The Panzer AA Defence Outrigger

From the advent of the tank in 1916, all sorts of new ideas were proposed for this new weapon to see how useful they might be. As a result of some of these suggestions, many new concepts were invented. For instance, the first armoured personnel carrier, self-propelled gun & bridgelayer tanks were designed, if not built, before the end of the First World War.

In the 1920s, there was a comparative lull in tank development & related technology, due principally to the reduction in military budgets. The 1930s, however, saw a resurgence in global tank development as well as trials with many new different ideas. Some ideas made sense from the start and made it into production. Others were slightly more imaginative and weren’t so successful.

One such new idea was the German Auslegearm für Flakabwehr, or 'AA Defence Outrigger’.

Description

The Auslegearm für Flakabwehr was an attempt to give individual tanks an anti-aircraft capability.

It comprised a hinged triangular frame the wider end of which was attached to one side of the tank - the opposite side of the tank to the radio antenna trough. When the tank was parked up, one of the MG34 machine guns was removed from inside the tank.

The thinner end of the Auslegearm’s triangular frame was pulled away from the side of the vehicle & the machine gun was attached to the mount at the end of the frame. An AA gunsight was also fixed to the machine gun barrel.

One or two crew members stood on the ground to man the MG34, with no cover other than the side of the tank.

Usage

The Auslegearm was fitted to most German tanks built from April 1936, including:

• PzKw II (Ausf. a, b, c, A & B)

• PzKw III (Ausf. B & C)

• PzKw IV Ausf. A

Pros & Cons

While it did indeed give a basic AA capability to tanks, there were some serious disadvantages in practice:

• The tank had to be stationary

• It required time to set up; not ideal in an emergency

• The tank crewmen firing the AA MG had to stand outside the tank, exposed to any enemy fire

• There was a limited arc of fire

Yay or Nay?

How successful was the Auslegearm?

To date, I’ve found no reports on its efficacy. Nor have I yet found any photos of it being used in action, though I don’t doubt that some exist.

However, we do know that on Feb 12th, 1938, the Waffenamt ordered its immediate discontinuation on all models.

The obvious conclusion therefore has to be that it was not a success.

Despite its discontinuation, it was not generally removed from vehicles already built. Even those tanks which were upgraded - such as the early PzKw II tanks which were modified & uparmoured in 1940 - retained their Auslegearm.

There is a number of photos of a number of tanks in action in 1939 & 1940, even in 1941, with this device still fitted (but not deployed!).

Further Development

This was not the last such AA MG mount developed by the Germans for their tanks. By 1941 a new AA MG mount had been developed for the PzKw II. This had a 360º traverse with the mount pivoting in a recess of the commander’s cupola.

Later, a more low-profile device was fitted to other tanks, such as the PzKw IV, Panther, Tiger I & Tiger II. Again, the mount was attached to the turret cupola, which immediately reduced the number of problems experienced with the Auslegearm.

However, even these later MG mounts were not ideal. They certainly gave individual tanks a modicum of AA capability, but they were no substitute for a dedicated AA vehicle.

SOURCES

• German Panzer II - D.Doyle

• Panzer Tracts 3-1 - Jentz/H.Doyle

• Panzertruppen - Archer/Auerbach