VFW

VFW

VFW

Germany

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.7	5.7	5.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Tank destroyer

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

MARKET

Description

The Versuchsflakwagen is a gift rank III German tank destroyer with a battle rating of 5.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.87 "Locked On" as a reward in the "Battlefield Engineer" event.

Also known as the Grille 10, the 8.8 cm Flak 37 auf Sonderfahrgestell (German: 8.8 cm Flak 37 on special chassis), or the abbreviated technical name Sfl.IVc (Selbstfahrlafette: self-propelled gun mount IVc), was originally developed as a mobile gun platform using 8.8 cm Flak guns.

Designed by the Krupp corporation originally as an anti-tank vehicle in 1941, it was realized that by using 8.8 cm Flak cannons, it could achieve not only an anti-tank role but also an anti-aircraft one as well. Because of this, this vehicle was given the 8.8 cm Flak 41 as its main and only armament.

General info

Survivability and armour

The VFW has decently high survivability in battle, utilizing its thin armour to great effect. After all,"no armour is the best armour". The vehicle is effective both with side skirts up and down and out of the way. The Versuchsflakwagen does have hull-break, so you have to worry about high caliber HE shells triggering instant destruction of the vehicle.

When the side skirts are in the up position, they will cover the sides of the exposed crew and gun, offering two layers of 5 mm armour, adding up to a total of 10 mm of armour which can protect you from oncoming machine gun fire. They may also prevent damage by shrapnel from artillery barrages that land near, though not directly on your vehicle. However, they will not hold up to a round fired from the main gun of a tank. Fortunately, due to the thin armour, enemy shells may simply pass through without detonating, only doing minor damage depending on where they hit. Its armour is not enough to protect it from high caliber machine guns and autocannons.

With the skirts down, the tank destroyer can easily be disabled due to the exposure of the four crew members to the elements, or the gun being taken out of commission. On the other hand, if the tank, gun, or both are still in action, the front panels of the Flak 41 can be used to block machine gun fire, effectively protecting any crew still remaining to operate the gun. Folding the side skirts down also allows the turret to rotate 360 degrees horizontally.

In both configurations, the crew is very spaced out, and separated by armour into three groups, greatly enhancing its suitability. It is near impossible for an enemy tank to take out all its crew members in a single shot. The loader, gunner, and commander can be killed by a shot to the left of the turret, but both crew members in the driving compartment and the second loader will likely survive so you can escape. The only real danger of the VFW being destroyed in one hit would either be from an ammo rack detonation, which is unlikely as all the ammunition is safely stored in the hull, or from a bomb or artillery landing too close. Beware that its survivability depends solely on crew count and placement rather than armour. In other words, you can easily take one or two hits, but ultimately there is a limited number of shots you can tank before you are sent back to the hangar.

Mobility

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	66	6	26	511	687	19.65	26.42
Realistic	60	5		318	360	12.23	13.85

Armaments

Main armament

The VFW is armed with the Flak 41 cannon allowing it to disable or destroy a majority of its intended targets within its battle rating range. The reload speed of the gun is around 5 seconds which allows for quick and consistent firing upon targets. Do note that folding the sides skirts up will slow its reload speed down by approximately 2 seconds which can detract from this advantage.

88 mm FlaK 41
Capacity			Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance	Stabilizer
48			-3°/+90°	±180°	N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade	10.4	14.4	??.??	??.??	??.??
Realistic	7.0	8.3	??.??	??.??	??.??
Reloading rate (seconds)
Side skirt configuration	Stock	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
Down	5.2	4.72	4.36	??.??
Up	7.3	??.??	??.??	??.??

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
PzGr 39/43	APCBC	230	228	216	201	188	176
PzGr 40/43	APCR	277	272	250	226	204	184
Sprgr. Flak 41	HE	14	14	14	14	14	14

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Normalisation at 30° from horizontal	Ricochet
								0%	50%	100%
PzGr 39/43	APCBC	980	10.16	1.2	14.0	108.8	+4.0°	48°	63°	71°
PzGr 40/43	APCR	1,125	7.3	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1.5°	66°	70°	72°
Sprgr. Flak 41	HE	1,000	9.4	0.1	0.5	1000	+0.0°	79°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the VFW

Last updated: 1.101.1.16

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
48	37 (+11)	25 (+23)	13 (+35)	1 (+47)	No

Notes:

• Shells are modeled individually and disappear from the rack after having been shot or loaded.

Optics

VFW Optics
	Default magnification	Maximum magnification
Main Gun optics	X5.6	X6.0
Comparable optics	???

Usage in battles

Because of its great cannon and non existent armour, the VFW is best used as a glass cannon for long range engagements. Find a spot on a hill or slope and wait for targets. If use in urban area is unavoidable, choose the "side skirts down" mode. This makes the cannon more flexible and gives you a quicker reload time. Make sure to stay in cover, since with your side skirts down, you will be an easy target for planes and artillery.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection		Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	Side skirts up	Horizontal Drive
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE		Adjustment of Fire
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment		Elevation Mechanism
IV	Transmission	Engine			Rangefinder	PzGr 40/43
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

• A very fast reload on a very powerful gun
• Surprising durability, very difficult to one-shot
• Large crew allows for fast reloading
• Reasonable transverse allows for quick escape when in a tight spot
• Side-skirts can be raised for added protection from machine guns
• Side-skirts can be lowered for a greater range of turret movement

Cons:

• Virtually nonexistent gun depression
• Very thin armour, exposed crew and wide vehicle profile (large target)
• Extremely vulnerable to virtually any form of enemy aircraft or artillery fire
• Raised side-skirts to restrict turret movement, an immobilized VFW can only fire at vehicles directly in front of it
• Side-skirts can only be raised or lowered before the start of the game

History

The VFW was the first of several projects of the Krupp company to mount a heavy anti-air gun on a mobile armored chassis. This initially developed version, which mounts the 8.8cm FlaK 41 cannon onto a heavily modified Panzer IV chassis, was created in 1944.

Initial tests of the vehicle were performed throughout 1944. However, apart from tests producing mixed results, it was lacking interest that eventually led to the project's ultimate cancellation later that year. As a result, the VFW never left prototype stage and only a single experimental vehicle was ever produced.

- From Devblog

• Due to its box-like shape, the player base gave this vehicle the nickname "Flaktoaster" or just "Toaster"

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the VFW from live.warthunder.com.

Images

• 

  Image of the VFW with its side-skirts open.
• 

Videos

Battlefield Engineer: all new vehicles discusses the VFW at 2:25 - War Thunder Official Channel

VFW - Tank Review - 4.0 sec reload + 'long 88' at BR 5.7 - Napalmratte

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

• [Devblog] VFW: German Ballista
• [Wikipedia] Grille 10, AKA VFW