3.7cm Flak 36/37/43 auf Selbstfahrlafette Sd.Kfz.7/2

3.7cm Flak 36/37/43 auf Selbstfahrlafette
Sd.Kfz.7/2

Sd.Kfz.7/2

The Sd.Kfz. 7/2 was a standard Sd.Kfz. 7 halftrack mounted with a special superstructure to allow installation of a fully traversible 37mm Flak 36 anti-aircraft gun. The vehicle was designated as 3.7cm Flak 36/37/43 auf Selbstfahrlafette (Sd.Kfz. 7/2), depending on the model of 37mm gun used. The maximum rate of fire for the 37mm gun depended on the model and ranged from 160 to 360 rounds per minute. The guns were fitted with Flakvisier 36 and, later, with Flakvisier 40 gun sights and could be traversed 360 degrees by hand. Flak 36 and 37 guns could be elevated from -8 to +85 degrees, while the Flak 43 could be elevated from -10 to +90 degrees. The crew was composed of seven men-a gun commander, five gunners and a driver. The vehicle carried 120 rounds of 37mm ammunition. An additional 432 rounds were towed in a special single-axle trailer-the Sonder Anhaenger 57. Production of the Sd.Kfz. 7/2 started in 1942 and some 1,000 vehicles were built by January/February 1945. They were issued to Flak units of the Luftwaffe. There were 123 Sd.Kfz. 7/2 vehicles in service with the German Army as of March 1st 1945. From 1943, some vehicles were fitted with lightly armored driver’s cabs and plate protecting the engine compartment. The armor was 8mm thick. The vehicles armed with the Flak 43 had an armored gun shield as well. Just as Sd.Kfz. 7/1, Sd.Kfz. 7/2 were used to protect armored units against low-flying aircraft but were also often used against ground targets.

Specifications