Railway Artillery 1939

[Max104740]

Hi to everybody,
I am working on the GHQ artillery organization in the Mobilization Plan of 39, which is available in a NARA roll, T78 R424. In this document we can find the complete organization of the railway artillery units in 1939. In the KStN list (p 6o of the roll) and in the gliederung (p. 74) we find three HQs of a Heavy art Batt for special use (KStN 406), each of them with a transmission platoon (KStN 555). The three battalions were the ones with numbers 676, 679 and 681. In Lexicon site they result to be formed in August 39, but for no of them an active participation in the polish campaign is reported. Only for Artillery Battalion 81 we know which batteries were controlled at September 39, batteries 655, 664 and 674.
In the same document we find the detail of the railway artillery batteries with the list of the KStN and the type of guns used, in Mobilization Plan 19 railway artillery batteries are mentioned but only 11 of them are considered operational, 8 are in organization and there is no certain date for their operability. The detail of the batteries is:
• three batteries of K 5 guns of 283 mm, KStN 493, btr 712 is the only one operational, the others two have numbers 710 and 713;
• one battery of K 12 210 mm guns, KStN 494, this battery, number 701, was not operational in 39;
• two batteries of 150 mm guns, KStN 495, one operational, number 655, and one, number 658, not operational;
• two batteries of 170 mm guns, KStN 496, one operational, number 717, and one, number 718, not operational;
• two batteries of 240 mm Theodore railway guns, both operational, one, number 664 with KStN 497 (two railway guns), and one, number 674, with KStN 497 a (one railway gun);
• three batteries of 240 mm Theodore Bruno railway guns, KStN 498, numbers 721, 722 and 723, all not operational;
• one battery of 280 mm Lange Bruno railway guns, KStN 499, number 688, operational in 1939;
• one battery of 280 mm Schwere Bruno railway guns, KStN 499a, number 689, operational in 1939;
• four batteries of 280 mm Kurze Bruno railway guns, KStN 499b, number 690, 694, 695 and 696, all operational in 1939.
Another KStN involved in these units is the Calbration Platoon KStN 525, which in 1939 was assigned to every railway batteries with guns larger of 15 cm, and later this unit was incorporated in the KStNs of the railway batteries.
In the file attached you can find the totals of the composition of these KStNs, from the data in T 283 R 146.

Can anyone help me give me other information on the effective composition of railway artillery in 39? Did Mobilization Plan data correspond to the composition of these units in September 39? Were the KStN 525 calibration units effectively present in railway artillery units?
Any information on the use and the organization of railway artillery in 39- 40 is very welcome
All the best
Max.

Detail railway artillery 39.pdf

[schwarzermai]

Hello Max, all those infos you are looking for you can find in my bookset

Uwe

http://balsi.de/Heeresartillerie/Organi ... ptwerk.htm

[Max104740]

Uwe,
I know of your books, it looks an impressive job. I am only interested in a tiny part of it and my budget cannot afford it. If you can give me some information about this specific issue I would be happy, you can consider this like a promotion investement for your books.
All the best
Max