Flakpanzer IV Mobelwagen (SdKfz 161/3)

History of Flakpanzer IV Mobelwagen (SdKfz 161/3)

The Panzer IV medium tank of World War II (1939-1945) became one of the most versatile German frontline tanks, as its chassis and running gear formed the basis for various other battlefield designs. One of them became the 3.7 cm FlaK auf Chassis Panzerkampfwagen IV (sf) "Mobilwagen" (SdKfz 161/3)), which appeared as a platform for self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (SPAAA), and as a stopgap before the improved version before the end of the war in 1945 The "Flakpanzer" line.

The vehicles were successful on the front lines of World War II and continued into the final days of the European campaign in May 1945.

The

Mobelwagen series were built from battle-damaged Panzer IVs that poured into German factories from the Eastern Front and elsewhere. Ready-to-use with proven operating characteristics, the stock was rebuilt for Krupp's Mobelwagn ("furniture cart") project, which began in early 1943.

The initiative stemmed from the Luftwaffe's inability to support ground forces and critical installations against relentless Allied bombardment, both day and night.

The basic design of the SPAAA retains most of the travel capabilities of the Panzer IV tank series. Power comes from a 300-horsepower Maybach HL 120 TRM 12-cylinder engine with the driver on the right front of the hull.

However, the turret of the original Panzer IV was completely removed and the top of the hull superstructure was cut open. The structure added a rough deck for artillery, anti-aircraft guns and mounting hardware. In addition to the driver, the crew consisted of five people, and rotatable steel armor plates were mounted around the gun mounts, which could be flipped up or removed while moving to serve as a standing platform for the crew to manage the guns.

The mounting of the guns allowed 360-degree traversal, but only when the platform walls were lowered slightly or completely did these walls provide minimal protection to the crewa major design limitation. Still, stopgap measures remain a priority, and any aircraft deterrence is better than none.

The finished vehicle has a top road speed of 24 miles per hour and a range of 120 miles.

The original design submitted to the German authorities centred on a 4 x 20mm gun arrangement. As impressive as these artillery pieces looked, they were of limited value to Allied aircraft, which evaded the range of German artillery by increasing their speed and altitude. Fittingly, this design was not pursued, leading to the presentation of a second product - a Series 43 automatic cannon with a single 3.7 cm (37 mm) anti-aircraft gun, offering better range, higher rate of fire and higher Penetration.

This design was accepted as Mobelwagen's final form, and mass production began in March 1944, with 240 units produced by March 1945.

The vehicle weighs 26.5 tons, is 5.9 meters long, 2.9 meters wide and 2.7 meters high. Armor protection reaches 80mm at its thickest point, but it doesn't just protect the driver. The 3.7cm gun is equipped with a total of 416 rounds of projectiles carried by the vehicle itself, the secondary weapon - used to protect the vehicle from enemy infantry or airborne threats - is a 7.92mm MG34 machine gun and 600 rounds of ammunition.

Leaf spring suspension provides off-road driving capability.

The Mobelwagen series was quickly put into operation with promising results. It was found that the 3.7cm gun could also be an effective ground gun, used with equal zeal as a fire support weapon when required to deal with light armoured vehicles and infantry formations (in this role the steel wall had to be fully grounded). Location).

The Mobelwagen was initially in service with Germany as a temporary solution and fought until the last days of the war, which took place in May 1945 (European Theater), along with several other SPAAA vehicles that were nearing the end of service with the German Army.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

416x37mm projectile.

600x7.92mm ammo.

Changes