Railway guns.

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by angeljoanes, Jul 8, 2007.

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  1. angeljoanes

    angeljoanes Junior Member

    angeljoanes, Jul 8, 2007
    #1
  2. T. A. Gardner

    T. A. Gardner Senior Member

    Its too bad it didn't survive the war intact. It would have made one hell of a museum piece somewhere.
     
    T. A. Gardner, Jul 10, 2007
    #2
  3. Desert Dog

    Desert Dog Member

    Impressive/
     
    Desert Dog, Jul 10, 2007
    #3
  4. angeljoanes

    angeljoanes Junior Member

    I always admire this super gun. Really fantastic in size and using 80 cm shell. One hit from that weapon has destroyed underwater bunker. Yes to bad the German destroyed it.
     
    angeljoanes, Jul 11, 2007
    #4
  5. Desert Dog

    Desert Dog Member

    80 cm = 31 in

    What were the biggest naval guns? 18 in?
     
    Desert Dog, Jul 11, 2007
    #5
  6. raf

    raf Senior Member

    during the blitz was there a unit assigned to rail guns on the south coast and were the effective, what were the numbers etc ...i can imagine them getting to the relavent point quickley were as the the Luftwaffe could avoid the fixed positions on there next visit.

    thanks
     
    raf, Nov 24, 2007
    #6
  7. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    von Poop, Nov 24, 2007
    #7
  8. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    There was a huge German railway gun, firing from around Vire in Normandy. You could hear the shell coming for ages. And it made a wobbling sound as it approached. When it landed the side of the hill erupted. The hill we had to take, round the base were German Paras.
    Very unpleasant.The Paras waited till we were all there, and then proceeded to bring down a massive stonk right over the top of us....nasty! Cowered in our hastily dug foxholes....
    Sapper
     
    sapper, Nov 24, 2007
    #8
  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Some good photos of railway guns at IWM site.
    'Boche-Buster'
    IWM Collections Online: Search Photographs Archive

    H 6089
    H 6091
    H 9448 [​IMG]
    H 8314

    Elham Valley Railway

    in 1940 passenger services were suspended north of Lyminge and the line from Elham to Canterbury was handed over to the military. Two 9.2 inch railway guns of Y Battery of the Canadian Royal Artillery were initially stationed at Elham, replaced by two 12 inch railway guns of 7th battery, 2nd Super Heavy Regiment of the Royal Artillery. HMG "Boche Buster", an 18 inch railway gun belonging to 11th Battery, 2 S.H.R. was stationed at Bishopsbourne. A spur was constructed into a field at Kingston, so that "Boche Buster" could be traversed to fire eastwards towards the Sandwich coastal area. In 1942, 8th Battery, 2.S.H.R. replaced 7th Battery at Elham. Two more 12 inch guns from 13th Battery, 3 S.H.R. arrived at Lyminge in 1943.
     
    Owen, Nov 24, 2007
    #9
  10. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    So is 'Boche-buster' the one as it seems to be in Kent?
    Brief coverage here:
    World War II

    Appears that the name was also carried by a WW1 piece (might be the same gun? but the calibres listed are different.)
    The King's Shot af Jeff Dorman

    Anyone know what this German piece around Vire that Sapper refers to might have been? Presumably a K5?

    Cheers,
    Adam.
     
    von Poop, Nov 24, 2007
    #10
  11. deadb_tch

    deadb_tch the deadliest b#tch ever

    Attached Files:

    deadb_tch, Dec 3, 2007
    #11
  12. Bodston

    Bodston Little Willy

    Bodston, Dec 3, 2007
    #12
  13. deadb_tch

    deadb_tch the deadliest b#tch ever

    I think it's a Soviet one. 305mm Naval gun TM-2-12.

    ow! that's it :) :D

    Here is good article with pics about such naval guns in Soviet Army: Vladivostok's Railway Guns
     
    deadb_tch, Dec 3, 2007
    #13
  14. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    How many of these did the Germans make?
    Just the one?

    I seem to recall it needed a crew of 380!!!
     
    airborne medic, Jul 18, 2008
    #14
  15. CROONAERT

    CROONAERT Ipsissimus

    Just the one with this name (Schwerer Gustav), but another 80cm K (E) was also produced called Dora (not including the prototype)

    Dave
     
    CROONAERT, Jul 18, 2008
    #15
  16. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    Dave,
    Is it still around?

    Or was it lost in the last days of WW2???

    BTW I look forward to meeting you soon in Burnley!
     
    airborne medic, Jul 19, 2008
    #16
  17. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Schwerer Gustav - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    <TABLE class=infobox style="FONT-SIZE: 90%; WIDTH: 315px; TEXT-ALIGN: left; border-spacing: 2px"><TBODY><TR><TH style="PADDING-RIGHT: 1em">Crew</TH><TD>250 to assemble the gun in 3 days (54 hours), 2,500 to lay track and dig embankments. 2 Flak battalions to protect the gun from air attack.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

    It says both guns broken up.
    Schwerer Gustav
    The gun then appears to have been destroyed to prevent its capture..
    Dora
    Dora was broken up before the end of the war, being discovered in the west by American troops some time after the discovery of Schwerer Gustav
     
    Owen, Jul 19, 2008
    #17
  18. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    Owen,
    Thanks......must have been impressive to see fire.....from a safe distance of course and a few pounds of cotton wool for the ears!
     
    airborne medic, Jul 19, 2008
    #18
  19. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Owen, Jul 19, 2008
    #19
  20. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    Owen,
    Thanks for the link...very impressive...and as for the size of the cordite charge.......
     
    airborne medic, Jul 20, 2008
    #20
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