Flakpanzer 38

Flakpanzer 38

Flakpanzer I

Sd.Kfz.222

Flakpanzer 38

Flakpanzer I

Sd.Kfz.222

Germany

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.0	1.7	1.7

Class:

SPAA

Research:2 000

Purchase:2 100

Show in game

Description

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 guns and even 12.7 mm machine guns. The gun shield will shrug off rifle-calibres but not 12.7 mms. Like its predecessor, the Flakpanzer I, it maintains a crew of two and is also hull-breakable.

Mobility

Game Mode	Mobility characteristics			Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Max Speed	Weight	AoA Weight	Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	46	9.8	N/A	213	262	21.73	26.73
Realistic	42			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 backward, and a power-to-weight ratio in realistic and simulator battles 15.31 hp/ton.

Armaments

Main armament

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.

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.

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