21cm K.38 Allocated to which units?

Discussions on the fortifications, artillery, & rockets used by the Axis forces.
Simon Orchard
Member
Posts: 743
Joined: 01 Jan 2003, 23:31
Location: Norway

21cm K.38 Allocated to which units?

#1

Post by Simon Orchard » 05 Oct 2008, 21:27

Can anyone confirm or deny that the few 21cm K.38 guns that were produced were issued to s.Art.Abt.768? If not does anyone know which unit or units used them. I've seen it suggested that Art.Abt.767 and 768 had them but this seems far from certain and from what i can tell 767 couldn't have had them.

jopaerya
Member
Posts: 19236
Joined: 21 Jun 2004, 14:21
Location: middelburg

Re: 21cm K.38, which units?

#2

Post by jopaerya » 06 Oct 2008, 06:23

Hello Simon

I think the Art.Abt.767 and 768 with the 21 cm guns comes from the books of Tessin and then 1 + 1 = 2
but these could also be the 21 cm K. 39 ,39/40 and 39/41 , there was also a A.A. 816 equipped with 21 cm K .
So sorry no direct awnser .

Regards Jos


Sturm78
Member
Posts: 17927
Joined: 02 Oct 2008, 18:18
Location: Spain

Re: 21cm K.38, which units?

#3

Post by Sturm78 » 06 Oct 2008, 11:54

Sorry, Simon, I don`t know which artillery units used the 21cm K38.
According to Ian V. Hogg (German artillery of WW2) the Germans built anbatch of 8 guns
(initial order of 15), one of them was sent to Japan. (How??. via sub??)

I'm looking for pictures of 21cm K38 in action but can not find any in the web.
it is rare that there are so few photos of a weapon so impressive.

These are two of the few photos I have of the cannon and the only that shows the gun in firing position.
Attachments
A photo of a few heavy guns in German service, from the right to the left. captured 22cm K.532 (f), 21cm K.38, 17cm K.18 in Morserlafette, and a 15cm K.39 perhaps.jpg
A photo of a few heavy guns in German service, from the right to the left. captured 22cm K.532 (f), 21cm K.38, 17cm K.18 in Morserlafette, and a 15cm K.39 perhaps.jpg (47.84 KiB) Viewed 3423 times
21cm K38-.jpg
21cm K38-.jpg (84.11 KiB) Viewed 3421 times

Simon Orchard
Member
Posts: 743
Joined: 01 Jan 2003, 23:31
Location: Norway

Re: 21cm K.38, which units?

#4

Post by Simon Orchard » 06 Oct 2008, 16:54

Even in production numbers there is a difference with the Lexikon quoting 15 produced, 1 to Japan and no more than 10 in service.
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Waf ... chutze.htm

I believe there are two still in existence, one in the US and one in Germany?

Alanmccoubrey
Member
Posts: 3370
Joined: 19 Sep 2008, 14:44

Re: 21cm K.38, which units?

#5

Post by Alanmccoubrey » 06 Oct 2008, 18:12

Arko 191 in the Arnhem fighting had some of them but I don't know what the unit designation was. Lexikon der Wehrmacht says that sAA 768 and 777 had them too. Alan
Alan

Simon Orchard
Member
Posts: 743
Joined: 01 Jan 2003, 23:31
Location: Norway

Re: 21cm K.38, which units?

#6

Post by Simon Orchard » 17 Oct 2008, 18:46

A bit more digging and Nafziger states Art.Abt.768 had 2 batteries of 2 guns each in Jan '44

User avatar
Revellations
Member
Posts: 340
Joined: 13 Jun 2004, 14:25
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Contact:

Re: 21cm K.38, which units?

#7

Post by Revellations » 20 Oct 2008, 12:59

Alanmccoubrey wrote:Arko 191 in the Arnhem fighting had some of them but I don't know what the unit designation was. Lexikon der Wehrmacht says that sAA 768 and 777 had them too. Alan
Alan,

Through my research I have not found any evidence to suggest that these guns were in Arnhem. 'Arko 191' never existed in Arnhem and is often used as a mistake instead of Art. Regt 191 which did fight in Arnhem. However this unit did not have these guns as mentioned.

The closest unit to have these guns that fought in Arnhem is one of the coastal batteries brought in to the Battle. One battery (6./Heer Küst Art. Abt. 1230) had 6 x 15,2 cm K.H.433/1 (r). This is the closest I could find which doesn't help the original question. Good luck in your search!

Cheers

Scott

Sturm78
Member
Posts: 17927
Joined: 02 Oct 2008, 18:18
Location: Spain

Re: 21cm K.38, which units?

#8

Post by Sturm78 » 06 Feb 2009, 11:50

Hi all,

For anyone interested in german heavy artillery; the only picture that I have seen of 21cm K38 in action.
According to the caption, was taken in Russia in the winter 1942-43.

Image from Ebay.de

Have anyone any more picture of this gun?

Regards Sturm78.
Attachments
21cm  K38..JPG
21cm K38..JPG (39.61 KiB) Viewed 2680 times

Alanmccoubrey
Member
Posts: 3370
Joined: 19 Sep 2008, 14:44

Re: 21cm K.38, which units?

#9

Post by Alanmccoubrey » 06 Feb 2009, 12:36

Scott, I was going by Lexikon der Wehrmacht's list plus the orbats in various books and sites that I've looked at over the years. Here is a link to the Lexikon's entry for Arko 191.

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... rko191.htm
Alan

Sturm78
Member
Posts: 17927
Joined: 02 Oct 2008, 18:18
Location: Spain

Re: 21cm K.38, which units?

#10

Post by Sturm78 » 19 Nov 2010, 13:56

Hi all,

I just found these pictures on Ebay of this elusive cannon. 8O :D
I guess they were taken in May-June 1945 after the German surrender.

There are very few wartime photos of the weapon. Any additional wartime photo will be welcome.

Regards Sturm78
Attachments
21cm K38 captured by 80th Div..jpg
21cm K38 captured by 80th Div..jpg (70.93 KiB) Viewed 2197 times
21cm K38 captured by 80th Div.-.jpg
21cm K38 captured by 80th Div.-.jpg (90.37 KiB) Viewed 2197 times

jopaerya
Member
Posts: 19236
Joined: 21 Jun 2004, 14:21
Location: middelburg

Re: 21cm K.38, which units?

#11

Post by jopaerya » 19 Nov 2010, 18:21

Thanks Sturm78

For sharing these nice picture's of this gun .

Regards Jos

Sturm78
Member
Posts: 17927
Joined: 02 Oct 2008, 18:18
Location: Spain

Re: 21cm K.38, which units?

#12

Post by Sturm78 » 15 Apr 2011, 13:24

Hi all,

Some more images of this rare gun from Ebay:

See also http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... &start=180
Images taken in northern Russia

Does anyone know the purpose of the triangle piece in front of the carriage gun?

Sturm78
Attachments
21cm K38 gun in position in Russia.jpg
21cm K38 being assembled in Russia.jpg
21cm K38 gun in position in Russia with winter camo ,.jpg
Last edited by Sturm78 on 15 Apr 2011, 16:30, edited 1 time in total.

Sturm78
Member
Posts: 17927
Joined: 02 Oct 2008, 18:18
Location: Spain

Re: 21cm K.38, which units?

#13

Post by Sturm78 » 15 Apr 2011, 13:25

...Part 2:

Sturm78
Attachments
21cm K38 in Russia concealed.jpg
21cm K38 in Russia. Detail.jpg

Sturm78
Member
Posts: 17927
Joined: 02 Oct 2008, 18:18
Location: Spain

Re: 21cm K.38, which units?

#14

Post by Sturm78 » 16 Apr 2011, 13:30

Hi all,

Another two images from Ebay:

One of them dated in Feb 1942 near Ladoga Lake

Sturm78
Attachments
21cm K38 barrel trailer and SdKfz 9 tractor in Nothern Russia. Feb 1942.jpg
21cm K38 in position in Russia.jpg

User avatar
Manuferey
Member
Posts: 4082
Joined: 17 May 2007, 15:52
Location: Virginia

Re: 21cm K.38, which units?

#15

Post by Manuferey » 16 Apr 2011, 15:35

Hi Sturm78,

Thanks to you, we now have a lot of pictures of 21 cm K38 !

Emmanuel

Post Reply

Return to “Fortifications, Artillery, & Rockets”