1:32 Forces of Valour D-Day Commemorative Series German Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind - Normandy 1944

The German Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind was a self-propelled, anti-aircraft gun. It was based on the Panzer IV tank and was developed in 1944 as a successor to the earlier self-propelled anti-aircraft gun called "Möbelwagen, German for moving van. History: In the first years of the war, the Wehrmacht had less interest in developing self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. However: the Allies developed air superiority so the need for more mobile and better-armed self-propelled anti-aircraft guns was necessary. The Panzer IV's turret was removed and replaced with an open-top, nine-sided turret which housed a quadruple 2 cm Flakvierling 38 L/112.5. A closed-top design was desirable, but was not possible due to the heavy smoke generated by the four anti-aircraft guns. Production of the tank was carried out by Ostbau Werke in Sagan, Silesia.