Difference between revisions of "8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl."

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
<!--''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.''-->
+
<!--''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.''-->
 
[[File:GarageImage_8,8cmFlak37Sfl.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
[[File:GarageImage_8,8cmFlak37Sfl.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
{{break}}
 
{{break}}
The '''8,8cm Flak 37 Selbstfahrlafette auf 18 ton Zugkraftwagen''' is a Rank II German tank destroyer with a battle rating 4.3 (AB), 4.0 (RB), and 3.7 (SB). It was introduced in [[Update_1.63_"Desert_Hunters"|Update 1.63 "Desert Hunters"]]. It features the famous 8.8 cm FlaK 37 cannon on a half-track mount, presenting heavy firepower at the cost of armour and even mobility due to its heavy weight.  
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update_1.63_"Desert_Hunters"|Update 1.63 "Desert Hunters"]]. It features the famous 8.8 cm FlaK 37 cannon on a half-track mount, presenting heavy firepower at the cost of armour and even mobility due to its heavy weight.  
  
 
The vehicle is affectionately nicknamed as the:
 
The vehicle is affectionately nicknamed as the:
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== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
<!--''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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<!--''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.''-->
 
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
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=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
<!--''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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<!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''-->
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
|-
 
|-
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== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
<!--''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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<!--''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.''-->
 
{{main|FlaK 37 (88 mm)}}
 
{{main|FlaK 37 (88 mm)}}
  
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! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
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! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 0° Angle of Attack'''
 
|-
 
|-
 
! 10m
 
! 10m
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|}
 
|}
  
== Usage in the battles ==
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== 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 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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<!--''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).''-->
 
Despite the presence of a whopping 88 mm gun on the back of this half-track, the complete lack of any armour gives this vehicle a short lifespan on the front lines. Thus, the best course is to keep the half-track as far away from the battle as possible. The gun has a slow gun traverse and a terrible depression when angled towards the front, so firing against targets at close range on level ground will leave the vulnerable and unable to return fire against targets of low-profile chassis. The gun however can be depressed further at a lower degree when pointed to the sides and rear of the vehicle as it provides more physical clearance. As such when engaging targets on level ground at close to medium ranges, it is recommended to turn the entire vehicle clockwise or counterclockwise for 45 degrees and the gun turret 45 degrees in opposition to the angle of the chassis for clearance. This should be accomplished only in areas with enough maneuvering room to ingress and egress to guarantee clearance, or else the half-rack will find itself stuck (in some cases literally) between a rock and a hard place. Find cover behind rocks or other obstacles, inch out of cover only enough to show the gun, then race back into cover after firing to avoid being shot and losing valuable crew members.
 
Despite the presence of a whopping 88 mm gun on the back of this half-track, the complete lack of any armour gives this vehicle a short lifespan on the front lines. Thus, the best course is to keep the half-track as far away from the battle as possible. The gun has a slow gun traverse and a terrible depression when angled towards the front, so firing against targets at close range on level ground will leave the vulnerable and unable to return fire against targets of low-profile chassis. The gun however can be depressed further at a lower degree when pointed to the sides and rear of the vehicle as it provides more physical clearance. As such when engaging targets on level ground at close to medium ranges, it is recommended to turn the entire vehicle clockwise or counterclockwise for 45 degrees and the gun turret 45 degrees in opposition to the angle of the chassis for clearance. This should be accomplished only in areas with enough maneuvering room to ingress and egress to guarantee clearance, or else the half-rack will find itself stuck (in some cases literally) between a rock and a hard place. Find cover behind rocks or other obstacles, inch out of cover only enough to show the gun, then race back into cover after firing to avoid being shot and losing valuable crew members.
  
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=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
<!--''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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<!--''Summarize 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:'''
 
* 88 mm cannon in Rank II
 
* 88 mm cannon in Rank II
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== 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.''-->
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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 dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== Encyclopedia Info ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''-->
 
===The half-track===
 
===The half-track===
 
The '''Sd.Kfz. 9''' (nicknamed the ''Famo'') was Germany's heaviest half-track seeing service in World War II. The first model was made in 1936 and entered service with the Wehrmacht in 1938. Its primary purposes was as an artillery tractor and a tank recovery vehicle. The vehicle was able to tow about 28 tonnes, which was more than capable of towing the 24 cm Kanone 3 siege gun and the [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IV]], but required two to four to tow the heavier [[Panther A|Panther]], [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]], and [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]]. It was produced between 1938 to 1944 with 2,500 units produced.
 
The '''Sd.Kfz. 9''' (nicknamed the ''Famo'') was Germany's heaviest half-track seeing service in World War II. The first model was made in 1936 and entered service with the Wehrmacht in 1938. Its primary purposes was as an artillery tractor and a tank recovery vehicle. The vehicle was able to tow about 28 tonnes, which was more than capable of towing the 24 cm Kanone 3 siege gun and the [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IV]], but required two to four to tow the heavier [[Panther A|Panther]], [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]], and [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]]. It was produced between 1938 to 1944 with 2,500 units produced.
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== Media ==
 
== Media ==
 +
<!--''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''-->
 
Skin and Camouflages for the [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=tank_destroyer&vehicle=germ_sdkfz_9_flak37 8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl.] in Warthunder Live.
 
Skin and Camouflages for the [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=tank_destroyer&vehicle=germ_sdkfz_9_flak37 8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl.] in Warthunder Live.
  
== Read also ==
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== See also ==
* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/4244-development-8-8cm-flak-37-sf-auf-s-zgkw-18t-a-heavyweight-flak-en/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> 8.8cm Flak 37 (Sf.) auf s. Zgkw. 18t - A Heavyweight Flak]
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''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.''
  
== Sources ==
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== External links ==
 
<!--''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
<!--''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 +
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
 
* ''other literature.''-->
 
* ''other literature.''-->
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sd.Kfz._9#Variants Wikipedia]
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* [https://warthunder.com/en/news/4244-development-8-8cm-flak-37-sf-auf-s-zgkw-18t-a-heavyweight-flak-en/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> 8.8cm Flak 37 (Sf.) auf s. Zgkw. 18t - A Heavyweight Flak]
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* [[Wikipedia:Sd.Kfz._9#Variants|[Wikipedia<nowiki>]</nowiki> Sd.Kfz._9 - Variants]
  
 
{{Germany tank destroyers}}
 
{{Germany tank destroyers}}

Revision as of 16:20, 3 April 2019

RANK 6 BRITAIN
Rooikat 105 PACK
8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl.
germ_sdkfz_9_flak37.png
8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl.
AB RB SB
4.7 4.0 3.7
Research:13 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:76 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage 8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl..jpg


The 8.8cm Flak 37 Selbstfahrlafette auf 18 ton Zugkraftwagen is a rank III German tank destroyer with a battle rating of 4.7 (AB), 4.0 (RB), and 3.7 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.63 "Desert Hunters". It features the famous 8.8 cm FlaK 37 cannon on a half-track mount, presenting heavy firepower at the cost of armour and even mobility due to its heavy weight.

The vehicle is affectionately nicknamed as the:

  • 'Flak-Bus'
  • 'Flak-Track'

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Half-track 10 mm Grille
8 mm (85-86°) Front hood
14.5 mm (50°) Driver View
14.5 mm 14.5 mm 14.5 mm
Gun shield 14.5 mm (17-41°) 10 mm (14°) N/A N/A

Notes:

  • Tracks are 10 mm thick while suspension wheels are 15 mm thick.

If encountered in combat, attacking players can attempt to dispatch it at longer ranges. At slightly higher Battle-Ratings it is extremely unlikely that a player will use this vehicle to lead in the front line, but if he/she does, it can usually be easily dispatched from a concealed position. When the enemy is sniping, it is a difficult vehicle to destroy in a map with uneven and hilly terrain like Kuban where plentiful cover allows it to hide easily, but can be destroyed more easily on congested and more urban maps like Advance to the Rhine as there is increased difficulty for long ranged combat due to abundances of buildings and walls to use as cover for both sides.

Due to limited gun vertical traverse, smaller vehicles with lower chassis such as ASU-57 or similar can easily defeat it in extremely closer quarters engagement by simply driving up and make physical contact with the vehicle. The limited vertical traverse of the 88mm gun will mean the attacking vehicle cannot be damaged or destroyed in this situation.

There are multiple ways to destroy this vehicle. Users must take note that the design of the targeted vehicle has separated compartments for driving, gunnery and ammunition storage. Each one must be targeted best in accordance to different situations presented. Attacking forces unfamiliar with the vehicle may be confused as to which compartment to target first; the exposed ammunition storage, disable the gunnery or disable its movements; valuable time expended on this decision usually results in destruction of the unwitting user's vehicle. This does not become a problem if attacking vehicles are equipped with High-Explosive shells, as even a glancing hit will completely disable or destroy it without the need to selectively target individual compartments. If not equipped with High=Explosive Shells and the user is unfamiliar with the target vehicle, they may opt do disable the gunnery controls first and buying more valuable time to target the remaining compartments. Alternatively, due to the vehicle being constructed of light armour, can be easily perforated with 50. or higher caliber shells to ensure quick destruction if the first shell misses or fails to deal critical damage. Artillery Strike can also easily and quickly disable or destroy the vehicle. Due to the exposed crew and light armour, a brief strafe from Fighter or Bomber aircraft can also quickly disable or destroy it in a single pass.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons)
Max speed (km/h)
24.3 N/A 43 (AB)
40 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 326 ___
Realistic/Simulator 203 230
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 13.41 __.__
Realistic/Simulator 8.35 9.46

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: FlaK 37 (88 mm)
88 mm FlaK 37
Capacity Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
Stabilizer
40 -3°/+85° ±180° N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 6.50 9.10 _.__ _.__ _.__
Realistic 6.50 7.70 _.__ _.__ _.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
6.50 _.__ _.__ _.__
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration in mm @ 0° Angle of Attack
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
Pzgr. APCBC 146 145 128 118 104 100
Sprgr. L/4,5 HE 13 13 13 13 13 13
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
in m/s
Projectile
Mass in kg
Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
Normalization At 30°
from horizontal:
Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
Pzgr. APCBC 810 9.5 0.8 28 160 +4° 48° 63° 71°
Sprgr. L/4,5 HE 820 11 0.1 0.5 935 +0° 79° 80° 81°
Ammo racks
Ammo racks of the 8.8 cm Flak.37
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
40 21 (+19) (+39) No

Usage in battles

Despite the presence of a whopping 88 mm gun on the back of this half-track, the complete lack of any armour gives this vehicle a short lifespan on the front lines. Thus, the best course is to keep the half-track as far away from the battle as possible. The gun has a slow gun traverse and a terrible depression when angled towards the front, so firing against targets at close range on level ground will leave the vulnerable and unable to return fire against targets of low-profile chassis. The gun however can be depressed further at a lower degree when pointed to the sides and rear of the vehicle as it provides more physical clearance. As such when engaging targets on level ground at close to medium ranges, it is recommended to turn the entire vehicle clockwise or counterclockwise for 45 degrees and the gun turret 45 degrees in opposition to the angle of the chassis for clearance. This should be accomplished only in areas with enough maneuvering room to ingress and egress to guarantee clearance, or else the half-rack will find itself stuck (in some cases literally) between a rock and a hard place. Find cover behind rocks or other obstacles, inch out of cover only enough to show the gun, then race back into cover after firing to avoid being shot and losing valuable crew members.

The ammo rack at the back of the halftrack can be reduced from two possible racks to one by reducing your total ammo count from 40 shells to 21, with the 21st shell will be loaded in the gun breach. This can reduce the possibility of an ammo rack explosion.

In the ways of modification purchases, try to obtain the spare parts and FPE first. From there, research Horizontal Drive, Adjustment of Fire, and Elevation Mechanism to increase your total combat effectiveness. The stock halftrack's turn rate is rather poor and needs improvement if you want to be able to quickly react to a changing battlefield. One thing that cannot be stressed enough is the fact that this vehicle is the definition of a Glass Cannon. Most of the time, your TD will be destroyed by either an ammo rack explosion or most commonly a tank burn-down. Since the Flak.37 does not have armour, HEAT and HE shells can destroy you with one well placed shot.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • 88 mm cannon in Rank II
  • Has a high potency of destroying tanks it encounters in just one shot
  • Extremely fast reloads (avg. 6 seconds)
  • Six crew member
  • Gun elevation maxed at 85°, some may use it to fight larger aircraft
  • Paper thin armour makes AP shell more likely to pass through
  • More than adequate ammo for prolonged combat

Cons:

  • Very little armour, a heavy machine gun or strafing aircraft, and ramming planes will make mincemeat out of this vehicle
  • Armour can hull-break
  • Crew exposed, artillery barrages could be lethal
  • Boxes near the rear are ammo racks, smart players will just take out your gunner and shoot there
  • Heavy half-track and gun gives low and sluggish speed
  • With a gun depression of -3 degrees and the gun being high off the ground, you will have a near impossible chance of hitting short tanks that are really close to you on level ground
  • You are a priority target for airstrikes or even escorting fighters, smart players will take the chance to destroy the vehicle (AB)

History

The half-track

The Sd.Kfz. 9 (nicknamed the Famo) was Germany's heaviest half-track seeing service in World War II. The first model was made in 1936 and entered service with the Wehrmacht in 1938. Its primary purposes was as an artillery tractor and a tank recovery vehicle. The vehicle was able to tow about 28 tonnes, which was more than capable of towing the 24 cm Kanone 3 siege gun and the Panzer IV, but required two to four to tow the heavier Panther, Tiger I, and Tiger II. It was produced between 1938 to 1944 with 2,500 units produced.

The gun

The 8.8 cm FlaK is a German anti-aircraft artillery and one of their mainstay anti-air and anti-tank weapons in World War II. The 8.8 cm caliber was developed in 1917 during the times of World War I from available naval caliber to effectively combat Allied aircraft. The first of the FlaK series, the FlaK 18, was mounted on a easily deployable and traversable gun platform, has a semi-automatic loading system, and had a wide variety of ammunition available from high-explosives and armour-piercing. The guns first saw service in the Spanish Civil War and it proved as one of the most effective anti-aircraft guns of the period. Improvements to the Flak led to the FlaK 36 and FlaK 37 with new features such as a two-piece barrel and ability to fire without deploying the gun platform. Though the set-up time for the platform was quick at two and a half minutes, the weight of the gun required a half-track such as the Sd.Kfz 7 to quickly move it to a new position. The gun proved effective on ground targets as well, much of an impact that it was adapted as a tank armament on the Tiger I heavy tank. The FlaK series ended up being produced in the thousands from 1933 to 1945, with up to 21,000 units produced in that time period.

8.8 cm Flak.37 sfl

In 1940, fifteen examples of Sd.Kfz.9 were adapted to be mounted with the 8.8 cm FlaK 18 guns. These were officially known as 8.8 cm Flak 18 (Sfl.) auf Zugkraftwagen 18t. Its primary purpose was to serve in an anti-tank role, with the half-track needed to provide much-needed mobility to the gun. Aside from these 15 units produced, not much is known of its combat performance on the battlefield, but its existence inspired some American tank destroyer designs in 1943 to mount an anti-aircraft gun on a mobile vehicle, but these proved unsuccessful.

Media

Skin and Camouflages for the 8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl. in Warthunder Live.

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


Germany tank destroyers
Pz. I Derivatives  Panzerjäger I
Pz. II Derivatives  15cm sIG 33 B Sfl
Pz. 38(t) Derivatives  Marder III · Marder III H · Jagdpanzer 38(t)
Pz. III Derivatives  StuG III A · StuG III F · StuG III G · StuH 42 G
Pz. IV Derivatives  Jagdpanzer IV · Panzer IV/70(A) · Panzer IV/70(V) · Dicker Max · Nashorn · Brummbär · VFW
Pz. V Derivatives  Jagdpanther G1 · Bfw. Jagdpanther G1
Pz. VI Derivatives  Sturer Emil · Elefant · Ferdinand · 38 cm Sturmmörser · Jagdtiger
Wheeled/Half-track  8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl. · Sd.Kfz.251/9 · Sd.Kfz.251/10 · Sd.Kfz.251/22 · Sd.Kfz.234/3 · Sd.Kfz.234/4 · 15 cm Pz.W.42
ATGM Carrier  RakJPz 2 · RakJPz 2 (HOT) · Wiesel 1A2
Other  Waffenträger · M109G · JPz 4-5 · Raketenautomat · VT1-2