The Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind ("Whirlwind") was a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun based on the Panzer IV tank. It was developed in 1944 as a successor to the earlier self-propelled anti-aircraft gun Mobelwagen.

In the first years of the war, the Wehrmacht was not very interested in developing an effective self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, as the Luftwaffe had total air superiority. But, as the allies developed and began to use more powerful aircraft, the Germans realized that they must not only have stationary anti-aircraft guns, but also self-propelled anti-aircraft guns to protect vehicle convoys and so forth.

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 would have been preferable, but this was not possible due to the heavy smoke generation of the four anti-aircraft guns. Production of the tank was carried out by Ostbau Werke in Sagan, Silesia.

As the 2 cm shells used proved less effective against aircraft than the 3.7 cm shells the Wirbelwind was eventually replaced by the Ostwind which was equipped with a single 3.7 cm FlaK 43. The armor and rapid fire from the four guns of the Wirbelwind was also very effective against infantry. One Wirbelwind could take out large numbers of enemy infantry.

It is believed that either 87 or 105 Wirbelwinds were produced during the war, but due to discrepancies between the recorded production numbers at Ostbau Werke and Wehrmacht service records, the exact number will probably never be known. In any case, there were too few of them to have any major influence on the war.

This particular 1:32 scale replica of a Wirbelwind saw action in Poland during late 1944. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 7-inches
Width: 3-inches

Release Date: July 2007

Historical Account: "The Uprising" - The Warsaw Uprising (Powstanie Warszawskie) was an armed struggle during the Second World War by the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa) to liberate Warsaw from German occupation and Nazi rule. It started on August 1st, 1944, as part of a nationwide uprising called Operation Tempest. The Polish troops resisted the German-led forces until October 2nd (63 days in total). Losses on the Polish side amounted to 18,000 soldiers killed, 25,000 wounded and over 250,000 civilians killed, mostly in mass executions conducted by advancing German troops. Casualties on the German side amounted to over 17,000 soldiers killed and 9,000 wounded. During the urban combat - and after the end of hostilities, when German forces acting on Hitler's orders burned the city systematically, block by block - an estimated 85% of the city was destroyed.

The Uprising started at a crucial point in the war as the Soviet army approached Warsaw. The Soviet army had reached a point within a few hundred meters from the city across the Vistula River on September 16th, but failed to make further headway in the course of the Uprising, leading to accusations that Stalin did not want the Uprising to succeed.

There is no evidence that the Home Army coordinated its struggle with the Soviet army. According to Russian memoirs (for example Konstantin Rokossovsky who led the Warsaw liberation) the Home Army tried to liberate the city before (and without) the Soviet army. (courtesy: Wikipedia)