|
     
     
During 1938 Germany purchased six of the 24cm Kanone M.16. This heavy field gun was manufactured by from the Czech war material manufacturer Skoda. The German designation was as 24cm Kanone 16(t). They cost, at the time, 602000 Reichs Mark each.
These guns where used during WW2 by the Abteilung Artillerieregiment 84, beginning their service on the Western Front in Belgium and France. Then at the Channel Coast before being transported to Eastern Prussia. On the early morning of June 22nd 1941 they opened fire against the Soviet Union: Operation Barbarossa was started. On July 5th they started their onerous march heading east, over bad and muddy roads. Dünaburg, Ostrow and Pleskau where some of the stations. The old aged Artillery-Generator-Cars that where designed to move these guns broke down under these rough conditions and had to be replaced with the Sd.Kfz. 9 Famo. In mid 1941 they moved into positions near Kronstadt, from where they attacked targets in Kronstadt and Leningrad. They later moved to positions near the Czar Castle "Zarskoje Selo". They kept these positions until 1944. From 1944 until the end of the war one gun after the other fell into enemy hands or had to be destroyed. On May 9th 1945, the last two of this remarkable guns where destroyed by their own troops.
Weight: Barrel on Barrel Car: 38 tonne, Carriage with Carriage Car: 30.8tonne, left Gun Bed Car with Bed: 36 tonne, right Gun Bed Car with Bed: 37.6 tonne. In firing position: 79 - 86 tons (I don't know why there is this big difference.)
Calibre: 240mm muzzle speed: from 750 to 799 m/sec
Range: 26.300km Granate M.16, 29.875km Granate 40(t), 31.600km with charges, preheated to 55C. The 24cm Kanone fought targets beyond their regular range of 29875m with pre heated charges, against the complaints of the crew. They reached a distance of 31.600m!
Grenades: 24cm Granate M. 16 215kg. 24cm Granate 21 (t), 185kg, with cap and impact fuse. 24cm Aufschlagzündergranate 35 (t), 198kg with 24,6kg explosives. 24cm Granate 40 (t), 198kg with 23,4kg explosives
References included Waffen-Arsenal 138, schwere 24cm Kanone by Wolfgang Freischer.
The kit by Kraut Kits is a project of New Connection in 1/35th scale. There are approximately 80 parts in grey resin, almost bubble free and with no warpage. The fit was excellent and the detail crisp. I managed to assemble the kit with moveable barrel, loading tray and breech. The kit is now available from Precision Models of Belgium. This is a great kit of this interesting field gun. The painting was done with Tamiya Panzer gray. Weathering was accomplished with a washing of thinned artist oil and a dusting of Tamiya buff.
The figures are the Dragon and Trumpeter artillery crew kits with one loader from Precision Models. The Dragon figures are excellent but the Trumpeter figures are pretty poor. Though they have nice poses, the moulding is bad with sink marks and the detail is soft. The heads are unusable, so I used Dragon heads instead. [View discussion] [Discuss my model]
|
