || 22.1 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M.Gr.18 || FI-T || 914 || 0.55 || N/A || 0.1 || 108 || 47° || 56° || 65°
|-
|}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''125''' || 93 ''(+32)'' || 62 ''(+63)'' || 31 ''(+94)'' || 6 ''(+119)'' || 1 ''(+124)'' || 0 ''(+125)'' || No
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Ostwind is best played in an anti-aircraft role. When this play-style is used, it is recommended (as it is recommended for any anti-air vehicle) to fire only when there is a good chance of hitting enemy aircraft. Firing at long ranges with the hopes of getting a lucky hit is both a waste of ammunition and a good way to broadcast your position to enemy ground and air units. Also, try to stay near cover--next to buildings or under trees and shrubbery--since the Ostwind's open turret makes its crew quite vulnerable to strafing attacks.

In a pinch, the Ostwind can be used to attack light and medium ground targets. This is often not the Ostwind's most effective use, but it is possible to destroy such enemy vehicles using the PzGr round, especially when firing at their sides or rear. Still, keep in mind that the Ostwind is itself lightly armoured, and quite easy to disable or destroy. If this vehicle is to be used in an anti-ground role, then it is best to avoid being detected by the enemy whenever possible. Also note that against heavier tanks such as the [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1]], the PzGr round will likely not be able to penetrate from any angle. Protecting yourself from any armoured vehicle should lead you to targetting the tank's barrels, tracks, and machine guns. Many tanks will need to be avoided completely, and the Ostwind will oftentimes be completely disabled before it is able to destroy all offensive armaments of a tank. A much more neutral playing style should be used when playing the Ostwind in order to not be caught in the middle of the match.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Never need to reload
* Very little lead required to hit enemy aircraft
* Reasonable rate of fire for the calibre (37 mm)
* A single hit often cripples or completely destroys an enemy aircraft
* Very effective against light tanks
* Rather difficult to kill with one shot
* Turret is better armoured than the Wirbelwind

'''Cons:'''

* Based on the chassis of a Pz.IV tank: the armour and the mobility are lacking
* A viewing port in the turret allows enemies to kill the gunner with machine gun fire
* Open turret; susceptible to aerial gunfire or blast overpressure
* Significantly hard to hit and kill an enemy aircraft with the 37 mm cannon
* PzGr APHE belt with highest penetration values almost never penetrates armoured vehicles (aside fron light and open-topped vehicles)
* Can get overwhelmed if there are several planes with its low rate of fire
* Once the cannon has overheated, cooling takes time and hinders combat performance

== History ==


From 1943 onward Germany began to place more and more emphasis on self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (SPAAGs). This was because the Luftwaffe had lost their aerial supremacy they had maintained early in the war, as the Allied powers were able to completely outpace the German industry in terms of aircraft production. This lead to designs such as the 3.7 cm ''Flak auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen'' IV (sf) "Möbelwagen", which was succeeded by the Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind - which was based on the Panzer IV chassis.

Designed in 1944, the Flakpanzer IV Ostwind (East Wind) was another Panzer IV based SPAAG, and it was designed to replace the earlier Wirbelwind. An unmodified Panzerkampfwagen IV chassis was used with the turret removed and replaced by a new open-topped hexagonal turret. The turret was open-topped to ventilate the large quantities of smoke generated by the gun, which would otherwise enter the enclosed crew compartment and cause harm to the crew. The armament of the Ostwind was a 3.7 cm Flak 43 anti-aircraft gun. The 37 mm gun was not only effective against aircraft, but also against lightly armoured vehicles and light fortifications. Compared to the Wirbelwind, the Ostwind had a slightly better protected turret and a more powerful armament. The Flak 43 was simply more powerful than the 2 cm Flak 38 guns of the Wirbelwind.

The Bundeswehr ordered 100 Flakpanzer IV Ostwinds in August 1944, but only 44 vehicles were completed between December 1944 and March 1945. 37 of the vehicles were converted from already existing PzKpfw IV tanks, and 7 were purpose-built. All conversions and constructions were carried out at Ostbau Werke in Sagan, Silesia (now in Poland).

=== In-game description ===
A development of the Wirbelwind project. The goal of the Ostwind project was to increase the unit's firepower, protection, and effective range. For this purpose, a 3.7 cm FlaK 43 anti-air gun was installed on it, and its turret's armour was increased to 25 mm. The first prototype was completed in September, 1944. In the same month, on the 23rd, it was used in combat operations on the Eastern Front. Between 1944 and 1945 Ostbau-Sagan released 43 mounts. They were more effective than their predecessors had been.

== Media ==


;Skins

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

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|naeDoEwZ5Pg|'''German SPAAs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:22 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|5rmqhfuEC90|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


;Related development

* [[Flakpanzer IV]]

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

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

{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}

Ostwind II

2022-07-14T23:35:38Z

U75930390: /* Usage in battles */

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_flakpanzer_IV_Ostwind_2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]], replacing the [[Flakpanzer 341]] in the German tech tree.

The {{PAGENAME}} is an average SPAAG which definitely has nothing to look for on the front line, however, there is a great advantage with its double cannon which becomes extremely dangerous for enemy aircraft which fly within range.

The {{PAGENAME}} has sufficient penetrating power to destroy [[M18 GMC|M18]]s or other light armoured vehicles, however, one should rather concentrate on enemy aircraft. The reasoning behind this is because the turret is open from above and weakly armoured on the sides, so is vulnerable to enemy aircraft fire and vehicles that carry .50 calibre machine guns.

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

[[File:Ostwind II armour.jpg|alt=Ostwind II armour|right|thumb|x200px]]

The frontal hull armour (80 mm) is quite well protected against small-calibre weapons and [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|.50 caliber BMG]]s, the sides (30 mm) and rear (20 mm) are not as well protected.

The turret is open at the top and has a rectangular recess in the right, frontal turret armour, because of the optics.

In addition, the steel of the turret (25 mm) is very weakly armoured, as well as the hull roof (10-12 mm).

Since the vehicle has a crew of six, with the driver and the machine gunner/radio operator in the hull, it usually survives the first attack from enemy aircraft as well as a shot into the turret.

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


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

The {{PAGENAME}} does not have that great average speed, which means that the 39 km/h will be rare on the battlefield. Forget about trying to turn on the spot as this vehicle does not have neutral steering. Even worse is attempting to use the reverse gear (-7 km/h) which is extremely insufficient presenting an easy target if having to back out of a tight situation.

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

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

{{main|FlaK44 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[FlaK44 (37 mm)|37 mm FlaK44]] (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" | 992 (8) || rowspan="2" | 250 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+87° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 30.82 || 42.66 || 51.80 || 57.28 || 60.94 || rowspan="2" | 0.31 || rowspan="2" | 0.27 || rowspan="2" | 0.25 || rowspan="2" | 0.24
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 20.83 || 24.50 || 29.75 || 32.90 || 35.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|APHE|Armour-piercing high-explosive}}{{-}}{{Annotation|FI-T|Fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''Sprgr. 18:''' {{Annotation|FI-T|Fragmentation incendiary tracer}}
* '''PzGr:''' {{Annotation|APHE|Armour-piercing high-explosive}}
* '''M.Gr.18:''' {{Annotation|FI-T|Fragmentation 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
|-
| Default || 49 || 46 || 33 || 22 || 14 || 10
|-
| Sprgr. 18 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3
|-
| PzGr || 49 || 46 || 33 || 22 || 14 || 10
|-
| M.Gr.18 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Belt details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| Sprgr. 18 || FI-T || 820 || 0.62 || 0.3 || 0.1 || 49.3 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| PzGr || APHE || 770 || 0.69 || 1.2 || 9 || 22.1 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M.Gr.18 || FI-T || 914 || 0.55 || 0 || 0.1 || 108 || 47° || 56° || 65°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''124''' || 92 ''(+32)'' || 62 ''(+62)'' || 30 ''(+94)'' || 6 ''(+118)'' || 2 ''(+122)'' || 0 ''(+124)'' || Yes
|-
|}

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

{{main|MG34 (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG34]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Hull || 1,800 (150) || 900 || -5°/+7° || ±10°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


;Realistic Battles

The {{PAGENAME}} should be held in reserve, for towards the end of the game when there tends to be a significant amount of enemy aircraft flying. It is best to avoid the front lines or beating feet toward the enemy tanks as the {{PAGENAME}} tends to be an easy target for a majority of the other tanks in the game.

If your own team is about to lose or it gets very exciting towards the end and there are not many enemies left alive, you can place your {{PAGENAME}} inside an allied capture-point to defend it from enemy light tanks. Due to the location, it is more central to the battlefield and presents a difficult challenge for enemy aircraft to attempt to fly over.

It should also be kept in mind that if impenetrable heavily armoured enemies are encountered and you are left with no other option but to engage them, firing in a sustained manner at their cannon barrel is a semi-viable idea. This is because it is entirely possible that it will result in a damaged cannon barrel for the enemy and a chance to escape for you. Furthermore, you can target the tank tracks as well to leave the enemy both harmless and immobile which may possibly get you a kill assist if a teammate with enough firepower is nearby. Any tank with top mounted machine guns will be sure to ruin the day, as most within the Ostwind's BR range will have plenty of penetrating power to hit anyone inside your turret. Avoidance of most American and Russian armor is highly recommended due to their exterior armaments.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* 2 x 3.7 cm FlaK 44 cannons with a high rate of fire
* M. Gr. 18 rounds have a high muzzle velocity and explosive mass
* Does not need to reload until it is completely out of ammunition
* Enough penetration to destroy enemy light armoured vehicles

'''Cons:'''

* Poorer-than-average mobility and top speed (Panzer IV chassis)
* Slower turret rotation compared to earlier German SPAAs
* Open-topped design makes it vulnerable to rockets, artillery strikes, and aircraft machine gun/cannon fire

== History ==


The Ostwind II was a development of the [[Ostwind]]. First conceived as early as October 1943, the Ostwind II saw the single 3.7 cm FlaK 43 replaced by a twinned 3.7 cm FlaK Zwilling 44 built by the ''Gustloff-Werke'' in Suhl. One single prototype was delivered to the ''Panzerflak-Ersatz und Ausbildungsabteilung Ohrsdurf/Thühringen'' in January of 1945 for evaluation purposes, but due to the rapid events of the war it was never taken into production.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_flakpanzer_IV_Ostwind_2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|naeDoEwZ5Pg|'''German SPAAs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:44 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|Tvf5Z49Tjc4|'''{{PAGENAME}}: Same Old Wind But Stock''' - ''Napalmratte''|KHoF40aIeEU|'''The {{PAGENAME}} SPAA''' - ''Orangefan''}}

== See also ==


* [[Ostwind]] - Predecessor with a single 37 mm FlaK 43 autocannon.
* [[Flakpanzer 341]] - Gift vehicle that the Ostwind II substituted in the main tech tree.

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6317-development-changes-and-optimization-in-the-german-tech-tree-en|[Development] Changes and optimization in the German tech-tree]]

{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}

Sd.Kfz.251/21

2022-07-14T23:30:27Z

U75930390: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = German SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Sd.Kfz.251 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_sdkfz_251_21
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Sd.Kfz.251-21.jpg|ArtImage_Sd.Kfz.251-21.png}}
}}

== 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}}

Armour is practically nonexistent with this vehicle at only 14 mm maximum. Notable weak spots are between the gunner and driver section, where the ammunition is stored. Four crew members are used with operating this vehicle, a driver, commander, loader, and gunner. It is typical for such a lightly armoured vehicle as this to stay behind in the spawn area, keeping an eye out for planes. Planes are usually an easy target to take down with your rapid firing 15 mm machine guns, so long as you don't use H-Pzgr, which will most often over-penetrate and cause less damage.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, gun shield)
* Wheel (front tires)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 14.5 mm (20°) ''Engine compartment'' 14.5 mm (29°) ''Driver cabin'' 8 mm (30°) ''Roof panel'' 8 mm (41°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (41°) ''Top - Engine'' 8 mm (35°) ''Top - Crew compartment'' 8 mm (30°) ''Top - Roof panel'' 8 mm (19°) ''Bottom - Engine'' 8 mm (34°) ''Bottom - Crew compartment'' 8 mm + 8 mm (34°) ''Storage bins'' 8 mm ''Bottom - Undercarriage'' || 8 mm (30°) 5.5 mm (41°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (8°) ''Engine compartment'' 5.5 mm ''Driver compartment''
|-
| Gun shield || 14.5 mm (33°) || 14.5 mm (13°) || colspan="2" style="text-align:center" | N/A
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick while torsion bars are 10 mm thick.
* Wheels are 10 mm thick and mudguards are 5 mm thick.
* The belly armour is 5.5 mm thick.

=== 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" | 1x 1,000 (500) 2x 1,000 (250) || rowspan="2" | 700 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+49° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 52.8 || 73.1 || 88.8 || 98.2 || 104.5 || rowspan="2" | 18.20 || rowspan="2" | 16.10 || rowspan="2" | 14.84 || rowspan="2" | 14.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 35.7 || 42.0 || 51.0 || 56.4 || 60.0
|-
|}

==== 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]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks Sd.Kfz.251-21.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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''8''' '''3,000''' || ''Magazines'' ''Rounds'' || 2 ''(+6)'' 1,000 || 2 ''(+6)'' 1,000 || Yes
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Ammunition is divided into 8 magazines.
* The visual discrepancy concerns the number of magazines: 8 magazines can be fired but only 6 are modeled.

== Usage in battles ==

Because the Sd.Kfz.251/21 lacks any sort of effective armour, it is highly recommended that you stay behind at spawn point, keeping an eye out for aircraft. It is ill-advised to try to engage ground vehicles as long as you haven't researched the H-Pzgr modification. This belt can penetrate 64 mm of armour at 10 m, so it is better to flank and shoot for lower side armour if possible. Beware of heavy tanks such as the KV-1: their minimum armour thickness is 75 mm, so that renders this heavy tank immune to your shots. Avoid if at all possible, but if you can't avoid, damage the cannon barrel and the tracks to give you time to escape.

In terms of engaging air, one should attempt to understand the importance of these principles; "Distance, lead, fire and hide". The Sd.Kfz.251/21 is such an under-armoured anti-air, it is recommended to only engage aircraft you are sure will be quickly dealt with, or incredibly close to you. Distance should be a large factor of how you pick targets, it you are not able to see the aircraft in full flying over a point or even your mini-map, do not engage at all. If the aircraft is near, continue on to the next step, leading the target. Leading is a vital learning curve of all beginning anti-air players and can often be quite difficult. The calibre of your main armament is a huge factor, as some former anti-air in the German tree are cannons that require more or less lead time. The Sd.Kfz.251/21 is one of the best vehicles to help teach how to lead aircraft, and it does not require excellent aim either, just aim for the important parts of an aircraft and spray and pray, but be conservative with your ammo and be sure not to jam your guns. Now that you have engaged, we move on to hiding. Hiding is very important on the Sd.Kfz.251/21, as even a small spray of fire from an aircraft will render you useless. Hiding behind tall buildings and under tree cover is excellent after engaging, but be sure that you are not running into an enemy tank. The principles are a important part of being competent with any anti-air vehicle moving into later BRs, and with time experience will aid you along the way.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Fast rate of fire
* Three machine guns can make accurate aiming less important because of the large volume of fire
* Has an dedicated anti tank belt, the H-Pzgr., which can go through most tanks from the side
* Good top speed
* Very fast turret traverse
* Crew members are quite spread out, difficult to one shot without HEAT
* Amazing turret traverse, allows easy target acquisition on any target
* Large amount of ammunition

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is extremely poor, can be penetrated by heavy machine guns and can be easily destroyed by overpressure
* Open topped, strafing planes can be devastating
* Near non-existent gun depression
* Gun elevation is quite poor for an anti-air vehicle.
* Reload time stock of 18.2 seconds can be dangerous
* Acceleration is mediocre at best
* Heavy calibre machine guns lack stopping power compared to the previous 20 mm and 37 mm cannons
* Large ammo cans can cause ammo racking to be very common from ground targets

== 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 ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_sdkfz_251_21 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<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>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|KWLXIN7mIGc|'''Germany suffers and needed this - Sd.Kfz.251/21 15mm''' - ''PhlyDaily'' (Review starts at 3:11)}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[M16 MGMC]]
* [[BTR-152A]]
* [[CCKW 353 (M45)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6991-development-sd-kfz-251-21-deadly-triplets-en|[Devblog] Sd.Kfz. 251/21: Deadly Triplets]]
* [[wikipedia:Sd.Kfz._251|[Wikipedia] Sd.Kfz. 251]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/sdkfz-251_hanomag.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Sd.Kfz.251]

{{TankManufacturer Hanomag}}
{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}

[[Category:Half-tracks]]

Sd.Kfz.251/21

2022-07-14T23:28:41Z

U75930390: /* Usage in battles */

{{About
| about = German SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Sd.Kfz.251 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_sdkfz_251_21
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Sd.Kfz.251-21.jpg|ArtImage_Sd.Kfz.251-21.png}}
}}

== 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}}

Armour is practically nonexistent with this vehicle at only 14 mm maximum. Notable weak spots are between the gunner and driver section, where the ammunition is stored. Four crew members are used with operating this vehicle, a driver, commander, loader, and gunner. It is typical for such a lightly armoured vehicle as this to stay behind in the spawn area, keeping an eye out for planes. Planes are usually an easy target to take down with your rapid firing 15 mm machine guns, so long as you don't use H-Pzgr, which will most often over-penetrate and cause less damage.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, gun shield)
* Wheel (front tires)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 14.5 mm (20°) ''Engine compartment'' 14.5 mm (29°) ''Driver cabin'' 8 mm (30°) ''Roof panel'' 8 mm (41°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (41°) ''Top - Engine'' 8 mm (35°) ''Top - Crew compartment'' 8 mm (30°) ''Top - Roof panel'' 8 mm (19°) ''Bottom - Engine'' 8 mm (34°) ''Bottom - Crew compartment'' 8 mm + 8 mm (34°) ''Storage bins'' 8 mm ''Bottom - Undercarriage'' || 8 mm (30°) 5.5 mm (41°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (8°) ''Engine compartment'' 5.5 mm ''Driver compartment''
|-
| Gun shield || 14.5 mm (33°) || 14.5 mm (13°) || colspan="2" style="text-align:center" | N/A
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick while torsion bars are 10 mm thick.
* Wheels are 10 mm thick and mudguards are 5 mm thick.
* The belly armour is 5.5 mm thick.

=== 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" | 1x 1,000 (500) 2x 1,000 (250) || rowspan="2" | 700 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+49° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 52.8 || 73.1 || 88.8 || 98.2 || 104.5 || rowspan="2" | 18.20 || rowspan="2" | 16.10 || rowspan="2" | 14.84 || rowspan="2" | 14.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 35.7 || 42.0 || 51.0 || 56.4 || 60.0
|-
|}

==== 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]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks Sd.Kfz.251-21.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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''8''' '''3,000''' || ''Magazines'' ''Rounds'' || 2 ''(+6)'' 1,000 || 2 ''(+6)'' 1,000 || Yes
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Ammunition is divided into 8 magazines.
* The visual discrepancy concerns the number of magazines: 8 magazines can be fired but only 6 are modeled.

== Usage in battles ==

Because the Sd.Kfz.251/21 lacks any sort of effective armour, it is highly recommended that you stay behind at spawn point, keeping an eye out for aircraft. It is ill-advised to try to engage ground vehicles as long as you haven't researched the H-Pzgr modification. This belt can penetrate 64 mm of armour at 10 m, so it is better to flank and shoot for lower side armour if possible. Beware of heavy tanks such as the KV-1: their minimum armour thickness is 75 mm, so that renders this heavy tank immune to your shots. Avoid if at all possible, but if you can't avoid, damage the cannon barrel and the tracks to give you time to escape.

In terms of engaging air, one should attempt to understand the importance of these principles; "Distance, lead, fire and hide". The Sd.Kfz.251/21 is such an under-armoured anti-air, it is recommended to only engage aircraft you are sure will be quickly dealt with, or incredibly close to you. Distance should be a large factor of how you pick targets, it you are not able to see the aircraft in full flying over a point or even your mini-map, do not engage at all. If the aircraft is near, continue on to the next step, leading the target. Leading is a vital learning curve of all beginning anti-air players and can often be quite difficult. The calibre of your main armament is a huge factor, as some former anti-air in the German tree are cannons that require more or less lead time. The Sd.Kfz.251/21 is one of the best vehicles to help teach how to lead aircraft, and it does not require excellent aim either, just aim for the important parts of an aircraft and spray and pray, but be conservative with your ammo and be sure not to jam your guns. Now that you have engaged, we move on to hiding. Hiding is very important on the Sd.Kfz.251/21, as even a small spray of fire from an aircraft will render you useless. Hiding behind tall buildings and under tree cover is excellent after engaging, but be sure that you are not running into an enemy tank. The principles are a important part of being competent with any anti-air vehicle moving into later BRs, and with time experience will aid you along the way.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

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

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is extremely poor, can be penetrated by heavy machine guns and can be easily destroyed by overpressure
* Open topped, strafing planes can be devastating
* Near non-existent gun depression
* Gun elevation is quite poor for an anti-air vehicle.
* Reload time stock of 18.2 seconds can be dangerous
* Acceleration is mediocre at best
* Heavy calibre machine guns lack stopping power compared to the previous 20 mm and 37 mm cannons
* Large ammo cans can cause ammo racking to be very common from ground targets

== 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 ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_sdkfz_251_21 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<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>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|KWLXIN7mIGc|'''Germany suffers and needed this - Sd.Kfz.251/21 15mm''' - ''PhlyDaily'' (Review starts at 3:11)}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[M16 MGMC]]
* [[BTR-152A]]
* [[CCKW 353 (M45)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6991-development-sd-kfz-251-21-deadly-triplets-en|[Devblog] Sd.Kfz. 251/21: Deadly Triplets]]
* [[wikipedia:Sd.Kfz._251|[Wikipedia] Sd.Kfz. 251]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/sdkfz-251_hanomag.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Sd.Kfz.251]

{{TankManufacturer Hanomag}}
{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}

[[Category:Half-tracks]]

Sd.Kfz.251/21

2022-07-14T23:28:05Z

U75930390: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = German SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Sd.Kfz.251 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_sdkfz_251_21
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Sd.Kfz.251-21.jpg|ArtImage_Sd.Kfz.251-21.png}}
}}

== 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}}

Armour is practically nonexistent with this vehicle at only 14 mm maximum. Notable weak spots are between the gunner and driver section, where the ammunition is stored. Four crew members are used with operating this vehicle, a driver, commander, loader, and gunner. It is typical for such a lightly armoured vehicle as this to stay behind in the spawn area, keeping an eye out for planes. Planes are usually an easy target to take down with your rapid firing 15 mm machine guns, so long as you don't use H-Pzgr, which will most often over-penetrate and cause less damage.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, gun shield)
* Wheel (front tires)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 14.5 mm (20°) ''Engine compartment'' 14.5 mm (29°) ''Driver cabin'' 8 mm (30°) ''Roof panel'' 8 mm (41°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (41°) ''Top - Engine'' 8 mm (35°) ''Top - Crew compartment'' 8 mm (30°) ''Top - Roof panel'' 8 mm (19°) ''Bottom - Engine'' 8 mm (34°) ''Bottom - Crew compartment'' 8 mm + 8 mm (34°) ''Storage bins'' 8 mm ''Bottom - Undercarriage'' || 8 mm (30°) 5.5 mm (41°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (8°) ''Engine compartment'' 5.5 mm ''Driver compartment''
|-
| Gun shield || 14.5 mm (33°) || 14.5 mm (13°) || colspan="2" style="text-align:center" | N/A
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick while torsion bars are 10 mm thick.
* Wheels are 10 mm thick and mudguards are 5 mm thick.
* The belly armour is 5.5 mm thick.

=== 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" | 1x 1,000 (500) 2x 1,000 (250) || rowspan="2" | 700 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+49° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 52.8 || 73.1 || 88.8 || 98.2 || 104.5 || rowspan="2" | 18.20 || rowspan="2" | 16.10 || rowspan="2" | 14.84 || rowspan="2" | 14.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 35.7 || 42.0 || 51.0 || 56.4 || 60.0
|-
|}

==== 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]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks Sd.Kfz.251-21.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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''8''' '''3,000''' || ''Magazines'' ''Rounds'' || 2 ''(+6)'' 1,000 || 2 ''(+6)'' 1,000 || Yes
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Ammunition is divided into 8 magazines.
* The visual discrepancy concerns the number of magazines: 8 magazines can be fired but only 6 are modeled.

== Usage in battles ==

Because the Sd.Kfz.251/21 lacks any sort of effective armour, it is highly recommended that you stay behind at spawn point, keeping an eye out for aircraft. It is ill-advised to try to engage ground vehicles as long as you haven't researched the H-Pzgr modification. This belt can penetrate 64 mm of armour at 10 m, so it is better to flank and shoot for lower side armour if possible. Beware of heavy tanks such as the KV-1: their minimum armour thickness is 75 mm, so that renders this heavy tank immune to your shots. Avoid if at all possible, but if you can't avoid, damage the cannon barrel and the tracks to give you time to escape.

In terms of engaging air, one should attempt to understand the importance of these principles; "Distance, lead, fire and hide". The Sd.Kfz.251/21 is such an under-armoured anti-air, it is recommended to only engage aircraft you are sure will be quickly dealt with, or incredibly close to you.

Distance should be a large factor of how you pick targets, it you are not able to see the aircraft in full flying over a point or even your mini-map, do not engage at all. If the aircraft is near, continue on to the next step, leading the target.

Leading is a vital learning curve of all beginning anti-air players and can often be quite difficult. The calibre of your main armament is a huge factor, as some former anti-air in the German tree are cannons that require more or less lead time. The Sd.Kfz.251/21 is one of the best vehicles to help teach how to lead aircraft, and it does not require excellent aim either, just aim for the important parts of an aircraft and spray and pray, but be conservative with your ammo and be sure not to jam your guns.

Now that you have engaged, we move on to hiding. Hiding is very important on the Sd.Kfz.251/21, as even a small spray of fire from an aircraft will render you useless. Hiding behind tall buildings and under tree cover is excellent after engaging, but be sure that you are not running into an enemy tank. The principles are a important part of being competent with any anti-air vehicle moving into later BRs, and with time experience will aid you along the way.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

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

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is extremely poor, can be penetrated by heavy machine guns and can be easily destroyed by overpressure
* Open topped, strafing planes can be devastating
* Near non-existent gun depression
* Gun elevation is quite poor for an anti-air vehicle.
* Reload time stock of 18.2 seconds can be dangerous
* Acceleration is mediocre at best
* Heavy calibre machine guns lack stopping power compared to the previous 20 mm and 37 mm cannons
* Large ammo cans can cause ammo racking to be very common from ground targets

== 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 ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_sdkfz_251_21 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<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>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|KWLXIN7mIGc|'''Germany suffers and needed this - Sd.Kfz.251/21 15mm''' - ''PhlyDaily'' (Review starts at 3:11)}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[M16 MGMC]]
* [[BTR-152A]]
* [[CCKW 353 (M45)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6991-development-sd-kfz-251-21-deadly-triplets-en|[Devblog] Sd.Kfz. 251/21: Deadly Triplets]]
* [[wikipedia:Sd.Kfz._251|[Wikipedia] Sd.Kfz. 251]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/sdkfz-251_hanomag.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Sd.Kfz.251]

{{TankManufacturer Hanomag}}
{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}

[[Category:Half-tracks]]

Sd.Kfz.251/21

2022-07-14T23:26:24Z

U75930390: /* Usage in battles */

{{About
| about = German SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Sd.Kfz.251 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_sdkfz_251_21
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_Sd.Kfz.251-21.jpg|ArtImage_Sd.Kfz.251-21.png}}
}}

== 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}}

Armour is practically nonexistent with this vehicle at only 14 mm maximum. Notable weak spots are between the gunner and driver section, where the ammunition is stored. Four crew members are used with operating this vehicle, a driver, commander, loader, and gunner. It is typical for such a lightly armoured vehicle as this to stay behind in the spawn area, keeping an eye out for planes. Planes are usually an easy target to take down with your rapid firing 15 mm machine guns, so long as you don't use H-Pzgr, which will most often over-penetrate and cause less damage.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, gun shield)
* Wheel (front tires)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 14.5 mm (20°) ''Engine compartment'' 14.5 mm (29°) ''Driver cabin'' 8 mm (30°) ''Roof panel'' 8 mm (41°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (41°) ''Top - Engine'' 8 mm (35°) ''Top - Crew compartment'' 8 mm (30°) ''Top - Roof panel'' 8 mm (19°) ''Bottom - Engine'' 8 mm (34°) ''Bottom - Crew compartment'' 8 mm + 8 mm (34°) ''Storage bins'' 8 mm ''Bottom - Undercarriage'' || 8 mm (30°) 5.5 mm (41°) ''Lower glacis'' || 8 mm (8°) ''Engine compartment'' 5.5 mm ''Driver compartment''
|-
| Gun shield || 14.5 mm (33°) || 14.5 mm (13°) || colspan="2" style="text-align:center" | N/A
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick while torsion bars are 10 mm thick.
* Wheels are 10 mm thick and mudguards are 5 mm thick.
* The belly armour is 5.5 mm thick.

=== 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" | 1x 1,000 (500) 2x 1,000 (250) || rowspan="2" | 700 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+49° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 52.8 || 73.1 || 88.8 || 98.2 || 104.5 || rowspan="2" | 18.20 || rowspan="2" | 16.10 || rowspan="2" | 14.84 || rowspan="2" | 14.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 35.7 || 42.0 || 51.0 || 56.4 || 60.0
|-
|}

==== 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]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks Sd.Kfz.251-21.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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''8''' '''3,000''' || ''Magazines'' ''Rounds'' || 2 ''(+6)'' 1,000 || 2 ''(+6)'' 1,000 || Yes
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Ammunition is divided into 8 magazines.
* The visual discrepancy concerns the number of magazines: 8 magazines can be fired but only 6 are modeled.

== Usage in battles ==

Because the Sd.Kfz.251/21 lacks any sort of effective armour, it is highly recommended that you stay behind at spawn point, keeping an eye out for aircraft. It is ill-advised to try to engage ground vehicles as long as you haven't researched the H-Pzgr modification. This belt can penetrate 64 mm of armour at 10 m, so it is better to flank and shoot for lower side armour if possible. Beware of heavy tanks such as the KV-1: their minimum armour thickness is 75 mm, so that renders this heavy tank immune to your shots. Avoid if at all possible, but if you can't avoid, damage the cannon barrel and the tracks to give you time to escape.

In terms of engaging air, one should attempt to understand the importance of these principles; "Distance, lead, fire and hide". The Sd.Kfz.251/21 is such an under-armoured anti-air, it is recommended to only engage aircraft you are sure will be quickly dealt with, or incredibly close to you.

Distance should be a large factor of how you pick targets, it you are not able to see the aircraft in full flying over a point or even your mini-map, do not engage at all. If the aircraft is near, continue on to the next step, leading the target.

Leading is a vital learning curve of all beginning anti-air players and can often be quite difficult. The calibre of your main armament is a huge factor, as some former anti-air in the German tree are cannons that require more or less lead time. The Sd.Kfz.251/21 is one of the best vehicles to help teach how to lead aircraft, and it does not require excellent aim either, just aim for the important parts of an aircraft and spray and pray, but be conservative with your ammo and be sure not to jam your guns.

Now that you have engaged, we move on to hiding. Hiding is very important on the Sd.Kfz.251/21, as even a small spray of fire from an aircraft will render you useless. Hiding behind tall buildings and under tree cover is excellent after engaging, but be sure that you are not running into an enemy tank. The principles are a important part of being competent with any anti-air vehicle moving into later BRs, and with time experience will aid you along the way.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Fast rate of fire
* Three machine guns can make accurate aiming less important because of the large volume of fire
* Has an dedicated anti tank belt, the H-Pzgr., which can go through 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 overpressure
* Open topped, strafing planes can be devastating
* Near non-existent gun depression
* Gun elevation is quite poor for an anti-air vehicle.
* Reload time stock of 18.2 seconds can be dangerous
* Acceleration is mediocre at best
* Heavy calibre machine guns lack stopping power compared to the previous 20 mm and 37 mm cannons

== 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 ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_sdkfz_251_21 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<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>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|KWLXIN7mIGc|'''Germany suffers and needed this - Sd.Kfz.251/21 15mm''' - ''PhlyDaily'' (Review starts at 3:11)}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[M16 MGMC]]
* [[BTR-152A]]
* [[CCKW 353 (M45)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/6991-development-sd-kfz-251-21-deadly-triplets-en|[Devblog] Sd.Kfz. 251/21: Deadly Triplets]]
* [[wikipedia:Sd.Kfz._251|[Wikipedia] Sd.Kfz. 251]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/sdkfz-251_hanomag.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Sd.Kfz.251]

{{TankManufacturer Hanomag}}
{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}

[[Category:Half-tracks]]

He 100 D-1

2022-07-14T23:12:58Z

U75930390: /* Usage in battles */

{{Specs-Card
|code=he_100d_1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai"]].

The He 100 is by loose definition a Boom and Zoom aircraft. Being the fastest plane at its rank, the He 100 enjoys a world of possibilities and tactics. If one attack run isn't enough to destroy the enemy, just extend or go into a zoom climb (which is aided by the plane's very good climb rate). When played with discipline, this tactic allows the He 100 to dominate almost every match it plays.

The He 100's biggest weakness is its cooling system, which is distributed all over the aircraft, especially in the nose and wings. If hit, there's a roughly 70% chance that it will begin to leak water and overheat, requiring an almost immediate return to base. Because of this, is vital to prioritize the safety of the aircraft when in battle. Even one stray bullet can be enough to send this plane back to the hangar.

Another weakness is the armament, which consists of only 3 x 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, which do not have the stopping power to take out bombers or more heavily armoured aircraft. Also, the ammunition supply is not extraordinarily large, so some trigger discipline will be required.

== 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 5,000 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
| 651 || 635 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 21.1 || 21.9 || 13.8 || 13.7 || rowspan="2" | 350
|-
! Upgraded
| 693 || 670 || 19.0 || 20.0 || 19.9 || 16.6
|-
|}

==== 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}} || 487 || 471 || 280 || ~12 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 340 || < 420 || < 400 || > 312
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 4,000 m || 1,020 hp || 1,081 hp
|-
|}

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


* 10 mm Steel plate behind the pilot
* No armour glazing
* Critical components located at front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)
* Oil cooling system in vertical and horizontal stabilizers
* Oil cooling system in the upper rear fuselage
* Liquid cooling system in wings

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

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

{{main|MG 17 (7.92 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 7.92 mm MG 17 machine gun, nose-mounted (500 rpg)
* 2 x 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, wing-mounted (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

The three machine guns are arranged with one in each wing and one in the nose. Each is armed with the same amount of ammunition, which means that all guns will fire together until empty.

== Usage in battles ==

Disclaimer - He 100 is not a "beginner-friendly" plane, but in skilled hands, it can perform nothing short of miracles.

When flying it, try to build altitude right away, in most situations the He 100 will be the highest plane on both teams by the time the initial engagement begins. Pick off solo targets, prioritizing by altitude and not by enemy plane. If the enemy plane dives away, do not chase. When guaranteed that the He 100 has height superiority on both teams, use BnZ to pick off-targets. Do not turn fight unless certain the target can be shot down and the plane will not get hit by anything in the process.

A good tactic is to try and bait enemy fighters into chasing you. A good way to do this is to gather as much speed and altitude as you can. fly above the enemy, tempting them as an apparently easy target. When you see that an enemy aircraft is going chase you, go into a steep climb, almost vertical if possible. Keep a close eye on the chasing plane. When they begin to stall, turn around and dive on them. They will be slow and easy targets. Clever pilots will break off straight away and dive away. Do not follow them as you will lose your altitude advantage. For this to work you must ensure that you are the highest-flying plane in your vicinity. If an enemy fighter is higher than you they will be able to target you as you climb.

Sitting on the enemy tail is not a valid strategy due to a low calibre armament; a better strategy would be to dive and placing accurate shots at the pilot or fuel tanks of the enemy plane. Altitude is a very helpful friend. There will not be a single plane that the He 100 cannot outrun in any matchup. The He 100 is a very fragile piece of machine and will not take kindly to any damage at all. Avoid at all costs any head-ons or dangerous situations that will leave the plane vulnerable. As the game progresses to the "late-game", speed will carry games. Having the ability to chase off and pick off lonely and possibly damaged planes, is when the true strength of this plane shines. Use your excellent speed to quickly retreat to base for refuelling or rearming. In skilled hands, an He 100 is an absolutely devastating machine, capable of winning pretty much every game.

It is highly recommended to use stealth belts with this aircraft. Not only do they contain a high level of AP rounds, which are great for sniping pilots/ gunners and disabling engines, but it also allows you to fire on an enemy without tracer rounds giving your position away. This can give you some much needed time to place more shots on a target while they hesitate to try and locate you. Of course, it also means that you have to aim carefully, as there are no tracers to help you aim. Using the stealth rounds, it is recommended you attempt to converge on your target as close as you can. The closer you are the more accurate your gun conversion distance, and overall the damage will become. Aircraft with turrets you should be especially wary of, do not attempt to slug it out behind an aircraft such as a bomber, dive out of the way and come around to attack at a more vulnerable angle of the aircraft to ensure you are safely maneuvering away from the turrets.

If you find yourself on the tail of something well armoured like an IL 2, it is best to aim for the wings. With luck, you will manage to remove the wing from the enemy aircraft, or at least cause some damage to fuel tanks. Engines are also a good target, especially on bombers. You are an extremely fragile aircraft, so be very careful of defensive gunners. Even low calibre guns are a big threat. Beware of tailing aircraft like the Bristol Beaufort and B-34, as the defensive .50 cals will be able to take you out from over a kilometre away. A single 12.7 mm round through your engine block or into the cockpit will end the He 100.

Despite a large amount of cooling systems on the aircraft, both water and oil will overheat quickly, especially when using WEP. It is advised that you watch your coolant temperatures frequently, as it is not uncommon to damage your own engine after staying on red temperatures for too long. It is important to mention that the manual engine control settings are identical to those of the Bf 109 series.

If tailed, it is recommended that you use WEP and try to run away, because even a small burst of their machine guns can badly damage your oil/cooling system, forcing you to return to the airfield for repairs. Using the Tracer belt can be useful for taking down enemy aircraft from almost 1 km away, and with the 3 MGs right in the middle of your aircraft, expect lots of hits. This plane and its great engine allow you to hunt bombers by either tailing and destroying engines, or doing a vertical climb and shooting the nose of it, killing the pilot without a high risk of a machine gunner shooting you.

====Specific enemies worth noting====
Whilst you hold a top place for speed and climb rate, there are still planes that can take you out. Do not engage anything in a turn fight, even if you think you can win. It will make you bleed energy and vulnerable to other fighters. Even 7.7 mm machine guns are a big threat to the He 100, so even biplanes can be a threat if they take you off guard. Head-ons are a massive no-no in this aircraft, as you will almost certainly be destroyed or come out with severe engine/cooling system damage.

[[MiG-3-15]] - A good climber, well-armed and quite fast. It is a big threat at high altitudes where it performs best.

[[Spitfire Mk Ia]] / [[Spitfire Mk IIa|Mk IIa]] - Whilst the Spitfire does not perform well at high altitudes, it is the king at low altitude combat. Targeting a Spitfire can be difficult due to its great manoeuvrability, while its 8 7.7 mm machine guns will rip you to pieces if they find their target.

[[:Category:Bombers|Bombers]] in general - Anything with defensive firepower can be a threat to the He 100. It is not advisable to target any bombers unless you are certain that you can destroy it quickly. Most bombers will simply soak up your 7.92 mm machine guns, taking minor damage. Meanwhile, any hits you take are liable to cause water leaks, which will eventually cause your engine to fail.

If flown properly at its BR range, the He 100 can be untouchable. Nothing can catch it in level flight, nearly nothing can catch it in a climb and it can out dive almost anything. As speed, dive rate and climb rate become some of the more important traits in later rank aircraft, the He 100 can be used in later rank combat quite effectively. The three machine guns remain adequate against most fighters up to rank IV, as long as you aim for weak points like the wings, engine or pilot.

Later rank aircraft to look out for: [[La-5]] and [[La-7]] - The La range are some of the first proper Soviet Boom & Zoom aircraft, with powerful engines, great climbing ability and deadly armament. Their energy retention is excellent and they will be able to keep up with you in a climb. Just a short burst from their cannons will obliterate you. When engaging them, employ Boom and Zoom tactics. Always climb at the start of the match, pick your target and then dive on it from above. Strafe it with machine gunfire. If you are lucky, you will destroy or cripple the target. If you do not, climb away using your energy from the dive and repeat. In other words, always ensure that you have an energy advantage. Diving on them in a surprise attack is the ideal way to take them out.

====Counter-tactics====
The He 100 can be a very frustrating aircraft to fight if it is in the right hands. When used strictly as a Boom and Zoomer, it can simply fly across the map, strafing other planes and then climbing away, steadily wearing down its opponents while being impossible to catch. The best way to take one out is to try to force it into a turn fight, where it will lose energy and become an easy target. If the pilot is disciplined and refuses to engage in a turn fight, try to gain an altitude advantage and dive onto the He 100 as it climbs.

Any damage this aircraft takes (especially to the engine and wings), will soon cause the aircraft's engine to fail. So any opportunity you get to fire at a He 100, even if at long range, should be taken, as it will likely result in a water or oil leak. Therefore a head-on attack will almost always kill or critically damage the He 100.

=== 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 Not auto controlled || Not controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Auto control available || Combined || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Very high speed, can reach 640 km/h (397 mph) in level flight, dive speed can go up to 850-900 km/h (RB). No competition until Rank IV
* Decent turn time and roll rate
* Excellent climb rate and energy retention
* Relatively good ammo count at 500 rpg
* Amazing high altitude performance
* Often faces biplanes, which are easy prey for the He 100
* Can perform exceptionally well against most planes if used correctly
* Performs well in higher rank matches, where you will still be able to outrun most enemy aircraft
* Stealth ammo belt has a high proportion of AP rounds, sacrifices chemical damage from more penetration (Could also be seen as a con)

'''Cons:'''

* Very fragile. Most shots taken will cripple the cooling systems or engine
* Not a plane for "new" players to spray rounds on target, needs some skill with aiming at enemy weak spots
* Only has three 7.92 mm machine guns, which can make destroying things difficult
* Armament is ineffective against bombers and well-armoured planes like the IL-2
* Oil and water will easily overheat at over 95% throttle
* Poor rudder control

== History ==


The [[He 112 (Family)| He 112]] was the Heinkel company's first attempt at making a modern monoplane fighter after having previously designed assorted transport aircraft, airliners, reconnaissance planes, and biplane fighters. By 1936 it had lost to the rival [[Bf 109 (Family)| Messerschmitt Bf 109]] in the Luftwaffe's competition due to its largely inferior performance and difficulty of construction, and it was relegated to export only. Heinkel was left licking its wounds and the company begin developing an aircraft that could surpass and replace the Bf 109. The He 112 was determined to be a dead end in terms of potential, so a new design with simpler construction and cleaner aerodynamics was pursued—lessons learned well from the He 112's failings.

The resulting aircraft, known internally as "Project 1035", used many new and advanced features. It used a novel evaporative cooling system previously tested on the prototype He 119 reconnaissance aircraft. Unfortunately, due to all blueprints of the He 100 being destroyed in a bombing raid, the exact details of the engine workings are unknown, but it is thought that liquid coolant was pumped through the engine, where it absorbed heat and evaporated, and then proceeded to flow through radiators in the wings and fuselage. The cold external airflow would condense the coolant and the resulting liquid coolant was pumped back into the engine to start the cycle anew. This refrigerator-like cooling method caused less drag than traditional oil coolers. The DB 601 engine used by the Bf 109 and Bf 110 was used and the exhaust vents were piped to provide some extra thrust. The engine was installed very tightly with the airframe and other aspects of the Project 1035 like the wings and landing gear were as sleek as possible.

Work proceeded quickly and the Project 1035 was completed in mid-1937. The Luftwaffe was not particularly interested in a Bf 109 replacement at this point, but still an order was placed for several experimental and pre-production aircraft. It was originally to be designated as the He 113, but Heinkel preferred a rounder and perhaps less unlucky number and convinced the Luftwaffe to name it the '''He 100'''.

The He 100 first flew in early 1938. Flight characteristics were good but the temperature changes in the wings caused by the cooling setup distorted and damaged the airframe and skin. Subsequent examples featured modifications in an attempt to correct this, though the cooling system in general remained problematic. The second prototype set a speed record of 631 km/h at 6,000 m and the fourth achieved 665 km/h at 5,000 m. The 8th prototype used a souped-up engine and managed to reach 747 km/h, Germany's first absolute speed record, but was soon upstaged by Messerschmitt's Me 209 race aircraft, which achieved 755 km/h. Plans were made to win the record back by running the engine at very hot settings, but at this point further record attempts were halted.

Records aside, the He 100 had several obstacles in becoming a Bf 109 replacement. The Luftwaffe was only interested in adopting the He 100 if it used another engine instead of the DB-601 used by the Bf 109. Unfortunately the He 100 design was not compatible with the closest alternative, the Jumo 211 (mostly used by bombers like the [[He 111 (Family)|He 111]]), without extensive modifications and performance penalties. Meanwhile Focke-Wulf managed to meet these requirements with the [[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190]] and won a contract that would result in one of the best German fighters of the war.

The He 100 D-series were closer to production aircraft, having revised cockpit canopies and machine gun armament. Some sources claim that they were equipped with cannons and perhaps this was Heinkel's intention, but this did not materialize on actual aircraft. Japan and the Soviet Union were interested in acquiring the He 100 and several examples were shipped to each. The Japanese military was highly impressed by the "AXHe1" and purchased a license for domestic production. However Heinkel was unable to deliver the necessary documentation and this plan did not come to fruition. The '''He 100 D-1''' mark was also initially received well in the Soviet Union, but after further inspection the military concluded that it was more of a racer than a combat aircraft. Alexander Yakovlev reportedly claimed that a few bullet holes in the wing were all that was needed to disable the He 100. There is some debate over to what extent this would have been true. Still, even if a few punctures could be tolerated for a while, the He 100 would have been more fragile and maintenance heavy than traditional fighters.

The He 100 ultimately did not see any combat service with the Luftwaffe or any export customers. Heinkel used several as a part of a factory defense unit but they did not engage in any combat. The Luftwaffe did use several examples as part of a propaganda campaign: publishing photos of repainted He 100s in assorted service colors, they concocted a non-existent "He 113" fighter that managed to fool the British military for some time. No He 100s are known to survive today, though a mock-up is on display in the California location of the Planes of Fame Museum in the United States.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=he_100d_1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|J43vCE-Fo30|'''The Shooting Range #67''' - ''War Machines'' section at 00:26 discusses the He 100 D-1.|x8LVKOlnQdE|'''The Shooting Range #31''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 02:20 discusses the He 100.}}

== 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 ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/341955-he-100-d/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Heinkel}}
{{Germany fighters}}

BV 138 C-1

2022-07-14T23:05:37Z

U75930390: /* Usage in battles */

{{Specs-Card
|code=bv-138c-1
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German bomber {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Direct Hit"]].

The first regular tree seaplane for the Germans was the main unit of the Luftwaffe for ocean patrols from nearly the beginning of the war. Called the "Flying Clog" by her crew, it was capable and versatile machine although under powered, unique in using opposed-piston diesel engines and a steel tube spar. The C-1 model chosen for the game comes with a formidable defensive armament and decent bomb load for Rank I.

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


Even though the plane has 3 engines, it is very slow and its top speed is not high enough to escape from enemies.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at sea level)
! 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
| 266 || 253 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 41.0 || 44.2 || 0.6 || 0.6 || rowspan="2" | 700
|-
! Upgraded
| 302 || 283 || 37.3 || 39.0 || 4.0 || 2.2
|-
|}

==== 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 || 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}} || N/A || ___ || 320 || ~4 || ~2
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 220 || < 220 || < 210 || > ___
|-
|}

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

The plane has no dedicated armour, but its sturdy airframe makes it pretty survivable. When one of the engines is damaged, the plane can keep flying with the two remaining engines. A hit to the self-sealing fuel tanks will cause a fire and some damage to the airframe but the fire will not last long enough to destroy the plane.

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

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

{{main|SC50JA (50 kg)}}

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

* 6 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (300 kg total)

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

{{main|MG 151 (20 mm)|MG 131 (13 mm)}}

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

* 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, nose turret (1,000 rpg)
* 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon, tail turret (900 rpg)
* 1 x 13 mm MG 131 machine gun, dorsal-rear turret (1,450 rpg)

== Usage in battles ==

With only six 50 kg bombs, this has the smallest bomb load of any German bomber, so do not expect big score in Air AB/RB missions; however the 20 mm and 13 mm defensive weapons makes up with a potent sting if attacked. Be familiar of the turret arcs, best to fly low to cover your unprotected belly. If you want to have a little more fun with "the Clog" and possibly give the enemy team a run for their money, the BV 138 has a popular usage as a low altitude slugger in Air RB. Where it's powerful turret-based cannons are able to blast through any monoplane or biplane it may face at it's BR. Uptiers with the BV 138 can be much more unforgiving with this tactic, but it is completely up to you, the player, to make your shots count.

It is naval missions where "the Clog" will shine, capping unguarded points or sinking boats with its armament, being more durable than the single-engine seaplanes often used. Make sure to have this in your Naval lineup!

=== 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 Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Separate || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent defensive armament
* Spare engine
* Effective glider, even with all engines knocked down
* Can capture naval points

'''Cons:'''

* Can't land on runways since it is a hydroplane
* Poor climb rate
* Slow
* No offensive armament
* Small bomb load

== History ==

Not immediately obvious, the BV 138 is one of the more unique vehicles in game: a twin boom fuselage is very rare for a seaplane design, the Sikorsky S-38 the closest analogue and possibly inspiration for this one. The little known but brilliant aircraft designer Dr Richard Vogt was hired away from Kawasaki Aircraft in Japan to join the Hamburger Flugzeugbau (HFB), bringing with him some highly innovative aircraft technologies. One of his first projects was the '''Ha 138''', a twin-engine seaplane with gull wing similar to the PBM or the Be-6 but with twin booms to the tail plane, all to keep them high above the water. Unfortunately, the also highly innovative Jumo 205 diesel engines were underperforming so a third engine was mounted on the fuselage as an expedient modification.
The first Ha 138 (V1) was, well, a failure. The fact it did not crash in tests was a minor miracle. The next one (V2) redesigned to be a straight wing with integrated middle engine was not much better, but the lessons from these early experiments were learned and V3 was scrapped half started.

With the company now called "Abteilung Flugzeugbau der Schiffswerft Blohm & Voss", "Blohm & Voss" for short, the manufacturer prefix was changed from "Ha" to "BV" (the only all capital letter Reichsluftfahrtministerium code) and the completely redesigned BV 138A-0 (V4) was built. All the shortcomings from the first two designs were eliminated and the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) and the Luftwaffe (LW) was happy with the design and ordered it into production. There were still shortcomings with the underpowered engine, so to compensate mounting points for the HWK 109-500 booster rockets where added to aid in takeoff.

The original 138 was well armed aircraft for the period, sporting an early 20 mm cannon in the nose turret, very likely to attack boats and ships. Interestingly the bomb racks were added much later in the B version. It was literally a rack bolted under the right wing (and only the right wing), and could also carry small depth charges too. This was clearly an afterthought, and possibly a field modification for older units. The B version also sported standardized with MG 151 cannons (not clear if 15 mm was used at one time), the top turret being MG 15 or with the C model the MG 131. The BV138 also enjoyed an armoured fuel tank! The signature "Dr Vogt steel tube spar" was the main fuel tank, the wall was thick enough to resist machine gun rounds short of heavy AP cannon shells.

Called the "Flying Clog" for its wooden shoe-like hull shape, the plane was well liked by the crews. With an exceptionally long range and a comfortable cabin to work in, it was the eyes of the Kriegsmarine. Because the engines were diesel, it was common for the Flying Clogs to refuel from submarines at very distant locations.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=bv-138c-1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


* [[PBY-5 (Family)]]
* [[PBM-1 "Mariner"]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7315-development-bv-138-c-1-ship-of-the-sky-en|[Devblog] BV 138 C-1: Ship of the sky]]
* [http://www.feldgrau.com/bv138.htm <nowiki>[Feldgrau]</nowiki> Blohm & Voss BV 138]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120210025648/http://home.swipnet.se/our_stuff/Planes/BV138.htm <nowiki>[SwipNet]</nowiki> BV 138]

{{AirManufacturer BlohmVoss}}
{{Germany bombers}}