VFW

VFW

VFW

Germany

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.7	5.7	5.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Tank destroyer

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Description

The Versuchsflakwagen is a 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 for the "Battlefield Engineer" event.

Also known as the Grille 10, the Flak 37 auf Sonderfahrgestell (German: special purpose-built vehicle), or the abbreviated technical name Sfl.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 little to no armour setup, depending on which mode is selected, to allow for the term "No armour is the best armour" to be effective by having the side skirts up or down out of the way.

When the side skirts are enabled in the up position, it will cover the sides of the exposed crew and gun, offering 5 mm of armour which can protect both from oncoming machine gun fire. However, they will most likely not hold up to a round fired from the main gun of a tank.

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.

Mobility

Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forward and backwards.

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.

Usage in battles

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).

Pros and cons

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 certain definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".

Pros:

• A very fast reload on a very powerful gun.
• 'No armor is best armor' is in full effect: it is very difficult to one-shot, and the large crew, fast reloading, and reasonable transverse speed mean that you'll often be returning fire before your would-be killer has finished reloading.
• Side-skirts can be raised for added protection from machineguns or lowered for greater range of turret movement, depending on player preference.

Cons:

• Virtually nonexistent gun depression.
• Very thin armor, a very exposed crew, and a very wide profile (particularly with the side-skirts down) make it extremely vulnerable to virtually any form of enemy aircraft. Raised side-skirts offers only slightly more protection, and still leaves the top exposed.
• Raised side-skirts offer some more protection from machinegun fire for the crew, but any advantage this brings against tanks is effectively nullified by the restriction of the turret. An immobilized VFW with its side-skirts raised cannot threaten anything that isn't 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

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

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