Vehicles · Germany · 1944-1945
Ostwind
self-propelled anti-aircraft gun
The Ostwind was a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun built on the Panzer IV chassis, developed in 1944 as a successor to the quad-2cm Wirbelwind. It carried a single, more powerful 3.7cm Flak 43 cannon in an open-topped hexagonal turret, trading rate of fire for hitting power and range against Allied aircraft. Only 44 were completed between December 1944 and March 1945 by the Ostbau Werke, about half converted from existing Panzer IV hulls and half new-built, far short of the 100 originally ordered. Beyond its anti-aircraft role it proved effective against lightly armoured ground targets in the war's final months.
| armament | 1x 3.7cm Flak 43 |
|---|---|
| crew | 5 |
| weight | 25 tonnes |
| produced | 44 |
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