#germany
Germany's anti-aircraft solutions take on many forms based on the Panzer IV, with vehicles like Wirbelwind, Ostwind, Ostwind II, and Zerstörer 45 that mount a rapid-firing autocannon. However, all have the same issue of having an exposed turret compartment that allows aircraft to strafe and knock out critical components and people within the turret. Kugelblitz changes that equation by having a fully enclosed turret, allowing the vehicle to spray 30 mm at incoming aircraft confidently. Let's explore the Kugelblitz a bit more to see what makes this vehicle tick!
The Tiger heavy tank is one of the symbols of the Wehrmacht. This massive vehicle, with its sturdy armour and a deadly gun, left quite an impression on people – especially when it made its debut on the frontlines. As you know, Tigers were unable to save Germany from defeat, but the work of German engineers had a lasting impact on the global tank industry. Naturally, Tiger tanks are available in War Thunder as well; they can be found at Rank III and Rank IV of the Ground forces tech tree. Today we’re going to talk about the ways you can unlock the full potential of these tanks!
Panzerkampfwagen V Panther is a legendary WW2 era German medium tank. All major production models of the Panther family are present in our game. The chassis of the Panther was used to build quite a few combat vehicles of other types, many of which can also be found in War Thunder… But let’s start from the very beginning!
Scharnhorst was a German battlecruiser (or battleship depending on classification) that served in WWII, the lead ship of her class. Designed to counter the French Dunkerque-class battleships, Scharnhorst was a significantly enlarged and improved development on the previous Deutschland-class pocket battleships (“panzerschiffe”). Scharnhorst operated with her sister ship Gneisenau during the early years of WWII, wreaking havoc on Allied shipping. However, she ultimately met her demise at the Battle of the North Cape, where she was sunk by a large British force led by the battleship HMS Duke of York.
The Prinz Eugen was the third and final member of the completed Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruisers. Launched in August 1938, she saw extensive service during WWII, including in the sinking of HMS Hood alongside the Bismarck. Following the cessation of hostilities, she was transferred to the US, where she was used as a test target in the Baker nuclear test. Due to the damage received during the tests, she capsized and sank before repairs could be made.
The Maus is arguably one of the if not most polarizing vehicles in the game. While other vehicles generally focus on one or two traits from the proverbial “iron triangle” of survivability, mobility and firepower, the Maus is what you get when you drag two of the sliders to the absolute limit. With an imposing silhouette, slow speed, a monstrous cannon and the thickest raw armour plate in the game, the Maus commandeers the attention of both your allies and your enemies alike.
Retaining a lethal enough anti-tank weapon while maximizing mobility proved troublesome in World War II as tank armor increased in an arms race among the belligerents. As the different countries researched better ways of shrinking strong anti-tank power into a man-portable format, one of Germany's concepts took an innovative approach with the application of the "squeeze-bore" weapon to produce a high-velocity rifle at a smaller caliber yet just as capable of punching through tank armor. The s.Pz.B.41 is the result and armed many German soldiers and armored fighting vehicles like the Sd.Kfz.221 in War Thunder, but was such a weapon worth the squeeze?
