K5 Railway Artillery Gun

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

Another image from Ebay:

Sturm78

[Manuferey]

What is the cylindrical-shaped piece of hardware in front of the guns below?

28cmK5cylinder.jpg
(Sources: as indicated for top left picture, 2nd page of this thread for picture on bottom left and ebay for right picture)

Emmanuel

Here is a nice view of the cylindrical-shaped piece of hardware (auxiliary generator?) in the front of a 28 cm K5 on its turntable (from ebay.com). We can clearly see several dials (the vertical ones could be pressure "U" tubes ) and a manometer (not sure if it is attached to the big piece or not).

28K5front.jpg

Emmanuel

[rpk4]

Emmanuel,

How about a heater? Maybe its time for a separate thread...

JB

[Manuferey]

Emmanuel,

How about a heater? Maybe its time for a separate thread...

JB

Agreed for a separate thread.

A heater? It would make sense for warming up the barrel in the Russian cold but I have not seen pictures of K5 in Russia with this "heater" and in particular when the barrel is covered with what look like warming blankets around it.

Emmanuel

[Manuferey]

"As we were going to Altena from Werdahl" caption of photo

Another picture of the same gun near Altena from the Pictorial History of the 75th Infantry Division - 1944-1945 campaigns (chapter Altena). Note the lack of debris in the front of the gun and on the ground compared to the previous picture.

Altena1.jpg

Emmanuel

[jopaerya]

From NARA

[jopaerya]

From NARA

[Manuferey]

Note the number of K5 mentioned in the last document posted by Jos:
- 10 lost by 24 September 24, 1944
- 12 remaining

Total: 22 K5 had been used by the Heer since the beginning of the war.

22exK5sept44.jpg

Emmanuel

[schwarzermai]

Note the number of K5 mentioned in the last document posted by Jos:
- 10 lost by 24 September 24, 1944
- 12 remaining

Total: 22 K5 had been used by the Heer since the beginning of the war.

22exK5sept44.jpg

Emmanuel

Hello Emmanuel,

but this number of 22 complete K 5 (carriages) says nothing about the nummers of barrels were used until September 1944

uwe

[Manuferey]

Note the number of K5 mentioned in the last document posted by Jos:
- 10 lost by 24 September 24, 1944
- 12 remaining

Total: 22 K5 had been used by the Heer since the beginning of the war.

22exK5sept44.jpg

Emmanuel

Hello Emmanuel,

but this number of 22 complete K 5 (carriages) says nothing about the nummers of barrels were used until September 1944

uwe

I agree but it tends to confirm the number of 22 active K5 guns that has been floating around.

Emmanuel

[rpk4]

Nice catch Emmanuel, I so appreciate it when facts and proof come together!

JB

[Manuferey]

From a US soldier of the 753rd Railway Shop Battalion, some pictures of Leopold in Italy including one in Naples .
Source: https://get.google.com/albumarchive/115 ... source=pwa

753ROBLeopold.jpg

Emmanuel

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

A small image from Ebay:

Sturm78

[rpk4]

Here is an intriguing picture of a gun with the cover of the aiming stand held with struts: there are provisions for Sprengwerk and it seems that there is the circular hatch on the side. This would make it an Ausf. B. But the only Ausf B I know is 919 217 which had the cover held with chains.

919217strutschains.jpg

Do you see what I see?

JB

[Manuferey]

Here is an intriguing picture of a gun with the cover of the aiming stand held with struts: there are provisions for Sprengwerk and it seems that there is the circular hatch on the side. This would make it an Ausf. B. But the only Ausf B I know is 919 217 which had the cover held with chains.

919217strutschains.jpg

Do you see what I see?

JB

Looking more closely, the camouflage painting could be the same and, therefore, it would also be 919 217 on the left. Is it what you see? It would mean that the way to hold the cover of the aiming stand was changed at some point and retrofitted to some existing guns.

Emmanuel