Difference between revisions of "Wirbelwind"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
−
''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''
+
<!--''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
 +
[[File:GarageImage_Wirbelwind.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
The '''Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind''' is a Rank III German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun with a battle rating of 3.7. It was introduced in Update 1.43.
 +
 
 +
The Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind is a anti-aircraft platform on a Panzer IV chassis. Armed with quad 20mm FlaK38 cannons, this machine will absolutely obliterate any enemy plane that's unfortunate enough to cross paths with it. Due to the high fire rate, this machine effectively spews out a river of high exlposives. Any airplane unfortunate enough to even touch that stream will at least burst into flames, if not more severe damage. However, they are incredibly easy to spot because of the tracers. While an individual 20mm shell does not do much damage, it is very hard when using the Wirbelwind to hit an aircraft with only one shell. The sheer number of shells will overwhelm the aircraft, and act like a laser, cutting off pieces and burning others.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
−
''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
+
<!--''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
  
−
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
 +
'''Armour type:'''
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 80 mm (11°) ''Front plate'' <br> 20 mm (72°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 80 mm (11-12°) ''Lower glacis''|| 30 mm || 30 mm (4-15°) || 10 mm
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 16 mm (19-24°) || 16 mm (21-27°) || 16 mm (17-22°) || N/A
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick and tracks are 20 mm thick.
 +
* Some track links are placed on the front glacis, adding 15 mm armour at their area.
 +
* Belly armour is 10 mm thick.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
−
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
+
<!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''-->
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="2" | 25.0 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 42 (AB)
 +
|-
 +
|39 (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|426
 +
|525
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|265
 +
|300
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|17.04
 +
|21.00
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|10.60
 +
|12.00
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
−
=== Main armament ===
+
<!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''-->
−
''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
+
{{main|FlaK 38 (20 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[FlaK 38 (20 mm)|20 mm FlaK 38]] (x4)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity each)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="3" | 480 (20) || 480 || -10°/+90° || ±180°
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 +
|-
 +
! style="width:4em" |Mode
 +
! style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| ''Arcade'' || 35.7 || 49.4 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 35.7 || 42.0 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| 5.2 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
=== Ammunition ===
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr || API-T || 46 || 45 || 33 || 23 || 15 || 11
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 40 || HVAP-T || 64 || 63 || 33 || 23 || 15 || 11
 +
|-
 +
| Sprgr. || HEFI-T || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="11" | Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 +
|-
 +
! 0%
 +
! 50%
 +
! 100%
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr || API-T || 780 || 0.15 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 40 || HVAP-T || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A || N/A
 +
|-
 +
| Sprgr. || HEFI-T || 900 || 0.12 || 0.3 || 0.1 || 10.2 || +0° || 62° || 69° || 73°
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
−
=== Additional armament ===
+
===Belt types===
−
''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
+
{|class="wikitable"
 +
| '''Belts''' || '''Shell composition''' || '''Combat usage'''
 +
|-
 +
|align="left"|'''''Default ''''' ||align="left"| [[:Category:Ammunition#Kinetic_energy_shells|API-T]], [[:Category:Ammunition#Cannon_shells|HEFI-T]] <br>(Armour Piercing Incendiary tracer – High Explosive Fragmentation Incendiary tracer) shell ||align="left"| 50% of this belt are useless against tanks or planes. However against other SPAA this belt can reliably take out crew, armament, ammo and engine. Having one belt in reserve does not hurt.
 +
|-
 +
|align="left"|'''''Sprgr.''''' ||align="left"| [[:Category:Ammunition#Cannon_shells|HEFI-T]] <br> (High Explosive Fragmentation Incendiary tracer) shell ||align="left"| Versus planes and open combat compartment vehicles. Aircraft will usually take three to six hits. Heavy armoured attackers and bombers may require more though.
 +
|-
 +
|align="left"|'''''PzGr''''' ||align="left"| [[:Category:Ammunition#Kinetic_energy_shells|API-T]] <br> (Armour Piercing Incendiary tracer) shell ||align="left"| Intermediate usage until the better PzGr 40 can be used. Decent enough versus light tanks and other vehicles from the rear. Due the lack of HE filler underwhelming damage, yet still better than the PzGr 40.
 +
|-
 +
|align="left"|'''''PzGr 40''''' ||align="left"| HVAP-T, API-T <br> (High Velocity Armour Piercing tracer - Armour Piercing Incendiary tracer) shell ||align="left"| Best penetrating shell of this vehicle. However, the damage effects are very poor. In close combat snipe for modules and crewmember for increased survival rate. Nothing is more annoying than emptying a clip and then to get killed in the reload because the enemy gunner survived. Against angled armoured it is not very effective like any other ACPR shell, this is offset by the very high base penetration though.
 +
|}
  
−
=== Machine guns ===
+
=== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] ===
−
''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
+
[[File:Ammoracks_Wirbelwind.png|x250px|right|thumbnail|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] for the Wirbelwind.]]
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |7th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |8th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
|| '''160''' || 36&nbsp;''(+128)'' || 32&nbsp;''(+128)'' || 24&nbsp;''(+136)'' || 20&nbsp;''(+140)'' || 16&nbsp;''(+144)'' || 12&nbsp;''(+148)'' || 8&nbsp;''(+152)'' || 0&nbsp;''(+160)'' || style="text-align:left" | Yes
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
Clips with 20 rounds each (3,200 rounds max)
 +
 
 +
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Ammunition clips in turret do not empty
  
 
== Usage in the battles ==
 
== Usage in the battles ==
−
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
+
<!--''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''-->
 +
Being the first anti-aircraft of a modified Panzer IV, it is superior than the previous vehicle, the [[3.7-cm Flak 36 auf Selbstfahrlafette Sd.Kfz. 6/2]] in many areas and has little to none disadvantages. One notable would be the lack of penetration of API-T rounds compared to the prior 3,7 cm cannon. It is recommended to stay away from areas of combat as your quad 20's will do practically nothing against the front plates of heavier armoured enemies at its rank, against which its only defense is to blind enemy vehicles with a barrage of fire and hope allies will neutralize the threat. However, firing a stream of HVAP-T rounds into almost any enemy's side plates will often lead to a very fast kill. Since it can be hard to always get such a favourable engagement, when using a Wirbelwind aggressively, the player should either use friendly tanks for cover, only on occasion peeking from behind them, or flank wide and make effective use of cover and concealment — popping out for prized kills such as the lightly armoured [[M18 Gun Motor Carriage|M18 Hellcat]]. Pay attention for enemy streams of tracers, as these can signal an easy kill in the shape of a lightly armoured anti-air vehicle. To use this machine at its full anti-air effectiveness, it is recommended to stay near friendly vehicles for protection and stay vigilant for enemy aircraft, but PzGr 40 can be used on unsuspecting enemies. Do mind that engaging aircraft is not only where this vehicle shines in the offense, but a crucial part of its defense, as its open top means an enemy fighter can easily turn its fighting compartment into a soup can with mere machine gun fire.
 +
 
 +
Even though the PzGr 40 can penetrate many of the medium tanks it faces, the Wirbelwind is still far from being the optimal choice for anti-tank engagements — its penetration decreases drastically at range and it's not enough to deal with more heavily armoured vehicles. The Wirbelwind's armour is only enough to reduce damage done by airplanes, which makes battling a tank very dangerous. The armour surrounding the turret can provide a small amount of protection against plane machine guns, but the amount of armour on its turret is still low and it has an open top so it's best to destroy the attacking plane quickly or move out of the way. Use roads less traveled to remain hidden. Two Wirbelwinds about 30m apart prove a daunting combination to enemy aircraft as their crossed streams maximize their ability to hit and it is very hard to neutralise both in one go, besides doubling their spotting ability — when one sees the other firing, he or she will be quick to acquire the same target and proceed to severely worsen the aeroplane's day. For this reason, as a matter of etiquette, do not fire into the air if you do not see anyone, so as not to mislead your teammates.
 +
 
 +
===Modules===
 +
'''Tier 1''': ''Spr.Gr.'' (new HE belts) -> ''Parts'' (for repairs) -> ''Turet drive'' (faster turn rate)<br />
 +
'''Tier 2''': ''FPE'' (fire extinguisher) -> plus something of desire ''Adjustment of fire'' is not recommended with 1800rpm. Spray a minefield!<br />
 +
'''Tier 3''': ''Elevation mechanism'' (faster barrel raise) -> Anything else<br />
 +
Everything else can be researched at leisure.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
−
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
+
<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
−
 
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*
+
* High rate of fire (1800 rounds per minute combined!)
−
 
+
* Impressive ammo capacity of 3200 rounds / 2 minutes of fire
 +
* Will devastate planes at close range
 +
* Excellent turret traverse make it possible to stay on aircraft
 +
* Extreme fire rate, compared to other SPAA
 +
* Excellent armour for an AA vehicle
 +
* HVAP and API mix can penetrate most tanks at its BR frontally in close quarters, or even some Rank IV vehicles if aimed at weak points.
 +
* High driving speed able to move from cover to cover with little to no problem.
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
+
* Open top design makes vehicle vulnerable to strafing runs by enemy aircraft
 +
* Hexagonal turret susceptible to HE rounds
 +
* Less effective at firing at distant aircraft
 +
* Reloading rate sub-par compared to other SPAAs at 5.6 seconds 
 +
* With continuous firing, a magazine is emptied very fast
 +
* 20mm shells have difficulty dealing with bombers due to both durability and average alltitude of targets
 +
* Weak side armour, where an ammo rack is located
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''-->
 +
===Development===
 +
Development of self-propelled anti-aircraft guns that could keep up with the Panzer formations were not taken into consideration in the early years of World War II due to the Luftwaffe's superiority over the air, but gradual losses in the Luftwaffe and inability to support their flights gave the Allies the upper hand in the air, granting them air superiority. The growing air power of the Allies forced the Germans to develop methods to protect their tank formations from strafing from Allied aircraft, one early design to protect the front line tanks was the ''Flakpanzer IV Mobelwagen'', an interim design as Flakpanzer designs underwent development. SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Wilhelm Krause of the 12th SS Panzer Division came up with the concept of the '''Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind''' in the summer of 1944. The commander of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment, SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche, received this and presented it to Hitler, to which he approved for its development.
 +
 
 +
The design called for use of the proven Panzer IV design. The Wirbelwind uses the Panzer IV hull, but the original Panzer IV turret was removed and replaced with a open-topped nine-sided turret that mounted the anti-aircraft armament. The anti-aircraft armament chosen for the vehicle was a quadruple mounted 2 cm FlaK 38. Though a closed-top turret design was desired, the amount of gasses given out by the gun made this impossible for the crew. The production of the Wirbelwind commenced at the Ostbau Werke at Sagan, Silesia. Between 87 to 105 Wirbelwinds were manufactured from May to November 1944, with the discrepancies due to differences in the Wehrmacht service records and Ostbau Werke's production records.
 +
 
 +
===Combat usage===
 +
The troops nicknamed the Wirbelwind the ''"Keksdose"'' (Biscuit Tin) due to its unique turret shape. The Wirbelwind were equipped with Panzer formations to protect them against low-flying aircraft. During the Battle of Normandy in 1944, flak units in the 12th SS Panzer Division was credited with shooting down 45 allied planes. However, there weren't enough to go around in the front-lines so many Panzer formations were left vulnerable to enemy aircraft due to lack of availability of the Flakpanzers. Not only did their small numbers made their effect on the front minimal, the 20 mm cannon was determined to insufficient against the more armoured aircraft that the Allies are fielding. Thus, the design was changed to not use the quadruple 2 cm Flak 38, but instead the 3.7 cm FlaK 43 in the new designation [[Flakpanzer IV Ostwind]]. Aside from that the Wirbelwind also served as a ground support role, which it proved very well at with its rapid firing 20 mm cannons.
 +
 
 +
It was determined that the Flakpanzer IV in the ''Wirbelwind'' and ''Ostwind'' configurations were to be replaced by the [[Flakpanzer IV Kugelblitz]] by early 1945, in an attempt to yet again increase the firepower of the anti-aircraft guns. But this never happened due to the war ending before the Kugelblitz could be deployed.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
Skins and camouflages for the [http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23wirbelwind Wirbelwind].
  
 
== Read also ==
 
== Read also ==
Line 51: Line 254:
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
 +
 +
{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}

Revision as of 19:46, 19 November 2018

Introducing Wiki 3.0
Wirbelwind
germ_flakpanzer_iv_wirbelwind.png
Wirbelwind
Germany flag.png Germany
III Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
4.7 3.7 3.7
Class:
Research:26 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:76 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png

Description

GarageImage Wirbelwind.jpg


The Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind is a Rank III German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun with a battle rating of 3.7. It was introduced in Update 1.43.

The Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind is a anti-aircraft platform on a Panzer IV chassis. Armed with quad 20mm FlaK38 cannons, this machine will absolutely obliterate any enemy plane that's unfortunate enough to cross paths with it. Due to the high fire rate, this machine effectively spews out a river of high exlposives. Any airplane unfortunate enough to even touch that stream will at least burst into flames, if not more severe damage. However, they are incredibly easy to spot because of the tracers. While an individual 20mm shell does not do much damage, it is very hard when using the Wirbelwind to hit an aircraft with only one shell. The sheer number of shells will overwhelm the aircraft, and act like a laser, cutting off pieces and burning others.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 80 mm (11°) Front plate
20 mm (72°) Front glacis
80 mm (11-12°) Lower glacis		 30 mm 30 mm (4-15°) 10 mm
Turret 16 mm (19-24°) 16 mm (21-27°) 16 mm (17-22°) N/A

Notes:

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

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons) 		Max speed (km/h)
25.0 N/A 42 (AB)
39 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 426 525
Realistic/Simulator 265 300
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 17.04 21.00
Realistic/Simulator 10.60 12.00

Armaments

Main article: FlaK 38 (20 mm)
20 mm FlaK 38 (x4)
Capacity (Belt capacity each) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
480 (20) 480 -10°/+90° ±180°
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 35.7 49.4 __.__ __.__ __.__
Realistic 35.7 42.0 __.__ __.__ __.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
5.2 __.__ __.__ __.__

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
PzGr API-T 46 45 33 23 15 11
PzGr 40 HVAP-T 64 63 33 23 15 11
Sprgr. HEFI-T 2 2 2 2 2 2
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent): 		Normalization At 30°
from horizontal: 		Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
PzGr API-T 780 0.15 N/A N/A N/A -1° 47° 60° 65°
PzGr 40 HVAP-T N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Sprgr. HEFI-T 900 0.12 0.3 0.1 10.2 +0° 62° 69° 73°

Belt types

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

Ammo racks

Ammo racks for the Wirbelwind.
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		7th
rack empty 		8th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
160 36 (+128) 32 (+128) 24 (+136) 20 (+140) 16 (+144) 12 (+148) 8 (+152) 0 (+160) Yes

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

*Ammunition clips in turret do not empty

Usage in the battles

Being the first anti-aircraft of a modified Panzer IV, it is superior than the previous vehicle, the 3.7-cm Flak 36 auf Selbstfahrlafette Sd.Kfz. 6/2 in many areas and has little to none disadvantages. One notable would be the lack of penetration of API-T rounds compared to the prior 3,7 cm cannon. It is recommended to stay away from areas of combat as your quad 20's will do practically nothing against the front plates of heavier armoured enemies at its rank, against which its only defense is to blind enemy vehicles with a barrage of fire and hope allies will neutralize the threat. However, firing a stream of HVAP-T rounds into almost any enemy's side plates will often lead to a very fast kill. Since it can be hard to always get such a favourable engagement, when using a Wirbelwind aggressively, the player should either use friendly tanks for cover, only on occasion peeking from behind them, or flank wide and make effective use of cover and concealment — popping out for prized kills such as the lightly armoured M18 Hellcat. Pay attention for enemy streams of tracers, as these can signal an easy kill in the shape of a lightly armoured anti-air vehicle. To use this machine at its full anti-air effectiveness, it is recommended to stay near friendly vehicles for protection and stay vigilant for enemy aircraft, but PzGr 40 can be used on unsuspecting enemies. Do mind that engaging aircraft is not only where this vehicle shines in the offense, but a crucial part of its defense, as its open top means an enemy fighter can easily turn its fighting compartment into a soup can with mere machine gun fire.

Even though the PzGr 40 can penetrate many of the medium tanks it faces, the Wirbelwind is still far from being the optimal choice for anti-tank engagements — its penetration decreases drastically at range and it's not enough to deal with more heavily armoured vehicles. The Wirbelwind's armour is only enough to reduce damage done by airplanes, which makes battling a tank very dangerous. The armour surrounding the turret can provide a small amount of protection against plane machine guns, but the amount of armour on its turret is still low and it has an open top so it's best to destroy the attacking plane quickly or move out of the way. Use roads less traveled to remain hidden. Two Wirbelwinds about 30m apart prove a daunting combination to enemy aircraft as their crossed streams maximize their ability to hit and it is very hard to neutralise both in one go, besides doubling their spotting ability — when one sees the other firing, he or she will be quick to acquire the same target and proceed to severely worsen the aeroplane's day. For this reason, as a matter of etiquette, do not fire into the air if you do not see anyone, so as not to mislead your teammates.

Modules

Tier 1: Spr.Gr. (new HE belts) -> Parts (for repairs) -> Turet drive (faster turn rate)
Tier 2: FPE (fire extinguisher) -> plus something of desire Adjustment of fire is not recommended with 1800rpm. Spray a minefield!
Tier 3: Elevation mechanism (faster barrel raise) -> Anything else
Everything else can be researched at leisure.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • High rate of fire (1800 rounds per minute combined!)
  • Impressive ammo capacity of 3200 rounds / 2 minutes of fire
  • Will devastate planes at close range
  • Excellent turret traverse make it possible to stay on aircraft
  • Extreme fire rate, compared to other SPAA
  • Excellent armour for an AA vehicle
  • HVAP and API mix can penetrate most tanks at its BR frontally in close quarters, or even some Rank IV vehicles if aimed at weak points.
  • High driving speed able to move from cover to cover with little to no problem.

Cons:

  • Open top design makes vehicle vulnerable to strafing runs by enemy aircraft
  • Hexagonal turret susceptible to HE rounds
  • Less effective at firing at distant aircraft
  • Reloading rate sub-par compared to other SPAAs at 5.6 seconds
  • With continuous firing, a magazine is emptied very fast
  • 20mm shells have difficulty dealing with bombers due to both durability and average alltitude of targets
  • Weak side armour, where an ammo rack is located

History

Development

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

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

Combat usage

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

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

Media

Skins and camouflages for the Wirbelwind.

Read 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.

ETC.

Sources

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  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Germany anti-aircraft vehicles
Wheeled  Sd.Kfz.222
Half-track  Sd.Kfz.251/21 · Sd.Kfz. 6/2
Flakpanzer IV  Wirbelwind · Ostwind · Ostwind II · Kugelblitz · Zerstörer 45
Other Flakpanzers  Flakpanzer I · Flakpanzer 38 · Flakpanzer 341
Wiesel AWC  Wiesel 1A4 · Ozelot
Radar SPAAG  Gepard · Gepard 1A2
Missile SPAA  FlaRakPz 1 · FlaRakRad

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