K5 Railway Artillery Gun

[Andrzej Ditrich]

...

[EPOCH3]

Sorry this is late - Regarding the cover/door of the K5 aiming station on Ausf "C".

I believe the struts (shown in the 1938 drawings discussed above) were not implemented on all production units however they were on Leopold. On many Ausf C models, the cover/door was simply held up via two chains on either side of the cover. The chains can be clearly seen in quite a few photos.

The 1938 drawing shows the cover held up via struts as mentioned. In that version of the design, those struts had connection hardware within the area of the aiming station toward the bottom (see drawing as well as Leopold in Italy)

Even earlier drawings (initial version of the K5 manual) show the struts there as well as an additional bracket that connected the step with the frame. I have never come across a picture showing that added bracket so I believe it was removed from the final design.

Note, on some photos there is a secondary step that folds/swivels down under the main standing step. while clearly there (I think its on Leopold as well but the photo is not good enough to say with 100% certainty), I have not come across this extra step in any drawings (at least that I have).


Note: I had not looked far enough back into the thread before writing this so I include the following text: It could have been just as earlier proposed that Hanomag did indeed implement this feature (building to print) where as Krupp left it off. I have never thought of that before but I will look into the K5 photos I have and see if I can confirm that.

please see the following snippets for reference
Regards Greg

[EPOCH3]

Hi - there had been a question whether the wagon in the photo at download/file.php?id=353587&mode=view was used for transportation of the turntable sections. In my opinion, I think the photo is of a wagon used for transportation of track sections but sections used for building a siding track to the turntable location (if required). The track sections in the photo look to be long and straight sections and the beam used to lift and move the sections to the rear is straight as well.

Please see attachments for a few reference pictures/report illustrations of the S.S.L. wagon used for transportation of the curved turntable sections.

Regards

[EPOCH3]

Hi - attached is a slightly better picture of the turntable track wagon from the K5 ETO report and a listing of for composition of Train #1 and #2.

Regards

[EPOCH3]

Hi - regarding the photos previously posted by Andrzej of the K5 in snow camo taken near Lublin/Belzec in 1941:

First, I apologize up front if this is already known information and put to bed already elsewhere (please point me to the right place if so). This object was brought up before in passing as a generator or related to the barrel heater etc but I don't recall that anything definitive ever being discussed.

These photos show an interesting detail that I have been researching for some time. Several K5s have a large ovalish/cylinderical shaped
"object" installed on the front truck assembly. Only recently have I come across photos showing it also had what looks to be a smokestack or vent attachment that was removed for transport and installed when in operation. There aren't many K5 gun photos that show it installed and even in those photos, its not the focus of any interest so any connections to it have been hard to determine. In my opinion, I have long thought it was something supporting power generation. These photos actually reminded me that I have a few originals of this same K5. I still have to find them and will post later but now I can see from these new photos that the long cylinder/tube on the right side of the gun connects the object on the front truck assembly to he power generation unit installed on the rear truck assembly. I think the object on the front is an Imbert-Holzgas type unit ???? that has been enclosed in a self contained, relocatable unit.

If anyone has any additional details on this unit (or opinions) I would enjoy hearing them.
Regards

[EPOCH3]

Hi - while looking through my stuff, I came across several other slightly different but related photos I had never paid much attention to.
The tubing in question along the right side shown in the photo takes an upward turn prior to the location of the ladder which is earlier than where it appears to connect to the power generation unit shown in the other photos (it goes over and around the ladder in the other photo set). The other photo however shows that there is some union/connection of the tube which continues on the deck towards the rear (so I think it still goes back to the power unit on the rear tuck).

Regards

[Manuferey]

[...]Only recently have I come across photos showing it also had what looks to be a smokestack or vent attachment that was removed for transport and installed when in operation.
[...]
I think the object on the front is an Imbert-Holzgas type unit ???? that has been enclosed in a self contained, relocatable unit.

If anyone has any additional details on this unit (or opinions) I would enjoy hearing them.
Regards

Epoch3,

I'm glad you're bringing this subject up as it is still open. If you look at the bottom left picture I posted in post # 116 of this thread, you can see a badly damaged smokestack hanging on the right.
viewtopic.php?p=2040731#p2040731

A wood gas-driven power generator is an attractive idea (for more info on wood gas see here : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_gas). It would have made refueling of the source of energy much easier and totally independent from gasoline.

I thought at some point of a steam-driven generator but it may have required a large water tank in addition to the source of heat (e.g .charcoal).

An interesting find with the tubing. Let's dig futher.

Emmanuel

[Stp Leo]

Hello everyone,

I asked myself a question : were the Dombunkers only built in the Pas-de-Calais or at other places on the wall ?

[EPOCH3]

Hi - wrt to Sluiskil and Post #116 above - It appears that the destroyed K5s of E-710 and 713 at Sluiskil all had the (proposed) wood gas-driven power generator installed on their front trucks. The Sluiskil photos also show an additional detail of interest. In between two K5s that apparently had been coupled together for transport is small flat car with a tank/cylinder on it. This is the only set of K5 related photos that I have seen where this short flat car is present. The short car serves a purpose of allowing the two K5s to be connected to each other making allowances for the barrel overhang so the tank might be water or just about anything but perhaps it served another purpose as well and could store some of the excess energy produced by the wood-gas generator(s)?? Just a thought.

Note photo credit [email protected]

[Andrzej Ditrich]

Few photos of K5 after a crash:

[JABIER]

HI,

Leopold at Civitavecchia:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-1944-Civi ... Swylhb-uTw

https://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-1944-Civi ... SwjBhb-uVQ

https://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-1944-Civi ... SwPTlb-uYJ

Regards,

[EPOCH3]

Hi - I came across this picture awhile ago and first thought it was just another photo of Leopold in Civitavecchia Italy (1944).
I have many photos of both Robert and Leopold taken there in Civitavecchia but the focal point of this photo seemed to be somewhat unique.
At least I had never seen a photo of Leopold taken from this angle so I looked at it more closely and was surprised to see that it actually shows both Robert and Leopold together (Robert is up front with the building to the side while Leopold is at the bottom next to the wall).
Regards
Greg

[Xavier]

good eye..!

[Manuferey]

Is the locomotive pulling both guns?

Emmanuel

[EPOCH3]

My opinion is that the Lok (probably a WR360 C12) was caught there and used only for shunting them into position. It looks like both guns were in traveling configuration and getting ready to leave town. They probably would have connected the two K5s together with one or two cars between them. A heavier Lok would have been used for transporting them on open rail.

The 360 C12 shown could have also just been part of the K5 supporting equipment and was taking its position as part of the overall train for traveling.

Regards