After losing air superiority, the Wehrmacht needed to improve the AA weapons of its armored tank divisions. The Wirbelwind AA vehicle was built on the chassis of the Pz.IV tank. It was the first specialized, self-sufficient means of defending armored tank divisions against enemy aircraft. The Flakvierling 38 installation was placed in an open turret protected by 16 mm of armor plating. Unlike various other self-propelled AA systems, this AA weapon struck a balance between protection, deployment time, and firepower. Between July, 1944 and March, 1945 105 of these mounts were built. They were used on the Western and Eastern Fronts. The first prototype was built on the basis of a remodeled Pz.IV by Krupp-Druckenmuller GmbH Berlin-Mariendorf in May, 1944.

In 1943, the Luftwaffe lost the control of the sky on the Eastern front. This made German armoured divisions become the target of enemy attackers and fighter-bombers. The German Army already had plenty of SPAA vehicles developed as interim solution at its disposal to protect ground forces. But these vehicles suffered from major weaknesses: they were almost all very lightly armoured and open-top, exposing the crew to enemy fire, they had very tall silhouettes as they were improvised vehicles and they relied on a 20 mm caliber that starts being to ineffective at taking down enemy aircraft. The need for an enclosed crew compartment and a superior caliber were core requirements of the design. Five prototypes were built but never tested. Mass production was even planned but never happened due to the intense Allied bombings of German factories from 1944 to 1945. The Kugelblitz was never approved for service, as its development was not yet completed when the war ended in Europe. Several prototypes briefly saw combat during the Battle of Berlin or in engagements throughout Germany.