We have discussed a wide variety of German flakpanzers on this channel. The majority
of these were built on the chassis of rebuilt Panzer IVs. However on the frontlines this was not
always possible with parts from damaged Panzers needed to keep other tanks in service. During
the advance into the Soviet Union though a large number of enemy vehicles fell into German hands
and as we have seen in my KV-2 video this led to Soviet armor being pressed into German service.
Although normally these Beutepanzers, as they were referred to, would be utilized with minimal
changes, aside from maybe a coat of paint, in rare instances they were modified more heavily.
The topic of today’s video falls into the latter category and is likely one you have run into on
different forums or within the tank community. If this vehicle had a specific designation it has so
far been lost to history but we can reasonably refer to it as the Flakpanzer T-34(r). For those
unfamiliar with German designations the (r) refers to the vehicle as being Soviet
with it standing for “Russland”. Much like the domestic German Flakpanzer called the Wirbelwind,
the Flakpanzer T-34 was equipped with the 2cm Flak 38 Flakvierling which was a quad
mount for the 20mm cannons. These guns could not just encourage pilots to reconsider their
choices when attacking German positions but could be used with devastating effect against
unfortunate infantry which came within range. This modification was reportedly done by the
maintenance company of Panzer-Abteilung 653 which was a heavy tank destroyer battalion.
We don’t have any explanation of exactly when this was done or why but estimates place it in
either May or June of 1944. The reason why it was done is a bit easier to guess as the need
for anti-air capabilities on the frontline, especially for a unit made up of slower
moving vehicles, is fairly self explanatory. As for the vehicle itself we find a normal T-34
hull which has had its turret removed and then replaced by the previously mentioned armament as
well as a custom armored shield which protected the front and sides with the rear being exposed.
These armor plates are said to have been taken from disabled half tracks meaning the thickness
is likely either 8mms or 14.5mms. Other details regarding the vehicles capabilities are unknown
with there being no way to know the traverse speed or even the crew layout although based
on photographic evidence this could have been a 4 man vehicle. In two of the photos we can also
see what appears to be additional stowage for ammunition along the side of the tank.
The combat usage of the Flakpanzer T-34 seems to have been short lived with it likely seeing
action in July of 1944. Sometime prior to the recall of Panzer-Abteilung 653 on August 3rd
the vehicle appears to have been lost although the exact cause is not known. With no combat reports
or information on it existing after the unit was pulled from the frontline it can be assumed that
the T-34 was either lost in combat or left behind either due to lacking parts or another reason.
This still places the Flakpanzer T-34(r) as one of only a few examples of the T-34 being used as
an anti-air vehicle and also begs the question of why more conversions like it were not done. The
reason for that, as with many things, most likely was due to spare parts and logistics. Had Germany
managed to capture an intact Soviet tank factory it may have made some sense to field modified
or unmodified captured vehicles with spare parts being provided from the already existing
machinery. However, relying solely on captured vehicles for conversion and parts on a larger
scale without the production to back them up would have proven foolish. As such the historical
focus on using domestic vehicles makes far more sense despite what some may try to argue online.
Before you head off to hopefully watch another of my videos I have an announcement to make. Just a
few days ago I released the first version of my very own website coneofarc.com. If you enjoy my
content on YouTube but would like additional content in the form of articles and more as I
add features to the site check it out using the link in the description. If nothing else you can
subscribe to my email list there which I plan to use as a way to let you know of new content I post
in case you don’t get notified of the uploads for some reason. Please check it out and let me
know of any features you may want to see or issues you have so I can get them resolved.
Anyways thank you all for watching the video today and as always a thanks to my youtube
members who help fund things like the new website which benefit the channel greatly.
If you enjoyed today’s video be sure to check out my other video on German T-34s which will
be popping up on your screen. We cover several other modifications which have been circulated
and why they are likely not real. Hope to see you there and in future videos.