In 1938, a 2cm FlaK30 was mounted on the
Demag DII 3 a predecessor of the 07. The 07 was built from 1938 to 1944, by
various firms, including Mechanische Werke-Cottbus, Saurer, MNH, Bussing- NAG,
Adler and Demag. The Zgkw 1t was the earliest self-propelled mounting for the
FlaK troops. A special superstructure with folding sides was designed to give
room for all-round traverse.
The original vehicles were totally
unarmoured, but eventually an armoured cab was provided and an armoured shield
was fitted to the 2cm FlaK. A small supply of ammunition was carried in bins
attached to the folding sides of the superstructure, but generally, a
single-axle ammunition-trailer was towed.
The Sd.Kfz. 10/4 carried the 2 cm FlaK 30
mount on a special platform with fold-down side and rear panels. This platform
was specifically designed for the Flak 30 mount and could not readily accept a
Flak 38 mount or vice versa. To accommodate the gun mount the vehicle was both
wider and taller than normal, namely 2.02 metres (6.6 ft) wide and 2 metres
(6.6 ft) and weighed 4,075 kilograms (8,980 lb) empty. Four folding seats were
fitted on the platform for the crew. Some of these gun mounts had a gun shield
fitted. The ready ammunition bins fastened to the side and rear panels (four on
each side and two in the rear) contained one 20-round clip each. It usually
towed an ammunition trailer (Sd.Ah. 51 - Sonderanhänger—special single-axle
trailer) with 640 more rounds, the gun's sights and its rangefinder.
Vehicles built in 1940 (only) were fitted
with removable loading ramps, cable rollers to act as pulleys, and a reinforced
tail gate to allow a Flak 30, mounted on a Sd.Ah. 51 trailer, to be quickly
dismounted. From 1940 they were fitted with rifle racks over the front fenders
and from 1942 these were given sheet metal covers as protection from the
weather. Flak 38s were mounted on 10/4s beginning in 1941 although the platform
wasn't widened until later. As the war progressed the guns were more often
fitted with gun shields.
Issued to the FlaK units of both Luftwaffe
and Wehrmacht. An early-war Army anti-aircraft company (Flugabwehr-Kompanie)
was organized in three platoons with a total of eighteen Sd.Kfz. 10/4s, twelve
with guns and six carrying ammunition.
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