News from Heroes and Leaders mod

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The S.Pz.Sp.Wg. (7,5 cm) Sd.Kfz.234/4 "Pakwagen" (full name: Schwerer Panzerspähwagen 7.5 cm Sonderkraftfahrzeug 234/4 Panzerabwehrkanonenwagen) is a German armored car tank destroyer variant, open-topped with a 7.5 cm PaK 40 L/46.The SdKfz 234/4 was a heavy armored reconnaissance vehicle with gun of 75 mm - Identical to Sd.Kfz.234/3, this version nevertheless was equipped with the long gun of 75 mm very effective Pak 40. It is here about an excellent anti-tank vehicle.
The SdKfz 234/4 was the final evolution of the SdKfz 234 line, which replaced the L/24 gun with the 7.5 cm L/46 PaK 40. Mounting the formidable 75mm (7.5-cm) PaK 40 anti-tank gun, the vehicle was appropriately armed for the dangers of the modern battlefield - essentially a desperate German attempt to produce a viable tank destroyer in quantity. However, the PaK 40 proved a large weapon to mount onto the space-cramped chassis of the SdKfz 234/4 and the inherently violent recoil pushed the hull and wheels to their structural limits. Nevertheless, the "upgunning" program continued as planned at the behest of Adolf Hitler himself. The SdKfz 234/4 fitted a revised fixed superstructure to make room for the PaK 40 L/46 gun. Traverse was limited as in the towed version and the forward gun shield was revised to become smaller in area to clear the superstructure. The conversion left room for only 12 rounds of ammo. Moreover, the rear driving position was omitted.
The SdKfz 234/4 was a highly mobile "Tank Hunter" modified to mount a complete 7.5-cm PaK 40 L/48 anti-tank gun, less wheels, on a pivot in the center of the fighting compartment. However, once again, full use of the weapon was restricted by the limited traverse obtainable.
As with most late-war German developments, the SdKfz 234/4 was rushed into production in December of 1944. Once in operational service, this expediency usually showcased detrimental results in relation to construction and proper development time. This variant was manufactured from the end of 1944 to the end of hostilities in 1945. In the end, only 89 Pakwagen of these vehicles were fielded before Germany capitulated in May of 1945 and their effectiveness was never wholly proven.
At Adolf Hitler's insistence, one more version was manufactured during the war. The SdKfz 234/4 was constructed by the order of Hitler himself in an attempt to increase the number of mobile AT guns. This was yet another attempt to increase the mobility of this anti-tank gun; however, the SdKfz 234 chassis was stretched to its limits.
Altogether approximately 500 vehicles of the SdKfz 234 type were built before the ending of hostilities. The SdKfz 234/4 was apparently intended to be used in the 1945-establishment Pz. Aufklaerungs Abteilung.

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The 37L FlaK/Pz IV or Moebelwagen received its nickname because of its box-like shape. Over 245 were built. This vehicle had to have its superstructure walls folded down before its gun could be used properly. Therefore, it had two combat different versions. In the game it is assumed that the vehicle has its flanks fully deployed, which means that the cannon has all the freedom of movement and shooting. In this case, the crew (all of they in the turret) is always completely exposed, even though the vehicle (hull) still has armor.
At the beginning of 1943, it was proposed to use the chassis of PzKpfw IV to provide an anti-aircraft vehicle to Panzerdivisions. This Flakpanzer baptized Möbelwagen (moving van) was to be armed with the quadruple 20 mm Flak 38 conceived by Krupp at the beginning of 1943, but only one prototype of this model was construct (or can be some models of pre-production). The prototype was ready in October 1943 and was presented to Hitler, December 7 of the same year. This one rejected finally the project. This experimental model was indicated like 2 cm Flakvierling auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen IV. Conversion used a standard hull of Panzer IV provided by Krupp-Gurson, modified and surmounted by a rectangular superstructure open on the top with of 25 mm walls. These shields were lowered to make it possible the guns to take with part planes moving at low altitude or the terrestrial targets.
January 28 of 1944, a version armed with the single 37 mm Flak 43 gun was ordered. April 7, 1944, the 20 first 3.7 cm Flakvierling auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen IV left the factory and on June 15 44 were brought into service within Panzerdivisions moving on the Western front. The series production was to begin in theory in February but started finally in March 1944, on assembly lines of Deutsche-Eisenwerke and BMM to finish in March 1945. Only 245 Möbelwagen were produced and in Flugabwehrzugen (anti-aircraft groups) of Panzerdivisions.
The Möbelwagen was considered a stopgap vehicle that was to be eventually replaced with the more advanced Wirbelwind and the Ostwind. Both these vehicles had a new enclosed (only top was open) turret which offered much better crew protection. But neither of these two versions were ever built in sufficient numbers to make a difference during the war. There were some plans to arm the Möbelwagen with the twin barrel Flak 43 to increase the firepower, but nothing came of the idea.
When sufficient numbers of Möbelwagen were built (by June 1944), they were used to equip the 9th, 11th, and 116th Panzer Divisions (on the Western front) with eight Möbelwagen vehicles each (Flugabwehrzug). The next units that received this vehicle were the 6th and 19th Panzer Divisions, both stationed on the Eastern front from July 1944. In August and September 1944, many Panzer Brigades (from 101st to 110th) received smaller Flugabwehrzuge with only four Möbelwagens each. By the end of the war, many more units on both front would receive Möbelwagens. From September 1944 on, several new mixed Flugabwehrzuge were formed with Möbelwagens and the new ‘Wirbelwind’ anti-aircraft tank (not many were built).
Between 8-12 full-tracked AA AFV were generally assigned to the HQ company AA platoon of each Pz. regiment, although in some cases AA halftracks were used instead.

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The Opel Blitz was a medium-weight 4 x 2 wheel drive truck which, in its 3 ton version entering production in 1937, became the main transport vehicle of the German armed forces in all theatres in World War II. It was extremely versatile and fulfilled many battlefield roles such as moving supplies, ammunition, medical litters, troops, artillery shells, fuel stores, and gun carriers. It could also be easily converted into a radio station, command post or a mobile office for higher-ranking officers.
The Germans mounted light AA guns on many different types of trucks and heavy cars, like the 20 mm FlaK 38 LKW over a Opel Blitz.
There was little standardization since many of them were actually local field modifications. So, in the game, they are represented generically.
This Opel was a field modification and only few were produced so data is basically not existing.
The truck was armed with the famous Flak 38 20 mm cannon. It used 20 round clips and had a rate of fire of around 480 RPM. Ammo was mostly carried in a two-wheeled trailer that was towed by the Opel.
With a combined weight of 4350 kg and an engine that can put out up to 75 HP, whilst it could cross the muddy Russian terrain, it wasn’t particularly fast at only 36km/h top speed.
Two Opel FlaK 38 LKW were often allotted to the division HQ Company of the Pz. division.

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The Flakpanzer IV "Ostwind" (East Wind in English) was a German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun based on the Panzer IV tank. The FlaKPz IV/37 or Ostwind mounted the 3.7cm FlaK 43 in basically the same vehicle as the Wirbelwind.
The Ostwind was one of the successors of Flakpanzer IV Möbelwagen armed with the 37 mm Flak 43 L/89. In July 1944, the first prototype of Ostwind using the chassis of PzKpfw IV was produced. This conversion was to be carried out starting from Panzers IV damaged and returned from the front (mainly Ausf.F/G). The Panzer IV's turret was removed and replaced with an open-top, hexagonal turret that housed a 3.7 cm FlaK 43. In addition to its intended role as an anti-aircraft weapon, the fast-firing gun was highly effective against light vehicles and minor fortifications. A closed-top design would have been preferable, but this was not possible due to the heavy smoke generated by the gun. Ostwind was equipped with a turret of DCA (opened on the top) with 6 side panels, called "Keksdose" (biscuit Box). Ostwind was armed with the 37 mm Flak 43 L/89 for anti-aircraft or terrestrial use. The 37 mm Flak was a very effective and destroying weapon.
The limitations of the earlier quad-20mm-armed, Panzer IV tank-based "Wirbelwind" Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (SPAAG) system led to the development of, yet another, Panzer IV-based form in the Flakpanzer IV "Ostwind". This version reverted to a single 37mm autocannon (similar to the earlier "Mobelwagen") though with an all-new, six-sided, open-air turret. The crew remained five (driver, commander/gunner, radioman and two loaders) while all other automotive aspects of the Panzer IV tank were retained including its Maybach 296 horsepower gasoline engine.
The Ostwind brought about improved capabilities, primarily through its more powerful gun which could reach .her with better penetration value than the preceding 20mm types of the Wirbelwind. The turret was simpler in its design which aided construction and added better protection for the partially exposed gunnery crew. The 12- cylinder engine coupled with a leaf-spring suspension system allowed for serviceable cross-country travel and speeds on roads reached 24 miles per hour with operational ranges out to 120 miles. The Ostwind's main improvement over the Wirbelwind was the FlaK 43's increased range and stopping power over the 2 cm Flakvierling 38 and slightly better armor on its turret.
Development of the Ostwind began in earnest during 1944 and was intended as a direct replacement for the limited-value Wirbelwind line. Ostwind was produced by Ostbau Works in Sagan in Silesia in a limited number because of the lack of hulls available and the relocalizations of the factories due to the Soviet projection. Although an order for 100 vehicles was placed in August 1944, only 43 vehicles were completed (37 converted from existing Panzer IVs and 7 new production vehicles) from July 1944 to March 1945, all work being carried out by Ostbau Werke in Sagan, Silesia. Ostwinds will be used by Flugabwehrzugen (groups of DCA) of Panzerdivisions. Although too much rare Ostwinds was very effective weapons against the planes moving at low altitude.
Towards the end of 1944, it was projected to rearm Ostwind with two guns of 37 mm Flak 43/44 or two 30 mm Mauser MK103. In January 1945, Ostbau produced a prototype of Ostwind II (3.7 cm Flakzwilling 44 auf Sfl PzKpfw IV), and 100 specimens were ordered. In 1945, it was projected to equip the obsolete chassis of Panzer III with the turret of Ostwind (3.7 cm Flak 43 auf Slf PzKpfw III).

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The SdKfz 6 was produced of 1935 to 1943 by Büssing-NAG and Daimler-Benz. Some 1700 were produced and used as transport of troop or as artillery tractors for guns of 75 mm. SdKfz 6 was heavier and more expensive than SdKfz 11 for nonhigher performances. Sd.Kfz.6 was reserved for Pioniere and SdKfz 6/2 was an artillery tractor.
The SdKfz 6/2 was a SdKfz 6 equipped with a special superstructure accommodating the anti-aircraft gun of 37 mm Flak 36 with complete traverse. The gun was equipped with a shield and used exclusively in an anti-aircraft role. The ammunition were transported in a trailer.
At the beginning of the Second World War, the German Wehrmacht had the strongest air defense in the world. In addition to motor vehicle-drawn anti-aircraft guns, self-propelled vehicles were also used, based on half-track vehicles of the 1to, 5to, and 8to class. One of these vehicles was the Sd.Kfz 6/2, which was manufactured by the Brunswick company Büssing in a number from 339 to 1944. On a platform equipped with hinged side panels you put the proven 3.7 cm Flak 36, and the self-propelled gun was ready.
To fight against enemy aircraft, German designers developed a new AA gun based on the 5-ton SdKfz 6 produced by the company Bussing-NAG. The new AA vehicle had a 37 mm 3,7 cm FlaK 36 L/98 anti-aircraft gun with a 98-caliber long barrel placed on a rotating carriage. During production, the gun was fitted with a shield to protect those performing the calculations from bullets and shrapnel. Shield construction varied. The vehicle carried 120 shells, towed by a Sonderanhanger Sd.Ah. 57 trailer. The anti-aircraft gun traveled with spare barrels. The 10.4 ton setup supported a crew of 5 to calculate the gun's trajectory. The anti-aircraft gun's effective rate of fire was 120 rounds per minute. The gun could fire at targets up to an altitude of 4,800 meters. In stowed position, the sides of the towing vehicle were raised, and in combat situations they were reclined to facilitate a circular range of fire. The vehicle could reach a speed of 50 km/h and had a maximum range of 317 km.
The AA vehicle was produced by the companies Bussing-Nag, Daimler Benz, Böhmisch-Mährischen Maschinenfabrik, and Praga from 1941 to 1943. A total of 339 were built. The SdKfz 6/2 was used by Army and Luftwaffe units. The Heavy Weapons companies of armored infantry and Pz. Aufklaerungs battalions also theoretically included AA halftracks. At least 200 Sd.Kfz. 6/2 anti-aircraft guns entered the service of the Luftwaffe, and the rest joined the Wehrmacht's anti-aircraft divisions. An anti-aircraft division consisted of 9 AA vehicles. This vehicle was used in combat on all fronts.
The production began in 1941 and finished in 1943 with a total of 339 produced machines, which will be versed in the anti-aircraft units of Lutwaffe. Later, the SdKfz 6/2 was replaced by SdKfz 7/2.
The SdKfz 6 equipped with an armored back superstructure, also accommodated the Soviet gun of 76.2 mm M1936 (76.2 mm FK 36(r) / FK 295(r)/Pak 36(r)). In 1941, 9 vehicles indicated 7.62 cm Pak 36(r) auf 5t ZkWg "Diana" were produced. Between January and February 1942, they were versed in the 605th PzJg.Abteilung in North Africa.

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The Sd.Kfz.7/1, also known as the ‘Selbstfahrlafette auf m.Zgkw.8t mit 2cm Flakvierling 38’, was born shortly after the 2cm Flakvierling 38 was presented to Adolf Hitler in October 1939. The Luftwaffe ordered 100 such weapons systems to be mounted on the Sd.Kfz.7 chassis. Production started in February 1940 and continued until December 1944, by which time 750 were manufactured. This made the Sd.Kfz.7/1 one of the most numerous SPAAGs the Germans had at their disposal.
The rear two bench rows were removed, as was the luggage compartment. In their place, a flat platform was created, with the gun mount in the center. A bench row was placed at the front of the platform, facing rearwards. The platform had three drop-sides. These were vertical when the vehicle was on the move, creating a space for the gun crew to stay in. When in firing position, these were dropped into a horizontal position, thus enlarging the space the crew had to move in. The rear drop-side also had a small ladder that helped the crew climb or descend from the platform. There were two kinds of drop sides used. For most Sd.Kfz.7/1 vehicles, these consisted of wire mesh fixed on a metal frame. Some of these metal frames had diagonal braces. However, vehicles built late in the war had these made of wood on a metal frame. This was probably done in order to save materials. The windshield could be dropped down in order to allow a larger arc of fire for the gun. A tarpaulin could be added to give some cover from the elements, but it only covered the driver’s section. The winch placed under the vehicle seems to have been retained. It was used to pull vehicles or guns that had gotten stuck.
The gun system was mounted in the middle of the rear platform. There were no less than 4 gun mountings used during production. The first one was a small tripod that was height adjustable. Then, the gun system was mounted on a pivot which was also height adjustable. The third mounting is unclearly described in the literature. However, on later vehicles, a new mounting system was added, which allowed the mounting of the gun system using its usual tripod. This had the advantage of easily allowing the Flakvierling to be dismounted and placed on the ground, but this option seems to have been rarely used. The tripod mount was bulkier and occupied more space than the pivot mount.
A platoon of three Sd.Kfz.7/1 was usually allotted to the HQ company AA platoon of each Pz. and Panzetjaeger battalion, but often other AA halftracks were substituted. A platoon was sometimes also present in the Pz. division's FlaK battery, replacing one of the SdKfz 10/4 platoons.
The Sd.Kfz.7/1 also towed a Sd.Ah.56 special trailer. This was a two-wheeler trailer specially designed for carrying the ammo boxes and accessories for the Flakvierling AA gun system. 120 boxes of ammunition carrying 20 rounds each for a total of 2400 rounds were carried. 30 magazines were carried in the vehicles itself, with the other 90 being kept in the trailer. However, in operations, ammo boxes were scattered all around the rear platform, in order to allow easy access to the loaders.
Tools could be carried on the outside of the drop-sides, like a shovel or a pickaxe. However, these are absent in a large number of contemporary photos. Tools are also often depicted as being mounted on the engine hood on the up-armored vehicles, but, yet again, photographic evidence is lacking. One vehicle, restored by Krauss-Mauffei and stored at least for a time at Koblenz, features these hood-mounted tools.
The Sd.Kfz.7/1 kept all the automotive parts from the Sd.Kfz.7 half-track. The SPAAGs were based on the KM m 11 or the HM m 11 versions, the last in the evolution of the Sd.Kfz.7.
The original engine was a Maybach HL 62 TUK, although this was changed in 1943 for the HL 64 TR. The difference between the two was the displacement (6.4 liters instead of 6.2 liters) and the change of the lubrication system. Both were 6-cylinder water cooled gasoline engines. The HL 62 could reach a maximum of 140 hp at 2600 rpm. It could power the Sd.Kfz.7/1 to a maximum speed of 50 km/h. The 203-liter fuel tank gave a range of 250 km on road.
The engine was connected to a 5-speed differential gearbox (4 forward, 1 reverse) that powered the drive sprockets mounted at the front of the track. This was an “Aphon” type non-synchromesh gearbox. The clutch was a Mocano K 230 K. Seven pairs of interleaved rubberized roadwheels provided contact with the ground and also held the track on the return run. Six of the roadwheel pairs were sprung using a leaf spring suspension. However, the last pair, which also acted as the idler, had a torsion bar suspension instead.

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The Sd.Kfz. 10 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug - special motorized vehicle) was a German half-track that saw widespread use in World War II. Its main role was as a prime mover for small towed guns such as the 2 cm FlaK 30, the 7.5 cm leIG, or the 3.7 cm PaK 36 anti-tank gun. It could carry eight troops in addition to towing a gun or trailer.
The Sd.Kfz. 10/4 carried the 2 cm FlaK 30 mount on a special platform with fold-down side and rear panels. This platform was specifically designed for the Flak 30 mount and could not readily accept a Flak 38 mount or vice versa. To accommodate the gun mount the vehicle was both wider and taller than normal, namely 2.02 meters) wide and 2 meters and weighed 4,075 kilograms empty. Four folding seats were fitted on the platform for the crew. Some of these gun mounts had a gun shield fitted. The ready ammunition bins fastened to the side and rear panels (four on each side and two in the rear) contained one 20-round magazine each. It usually towed an ammunition trailer (Sd.Ah. 51 - Sonderanhänger—special single-axle trailer) with 640 more rounds, the gun's sights and its rangefinder.
Vehicles built in 1940 (only) were fitted with removable loading ramps, cable rollers to act as pulleys, and a reinforced tail gate to allow a Flak 30, mounted on a Sd.Ah. 51 trailer, to be quickly dismounted. From 1940 they were fitted with rifle racks over the front fenders and from 1942 these were given sheet metal covers as protection from the weather. Flak 38s were mounted on 10/4s beginning in 1941 although the platform wasn't widened until later. As the war progressed the guns were more often fitted with gun shields.
The SdKfz 10/4 was the first German SP AA gun. They were used by both Army and Luftwaffe AA units. Some armored infantry and motorized infantry regiments were issued a FlaK company of 12 AA halftracks (three per platoon). A Pz. division's FlaK battalion also contained four platoons of SdKfz 10/4. 610 SdKfz 10/4 were built.
The SdKfz 10/5 was the later version of the SdKfz 10/4 were equipped with the newer 2.0cm FlaK 38 AA gun; these upgunned versions of the SdKfz 10/4 were given the designation SdKfz 10/5. For added protection 8mm armor plate was sometimes added to the front of the vehicle cab and gunshield beginning in the latter half of 1942, and this piece represents that partially armored ver-sion. In 1943 the number of crew was reduced from six to four. Photographic evidence and tactical use suggests that Leichte FlaK units participating in the street fighting in Stalingrad were equipped with the armored SdKfz 10/5.
The Sd.Kfz. 10/5 carried the 2 cm FlaK 38 whose mount was wider, and lighter, than that of the Flak 30, and the platform was enlarged to accommodate it from 1942. Vehicle width increased to 2.156 meters, but the height returned to that of the normal vehicle. Initially, vehicles modified with the wider platform for the Flak 38 did not have a special designation, but they were given one sometime in 1943. The earliest known use is 1 September 1943, but the older name lingered until 1 December 1944. The Luftwaffe ordered 293 sets of armor plate (Behelfspanzerung) for its vehicles in 1943. These plates covered the radiator, windshield and both sides of the driver's compartment and were fitted to both versions.
The basic engineering for all the German half-tracks was developed during the Weimar-era by the Reichswehr's Military Automotive Department, but final design and testing was farmed out to commercial firms with the understanding that production would be shared with multiple companies. Demag was chosen to develop the smallest of the German half-tracks and spent the years between 1934 and 1938 perfecting the design through a series of prototypes.
Production began in 1939 for deliveries to the Army and Luftwaffe, although the exact numbers will never be known as they were often not broken out separately in the production reports. At any rate Adler built 1054 between 1939 and February 1943, although some of these were completed as 10/5s beginning in 1942. MWC was awarded two contracts for 975 10/5s to be delivered in 1943–44, but 13 of these were delivered as ordinary Sd.Kfz. 10s in 1944.
The chassis formed the basis for the Sd.Kfz. 250 light armored personnel carrier. Approximately 14,000 were produced between 1938 and 1945, making it one of the most widely produced German tactical vehicles of the war. It participated in the Invasion of Poland, the Battle of France, the Balkans Campaign and fought on both the Western Front and the Eastern Front, in North Africa and in Italy.

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In 1934, Steyr merged with Austro-Daimler-Puch to form Steyr-Daimler-Puch. During World War II, when Austria was part of the Third Reich, Steyr-Daimler-Puch's Generaldirektor Georg Meindl became one of the first German industrialists. The vehicle range was for military use, including the Steyr RSO Raupenschlepper Ost with an air-cooled 3.5 L V8 engine designed by Ferdinand Porsche, who worked for the company at that time.
Austria's all-wheel drive Steyr 1500 was one of the many personnel/transport vehicles designed to meet the Wehrmacht's requirement for a standard 1,5 ton truck. Presented in 1941, the Steyr was used as a transport in all theaters. A total of more than 20,000 were built, in a wide range of variants. The chassis of the Steyr 1500A and its reinforced variant, the Steyr 2000A were also used for fire trucks, omnibuses (Leadwarrior kit Lw35026), ambulances (Leadwarrior kit Lw35025), a universal Funk-Koffer, or radio vehicle, and different types of cargo carriers (Leadwarrior kits Lw35023, Lw35024, Lw35027, Lw35028).
In the second half of WWII, due to Allied air superiority, Germany faced an urgent need for self-propelled anti-aircraft mounts. Besides many official developments utilizing Panzer hulls and halftracks, there was a wide range of local improvisations made using all sorts of vehicles and guns. The Germans mounted light AA guns on many different types of trucks and heavy cars. There was little standardization since many of them were actually local field modifications. Steyr trucks were also field-converted to carry AA-guns. The 3.7cm FlaK Steyr LKW was the solution proposed by the company Steyr-Daimler-Puch. Two 3.7cm FlaK Steyr LKW were often allotted to the division HQ company of the Pz. division.
During the last months of the war, a new AA gun, the 3cm Flak 38/103 became available. Also known as the Jaboschreck or 'Fighter-Bomber Terror,' this was a modern weapon, even though it utilized many parts from the obsolete Flak 38, including the carriage and frame.
The Steyr 2000A conversion mounting the Jaboschreck was soon introduced, and was put into immediate production. Most of the vehicles were picked up immediately at the factory by the troops and taken right to the front line. No photos of this vehicle are known, but detailed descriptions state that the gun was mounted in the rear on the low-sided wooden flatbed, on a round pedestal. Ammunition was stowed in a compartment under the bed.

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The Flakpanzer FIaKPz IV/20 or Wirbelwind ((Whirlwind in English) was a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun based on the PzKpfw IV chassis carrying the 2cm Flakvierling Flak 38 L/112.5 gun.
Wirbelwind was one of the successors of Flakpanzer IV Möbelwagen armed with the 37 mm Flak 43 L/89. In May 1944, the first prototype of Wirbelwind (Tornado) using the chassis of Panzer IV was produced. This conversion was to be carried out starting from PzKpfw IV damaged and returned from the front (mainly Ausf.F/G).
In the first years of World War II, the German military forces had less interest in developing self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, but as the Allies began to gain air superiority, the need for more mobile and better-armed self-propelled anti-aircraft guns increased.
The concept of Wirbelwind comes from SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Wilhelm Krause of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend , which during the early summer of 1944, proposed to assemble the quadruple gun of 20 mm Flak 38 L/112.5 on the chassis of Pz.Kpfw IV. He presented the concept to SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche, commanding officer of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment and it was approved by Hitler. Four were combat-tested by the Panzer Lehr Division in Normandy. The combination of armor and rapid fire from the four guns of the Wirbelwind made it very effective against lightly armored ground targets such as trucks and armored cars; infantry were particularly vulnerable.
The Panzer IV's turret was removed and replaced with an open-top, nine-sided turret that housed a quadruple 2 cm Flakvierling 38 L/112.5. A closed-top design would have been preferable, but this was not possible due to the heavy smoke generated by the four anti-aircraft guns. The shape of the turret earned it the nickname Keksdose ("Biscuit Tin").
However, in combat the 2 cm shells were felt to be insufficiently effective against aircraft, and so a more powerful successor 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.
Wirbelwind was equipped with a turret of DCA (opened on the top) made up of 9 side panels. Wirbelwind was armed with the quadruple 20 mm Flak 38 L/112.5 for anti-aircraft or terrestrial use (less effective than the 37 mm Flak 43). Wirbelwind was produced by Ostbau Works in Sagan in Silesia in a limited number because of the lack of hulls available and the relocalizations of the factories due to the Soviet projection. Only 105 Wirbelwinds were produced between May and November 1944. Wirbelwinds will be used by Flugabwehrzugen (groups of DCA) of Panzerdivisions. Although too much rare Wirbelwinds was very effective weapons against the planes moving at low altitude.
Towards the end of 1944, it was projected of rearmed Wirbelwinds with four guns of 30 mm MK 303 or MK103/38 firing 1600 rounds per minute. In December 1944, Ostbau produced a prototype designed Zerstorer 45 (Destroyer 45) - 3 cm Flakvierling MK103/108 auf Sfl PzKpfw IV. In 1945, it were envisaged to use obsolete Pz.Kpfw III as bases for Flakpanzer III provided with the turret of Wirbelwind (Slf PzKpfw of 2 cm Flakvierling 38 III).

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Assault boats in the German Army during World War II were typically the property of Combat Engineer Battalions, whose combat engineers also deployed and crewed them.
The assault crossing of a defended river line was one of the most difficult tactical offensive operations conducted in World War II. Regardless of the scope of the operation — divisional, corps, or army-level — the initial assault crossing was very much a tactical operation. Usually no more than a reinforced battalion or regiment, supported by considerable artillery, was committed to conduct the actual assault and to establish a foothold on the far bank. This initial assault was usually made by means of small man-paddled or powered assault boats. Once this was accomplished, follow-on forces would be shoved across as rapidly as possible to dear and secure a bridgehead; footbridges, ferries, and rafts were used for this phase, while larger pontoon bridges were being hurriedly emplaced for heavier traffic to cross. The troops landed on the far bank had to be prepared to meet immediate heavy counterattacks, and to hold the bridgehead until sufficient breakout forces were in place.
The German klein Schlauchboot 34 (Flossacke 34), was an inflatable boat equipped with paddles. This measured 3 meters of length, 1.15 meters of width, and 0.4 meters of height, and had a handling rope strung around the edge of the 2-cell tube. It could carry 3 men or a 300kg load, and was provided with 3 paddles.
An Assault boat is a boat used for making a landing in combat. Meant for inland waters, assault boats were light enough to be carried by several men and paddled, or fitted with an outboard motor for hi-speed operation, manually portable or not.
Inflatable or pneumatic boats were used by all armies for reconnaissance (2-3 man, as well as larger models); assault crossings; ferrying troops, weapons, and supplies; and as bridge and ferry pontoons. Most were made of vulcanized rubber, but smaller ones might be made of synthetically treated canvas. The former were mostly black or gray, while fabric types were olive drab.

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The Leichtes Sturmboot 39 was essentially a small, high-powered assault craft used for river and small waterway crossings and assaults. They were also employed on security and anti-partisan patrols along river ways in occupied territories. Leichtes Sturmboot were very fast, able to achieve about 30mph with the use of an outboard motor extended from the rear of the craft. They were without much protection or firepower though, aside from the possibility of an attached MG at the bow of the vessel and the weapons of the men inside. Leichtes Sturmboot 39 were transported into battle by most German construction and assault engineer units and were used to spearhead river and small waterway assaults, usually in conjunction with an attempt to form a bridgehead for the construction of a bridge. The craft could carry 6 men or about a half-ton of weight.
Hundreds of Leichtes Sturmboot 39 were built and used during WWII, and they did not carry specific number or letter identification markings, making a record of individual vessels nearly impossible to compile.
The Sturmboote are light, mostly open boats with outboard motor. They are used by Army or Pioneer units to quickly cross inland waters, such as the formation of bridgeheads or to drop commando troops.
Assault boats are used in very different sizes and designs depending on the intended use. Small assault boats usually provide space for an infantry squad with their personal equipment.
For rapid deployment, even under threat of enemy, the stormboats should be able to be launched by the crew without further aids to water, so they are usually made of lightweight materials such as wood or metal.
German leicht Sturmboot 39 The German "light assault boat 1939" was unique among this class. The Stubo 39 was of rigid wooden construction, with a pointed bow, a flat bottom with a curved bow chin, and a flat stern plate. What made this otherwise conventional design unique and highly effective was its engine, called a "powered oar." This consisted of the 4-cylinder 30hp engine, fuel tank, controls, and an 8ft 11in diagonal propeller shaft all contained in a single unit that was mounted on a pivot on the stern plate. Two handles allowed the standing helmsman to swing the engine's shaft to steer the highly maneuverable boat at up to 16 knots (though a drawback was that he had to stand upright and exposed). The propeller's depth could be varied, which was beneficial in shallow water. The downside was that the 13k 4in-long, 4121b engine assembly (almost heavier than the boat itself) required at least five men to carry it, so at least eight men to carry the whole boat — more than it could carry on the water. Rope lifelines ran most of the hull length and were used for carrying. The boat had a two-man crew and could carry six combat-equipped troops, with the machine gun belonging to the transported squad mounted on the bow. When the initial assault troops had secured the far shore, a medium or large inflatable boat could be lashed on either side of a Stubo to allow more troops to be delivered by one powerboat, albeit at a slower speed. The Stubo's stern protruded aft of the inflatables to allow the powered oar a full traverse.

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The landing craft of the Kriegsmarine are a often neglected part of German naval history, although the over 700 crafts build played multiple roles during World War II.
During the invasion of Norway in 1940 (Operation Weserübung), the Kriegsmarine did not have specialized landing crafts, instead destroyers, cruisers and torpedo boats were used. During the following planning operation for the invasion of England (Seelöwe) it got obvious that it could not be archived without such crafts. Since the development of real landing crafts would take too long, many river boat and merchant ships were provisionally modified for this role and the designs of real landing crafts was started.
Operation Sealion never took place, but the so called Marinefährprahme (MFP) were build. They proved to be as vehicles with a universal use - besides transport and supply operations in all theaters of war, they could be operating as gun boats, mine layers or Sperrbrecher.
It was the engineers of the Heer who took the lead in experimenting with landing boats in the late 1930s. The second Pionier Bataillon, stationed in Stettin, regularly used a handful of modified vessels to practice landing on coastal beaches and worked with Major Kurt Braunig from fifth Waffenamt Prilfwesen (Weapons Testing Department) in the Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Agency) to establish the requirements for future landing craft. By the outbreak of the war, WaPrrif 5 had ordered the construction of a prototype, designated as the Pionierlandungsboot 39 (PiLB 39). The 20-ton PiLB39 was a fairly sophisticated design, equipped with a bow ramp and able to land 100 troops or 20 tons of cargo (including vehicles) on a beach. However, WaPriif 5 chose to build two prototypes and test them before initiating serial production. Since the first PiLB 39 was not completed until July 1940 and the second in mid-September 1940, serial production did not begin until after Hitler had postponed Seelbwe. Although only four PiLB 39s were built in 1940, a total of 55 were built in 1941. WaPriif 5 continued to improve this handy vessel with upgraded models, but it was not available when needed most. It also meant that Germany had no purpose-built landing craft or proven amphibious techniques when Hitler ordered preparations for Seelowe to commence.

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The Landungsboot 43 "kurz" (heavy landing craft 43 short) or PiLB 43, consisted of two pontoon rows of three pontoons each (= 140 m² loading area). It was 26.75 m long, 8.6 m wide and had a draft of 1.1 m loaded. It was powered by two Deutz engines with 400 hp each, which brought the boat up to 22 km / h. The regular load was between 85 - 95 ton or 150 men with life vests.
Since the Wehrmacht still had no modern ferry, especially not for the landing of tanks on the coast, such ferry boats were developed from the late 1930s. The best boat proved to be the design of the Bodan shipyard in Kressbronn on Lake Constance, which created the Pionierlandungsboot 39, which went into mass production in 1940 and came in September 1940 in the military service. From experience with the PiLB 39 and 40, the improved Pionierlandungsboot 41 was designed and built in 1942 in series.
The Pionierlandungsboot 43 (PiLB 43) was reached a new scale. It was 26.75 m long, 8.60 m wide, had a weight of 145 tons and 95 tons of loading capacity on 140 m² loading area. On the starboard side in front was a weapon stand with a light FlaK gun. The PiLB 43 consisted of three pontoon rows of three pontoons and was therefore also railroad loading.
The Pionierlandungsboot were summarized in Landungsbootzügen. Several boats each formed a train. The first major maneuvering trial of Pionierlandungsboot took place in March 1941 in the Baltic Sea on the sand coast of the Pomeranian island Wollin. It carried two freighters Pionierlandungsboot on deck and then put this with their cargo trees on the water to land troops on the coast.
The first military use of Pionierlandungsboot took place in May 1941 with the landing craft Africa on the North African coast unloading freighters with troops and supplies for the German Afrika Korps. The pioneer landing craft were then used on all European coastal areas where the Wehrmacht needed ferrying, including the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, Norway, France and the Baltic Sea.
In the last months of the Second World War, the Pionierlandungsboot were also important means of transport on the southern Baltic Sea for the escape of civilians and soldiers before the Red Army. The pioneer landing craft served both to transport from coastal town to coastal town, as well as waiting to shore ships that transported people to the west.

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The Soviet Armed Forces conducted numerous amphibious assaults in each of their four fleets during their Great Patriotic War and demonstrated a capability for landings that the German defenders had not anticipated. While a majority of the assaults were small raids of a tactical nature, several were large enough to be considered at the operational level.
The Soviet experience in amphibious warfare in World War II contributed to the development of Soviet operational art in combined arms operations.
Amphibious operations, even when the Soviets had gained the initiative against the Germans, illustrate Soviet amphibious warfare experience. As Soviet prewar writings show, some concepts of amphibious warfare were developed, but a lack of landing craft made successful landings difficult to achieve in the operations examined. A strong trait of adaptability and improvisation highlight the Soviet experience.
The engineer branches of all armies employed small boats for reconnaissance, delivery of troops and equipment, towing or pushing rafts and ferries, assisting in bridge erection, and utility and courier work. They were usually organic to the units that used them, but in some cases, they were centralized for allocation to units as needed. Assault boats were generally of all-wood construction or small inflatable boats, small and relatively lightweight, since their passengers needed to be able to carry them to the water’s edge, and they were vulnerable to small-arms fire.
The LMN (Lodka Malaya Naduvnaya, Small Inflatable Boat) - takes 5 soldiers or 1 heavy MG and 4 soldiers. Has a mount for firing the MG right from the boat.
Most lacked seats, so as to provide maximum passenger and cargo space. Rope lifelines attached around the sides could double as carrying handles. Outboard motors were available but only in small numbers, and were reserved for special use. The common means of propulsion was paddles wielded by the passengers; sometimes boats were delivered without paddles, and troops had to improvise using poles, boards, and rifles. Besides a helmsman steering the boat, one or two engineer paddlers had to be provided to return the boat to the near shore, though in some instances the first-wave boats were simply abandoned to be recovered later
Inflatable or pneumatic boats, also known simply as “rubber boats,” saw widespread use. They were usually made of black rubber but might be painted a more subdued color; others were made of olive-drab canvas coated inside with either rubber or a synthetic sealant. Boats had multiple cells, each of which had to be inflated individually; even with most of the cells penetrated the boat would maintain some degree of buoyancy. Small boats could be inflated by mouth, but larger ones were provided with hand- or foot-operated pumps, and air compressors could also be used where available. Repair kits were provided, along with wooden bullet-hole plugs. Pneumatic boats were surprisingly buoyant and could carry heavy loads for their size. Even small inflatables were used for pontoon bridges and ferries. With “saddle” adapters allowing treadway sections to be laid across them, a number could be used as the basis for a ferry capable of carrying a small vehicle or AT gun. Most were paddle-propelled, but some had a wooden transom to allow an outboard motor to be mounted.

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Both in the Baltic and in the Black Sea, the Soviets conducted more than 50 battalion-sized or larger amphibious landings. Multiple regimental+ sized operations were landed on the Black Sea (including some notable failures.) The Soviets also conducted many river crossings, and some of those rivers were wide enough that they might well be considered in the same realm as coastal amphibious operations.
In particular the Soviets developed the tactic of using river networks rather than just river banks, assembling their forces and boarding riverine watercraft on an uncontested river (both banks in friendly hands), and then transiting down to that river's confluence with a contested river (enemy holding the far bank) to effect a landing. In this way they could assemble flotillas of watercraft that were too large to be transported overland and launched within site of the enemy (river barges, armored boats like the BKA-1125, etc.). They also were masters at improvising, constructing improvised watercraft from available materials in rapid order to cross rivers which Axis forces left under-defended.
The PG 117 was used during second world war of Soviet Navy as fast boats for supporting infantry at landing operations, to transport supplies and patrol on rivers, lakes and harbors.
The Dnieper Flotilla's vessels contributed to the flank defense of advancing Soviet troops in the Ukraine, Belarus, and Poland, and enabled the crossing of water obstacles, provided logistic support, and performed amphibious landings – the largest being the Pinsk Landing during the liberation of that city, with others including landings at Zdudichi, Petrikovsky, Borkinsky, and Doroshevichinsky. Flotilla units continued fighting to end of the war, in battles on the Oder and Spree, and PG-117 motorboats of the Dnieper Flotilla participated in the storming of Berlin, the only naval units to do so. The riverine operations along the Danube in 1944 and 1945 are considered by the Soviets as amphibious.
A tactical landing has limited missions such as enveloping the flank of the enemy, but it is characterized as influencing the outcome of the battle on the theater's coastal sector. It is a supporting operation, usually lasting no more than a week, conducted usually by a battalion but possibly by a division. A raiding party is a small scale operation, a demonstration designed for very limited tasks such as creating panic in the enemy's rear or destroying a coastal artillery emplacement. The time of a raiding party is measured in hours and the inserted forces, often provided by a ship's company, require extraction.
The success of an amphibious operation hinges on the proper selection of landing sites, the timing of the landing, thorough preparation of all forces, and the need for secrecy in the preparation and execution of the landing.
For seizing a beachhead, the units conducting the spearhead seize an area with a depth of 300-600 meters from the shore to keep enemy machinegun fire away from the follow-on forces. Soon after, the beachhead should be expanded to a depth large enough to prevent the enemy from bringing in observed artillery fire.
Only in the Baltic Fleet had a unit formed by June 1941 which was intended especially for amphibious warfare, the 1st Special Marine Brigade organized in Leningrad in 1940. The deployment of this unit was not included in the mobilization plans drawn up in early 1941.12 Soon after the Germans kicked off Operation Barbarossa, the Soviet High Command recognized that similar units should be formed in all the fleets. Sailors were hastily enlisted from all types of ships and joined those recently released from hospitals and schools. Naval officers who had attended combined arms academies assumed many of the key command and staff billets.

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The term “tender” was used by the Russian Navy in the 19th century, and refers to a small auxiliary warship operating close to the shore with displacement between 15 and 60 tons.
During the siege of Leningrad in 1942 Russians decided to build a large number of small and simple maneuverable vessels designed to carry people and supplies across the Lake Ladoga and able to land at any kind of shore, not only at port. The small size of the vessels significantly reduced the risk of sinking and any accidental loss would not have affected the total volume of shipments.
The construction of these tenders was based on an old design of a landing pontoon made before the War, in Talin. Tenders built in different factories varied in size and shape of the hull but all other elements were completely unified.
Its characteristics, in a general way, can be specified in a medium displacement of 13.56 tons, a length between 10 and 14.3 meters, a width between 3.8 and 3.6 meters, and a maximum height from the water level between 1.5 meters and 2.3 meters. His speed was between 5-6 knots, with a armament of an DshK, and a landing capacity between 35 and 60 people.
During the siege of Leningrad 118 tenders were used and deployed. They made 10048 raids, evacuated 250 000 civils from the city and carried more than 100 000 tons of supplies. None of the 118 ships were sunk by the enemy.
Tenders participated in major amphibious operations on Lake Ladoga and in the Gulf of Finland, during the liberation of Estonia. In 1943, a detachment of tenders was relocated to the Black Sea and participated in the liberation of Kerch.
All joint operations of the campaign of 1944, related to the landing, and the rapid movement of troops and equipment were carried out with the participation of tenders.
Tactical landings comprised the bulk of the over 100 landings done throughout the war by all the fleets. A Marine Brigade, Regiment, or often a Battalion, would be assigned as its primary mission the spearhead in an amphibious assault. A Naval Rifle Brigade, of which 25 were eventually formed, were primarily intended for combat on the ground. Some of these units were employed in landings. Most of them came from Siberia and the Far East and initially fought in the defense of Moscow.
Because of the short stretches of sea that had to be traversed and especially because of the lack of landing craft, embarked and landed troops in one or more echelons in improvised craft, of widely varying sizes and seldom of the same type for any operation. The craft would return to the embarkation area, often with wounded, load up again, and return to the beachhead. The boat shortage was overcome with the expedient use of any craft available, including commandeered fishing boats, sailboats, rowboats, and even canoes.
In the Odessa landing, the assault forces embarked on one ship and then at sea transferred to smaller landing craft to make the assault. At the Kerch-Feodosia operation, there was a combination of ship-to-shore and shore-to shore movement, but all conducted a relatively short distance from the landing sites. At Novorossiisk and Kerch-Eltigen, the landings were shore-to-shore, a more expedient process because of the shorter sea passage.

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The BKA-1125 armored boat is a small relatively mass-produced for a ship (85 active and 68 under construction as of Jun 1941), it was used up to the end of war including the Manjurian campaign of 1945.
The BK-1125 was a armored gunboats. Basically it's a river tank; it carries a some additional armaments (3 turrets with 12.7mm mgs), and between 4 and 7mm of armor. This type served in large numbers with the Dnieper Flotilla as well as other Soviet river flotillas. At the time of the German invasion 85 of these were in commission, 68 were under construction, and a further 110 were ordered on August 18, 1941, all of which were completed during the war, and about 90 of which were lost. These boats carried a tank gun in a tank turret as their main armament – early units using T-28 and T-35 turrets, later units using T-34 turrets when these became available in 1939, all fitted with a 76.2 millimeters gun. Model BK-1124 had two turrets and BK-1125 one turret.
The BK-1145 has 22.6 meters long and 3.5 meters wide, they displaced 26.3 tons (29.0 short tons). They carried a crew of 10 and had a single gasoline engine generating 720 boiler horsepower for a speed of 37 kilometers per hour. Besides the 3-inch main armament, the boats carried a 12.7mm machine gun and two 7.6mm machine guns.
The bigger boat made by Danube Steamboat Shipping Company, (Donaudampfschiffahrtsgesellschaft), known as BKA-1124 (bronirovannyie katera, or armored cutter), had two turrets initially taken from T-26 tanks and mounting 45mm guns. The boat displaced 42 tons, was 25 meters long and had 12mm of armor on its “citadel” protecting the engines and other vitals. While drawing more water than a half-meter, it still could operate in very shallow waters as it only drew 0.80 meters.
The smaller version, known as BKA 1125, only drew 0.5 meters and displaced 29 tons. These were only slightly shorter (22.6 meters) but had less armor protection. Series production began in 1935 at small shipyards along the Soviet Union’s inland rivers,
The first sizable amphibious assault in the Black Sea occurred on 22 September 1941, in an attempt to relieve a sector of the Odessa Defense Area that two Romanian divisions had sealed off from the land approaches. A tactical landing in the early morning hours of darkness inserted 1920 men of the newly organized 3d Marine Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet onto the shores near the town of Grigorevka, 25 kilometers east of Odessa. On 21 September the regiment embarked onto 19 motor craft and 10 barges used as landing craft. and were all ashore in three and a half hours. The first wave consisted of two of the regiment's three battalions, one of which was led by a junior lieutenant, a sign the unit was hastily formed. The second wave brought in the third battalion. There is no evidence that the landing was opposed, so the night landing achieved surprise. After a stiff battle, the marines secured a few areas behind the landing site, neutralized the Romanian artillery, and joined up with another marine unit attached to an army division defending Odessa. The assault, though modest in proportion, had specific and attainable objectives, surprised the Romanians, and gained time for the besieged city. It was the first successful joint army, navy, and air force attempt at a landing in the war.

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The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Due to restrictions placed on Germany after the First World War prohibiting bombers, it masqueraded as a civil airliner, although from conception the design was intended to provide the nascent Luftwaffe with a fast medium bomber.
Perhaps the best-recognized German bomber due to the distinctive, extensively glazed "greenhouse" nose of later versions, the Heinkel He 111 was the most numerous Luftwaffe bomber during the early stages of World War II. The bomber fared well until the Battle of Britain, when its weak defensive armament was exposed. Nevertheless, it proved capable of sustaining heavy damage and remaining airborne. As the war progressed, the He 111 was used in a variety of roles on every front in the European theatre. It was used as a strategic bomber during the Battle of Britain, a torpedo bomber in the Atlantic and Arctic, and a medium bomber and a transport aircraft on the Western, Eastern, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and North African Front theatres.
The He 111 was constantly upgraded and modified, but became obsolete during the latter part of the war. The German Bomber B project was not realized, which forced the Luftwaffe to continue operating the He 111 in combat roles until the end of the war. Manufacture of the He 111 ceased in September 1944, at which point piston-engine bomber production was largely halted in favor of fighter aircraft. With the German bomber force virtually defunct, the He 111 was used for logistics.
The design of the He 111 were fitted with fully glazed cockpits and a laterally asymmetric nose, with the port side having the greater curvature for the pilot, offsetting the bombardier to starboard. The resulting steeples cockpit, which was a feature on a number of German bomber designs during the war years in varying shapes and formats, no longer had the separate windscreen panels for the pilot.
Between the forward and rear bulkhead was the bomb bay, which was constructed with a double-frame to strengthen it for carrying the bomb load. The space between the bomb bay and rear bulkhead was used up by Funkgerät radio equipment and contained the dorsal and flexible casemate ventral gunner positions.
The wing contained two 700 L fuel tanks between the inner wing main spars, while at the head of the main spar the oil coolers were fitted. Between the outer spars, a second pair of reserve fuel tanks were located, carrying an individual capacity of 910 L of fuel.
The defensive machine gun positions were located in the glass nose and in the flexible ventral, dorsal and lateral positions in the fuselage, and all offered a significant field of fire. The machine gun in the nose could be moved 10° upwards from the horizontal and 15° downwards. It could traverse some 30° laterally. Both the dorsal and ventral machine guns could move up and downwards by 65°. The dorsal position could move the 13 mm MG 131 machine gun 40° laterally, but the ventral Bola-mount 7.92 mm twinned MG 81Z machine guns could be moved 45° laterally. Each MG 81 single machine gun mounted in the side of the fuselage in "waist" positions, could move laterally by 40° and could move upwards from the horizontal by 30° and downwards by 40°.
The H variant of the He 111 series was more widely produced and saw more action during World War II than any other Heinkel variant. Owing to the uncertainty surrounding the delivery and availability of the DB 601 engines, Heinkel switched to 820 kW Junkers Jumo 211 power plants, whose somewhat greater size and weight were regarded as unimportant considerations in a twin-engine design. When the Jumo was fitted to the P model it became the He 111 H. The He 111 H-1 was fitted with a standard set of three 7.92 mm MG 15 machine guns and eight bombs SC 250 of 250 kg each or 32 bombs SC 50 of 50 kg each.

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The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from Sturzkampfflugzeug, "dive bomber") is a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War and served the Axis forces in World War II.
The aircraft was easily recognizable by its inverted gull wings and fixed spatted undercarriage. Upon the leading edges of its faired main gear legs were mounted the Jericho-Trompete (Jericho trumpet) wailing sirens, becoming the propaganda symbol of German air power and the blitzkrieg victories of 1939–1942. The Stuka's design included several innovative features, including automatic pull-up dive brakes under both wings to ensure that the aircraft recovered from its attack dive even if the pilot blacked out from the high g-forces.
The Stuka operated with considerable success in close air support and anti-shipping at the outbreak of World War II. It spearheaded the air assaults in the invasion of Poland in September 1939. Stukas were crucial in the rapid conquest of Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and France in 1940. Although sturdy, accurate, and very effective against ground targets, the Stuka was vulnerable to contemporary fighter aircraft, like many other dive bombers of the war. During the Battle of Britain its lack of maneuverability, speed and defensive armament meant that it required a heavy fighter escort to operate effectively. After the Battle of Britain the Stuka took part in the Balkans Campaign, the African and Mediterranean theatres and the early stages of the Eastern Front where it was used for general ground support, as an effective specialized anti-tank aircraft and in an anti-shipping role. Once the Luftwaffe lost air superiority, the Stuka became an easy target for enemy fighter aircraft on all fronts. It was produced until 1944 for lack of a better replacement. By then ground-attack versions of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 had largely replaced the Stuka, but Stukas remained in service until the end of the war. An estimated 6,500 Ju 87s of all versions were built between 1936 and August 1944.
The Ju 87 was a single-engine all-metal cantilever monoplane. It had a fixed undercarriage and could carry a two-person crew. The main construction material was duralumin, and the external coverings were made of duralumin sheeting. Parts that were required to be of strong construction, such as the wing flaps, were made of Pantal (a German aluminium alloy containing titanium as a hardening element) and its components made of Elektron. Bolts and parts that were required to take heavy stress were made of steel.
The Ju 87 was able to withstand diving speeds of 600 km/h and a maximum level speed of 340 km/h near ground level, and a flying weight of 4,300 kg. Performance in the diving attack was enhanced by the introduction of dive brakes under each wing, which allowed the Ju 87 to maintain a constant speed and allow the pilot to steady his aim. It also prevented the crew from suffering extreme g forces and high acceleration during "pull-out" from the dive.
The offensive armament was two 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns fitted one in each wing outboard of undercarriage, operated by a mechanical pneumatics system from the pilot's control column. The rear gunner/radio operator operated one 7.92 mm MG 15 machine gun for defensive purposes. The engine and propeller had automatic controls, and an auto-trimmer made the aircraft tail-heavy as the pilot rolled over into his dive, lining up red lines at 60°, 75° or 80° on the cockpit side window with the horizon and aiming at the target with the sight of the fixed gun. The heavy bomb was swung down clear of the propeller on crutches prior to release.

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The Junkers Ju 88 was a German World War II Luftwaffe twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called Schnellbomber (fast bomber) that would be too fast for fighters of its era to intercept. Like a number of other Luftwaffe bombers, it served as a bomber, dive bomber, night fighter, torpedo bomber, reconnaissance aircraft, heavy fighter and at the end of the war, as a flying bomb.
Despite protracted development, it became one of the Luftwaffe's most important aircraft. The assembly line ran constantly from 1936 to 1945 and more than 16,000 Ju 88s were built in dozens of variants, more than any other twin-engine German aircraft of the period. Throughout production the basic structure of the aircraft remained unchanged.
Production was delayed drastically by developmental problems. Although planned for a service introduction in 1938, the Ju 88 finally entered squadron service (with only 12 aircraft) on the first day of the invasion of Poland in 1939.
As a dive bomber, the Ju 88 was capable of pinpoint deliveries of heavy loads; however, despite all the modifications, dive bombing still proved too stressful for the airframe, and in 1943, tactics were changed so that bombs were delivered from a shallower, 45° diving angle. Aircraft and bomb sights were accordingly modified and dive brakes were removed. With an advanced Stuvi dive-bombsight, accuracy remained very good for its time. Maximum bomb load of the A-4 was 3,000 kg, but in practice, standard bomb load was 1,500–2,000 kg.
The Ju 88P was a specialized variant for ground attack and to function as a bomber destroyer, designed starting from 1942 and produced in small numbers, using examples of the Bordkanone heavy calibre aviation autocannon series, which required the omission of the Bola undernose gondola for clearance. The Ju 88P was armed with a 7.5 cm anti-tank gun derived from the 7.5 cm PaK 40 installed in a large conformal gun pod under the fuselage.
The Luftwaffe's order of battle for the French campaign reveals all but one of the Luftwaffe's Fliegerkorps (I. Fliegerkorps) contained Ju 88s in the combat role. The mixed bomber units, including the Ju 88, of Kampfgeschwader 51 (under the command of Luftflotte 3) helped claim between 233 and 248 Allied aircraft on the ground between 10–13 May 1940. The Ju 88 was particularly effective at dive-bombing.
The Battle of Britain proved very costly. Its higher speed did not prevent Ju 88 losses exceeding those of its Dornier Do 17 and Heinkel He 111 stablemates despite being deployed in smaller numbers than either. Ju 88 losses over Britain in 1940 totaled 303 aircraft between July and October 1940.
By the summer of 1941, most of the units equipped with the Dornier Do 17 were upgrading to the Ju 88. With a few exceptions, most of the German bomber units were now flying the He 111 and Ju 88. The Ju 88 was to prove a very capable and valuable asset to the Luftwaffe in the east. The Ju 88 units met with instant success, attacking enemy airfields and positions at low level and causing enormous losses for little damage in return. Due to the lack of sufficient numbers of Ju 87 Stukas, the Ju 88 was employed in the direct ground support role. This resulted in severe losses from ground fire. Ju 88 units operating over the Baltic states during the battle for Estonia inflicted severe losses on Soviet shipping, with the same dive-bombing tactics used over Norway, France and Britain.