flakpanzer i

The 2 cm Flak 38 auf Panzer I Ausführung A (Flakpanzer I) was a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun conversion of the Panzer I tank. The Flakpanzer I was developed during the Battle of France in 1940 after the realisation that most of the SPAAs deployed in the theatre (most being based on half-tracks) were insufficiently protected. To remedy this issue, the Wehrmacht chose the readily available chassis of the Panzer I and mounted a single 20 mm Flak 38 autocannon in place of the turret. However, due to the top-heavy weight distribution, the Flakpanzer I was significantly overloaded, resulting in much worse mobility. As a result, only 24 vehicles were produced, all of which were lost by the end of the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943.