Difference between revisions of "Wirbelwind"

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{{Specs-Card|code=germ_flakpanzer_IV_Wirbelwind}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=germ_flakpanzer_IV_Wirbelwind
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
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''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.''
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<!-- ''In the description, the first part should 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 a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
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The '''Flakpanzer IV "Wirbelwind"''' ([[Abbreviations#.28DE.29_Sd.Kfz._Index|Sd.Kfz. Index:]] '''Sd.Kfz. 161/4''') is the first variant of the [[Flakpanzer IV (Disambiguation)|Flakpanzer IV self-propelled anti-aircraft gun family]]. The German military forces were less interested in developing self-propelled anti-aircraft guns in the early years of World War II, but as the Allies gained air superiority, the need for more mobile and better-armed self-propelled anti-aircraft guns grew. SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Wilhelm Krause of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend came up with the Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind concept in the early summer of 1944. He presented the idea to SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche, commanding officer of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment, and Adolf Hitler approved it. The Panzer IV medium tank chassis was used to mount an open-top, nine-sided turret housing a quadruple mount of 20 mm Flugzeugabwehrkanone 38 autocannon (Flakvierling 38). A closed-top design would have been preferable, but due to the heavy smoke generated by the main armament, this was not possible. The turret's shape earned it the nickname Keksdose ("biscuit tin"). Ostbau Werke in Sagan, Silesia, was primarily responsible for its construction.
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Introduced in [[Update 1.43]], the Flakpanzer IV "Wirbelwind" is one of the best self-propelled anti-air vehicles in its class. Given its high fire rate, this machine effectively spews out a stream of fragmentation rounds, and any plane unfortunate enough to be hit by the waves of shells will burst into flames if not being completely destroyed. However, crews inside the turret are only marginally protected by thin armour, so it is critical to keep an eye out for enemy aircraft strafing. Lastly, armour-piercing ammunition belts are also available to destroy lightly armoured targets.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
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''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?''
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
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<!-- ''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 helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
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 +
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.
 +
 
 +
'''Armour type:'''
 +
 
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour
  
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''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
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{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
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|-
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| 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
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|-
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| Turret || 16 mm (19-24°) || 16 mm (21-27°) || 16 mm (17-22°) || N/A
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|}
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'''Notes:'''
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 +
* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick and tracks are 20 mm thick.
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* Some track links are placed on the front glacis, adding 15 mm armour at their area.
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* Belly armour is 10 mm thick.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
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{{tankMobility|abMinHp=426|rbMinHp=265}}
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=== Modifications and economy ===
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{{Specs-Economy}}
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If the Wirbelwind is to be used in an anti-air role, mobility modules are not as important as the Sprgr. modification, which gives the vehicle access to a purely high-explosive ammo belt. The Horizontal Drive and Elevation Mechanism modules are also useful.
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The PzGr 40 modification gives this vehicle a decent anti-tank capability, although this upgraded ammo belt will still not be able to penetrate heavily armoured targets.
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
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{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
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''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.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
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<!-- ''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 flexibility 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.'' -->
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{{main|FlaK38 (20 mm)}}
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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|-
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! colspan="6" | [[FlaK38 (20 mm)|20 mm FlaK38]] (x4) || 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" | 3,200 (20) || rowspan="2" | 1,920 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+90° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 52.8 || 73.1 || 88.8 || 98.2 || 104.5 || rowspan="2" | 5.20 || rowspan="2" | 4.60 || rowspan="2" | 4.24 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
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|-
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! ''Realistic''
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| 35.7 || 42.0 || 51.0 || 56.4 || 60.0
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|-
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|}
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==== Ammunition ====
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 +
* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These are adapted for the anti-air role with much less performance against enemy tanks. Focus on the AA role with this belt until others are researched. You can still damage and take out lightly armoured vehicles in self-defence as last resort.
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* '''Sprgr.:''' {{Annotation|HEFI-T*|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer (self-destroying)}} - These are absolutely devastating in the anti-air role.
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* '''PzGr:''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}} - They do decent damage against lightly armoured vehicles as well as planes. When targeting enemy vehicles, focus on weak spots like the rear or the sides.
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* '''PzGr 40:''' {{Annotation|HVAP-T|High-velocity armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}} - Best penetrating belt of this vehicle: devastating for enemy vehicles. However, the post-penetration damages are very poor and the penetration power drops quickly over distance. Go for close combat and target modules and crew members for increased efficiency. Like any ACPR shell, it is not very effective against angled armour.
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Since every bullet is a tracer, it helps aiming at aircraft but detectability is also greatly increased.
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{{:FlaK38 (20 mm)/Ammunition|HEFI-T*, API-T, HVAP-T}}
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==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
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[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
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<!-- '''Last updated:''' -->
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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|-
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! Full<br>ammo
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! 1st<br>rack empty
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! 2nd<br>rack empty
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! 3rd<br>rack empty
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! 4th<br>rack empty
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! 5th<br>rack empty
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! 6th<br>rack empty
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! 7th<br>rack empty
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! 8th<br>rack empty
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! Visual<br>discrepancy
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|-
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| '''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)'' || Yes
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|-
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|}
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Notes:
 +
 
 +
* Clips with 20 rounds each (3,200 rounds max)
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* Visual discrepancy: ammunition clips in turret do not empty.
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== Usage in battles ==
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<!-- ''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 instead 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).'' -->
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Being the first anti-aircraft of a modified Panzer IV, it is superior to the previous vehicle, the [[Sd.Kfz. 6/2|3.7-cm Flak 36 auf Selbstfahrlafette Sd.Kfz. 6/2]] in many areas and has little to none disadvantages. One notable disadvantage 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 defence 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 an enemy's side plates can lead to a very fast elimination.
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In terms of advantages with the 20 mm autocannons, the quad-mount gives the Wirbelwind the ability to fire a lethal stream of bullets at any pilot who wanders into your sights.
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;Anti-Aircraft:
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While in tank guns, dispersion (the MOA cone that is used to determine accuracy) is something that is ideally kept to a minimum, this vehicle benefits from it by having shots spread out in a sort of "shotgun" effect, rather than having four separate beams of projectiles. This means that if you can get your lead point right, your odds of shredding aircraft with even a momentary burst is exceptional compared to other types of AA present at the ranks that you will be operating this vehicle. Unfortunately, this rapid-fire ability is hindered by the 20 round magazine capacity for each cannon (for a total of 80 rounds), meaning that it is best to fire 3-5 round bursts to make effective use of what ammunition you have and your magazine size. This is one of the few areas the Wirbelwind is caught lacking, the others being an open crew compartment roof and the fact that your SPAA houses most of its crew in a thinly armoured turret.
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 +
Some of these disadvantages with the Wirbelwind can be mitigated by working with another SPAA. 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.
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 +
;Attack:
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 +
It is highly discouraged to use the Wirbelwind aggressively since it can be hard to always get such a favourable engagement (and also it is not the SPAA's job to do so). However, should a player choose such an attack plan, they should consider either being supported by friendly tanks as an additional gun or cover, or flanking wide and make effective use of cover and concealment against thin-skinned vehicles. Use roads less-traveled to remain hidden. No matter which manoeuvre that is used, stay vigilant for enemy aircraft to avoid them spotting and pouncing on the Wirbelwind. Even if equipped with the PzGr 40 belt for anti-tank purposes, eighty 20 mm shells from the Wirbelwind can still mess up an aircraft's flight time.
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 +
Once the question of manoeuvring to an advantageous position is answered, the next concern is seeing if the 20 mm have enough firepower to be of any threat to the enemy downrange. While the PzGr 40 APCR belt can be a threat to enemy light tank, lightly armoured tank destroyers like the [[M18 GMC|M18 Hellcat]], and also enemy anti-air vehicle, the shell's penetration decreases drastically at range and it's not enough to deal with more heavily armoured vehicles, with the side armour of some medium tanks even being a questionable option. The Wirbelwind's armour is only enough to reduce the damage done by aeroplanes, which makes engaging any sort of tank very dangerous. As such, pick targets wisely and make sure to either take them out within one belt's worth of shells or hold fire to avoid drawing any attention at all.
  
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=== Additional armament ===
+
==== Against the Wirbelwind ====
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''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.''
 
  
−
=== Machine guns ===
+
* '''Aircraft''': the Wirbelwind is an extremely popular SPAA in Ground Realistic battles and pose a huge threat to any plane, thus every pilot should know how to counter it. Aircraft with access to rockets (e.g. P-47D, IL-2) can practice firing off a salvo of rockets at long distances, this way the pilot can score hits/critical hits if not a kill without even entering the effective range of the 20 mm autocannons. Bomb-carrying planes, for example BTD-1, P-47D, will be more dangerous, as they usually need to get closer to drop the bombs accurately. The conventional method of shallow dive bombing will not work if the Wirbelwind knows your presence and starts spraying bursts towards you as you dive, 1-2 hits from it and your wing will snap off. Pilots can try flying low to the ground - at tree-top level if they can, to avoid getting spotted by the SPAA. On occasion, the opposing team, being usually the Allies, will have aircraft with huge cannons, like the XA-38 and Yak-9K. In this case, practising long-range shooting with these plane cannons can definitely help, since you want to finish your pass as quick as possible so you do not get too close to the Wirbelwind. Its armour can overall be easily penetrated by most aircraft armaments, except the frontal hull.
−
''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.''
 
  
−
== Usage in the battles ==
+
* '''Light tank/SPAA''': light tanks generally see the Wirbelwind as a nice target if their cannon is effective, for example the M24. Other countries' SPAAs usually cannot quickly kill a Wirbelwind from the front, because its hull can reach 100 mm thick which no SPAA at this tier can pierce through. It is best to focus fire on its thin turret, clean out every crew inside, wait for ~12 seconds so it finishes replenishing new crew, and wipe out the new crew again, destroying the Wirbelwind. Perform this task carefully, though, as the Wirbelwind has access to a HVAP belt with ~48 mm penetration, allowing it to penetrate almost all light vehicles without a problem.
−
''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).''
+
 
 +
* '''Medium tank/heavy tank/tank destroyer''': these vehicles will have no issue destroying a Wirbelwind, it is an SPAA after all. Note, do not shoot the frontal hull armour if it is angling, your shell might fail to penetrate if its penetration is not high enough. Also certain tank destroyers (e.g. M10, M18, SU-85) should be careful as their armour have weak spots that can be penetrated by Wirbelwind's PzGr.40 HVAP belt.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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''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".''
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<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*
+
 
 +
* Excellent hull armour for an AA vehicle, can resist low-penetrating tanks like [[M24]], T-34 (1942) and 75 mm M4
 +
* Turret armour is thick enough to protect the crew inside from light machine gun fire from enemy tanks
 +
* High driving speed able to move from cover to cover with little to no problem
 +
* High rate of fire allows it to spray shells in an aircraft's path and quickly take them down
 +
* Impressive ammo capacity (~2 minutes of continuous fire)
 +
* Excellent gun elevation and depression allows it to deal with targets regardless of their location
 +
* Powerful guns with various belts: HE belt will devastate planes at close range, while HVAP can go through side armour and quickly knock out the crew of common enemies like [[M4]], [[T-34 (1942)]] and [[Cromwell (Family)|Cromwell]]
 +
* Excellent turret traverse makes it possible to stay on aircraft
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
+
 
 +
* Weak turret protection: open top design makes vehicle vulnerable to strafing runs by enemy aircraft, especially those with .50 cals like the [[P-40 (Family)|P-40]], and the thin armour can get penetrated by other SPAA like [[M16 MGMC|M16]], [[ZSD63]] and [[GAZ-MM (72-K)|GAZ]] trucks
 +
* Weak side armour, where an ammo rack is located
 +
* Especially vulnerable to HE and HEAT shells: even glancing shots could be lethal
 +
* Less effective at firing at distant aircraft, 20 mm shells have difficulty dealing with bombers due to both durability and the typical altitude of targets
 +
* Long reload time compared to other SPAAs at this BR
 +
* With continuous firing, a magazine is emptied very fast so strict trigger control is important
  
 
== 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 vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, 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></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 +
===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.[[File:German SPAA Wirbelwind (2-426).jpg|right|x200px|thumb|none|A camouflaged Wirbelwind.]]
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 +
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 an 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 number 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===
 +
[[File:Wirbelwind_CFB_Borden.jpg|left|thumb|x200px|A surviving Wirbelwind.]]
 +
The troops nicknamed the Wirbelwind the ''"Keksdose"'' (Biscuit Tin) due to its unique turret shape. The Wirbelwind was 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 were 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, but the 20 mm cannon was also 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 [[Ostwind|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 [[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.
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 +
{{break}}
 +
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
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{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
 +
After losing air superiority, the Wehrmacht needed to improve the AA weapons of its armoured tank divisions. The Wirbelwind AA vehicle was built on the chassis of the Pz.IV tank. It was the first specialized, self-sufficient means of defending armoured tank divisions against enemy aircraft. The Flakvierling 38 installation was placed in an open turret protected by 16 mm of armour plating. Unlike various other self-propelled AA systems, this AA weapon struck a balance between protection, deployment time, and firepower. Between July, 1944 and March, 1945 105 of these mounts were built. They were used on the Western and Eastern Fronts. The first prototype was built on the basis of a remodeled Pz.IV by Krupp-Druckenmuller GmbH Berlin-Mariendorf in May, 1944.
 +
{{Navigation-End}}
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
  
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== Read also ==
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;Skins
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''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
+
 
 +
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_flakpanzer_IV_Wirbelwind Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
 +
 
 +
;Images
 +
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
 +
Image:Wirbelwind looking for planes.jpg|<small>The Wirbelwind scanning the sky for target aircraft.</small>
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
;Videos
 +
{{Youtube-gallery|naeDoEwZ5Pg|'''German SPAAs''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:22 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|8GHgtBsV32M|'''Aviation industry HATES it! For having these weird characteristics - Wirbelwind''' - ''HowToPlay1337''}}
 +
 
 +
== 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;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
−
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
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''ETC.''
+
 
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;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
 +
 
 +
* [[Flakpanzer IV]]
  
−
== Sources ==
+
;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
−
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+
 
 +
* [[Crusader AA Mk II]]
 +
* [[ZSD63]]
 +
 
 +
== External links ==
 +
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
−
* ''other literature.''
+
* ''other literature.'' -->
 +
 
 +
* [[wt:en/devblog/current/635|[Devblog] Flakpanzer IV 'Wirbelwind']]
 +
* [[wikipedia:Wirbelwind|[Wikipedia] Wirbelwind]]
 +
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2-germany-flakpanzer-iv-wirblewind/ <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Flakpanzer IV (2cm Flak 38 Vierling) 'Wirbelwind']
 +
 
 +
{{Germany anti-aircraft vehicles}}

Latest revision as of 10:06, 25 November 2023

Rank VII | Premium | Golden Eagles
Challenger DS Pack
Wirbelwind
germ_flakpanzer_iv_wirbelwind.png
GarageImage Wirbelwind.jpg
ArtImage 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
Show in game

Description

The Flakpanzer IV "Wirbelwind" (Sd.Kfz. Index: Sd.Kfz. 161/4) is the first variant of the Flakpanzer IV self-propelled anti-aircraft gun family. The German military forces were less interested in developing self-propelled anti-aircraft guns in the early years of World War II, but as the Allies gained air superiority, the need for more mobile and better-armed self-propelled anti-aircraft guns grew. SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Wilhelm Krause of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend came up with the Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind concept in the early summer of 1944. He presented the idea to SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche, commanding officer of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment, and Adolf Hitler approved it. The Panzer IV medium tank chassis was used to mount an open-top, nine-sided turret housing a quadruple mount of 20 mm Flugzeugabwehrkanone 38 autocannon (Flakvierling 38). A closed-top design would have been preferable, but due to the heavy smoke generated by the main armament, this was not possible. The turret's shape earned it the nickname Keksdose ("biscuit tin"). Ostbau Werke in Sagan, Silesia, was primarily responsible for its construction.

Introduced in Update 1.43, the Flakpanzer IV "Wirbelwind" is one of the best self-propelled anti-air vehicles in its class. Given its high fire rate, this machine effectively spews out a stream of fragmentation rounds, and any plane unfortunate enough to be hit by the waves of shells will burst into flames if not being completely destroyed. However, crews inside the turret are only marginally protected by thin armour, so it is critical to keep an eye out for enemy aircraft strafing. Lastly, armour-piercing ammunition belts are also available to destroy lightly armoured targets.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull30 / 30 / 20
Turret16 / 16 / 16
Crew5 people
Visibility104 %

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.

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

Speedforward / back
AB43 / 8 km/h
RB and SB39 / 8 km/h
Number of gears6 forward
1 back
Weight25.0 t
Engine power
AB572 hp
RB and SB300 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB22.9 hp/t
RB and SB12.0 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 43 8 25 426 572 17.04 22.88
Realistic 39 8 265 300 10.6 12

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB1 475 → 1 898 Sl icon.png
RB1 118 → 1 438 Sl icon.png
SB1 689 → 2 173 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications24 600 Rp icon.png
44 600 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost1 100 Ge icon.png
Crew training22 000 Sl icon.png
Experts76 000 Sl icon.png
Aces400 Ge icon.png
Research Aces320 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
90 / 100 / 150 % Sl icon.png
142 / 142 / 142 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
1 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 200 Sl icon.png
105 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 000 Sl icon.png
95 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 000 Sl icon.png
95 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
180 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
2 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
2 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
1 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 200 Sl icon.png
105 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 000 Sl icon.png
95 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement ger.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
180 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
1 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 200 Sl icon.png
105 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
20mm_kwk_30_HE_ammo_pack
Research:
1 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 200 Sl icon.png
105 Ge icon.png
Mods aa cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 000 Sl icon.png
95 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
20mm_kwk_30_AP_ammo_pack
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 000 Sl icon.png
95 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
180 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
2 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
20mm_kwk_30_APCR_ammo_pack
Research:
2 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png

If the Wirbelwind is to be used in an anti-air role, mobility modules are not as important as the Sprgr. modification, which gives the vehicle access to a purely high-explosive ammo belt. The Horizontal Drive and Elevation Mechanism modules are also useful.

The PzGr 40 modification gives this vehicle a decent anti-tank capability, although this upgraded ammo belt will still not be able to penetrate heavily armoured targets.

Armaments

Main armament

4 x 20 mm FlaK38 cannon
Ammunition3 200 rounds
Belt capacity20 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
3.9 → 3.0 s
Fire rate480 shots/min
Vertical guidance-10° / 90°
Main article: FlaK38 (20 mm)
20 mm FlaK38 (x4) 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 3,200 (20) 1,920 -10°/+90° ±180° N/A 52.8 73.1 88.8 98.2 104.5 5.20 4.60 4.24 4.00
Realistic 35.7 42.0 51.0 56.4 60.0

Ammunition

  • Default: API-T · HEFI-T* · HEFI-T* · HEFI-T* - These are adapted for the anti-air role with much less performance against enemy tanks. Focus on the AA role with this belt until others are researched. You can still damage and take out lightly armoured vehicles in self-defence as last resort.
  • Sprgr.: HEFI-T* - These are absolutely devastating in the anti-air role.
  • PzGr: API-T - They do decent damage against lightly armoured vehicles as well as planes. When targeting enemy vehicles, focus on weak spots like the rear or the sides.
  • PzGr 40: HVAP-T · API-T - Best penetrating belt of this vehicle: devastating for enemy vehicles. However, the post-penetration damages are very poor and the penetration power drops quickly over distance. Go for close combat and target modules and crew members for increased efficiency. Like any ACPR shell, it is not very effective against angled armour.

Since every bullet is a tracer, it helps aiming at aircraft but detectability is also greatly increased.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
HEFI-T* 5 4 3 2 2 2
API-T 37 34 23 14 9 6
HVAP-T 48 45 31 20 13 8
Shell details
Ammunition Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
HEFI-T* 900 0.12 0.1 0.1 10.2 79° 80° 81°
API-T 800 0.15 - - - 47° 60° 65°
HVAP-T 1,050 0.1 - - - 66° 70° 72°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of 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

Notes:

  • Clips with 20 rounds each (3,200 rounds max)
  • Visual discrepancy: ammunition clips in turret do not empty.

Usage in battles

Being the first anti-aircraft of a modified Panzer IV, it is superior to 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 disadvantage 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 defence 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 an enemy's side plates can lead to a very fast elimination.

In terms of advantages with the 20 mm autocannons, the quad-mount gives the Wirbelwind the ability to fire a lethal stream of bullets at any pilot who wanders into your sights.

Anti-Aircraft

While in tank guns, dispersion (the MOA cone that is used to determine accuracy) is something that is ideally kept to a minimum, this vehicle benefits from it by having shots spread out in a sort of "shotgun" effect, rather than having four separate beams of projectiles. This means that if you can get your lead point right, your odds of shredding aircraft with even a momentary burst is exceptional compared to other types of AA present at the ranks that you will be operating this vehicle. Unfortunately, this rapid-fire ability is hindered by the 20 round magazine capacity for each cannon (for a total of 80 rounds), meaning that it is best to fire 3-5 round bursts to make effective use of what ammunition you have and your magazine size. This is one of the few areas the Wirbelwind is caught lacking, the others being an open crew compartment roof and the fact that your SPAA houses most of its crew in a thinly armoured turret.

Some of these disadvantages with the Wirbelwind can be mitigated by working with another SPAA. 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.

Attack

It is highly discouraged to use the Wirbelwind aggressively since it can be hard to always get such a favourable engagement (and also it is not the SPAA's job to do so). However, should a player choose such an attack plan, they should consider either being supported by friendly tanks as an additional gun or cover, or flanking wide and make effective use of cover and concealment against thin-skinned vehicles. Use roads less-traveled to remain hidden. No matter which manoeuvre that is used, stay vigilant for enemy aircraft to avoid them spotting and pouncing on the Wirbelwind. Even if equipped with the PzGr 40 belt for anti-tank purposes, eighty 20 mm shells from the Wirbelwind can still mess up an aircraft's flight time.

Once the question of manoeuvring to an advantageous position is answered, the next concern is seeing if the 20 mm have enough firepower to be of any threat to the enemy downrange. While the PzGr 40 APCR belt can be a threat to enemy light tank, lightly armoured tank destroyers like the M18 Hellcat, and also enemy anti-air vehicle, the shell's penetration decreases drastically at range and it's not enough to deal with more heavily armoured vehicles, with the side armour of some medium tanks even being a questionable option. The Wirbelwind's armour is only enough to reduce the damage done by aeroplanes, which makes engaging any sort of tank very dangerous. As such, pick targets wisely and make sure to either take them out within one belt's worth of shells or hold fire to avoid drawing any attention at all.

Against the Wirbelwind

  • Aircraft: the Wirbelwind is an extremely popular SPAA in Ground Realistic battles and pose a huge threat to any plane, thus every pilot should know how to counter it. Aircraft with access to rockets (e.g. P-47D, IL-2) can practice firing off a salvo of rockets at long distances, this way the pilot can score hits/critical hits if not a kill without even entering the effective range of the 20 mm autocannons. Bomb-carrying planes, for example BTD-1, P-47D, will be more dangerous, as they usually need to get closer to drop the bombs accurately. The conventional method of shallow dive bombing will not work if the Wirbelwind knows your presence and starts spraying bursts towards you as you dive, 1-2 hits from it and your wing will snap off. Pilots can try flying low to the ground - at tree-top level if they can, to avoid getting spotted by the SPAA. On occasion, the opposing team, being usually the Allies, will have aircraft with huge cannons, like the XA-38 and Yak-9K. In this case, practising long-range shooting with these plane cannons can definitely help, since you want to finish your pass as quick as possible so you do not get too close to the Wirbelwind. Its armour can overall be easily penetrated by most aircraft armaments, except the frontal hull.
  • Light tank/SPAA: light tanks generally see the Wirbelwind as a nice target if their cannon is effective, for example the M24. Other countries' SPAAs usually cannot quickly kill a Wirbelwind from the front, because its hull can reach 100 mm thick which no SPAA at this tier can pierce through. It is best to focus fire on its thin turret, clean out every crew inside, wait for ~12 seconds so it finishes replenishing new crew, and wipe out the new crew again, destroying the Wirbelwind. Perform this task carefully, though, as the Wirbelwind has access to a HVAP belt with ~48 mm penetration, allowing it to penetrate almost all light vehicles without a problem.
  • Medium tank/heavy tank/tank destroyer: these vehicles will have no issue destroying a Wirbelwind, it is an SPAA after all. Note, do not shoot the frontal hull armour if it is angling, your shell might fail to penetrate if its penetration is not high enough. Also certain tank destroyers (e.g. M10, M18, SU-85) should be careful as their armour have weak spots that can be penetrated by Wirbelwind's PzGr.40 HVAP belt.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Excellent hull armour for an AA vehicle, can resist low-penetrating tanks like M24, T-34 (1942) and 75 mm M4
  • Turret armour is thick enough to protect the crew inside from light machine gun fire from enemy tanks
  • High driving speed able to move from cover to cover with little to no problem
  • High rate of fire allows it to spray shells in an aircraft's path and quickly take them down
  • Impressive ammo capacity (~2 minutes of continuous fire)
  • Excellent gun elevation and depression allows it to deal with targets regardless of their location
  • Powerful guns with various belts: HE belt will devastate planes at close range, while HVAP can go through side armour and quickly knock out the crew of common enemies like M4, T-34 (1942) and Cromwell
  • Excellent turret traverse makes it possible to stay on aircraft

Cons:

  • Weak turret protection: open top design makes vehicle vulnerable to strafing runs by enemy aircraft, especially those with .50 cals like the P-40, and the thin armour can get penetrated by other SPAA like M16, ZSD63 and GAZ trucks
  • Weak side armour, where an ammo rack is located
  • Especially vulnerable to HE and HEAT shells: even glancing shots could be lethal
  • Less effective at firing at distant aircraft, 20 mm shells have difficulty dealing with bombers due to both durability and the typical altitude of targets
  • Long reload time compared to other SPAAs at this BR
  • With continuous firing, a magazine is emptied very fast so strict trigger control is important

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.
A camouflaged Wirbelwind.

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 an 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 number 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

A surviving Wirbelwind.

The troops nicknamed the Wirbelwind the "Keksdose" (Biscuit Tin) due to its unique turret shape. The Wirbelwind was 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 were 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, but the 20 mm cannon was also 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 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.


Archive of the in-game description

After losing air superiority, the Wehrmacht needed to improve the AA weapons of its armoured tank divisions. The Wirbelwind AA vehicle was built on the chassis of the Pz.IV tank. It was the first specialized, self-sufficient means of defending armoured tank divisions against enemy aircraft. The Flakvierling 38 installation was placed in an open turret protected by 16 mm of armour plating. Unlike various other self-propelled AA systems, this AA weapon struck a balance between protection, deployment time, and firepower. Between July, 1944 and March, 1945 105 of these mounts were built. They were used on the Western and Eastern Fronts. The first prototype was built on the basis of a remodeled Pz.IV by Krupp-Druckenmuller GmbH Berlin-Mariendorf in May, 1944.


Media

Skins
Images

  • The Wirbelwind scanning the sky for target aircraft.

Videos
German SPAAs discusses the Wirbelwind at 2:22 - War Thunder Official Channel
Aviation industry HATES it! For having these weird characteristics - Wirbelwind - HowToPlay1337

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

External links


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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