IL-2 Sturmovik: Sd.Kfz. 10/5 Flak 38 Anti-Aircraft Gun

IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles series is more than just a combat flight-simulator, it is also a combined arms environment that includes our newly built anti-aircraft weapons system - the Sd.Kfz. 10/5 Flak 38! This mobile anti-aircraft gun shoots a 20mm HE or AP round that can shoot down enemy planes or attack enemy ground targets with rapid fire!

Our Sd.Kfz. 10/5 Flak 38 can be used in both single-player and multiplayer scenarios and includes several custom-made missions to demonstrate its ability at knocking down enemy planes. Also, you can play as the driver, gunner or commander and lead your team into deadly combat. Multiplayer supports multi-crew gameplay so you and your buddies can all man one truck together and work as a team! Most AAA systems in WWII were actually operated by a team of soldiers or sailors, not just a single person as popular movies or even other video games would have you believe.

Custom skins are also supported and we include summer and winter paint schemes to match your environment and better hide from the enemy. We also include support for our Tactical Code system so you can assign custom markings to your half-track.

The Sd.Kfz. 10/5 Flak 38 also includes a detailed damage model with Dynamic Visual Damage support, so your half-track will bear the scars of battle and take realistic looking damage.

History

The Sd.Kfz. 10 or Sonderkraftfahrzeug (special motorized vehicle) was a German half-track that saw action throughout World War II and on all fronts in Europe and North Africa. Its main role was as a prime mover for small towed guns or liquid agents and it could also carry eight troops. Different models could be specialized for a wide range of duties.

It was powered by a Maybach 6-cylinder water-cooled gasoline engine. It had a semi-automatic Maybach Variorex-transmission with seven forward and three reverse gears. It could attain 65 km/h (40 mph), while the cruising speed was 45 km/h (28 mph). Steering was performed by both the front wheels and caterpillar treads. Shallow turns were done using the front wheels and sharper turns were done using the treads with one braking like a tank would.

Sd.Kfz. 10 /5 carried the Flak 38 anti-aircraft gun in its rear bed and fired a 20mm projectile. The Flak 38 was an improvement over the older Flak 30 design and it had a rate of fire of 220 rounds per minute and weighed 420 Kilograms. Its use was ubiquitous throughout the war in all German theaters of operation and was the most produced artillery piece of the war by the Germans. Later designs mounted four Flak 38 cannons together for an added punch. The Flak 38 could also be towed by trucks or other vehicles when not mounted on Sd.Kfz. 10 half-tracks. In the right hands, this gun was deadly to low flying Allied fighters.

Dimensions:
Unladen weight ~4900 kg
Length: 4.8 m
Width: 2.4 m
Height: 2.4 m
Clearance: 310 mm

Powerplant and Performance:
Engine: Maybach HL42 TRKM, petrol
Maximum power: 100 HP at 2800 RPM
Maximum RPM: 3000 RPM
7 speed gearbox

Maximum road speed:
1st: 5.9 kph
2nd: 9.6 kph
3rd: 13.9 kph
4th: 21.4 kph
5th: 33.2 kph
6th: 51.4 kph.
7th: 69.6 kph.
Reverse 1st: 5.9 kph
Reverse 2nd: 9.6 kph
Reverse 3rd: 13.9 kph

Maximum offroad speed: 25 kph

Internal fuel tanks capacity: 90 l
Engine oil system capacity: 12 l
Engine coolant: 18 l. of water
Endurance range: 260 km
Maximum oil consumption: 1 l/h

Protection:
6 mm rolled armor plated frontal shield

Armament:
Model: Flak 38 Autocannon (rifled 20 mm)
Barrel length: 65
Elevation: +85°..-12°
Ammo: up to 280 rounds (14 clips, 20 rounds per clip)
Rate of fire: 450 rounds per minute
Turret drive: mechanical, 6 seconds per rotation

Ammunition:
2 cm Pzgr. L'spur armour piercing solid (AP): 148 g, 780 m/s, 33 mm at 500 m
2 cm Spgr.Patr. high explosive (HE): 115 g, 880 m/s, 6 g explosives

Gunsights:
Schwebekreis Visier 38 mechanical AA gunsight
ZF 3x8 telescopic gunsight for engaging ground targets
Reserve iron sights