Difference between revisions of "Flakpanzer 38"

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{{Specs-Card|code=germ_flakpanzer_38t_Gepard}}
 
{{Specs-Card|code=germ_flakpanzer_38t_Gepard}}
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{{About
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| about = German SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
 
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| usage = other uses
 
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| link = LT-38 (Family)
 
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}}
 
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
 
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[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.47 "Big Guns"]].
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''', officially named ''Flakpanzer 38(t) auf Selbstfahrlafette 38(t) Ausf M (Sd.Kfz. 140)'', is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun {{Battle-rating}}. It is sometimes, incorrectly, referred to as the ''Gepard'', which may lead to confusion with the unrelated [[Gepard|Flakpanzer Gepard]]. It was introduced in [[Update 1.47 "Big Guns"]].
 
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
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''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.''-->
  
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The Flakpanzer 38(t) has thin but highly sloped front armour that resists 7-8 mm machine bullets and even 12.7 mm machine gun rounds. The gun shield will shrug off smaller rifle-calibre rounds but not 12.7 mm bullets and larger. Like its predecessor, the [[Flakpanzer I]], it maintains a crew of two and is also hull-breakable.  
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The Flakpanzer 38(t) Gepard has thin but highly sloped front armour that resists 7-8 mm machine bullets and even 12.7 mm machine gun rounds. The gun shield will shrug off smaller rifle-calibre rounds but not 12.7 mm bullets and larger. Like its predecessor, the Flakpanzer I, it maintains a crew of two and is also hull-breakable.  
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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The gun is the same as its predecessor, the FlaK 38. It has sufficient HE shells for planes, 46 mm penetration AP-I, and 64 mm penetration APCR. The belt size is identical. Reload between clips is long. The gun can pen most things the tank encounters, barring Valentines, Matildas, B1 bis, B1 ter, and T-28E.  
 
The gun is the same as its predecessor, the FlaK 38. It has sufficient HE shells for planes, 46 mm penetration AP-I, and 64 mm penetration APCR. The belt size is identical. Reload between clips is long. The gun can pen most things the tank encounters, barring Valentines, Matildas, B1 bis, B1 ter, and T-28E.  
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{| class="wikitable" width="100%" style="text-align:center"
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|-
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! colspan="6" |[[FlaK38 (20 mm)|20 mm FlaK38]]|| colspan="5" |Turret rotation speed (°/s)|| colspan="4" |Reloading rate (seconds)
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|-
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!Mode!!Capacity (Belt)!!Fire rate!!Vertical!!Horizontal!!Stabilizer
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!Stock!!Upgraded!!Full!!Expert!!Aced
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!Stock!!Full!!Expert!!Aced
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|-
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!''Arcade''
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| rowspan="2" |320 (20)|| rowspan="2" |480|| rowspan="2" |-10°/+87°|| rowspan="2" |±180°|| rowspan="2" |N/A||30.82||42.66||51.79||57.28||60.94|| rowspan="2" |3.90|| rowspan="2" |3.45|| rowspan="2" |3.18|| rowspan="2" |3.00
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|-
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!''Realistic''
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|20.83||24.50||29.75||32.90||35.00
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|-
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|}
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=== Ammunition ===
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{| class="wikitable sortable" width="100%" style="text-align:center"
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! colspan="7" |Penetration statistics
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|-
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! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" |Ammunition
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! colspan="6" |'''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
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|-
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!10 m!!100 m!!500 m!!1,000 m!!1,500 m!!2,000 m
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|-
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|Default||36||34||26||19||14||10
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|-
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|Sprgr.||2||2||2||2||2||2
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|-
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|PzGr||36||34||26||19||14||10
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|-
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|PzGr 40||64||63||26||19||14||10
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|-
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|}
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=== Ammo Racks ===
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
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<!--''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 the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's devblog entry (if applicable) and the ingame encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== Encyclopedia Info ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''-->
 
<!--''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 the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's devblog entry (if applicable) and the ingame encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== Encyclopedia Info ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''-->
  
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=== Design and development ===
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This was the first fully-tracked German anti-aircraft AFV. Considered a mediocre effort, about 150 were built and issued to the Panzer Divisions in early 1944. Users in Normandy included the 3rd, 33rd, Lehr and 1st SS Pz Regt.  
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The ''Flakpanzer 38(t)'' was designed around the chassis of the LT-38, a pre-war Czech design, which following the German occupation was produced for the Wehrmacht as the Panzer 38(t) until it was no longer effective.  
 
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As the vehicle used the ''Ausf M'' chassis, the engine was located near the middle of the vehicle, and the armament was placed at the rear in a specially designed armoured section. The superstructure could fold down to allow 360-degree traverse at low elevation.
 
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Including the single prototype, 141 ''Flakpanzer 38(t)''s were built from November 1943 to February 1944, entering service in 1944.
 
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=== Combat use ===
 
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The ''Flakpanzer 38(t)'' was intended to be issued to the anti-aircraft platoon of each tank battalion (''Panzer Abteilung'') in a Panzer division.
 
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Most of the ''Flakpanzer 38(t)'''s were issued to Panzer Divisions on the Western Front, the remainder served on the Eastern Front. An example user being the 12th SS Panzer Division.<ref>12th Panzer Division Hitler Jugend</ref>
 
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At this late stage in the war, the single 2 cm FlaK main armament was no longer sufficient to ward off enemy aircraft, and the ''Flakpanzer 38(t)'' became easy prey for Allied fighter-bombers.
 
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As its folding superstructure allowed a very low (-5°) elevation the ''Flakpanzer 38(t)'' was often used against enemy infantry and unarmoured or lightly armoured vehicles.
 
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==

Revision as of 13:03, 8 May 2020

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Flakpanzer 38
germ_flakpanzer_38t_gepard.png
Flakpanzer 38
Germany flag.png Germany
I Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
2.0 1.7 1.7
Class:
Research:2 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:2 100 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage Flakpanzer 38.jpg


The Flakpanzer 38, 2 cm, Pz.Fgst.38 (t) Sf. is a rank I German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun with a battle rating of 2.0 (AB) and 1.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.47 "Big Guns".

General info

Survivability and armour

The Flakpanzer 38(t) Gepard has thin but highly sloped front armour that resists 7-8 mm machine bullets and even 12.7 mm machine gun rounds. The gun shield will shrug off smaller rifle-calibre rounds but not 12.7 mm bullets and larger. Like its predecessor, the Flakpanzer I, it maintains a crew of two and is also hull-breakable.

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 46 7 9.8 213 286 21.73 29.18
Realistic 43 7 133 150 13.57 15.31

Top speed and power-to-weight ratio are much higher than the Flakpanzer I, topping out at 46 km/h forward, -6 km/h backwards, and a power-to-weight ratio in realistic and simulator battles of 15.31 hp/ton.

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: FlaK 38 (20 mm)

The gun is the same as its predecessor, the FlaK 38. It has sufficient HE shells for planes, 46 mm penetration AP-I, and 64 mm penetration APCR. The belt size is identical. Reload between clips is long. The gun can pen most things the tank encounters, barring Valentines, Matildas, B1 bis, B1 ter, and T-28E.

20 mm FlaK38 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 320 (20) 480 -10°/+87° ±180° N/A 30.82 42.66 51.79 57.28 60.94 3.90 3.45 3.18 3.00
Realistic 20.83 24.50 29.75 32.90 35.00

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
Default 36 34 26 19 14 10
Sprgr. 2 2 2 2 2 2
PzGr 36 34 26 19 14 10
PzGr 40 64 63 26 19 14 10

Ammo Racks

Usage in battles

The Flakpanzer 38 is an even better flanker and support unit than the Flakpanzer I and should be used in the same way. Flank around, engage tanks mainly, shoot planes when they aren't aware of you.

Just like the Flakpanzer I, avoid heavily armoured opposition, especially frontally. You can barely pen B1 bis, M3 Lee variations, and T-28Es on the side, but cannot pen Valentines, Matildas, or B1 ters from much of any side.

Modules

Tier Mobility Protection Firepower
I Tracks Parts Horizontal Drive Sprgr.
II Suspension Brake System FPE Adjustment of Fire PzGr
III Filters Crew Replrenishment Elevation Mechanism
IV Transmission Engine Artillery Support PzGr 40

For this vehicle, two very important modifications to keep an eye out for are the Sprgr. and PzGr 40 ammo belts. The first provides a boost to the vehicle's anti-air capabilities, being completely filled with high explosive shells, and the second turns the Flakpanzer into a deadly anti-tank machine with high-penetration HVAP rounds.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Great penetrating cannon with PzGr 40 belt
  • Fast fire rate
  • Fast turret traverse
  • Great mobility
  • Hull shrugs off up to 12.7 mm machine gun rounds

Cons:

  • Low-survivability due to two crew and hull-breakability
  • Long reload between clips is very punishing if you spray too much
  • Open-topped and vulnerable to planes using any weapon
  • Best penetrating PzGr 40 belt is mixed with standard PzGr ammunition
  • Not a long-range SPAA

History

This was the first fully-tracked German anti-aircraft AFV. Considered a mediocre effort, about 150 were built and issued to the Panzer Divisions in early 1944. Users in Normandy included the 3rd, 33rd, Lehr and 1st SS Pz Regt.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

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;
  • encyclopedia page on the tank;
  • 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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