60cm-Mörser Karl
- Csaba Becze
- Member
- Posts: 656
- Joined: 27 May 2002, 11:44
- Location: Hungary
- Contact:
Hi!Bjørn from Norway wrote:Hello!
Here is a little write up, neatly pidgin language between German & English.
Not all details might be 100% correct, but AFAIK they should be close to the truth:
KARL und BRUNO:
28 cm Kurze Bruno K (E) (Railwayartillery)
Designation: L/40, originally designed as Naval guns. Later version: S.K L/45. (”Lange Bruno”) and S.K L/42 (”Schwere Bruno”)
Units equipped with Bruno (1941):
Batterie 689, 690, 694, 695 and 696.
Each battery had two guns.
Heavy mortars ”Karl”
Designation:
54 cm mortar: ”Gerät 041” [54 cm = AP, HE, anti-concrete.]
60 cm mortar: ”Gerät 040” [60 cm = AP, HE.]
(The name ”Karl” originates from “General der Artillerie”, Karl Becker.)
Amount:
There were 7 mortars totally, one un-numbered, this was used for tests at Hillersleben, Germany.
The other 6 were numbered from I to VI. One prototype made in early 1940 [This was named “Fenrir”, {Son of Loki}. Six production vehicles made, one in November 1940 [I-“Adam”], three in May 1941 [II-“Eva”, III-“Odin”, IV-“Thor”], and two in August 1941 [V and VI are “Loki” and “Ziu”].
“Loki” was captured by 1st US Army in 1945.
Unit designations:
1. Batterie der Schweren Artillerieabteilung (mot) 833: 2 mortars named ”Adam” and ”Eva”
2. Batterie der Schweren Artillerieabteilung (mot) 833: 2 mortars named ”Thor” and ”Odin”
Other designations are not known, unless that ”Gerät V” was named ”Loki” and ”Gerät VI” was named ”Ziu”.”
Towing vechicles:
Gerät I: MB 597F
Gerät II: MB 507 CV
Gerät III: unknown
Gerät IV: MB 507 C
Gerät V: MB 507 E
Gerät VI: MB 507 C
Short history
In 1940/1941 “sw.H.Battr.(mot.) 833” formed with 2 “Gerät 040” (Karlgerät, 60cm). Circa April/May 1941 “sw.H.Art.Abt.(mot.) 833” formed from sw.H.Battr.(mot.) 833 with 2 “Gerät 040 [Karlgerät, 60cm].
On 22.June 1941 HQu being formed in WK.III.
1st Battr / schw. Art. Abt.(mot.) 833 was deployed to” IV.Armeekorps”, 17.Armee in H.Gr.Süd near Brest-Litovsk [I-“Adam” and II-“Eva”]. Adam fired 16 rounds, Eva’s first round stuck in the barrel.
2nd Battr / schw. Art. Abt.(mot.) 833 was placed as 4.Armee reserve in H.Gr.Mitte near Lemburg (III-“Odin” and IV-“Thor”). “Thor” fired four rounds, “Odin” was disabled by a broken track.
1941
Used at Lvov.
1941
sw.H.Art.Abt.(mot.) 833 re-equipped.
July 1941
sw.H.Art.Abt.(mot.) 628 recieved I to IV. This was a new unit.
August 1941
Guns V and VI (“Loki” and “Zui”) were issued to sw.H.Art.Abt.(mot.) 638.
June 1942
Thor [IV] and Odin [III] used at Sevastopol. Fired 197 rounds.
October 1942 to Summer 1943
sw.H.Art.Battr.628 used two Gerät 040 [Karlgerät, 60cm] [one is probably Zui, plus one in reserve].
May 1943 [24th]
sw.H.Art.Abt.(mot.) 628 reformed with two Battr of Gerät 040 [Karlgerät, 60cm].
June 1943
First 54cm barrel delivered, at least three were made. Thor, Zui and one unkown are known to have used this barrel.
September 1943
sw.H.Art.Abt.(mot.) 628 re-equipped.
1944
One gun on its way to bombard Paris was destroyed by its crew.
August 1944
Battery 638 in action at Warsaw [included Zui]
1944/1945
Odin [III] was disabled when its barrel burst.
|6th December 1944
Battr.(t.mot.)(60cm Karl 040) 428 equipped with two Gerät 040 [Karlgerät, 60cm].
Battr.(mot.) 638 equipped with two Gerät 041 [Karlgerät, 54cm].
1944/1945
“Loki” was lost in Hungary.
1944/1945
The Americans captured “Zui”.
1945
The prototype Fenrir {Son of Loki} was captured on testing range at Hillersleben. It had been used to test the 54cm barrel.
What is the source of this information?
RB
- Christian Ankerstjerne
- Forum Staff
- Posts: 14027
- Joined: 10 Mar 2002, 15:07
- Location: Denmark
- Contact:
Karl-Gerät Nr. I was named Rex
Karl-Gerät Nr. II was possibly named Eva, however there is no photographic evidcence of the name on the gun itself, only on a tarpulin draped over the gun, so this is only speculative.
Karl-Gerät Nr. IV was named Thor
Karl-Gerät Nr. V was named Loki
Karl-Gerät Nr. VI was named Ziu
No photographic evidence exist of any names assigned to Karl-Gerät Nr. III or VII.
Thus, the only names we can be certain of were for Karl-Gerät Nr. I, IV, V and VI.
Christian
Karl-Gerät Nr. II was possibly named Eva, however there is no photographic evidcence of the name on the gun itself, only on a tarpulin draped over the gun, so this is only speculative.
Karl-Gerät Nr. IV was named Thor
Karl-Gerät Nr. V was named Loki
Karl-Gerät Nr. VI was named Ziu
No photographic evidence exist of any names assigned to Karl-Gerät Nr. III or VII.
Thus, the only names we can be certain of were for Karl-Gerät Nr. I, IV, V and VI.
Christian
- Kurt_Steiner
- Member
- Posts: 3980
- Joined: 14 Feb 2004, 14:52
- Location: Barcelona, Catalunya
Re: 60cm-Mörser Karl
Here a picture of this gun from Ebay.de
Regards Jos
Regards Jos
- Attachments
-
- Morser Karl.jpg (75.81 KiB) Viewed 3293 times
Re: 60cm-Mörser Karl
This looks like's a barrel of the Karl also from Ebay.de
- Attachments
-
- karl barrel 3.jpg (42.15 KiB) Viewed 3291 times
Re: 60cm-Mörser Karl
Hello
Here some picture's from the 60cm Mörser Gerät 040 from Ebay.de
Regards Jos
Here some picture's from the 60cm Mörser Gerät 040 from Ebay.de
Regards Jos
- Attachments
-
- 60 cm 2.jpg (53.15 KiB) Viewed 3118 times
-
- 60 cm gun 10.jpg (57.32 KiB) Viewed 3118 times
-
- 60 cm gun 12.jpg (52.77 KiB) Viewed 3118 times
Re: 60cm-Mörser Karl
These are from BaMa Koblenz
- Attachments
-
- 60cm Mörser Gerät 040 1.jpg (43.66 KiB) Viewed 3118 times
-
- 60cm Mörser Gerät 040 3.jpg (42.57 KiB) Viewed 3118 times
-
- 60cm Mörser Gerät 040 2.jpg (38.47 KiB) Viewed 3118 times
Re: 60cm-Mörser Karl
Hi Jopaerya,
The second image that you posted on 14 Oct shows a 42cm Skoda M17 barrel trailer. Not 60cm Morser Karl
Regards Sturm78
The second image that you posted on 14 Oct shows a 42cm Skoda M17 barrel trailer. Not 60cm Morser Karl
Regards Sturm78
Re: 60cm-Mörser Karl
Hi Sturm78
You are right , never trust a photocaption
Regards Jos
You are right , never trust a photocaption
Regards Jos
- Andrzej Ditrich
- Member
- Posts: 1826
- Joined: 27 Sep 2004, 18:51
- Location: Gdansk/Sopot/Gdynia
- Contact:
Re: 60cm-Mörser Karl
Hello,
just wanted to add my 5cents: photos from BA-KO shows Karl during Warsaw Uprising in 1944.
In warsaw is still concrete plate use as 'foundation' for laying hull of Karl on it.
Brgds
@ndrew
just wanted to add my 5cents: photos from BA-KO shows Karl during Warsaw Uprising in 1944.
In warsaw is still concrete plate use as 'foundation' for laying hull of Karl on it.
Brgds
@ndrew
- Andrzej Ditrich
- Member
- Posts: 1826
- Joined: 27 Sep 2004, 18:51
- Location: Gdansk/Sopot/Gdynia
- Contact:
Re: 60cm-Mörser Karl
....i'm not sure if 60 cm gun 10.jpg is from Karl - I feel it might be a Skoda mortair.
Re: 60cm-Mörser Karl
Here a other picture of this gun from Ebay .
Regards Jos
Regards Jos
- Attachments
-
- Thor 2.jpg (102.64 KiB) Viewed 2936 times
Re: 60cm-Mörser Karl
the 14 oct photo (60 cm gun 12.jpg (52.77 KiB) ) belongs indeed to the series, is a trailer loaded with boxed shells for it, you can see the small crane above the big ammo boxes...
Xavier
Der Autodidakt
Xavier
Der Autodidakt
Re: 60cm-Mörser Karl
Hello All
I have a quistion about the wheels of the track of the Mörser , looks there are two versions
one as you can see on the photo's here above and a other version like this picture from Ebay ??
Regards Jos
I have a quistion about the wheels of the track of the Mörser , looks there are two versions
one as you can see on the photo's here above and a other version like this picture from Ebay ??
Regards Jos