The ''Flakpanzer'' 38(t), officially named ''Flakpanzer 38(t) auf Selbstfahrlafette 38(t) Ausf M (

Sd.Kfz. ''Sonderkraftfahrzeug'' (abbreviated ''Sd.Kfz.'', German for "special purpose vehicle") was the ordnance inventory designation used by Nazi Germany during World War II for military vehicles; for example ''Sd.Kfz.'' 101 for the Panzer I. Sd.Kfz. nu ...

140)'', was a German

self-propelled anti-aircraft gun An anti-aircraft vehicle, also known as a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) or self-propelled air defense system (SPAD), is a mobile vehicle with a dedicated anti-aircraft capability. Specific weapon systems used include machine guns, ...

used in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as the Gepard, which may lead to confusion with the unrelated

Flakpanzer Gepard The ''Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard'' ("anti-aircraft-gun tank 'Cheetah, better known as the Flakpanzer Gepard) is an all-weather-capable German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG). It was developed in the 1960s, fielded in the 1970s, a ...

Design and development

The ''Flakpanzer 38(t)'' was designed around the chassis of the

LT-38 The 38(t), originally known as the ČKD LT vz. 38, was a tank designed during the 1930s, which saw extensive service during World War II. Developed in Czechoslovakia by ČKD, the type was adopted by Nazi Germany following the annexation of Cz ...

, a pre-war Czech design, which following the German occupation was produced for the Wehrmacht as the

Panzer 38(t) The 38(t), originally known as the ČKD LT vz. 38, was a tank designed during the 1930s, which saw extensive service during World War II. Developed in Czechoslovakia by ČKD, the type was adopted by Nazi Germany following the annexation of Cze ...

until it was no longer effective. As the vehicle used the ''Ausf M'' chassis, the engine was located near the middle of the vehicle, and the armament was placed at the rear in a specially designed armoured section. The superstructure could fold down to allow 360-degree traverse at low elevation. Including the single prototype, 141 ''Flakpanzer 38(t)''s were built from November 1943 to February 1944, entering service in 1944.

Combat use

The ''Flakpanzer 38(t)'' was intended to be issued to the anti-aircraft platoon of each tank battalion (''Panzer Abteilung'') in a

Panzer division A Panzer division was one of the armored (tank) divisions in the army of Nazi Germany during World War II. Panzer divisions were the key element of German success in the blitzkrieg operations of the early years of World War II. Later the Waffe ...

. Most of the ''Flakpanzer 38(t)''s were issued to Panzer Divisions on the Western Front, the remainder served on the Eastern Front. An example user being the

12th SS Panzer Division The SS Division Hitlerjugend or 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend" (german: 12. SS-Panzerdivision "Hitlerjugend") was a German armoured division of the Waffen-SS during World War II. The majority of its junior enlisted men were drawn from me ...

. At this late stage in the war, the single 2 cm FlaK main armament was no longer sufficient to ward off enemy aircraft, and the ''Flakpanzer 38(t)'' became easy prey for Allied fighter-bombers. As its folding superstructure allowed a very low (-5°) elevation the ''Flakpanzer 38(t)'' was often used against enemy infantry and unarmoured or lightly armoured vehicles.

Survivors

Four complete vehicles exist, having been recovered from a French scrapyard in Trun, Normandy. They went to the following museums.
12th Panzer Division Hitler Jugend * Bayeux memorial * Musee Automobiles de Normandie, Cleres (Now believed to be in private hands in the UK) * Saumur armour museum * Becker private collection

References

Bibliography

* * Ledwoch, J. (Shackleton, M. J. edited). ''Armour in Focus: Flakpanzer 38 (t)''

External links