"FlankPanther Coelian..." Topic

(Maquette Dragon réf 6358 + tourelle Verlinden réf 441/ 1/35)

"I present to you my new project, the 1/35 Flakpanther. The Flakpanther was a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun project developed by the Rheinmetall firm during World War II for German forces. It was intended to be armed with two 37mm flak 43 cannons in a rotating, fully enclosed turret on a Panther chassis. but unfortunately the tank was not built before the end of the war in Europe…"
OT

From this Blog

link

Armand

"Unfortunately "? What was it going to accomplish?

I have never understood the concept behind this. A Panther swapping its turret and main armament for twin 37mm AA guns. Seems a massive waste of a precious resource.

So what would you have suggested they use to provide anti aircraft support?
Their other vehicles they used was all open top vehicles which means the crew was open to fighters strafing them. At least this provided the crew some protection.

Thanks

Armand

Not unlike the Gepard and the SGT York and other modern AA guns that are carried on main battle tanks, so not really so bad an idea.

Like nearly every WWII German super weapon the best they could hope for was to hold out until early August 1945 when they would be forced to surrender no matter what else they developed.

Bunkermeister

But was not the protection a degree of overkill, when AFVs were so scarce? The protection of the precious hull is against all but the heaviest (or fastest) AP rounds, not what an aircraft threatens.

Modern variants enjoy the luxury of ready availability, so it is simplest and probably cheapest to use an existing hull, rather than redesign. Back then, maybe use obsolete or all those beute chassis models?

"But was not the protection a degree of overkill"
So then I take it that you feel if the crew in an open hull is killed then so be it.
And not all of the beute chassis could handle an enclosed gun such as what was being proposed here.