Bill Cross built the huge Skoda 305mm Siege Gun and is ready to take on all the fortresses you have.

Link to Item



If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Was considering getting this but I think I will lower its priority on my "get" list. Already have a Leopold and Karl to tend to in the future.

Thanks for an informative review, Bill. This is a really interesting artillery piece, so it seems a shame that the detail & fit were problematic. One thing more, it's either the dark color of the paint or the photos, but it is difficult to see very much detail on the finished gun.

Hi Bill
Thankyou for this very informative review. It really looks like a cool gun, almost like something takenout of the American Civil War or something.
Jacob

First of all, thanks, Adam, for getting this one published.

Jack, this photo should highlight the detail better:



There isn't a LOT of detail: my original title for the feature was "big-***ed gun," but we all agreed that's not a proper title for the forum. Nevertheless, what you see is what you get: a big-***ed gun.

Thanks, Jacob, this gun is a direct descendant of the 300 pound Parrot Rifle of the ACW, that's a very good observation.

@bill_c – Bill,

Oh my goodness, another piece to add to the already overtaxed WWII German logistics. Seriously what were they thinking? Here’s a weapon that took many man hours to set up before firing the first shot @ 20 rounds per hour on a good day! Judging by the diameter and height of these rounds they look to be very heavy, most likely would have had to set the weapon as close to the target without compromising the mission? The crews probably lost most of their hearing later in life. And what type of vehicle(s) were used to transport the crews and weapon / ammo to the intended target?

You sure have picked one very obscure WWII German weapon system, but a most interesting one for me. Thanks for the heads up on the kit issues but I just couldn't keep myself from adding one of these to the pile. Bill, I think you've done a good job with your rendition.

~ Eddy

Thank you, Eddy, for the kind words. I'm glad you are going ahead with this kit, I don't think you'll be disappointed. The kit's issues are not critical, and the result is very enjoyable for those like me who like big guns (Dr. Freud, sometimes a cigar is just a smoke!).

My build review of the Skoda 30.5cm will address your questions about how the gun evolved and what the Germans were thinking (hint: they had no strategic heavy bombers), but I can't answer whether this beast rendered its crews deaf (ship's gunners in the 19th Century regularly went deaf below-decks with the muzzle-loaders of the day).

As to transport, I assume they were moved on rail cars, but at the destination, I don't know. There appear to be no photos I've found, other than from the Great War--

@bill_c – Bill,

Thanks for the reply, the photographs and for providing me with a link to your build review; I’m going to be checking that out!

The photograph depicting the transport carts with those wheels are very reminiscent of Cinderella’s personal buggy! - I did not just write this?

~ Eddy

I'm afraid you DID write it, Eddy, LOL!

The Great War is the transition from 19th Century warfare to 20th Century war of movement. The wheels of most guns were wooden because they had been wooden for centuries. Gradually rubber rims softened the ride, then rubber, pneumatic tires replaced those. But you then needed brakes or else the gun would risk "jack knifing" when going down a hill or coming to a halt when pulled by motorized transport.

So by WW2, you are seeing mostly pneumatic tires and brakes, though the Germans continued to pull a lot of their artillery with true "horse power."

@bill_c – Bill,

The pic you posted with the artillery piece, compliment of horses and crew would make for a very interesting modeling project! Again, thanks for the reply Bill. And thanks for the lesson on the wheels, very interesting . . .

~ Eddy

Great build and subject matter. I bet a lot of grief and anguish goes with that shell impact.

Best wishes,

Ian

Hi, Ian, when my son and I visited Ft. Douamont outside Verdun two years ago, the craters of large-caliber shells lobbed onto the fort left massive craters. Men went stark-raving mad inside the fort during the bombardments.

In WW1, the gun (in separate loads) could be towed by a Skoda-Daimler Artillerie Zugwagen M. 17 "Goliath" (a.k.a. VZ-17 Radschlepper) :



Here's a different-looking tractor :


H.P.

Thanks, HP!

Been watching some WW1 programs, and the variety of large field and siege guns in the war is quite amazing. No one has even scratched the surface of the Great War artillery in styrene or resin.

You're welcome Bill

Just came across the WW2 standard tractor for this gun, the Tatra T 25 :



http://www.kfzderwehrmacht.de/Homepage_english/Motor_Vehicles/Czechoslovakia/Tatra/Tatra_T_25/tatra_t_25.html

A few more tractor options in this thread :

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=170553


H.P.

Thanks, H. P.

It's outta my league for scratch-building, but maybe one of y'all will be inspired?