Flakpanzer IV “Kugelblitz”, DE, WWII

The Flakpanzer IV "Kugelblitz" was one of the most advanced German anti-aircraft solutions of World War II. Based on the chassis of the Panzer IV , the Kugelblitz was equipped with a fully enclosed, spherical rotating turret housing a twin anti-aircraft gun with two 3 cm MK 103 machine guns .

This armament was extremely powerful and could effectively combat enemy low-flying aircraft as well as lightly armored vehicles and infantry. The closed turret also offered the crew better protection than the open Flakpanzer IV variants such as the Ostwind or Möbelwagen .

Due to the late development phase of the project, only a few prototypes were built, which may have still been used on the Western Front.

Application areas:

• Western Front: Protection of German units from Allied air raids during the final phase of the war.
• Defence of strategic points: Potential use in last lines of defence.
• Prototype use: Due to the small number of units, operational use remained unconfirmed.

For which country:

• Germany

Classification:

• special vehicles

Possible uses in tabletop games:

• Bolt Action: Ideal for alternative scenarios with experimental German weapons.
• Flames of War: An interesting addition to lists that require anti-air defense.
• Chain of Command: Perfect for “what-if” scenarios with German high technology.

Technical data:

• Crew: 5 (commander, driver, gunner, 2 loaders)
• Length: 5.92 m
• Width: 2.88 m
• Height: 2.50 m
• Weight: 25 tons
• Armor:
  • Front: 50 mm
  • Pages: 30 mm
• Armament:
  • Main armament: 2 × 3-cm MK 103 machine guns (twin anti-aircraft guns)
  • Secondary armament: 7.92 mm MG34
• Ammunition: 3-cm explosive grenades, anti-tank grenades
• Engine: Maybach HL120 TRM, 300 HP
• Speed: Up to 38 km/h