NOTICE: I am not a native English speaker. This article has been translated by ChatGPT, and I have checked its accuracy.
First and foremost, the Zerstörer 45 is not suitable as the main anti-aircraft vehicle in the 6.0-6.7 battle rating range. It lacks sufficient protection, and its open-top design exposes the crew, making them highly vulnerable to enemy fire.
Additionally, the Zerstörer 45 is easily destroyed by high-explosive rockets such as the RP-3, Tiny Tim, or even the HVAR, either through explosive fragments or overpressure. While its quad-mounted 30mm MK103 cannons have an extremely high rate of fire, each ammo belt only holds 30 rounds, leading to a short sustained fire time and making it difficult to quickly eliminate multiple enemy aircraft.
Similarly, the Ostwind-2, despite being a skilled vehicle, also struggles in the 6.7 battle rating environment. Its turret and elevation mechanisms have relatively slow traverse speeds, making it difficult to track fast-moving aircraft, such as diving propeller planes and early jet fighters.
Moreover, its dual-mounted 37mm anti-aircraft cannons fire alternately, resulting in a rate of fire that only barely meets the firepower threshold for 6.x battle rating anti-aircraft vehicles.
When compared to other nations, such as the Soviet Union, Britain, France, Japan, and China, Germany’s anti-air capabilities in the 6.x battle rating range are noticeably weaker.
Take the Soviet M53/59 as an example. It outperforms the Dongfeng-2 in several areas. Its turret traverse speed is significantly faster (Horizontal: 40°/s vs. 35°/s, Vertical: 35°/s vs. 20°/s), and it is equipped with more advanced Cold War-era autocannons. The ZK453 cannons surpass the Dongfeng-2’s Flak44 in terms of range, rate of fire, and muzzle velocity. Furthermore, the M53/59’s exceptional anti-air efficiency allows it to effectively minimize downtime during reloading. Additionally, the M53/59 features full armor-piercing belts with a penetration of 91mm at 0° and 0m, far exceeding the penetration capabilities of German anti-aircraft cannons. Given that all German anti-aircraft guns have been nerfed, this imbalance is even more pronounced.
Similarly, the French TPK 6.41 is essentially an upgraded version of the M53/59 in terms of anti-air capability. Other nations also have highly efficient anti-aircraft vehicles, such as the BTR-ZD, Bosvark, SUB-I-II, ZSD63/PG87, ZSL92, Leopard 40/70, and AMX-10P.
Furthermore, within the current 5.x-7.x battle rating range, Germany is the nation most severely affected by CAS (Close Air Support). Not only does it lack high-efficiency anti-aircraft vehicles, but it also suffers from a shortage of powerful air superiority fighters in this BR range—an issue that will be discussed in detail later.
