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History
On June 3, 1942, the commander of the 11th German Army, General Mannstein, started to
rain shells upon Sevastopol, the Soviet fortress in the Crimea which was considered to be
the most fortified stronghold of World War 11. 1300 guns of various types were employed
during the siege. Among them, the 80cm railway gun Dora, the 42cm Morser Gamma and the
60cm Morser Karl fired their big shells into seemingly invincible Sevastopol. Finally, as a
result of continuous shelling lasting one month heroic Sevastopol fell on July, 3.
During World War II the Germans employed as heavy field guns various types of gun such as
the 15 cm Cannon. the 21cm Morser, the 21cm Cannon, the 24cm Howitzer, the 24cm
Cannon, the 35.5cm Howitzer. the 42cm Morser Gamma and the 60cm Morser Karl the latter
of which was the largest of all the self-propelled guns.
In 1937, the germans projected a production of a heavy artillery gun to be employed against
fortresses. Designed with an idea of a super-heavy self-propelled Morser capable of
discharging highly efficient shells of high trajectory which were powerful enough to penetrate
thick concrete, the first trial equipment was built by the Rhine Metal Co. in 1939. This was the
60 em Morser Karl. At first it was developed for use in the campaign against France, but
since France had surrendered, it was put to use for the first time on the Russian front and
saw action in the siege of Sevastopol. It was also employed in the Brest-Litovsk and Warsaw
uprisings.
Altogether six of the 60 em Morser Karl (Gerat 040) were built. The suspension system was
of two kinds of torsion bar spring method, that is, one with eleven road wheels and eight
return rollers on each side and the other with eight load wheels and eight return rollers. The
engine was a Daimler-Benz MB 507 12 cylinder liquid-cooled diesel engine providing a
maximum speed of 10 km/h. To soften recoil on firing, the body was lowered by adjustment
of load wheels. Special attention was paid to the conveyance of the Karl which was beyond
the genera11y, accepted idea of a self-propelled gun. When it was transported by rail, two
trucks with five sets of special wheels were provided on which the Karl was mounted. In case
of transportation by road, the Karl was taken apart. For its assembly, a 35t. crane and two 7t.
cranes were required.
The Kari had a range of 6,800 m at best. Therefore. to extend the range, a barrel of 54cm
calibre and 7. 1 m in length was manufactured. Some Karls were equipped with it instead of
the 60cm calibre gun to become the 54cm Morser, designated Gerat 041 With the longer
range of 10,400m.
On June 3, 1942, the commander of the 11th German Army, General Mannstein, started to
rain shells upon Sevastopol, the Soviet fortress in the Crimea which was considered to be
the most fortified stronghold of World War 11. 1300 guns of various types were employed
during the siege. Among them, the 80cm railway gun Dora, the 42cm Morser Gamma and the
60cm Morser Karl fired their big shells into seemingly invincible Sevastopol. Finally, as a
result of continuous shelling lasting one month heroic Sevastopol fell on July, 3.
During World War II the Germans employed as heavy field guns various types of gun such as
the 15 cm Cannon. the 21cm Morser, the 21cm Cannon, the 24cm Howitzer, the 24cm
Cannon, the 35.5cm Howitzer. the 42cm Morser Gamma and the 60cm Morser Karl the latter
of which was the largest of all the self-propelled guns.
In 1937, the germans projected a production of a heavy artillery gun to be employed against
fortresses. Designed with an idea of a super-heavy self-propelled Morser capable of
discharging highly efficient shells of high trajectory which were powerful enough to penetrate
thick concrete, the first trial equipment was built by the Rhine Metal Co. in 1939. This was the
60 em Morser Karl. At first it was developed for use in the campaign against France, but
since France had surrendered, it was put to use for the first time on the Russian front and
saw action in the siege of Sevastopol. It was also employed in the Brest-Litovsk and Warsaw
uprisings.
Altogether six of the 60 em Morser Karl (Gerat 040) were built. The suspension system was
of two kinds of torsion bar spring method, that is, one with eleven road wheels and eight
return rollers on each side and the other with eight load wheels and eight return rollers. The
engine was a Daimler-Benz MB 507 12 cylinder liquid-cooled diesel engine providing a
maximum speed of 10 km/h. To soften recoil on firing, the body was lowered by adjustment
of load wheels. Special attention was paid to the conveyance of the Karl which was beyond
the genera11y, accepted idea of a self-propelled gun. When it was transported by rail, two
trucks with five sets of special wheels were provided on which the Karl was mounted. In case
of transportation by road, the Karl was taken apart. For its assembly, a 35t. crane and two 7t.
cranes were required.
The Kari had a range of 6,800 m at best. Therefore. to extend the range, a barrel of 54cm
calibre and 7. 1 m in length was manufactured. Some Karls were equipped with it instead of
the 60cm calibre gun to become the 54cm Morser, designated Gerat 041 With the longer
range of 10,400m.
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| Detailed Miniatures in Scale |
