Kugelblitz - Using a 30 mm Ball Turret on a Panzer IV

Germany's anti-aircraft solutions take on many forms based on the Panzer IV, with vehicles like Wirbelwind, Ostwind, Ostwind II, and Zerstörer 45 that mount a rapid-firing autocannon. However, all have the same issue of having an exposed turret compartment that allows aircraft to strafe and knock out critical components and people within the turret. Kugelblitz changes that equation by having a fully enclosed turret, allowing the vehicle to spray 30 mm at incoming aircraft confidently. Let's explore the Kugelblitz a bit more to see what makes this vehicle tick!

Survivability

The Kugelblitz has high armor values compared to most SPAA because it is built off the Panzer IV hull and has a closed turret. This characteristic means aircraft strafing is not likely to knock out any crew that easily. However, the roof armor of the Kugelblitz hull is still only 10 mm, so aircraft with dedicated armor-piercing machine guns and cannon armaments can still penetrate and destroy modules or knock out hull crew members. The ball turret on the Kugelblitz has more protection at 20 mm minimum, so the turret crew is more protected from that damage.

Of course, none of the Kugelblitz's armor ratings can withstand tanks' main caliber guns, so try not to position the Kugelblitz where it can be easily shot and destroyed.

Mobility

The Kugelblitz's mobility remains the same as that of the Panzer IV due in part to using the Panzer IV hull and maintaining the same weight as a Panzer IV. As such, players adept at using the Panzer IV tank to move across the battlefield should feel no significant change with the Kugelblitz aside from the fact that the Kugelblitz isn't armed with a 75 mm cannon but two 30 mm cannons.

Armaments

The Kugelblitz is armed with two rapid-firing 30 mm Mk103/38 cannons, which are also found on German attack aircraft like the Hs 129 B-2 and contribute to the cannon's lethality against both air and ground targets.

With its AP belt able to penetrate more than 50 mm at close ranges, and the HVAP more than 70 mm at close ranges, the Kugelblitz is a reckoning to most light tanks and even to medium tanks that it catches by surprise. Even its high-explosive belt for anti-aircraft work contains several AP rounds, so don't think because you catch a Kugelblitz by surprise that it is incapable of fighting back without changing belts into a dedicated AP/HVAP one.

Against air targets, with the large 30 mm caliber shells as is, even a single hit could cripple an enemy aircraft. The high velocity of the 30 mm shells means that the Kugelblitz has a good reach against aircraft even a distance away, aided by the tracer path the high-explosive shells leave in their trajectory.

The high magazine load of 100 rounds per gun and steady rate of fire means that the Kugelblitz can keep on firing for quite some time, though reload time between the magazines is long and tedious. Due to this, switching belts to respond to different targets may not be ideal to avoid creating this downtime where the Kugelblitz is unable to attack while loading. As all of the Kugelblitz belts have access to some AP rounds, it may be best to consider sticking to one type of belt for hybrid use against both air and ground targets.

Usage in Battles

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

The Kugelblitz is best used as the second or third spawned vehicle in a match because aircraft will not spawn at the beginning of the match. Do not engage aircraft too early, as you will only expose yourself. Begin firing at no more than 1-1.5 km range for the best effect, using the shell tracers to help guide the shot towards the target. Always watch out for multiple aircraft, as one may hit you with bombs or rockets while you are distracted. The fast-firing 30 mm guns are extremely potent and will quickly dispatch most air targets after a few hits, even against heavy fighters and bombers.

Due to the dynamics of the battlefield, the Kugelblitz may be required to engage ground targets at times. To prepare for this, it is a good idea to learn the weak spots of enemy ground vehicles you will commonly face as the Kugelblitz, as knowing these will allow the Kugelblitz to deal maximum damage. Generally hitting at areas known to be less than 50 mm in armor thickness from close ranges can be good enough to cripple or even destroy an enemy ground vehicle.

Modifications

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