Italeri Military 1/35 Flakpanzer IV Ostwind Tank Kit

ALTERNATIVE LINK-AND-LENGTH  TRACKS GLUEABLE RUBBER TRACKS -  DECALS FOR 2 VERSIONS  -  COLOR INSTRUCTIONS

During the war there was a marked need to produce self-propelled anti-aircraft guns capable of protecting troops, in the open or on the move, against low-flying air attacks. On the hull of the Panzer IV medium tank, the Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind was built with an armament on a 20 mm Flak 38 quadruple system. At the end of 1944, the Wirbelwind was joined by the more powerful Ostwind which mounted a 37 mm Flak 43 anti-aircraft piece. With a more extended firing range, the anti-aircraft armament, protected by a thick and characteristic shield mounted on an "open-air" hexagonal turret, could also be effectively employed against ground targets in support of troops in the field.