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The 2 cm Flak 38 auf Panzer I Ausführung A, commonly known as the Flakpanzer I, [1] was a rare self-propelled anti-aircraft gun conversion of the Panzer I in use by the military of Nazi Germany during World War II.
Flakpanzer is a German term for "anti-aircraft tanks" ("flak" is derived from Flugabwehrkanone, literally "aircraft defence cannon"; "panzer" is derived from Panzerkampfwagen, literally "armored fighting vehicle"). These vehicles are modified tanks whose armament was intended to engage aircraft, rather than targets on the ground.
The name of the gun applies to a series of related guns, the first one officially called the 8.8 cm Flak 18, the improved 8.8 cm Flak 36, and later the 8.8 cm Flak 37. [ N 2 ] Flak is a contraction of German Flugabwehrkanone (also referred to as Fliegerabwehrkanone ) [ 11 ] [ N 3 ] meaning "aircraft-defense cannon", the original purpose of the ...
In addition to the basic cargo role, the vehicle was adapted as a mount both for the medium 3.7 cm FlaK 43 anti-aircraft gun and the quadruple 20mm flak gun. These mounts were placed at the center of the cargo area with a large gun shield. The sides of the cargo compartment folded down to give the crew more room to serve the weapons.
The 8.8 cm Flak 18 (Sfl.) auf Zugkraftwagen 12t (Sd.Kfz. 8), also known as the Bunkerflak or Bufla, [1] was a German Wehrmacht half-track self-propelled gun developed before World War II and used in the first half of the war.
German anti-aircraft forces (dubbed Flak, an abbreviation of Flugzeugabwehrkanone, '[anti-]aircraft defense cannon') had been organized in the years 1939 and 1940 into Flak Detachments (Flak-Abteilungen), some of which were mobilized for the Battle of France and placed into the newly formed Flak Corps (Flakkorps), I Flak Corps and II Flak Corps, [1]: 363 which were attached to Army Group A, [2 ...
By 1944, the Germans developed the Flak 103/38 automatic anti-aircraft gun, which is essentially a MK 103 cannon mounted atop a Flak 38 carriage. Closely matched in muzzle velocity and with a heavier projectile, in addition to higher rates of fire and being belt-fed, and smaller dimensions and weight, the MK 103 was a more effective anti ...
Thus a more powerful successor, with an armament that hit harder and at longer range, was produced which eventually replaced it. Known as the Flakpanzer IV Ostwind ("East Wind"), the successor was equipped with a single 3.7 cm Flak 43. [1] [2] Side view of Wirbelwind at CFB Borden