'Dora' - a gun with Real Style !

Thanks for the websites - great stuff ! One of them also links to 'Palpatines Railroad Guns Page' which has a good colour graphic.

You're right - I was thinking of 'Karl', not 'Thor'. The Hasegawa model is of 'Karl'. All these weapons are quite fascinating !

'After The Battle' - you can't view copies on the web but I belive the magazine is fairly easily available in the US.

Don't worry - I've added Aberdeen to my 'places to visit if I ever make it to the USA' list !

[ 15 July 2002, 02:03 PM: Message edited by: Martin Bull ]

 

Hallo, gentlemen!

Did you watch "Ansaldo"? I still have to check those sites... Thanks, anyway.

"Anzio Annie" and "Anzio Express", weren't they two guns? I have heard that there were two rail guns in Anzio. Or am I crazier than Crazy and I am mixing American's testimonies up? Was "Leopold" so terryfying that they believed there were two guns? I am confussed now...

 

According to Colonel J H Green in 'After The Battle', it was one gun with one German name and at least two different American nicknames.

 

Yeah- from everything I've read, there was only one of the really big guns at Anzio. But then again, the germans undoubtedly had enough artillery firing on that beachhead to make specific guns not really the concern!

I have also read about the American tendency to over-nickname and to exaggerate german equipment... if one were to believe American estimates from Normandy, there were more tiger tanks facing the US forces there than germany ever produced!!!

Abnd Friedrich, you'll never be quite as crazy as me!!! It takes a lot of work, you know...

 

ha! Would you like us to bet?!!! I made a film like a Dalí's picture and let's say: Friday 13th... About a neo-nazi!!! I was sent to the psichologyst!!!

 

ha! Would you like us to bet?!!! I made a film like a Dalí's picture and let's say: Friday 13th... About a neo-nazi!!! I was sent to the psichologyst!!!

 

Gents,

Wanted to *bump* this one. I just got the following message in my e-mail box thry the atlantikwall e-mailring. It is about one of the guns that is in Aberdeen, as mentioned by Martin...Your thoughts please...

Gentlemen,
You are not without knowing that the Museum Battery Todt is a must for all who are interested in the Cross-Channel guns. A few years ago
a 28cm Kanone 5 (Eisenbahn) was retrieved by the Todt's museum owners, namely the Davies' s family. So the K5, miraculously
stored at Tarbes, went to Audinghen, Pas de Calais. And everyone gave a big applause. I suppose the managers of the Musée du Canon et des
Artilleurs at Draguignan were less at ease (Minister Chevenement gave the green light !).
On July 1992, if I'm correct, the gun was in place next to Todt's Anton bunker (Turm 1). Everything was smooth, the K5 being a plus for
the visitors even if there was an ugly `curtain' obliterating the view until one paid his entry ticket. No sweat ! (Please have a look
at Terry J. Gander's article in "After the Battle" issue number 78, 1992, for more info).
I visited the site the 31st December 2001 at the moment everything was covered with a thin snow layer: I had some doubt ! I revisited the site about a week ago (July 2002): the K5 sits there in an very ugly state to say the less. It is rotting on its artificial tracks ! Rotting , yes Sirree ! Now I fill in my questions:
a) why this K5 is actually in such a state after the promotion operation ?
b) is this K5 really propriety of the Davies'
c) is this K5 just on loan to the Davies' (some kind of a secret give and take) ?
d) if c) is correct WHO is at fault here ?
I do think this K5 has to be carefully preserved. but how ?
I suggest we exchange some ideas on this problem. I will put two pics into our photo library, named "K5snow" (just for the fun !)and "K5summer".
Anyway, somebody will have to take responsibility for such a mess.
Any thoughts on this ?
All the best,
Robert

 

I think the powers-that-be who are at Aberdeen--need to be fired, and someone who gives a damn, needs to be in the decision-making chair. If the one who decides on what is to happen to these pieces of military history is an officer--I think he/she should get courtmarshalled.

I thank God, for the Patton museum. At least someone there has some brains.

If the Russians can have a few big climate-controlled buildings built to preserve the German and other items they have--why the heck cant WE have something like that as well-at Aberdeen? The Russiand actually DO have such buildings/museums like that in Moscow if I am not mistaken, and I think there are 2-3 such buildings in that particular location and ALL items are perfectly preserved.

[ 24 July 2002, 03:38 PM: Message edited by: C.Evans ]

 

And supossely, the Russians have any funds... Ho wcan you do it? It is like having the Monalisa in the back yard!!!

 

well guys, actually I don't think this is the Aberdeen one, but some Todt museum here in Europe. At leats that is what I gather. But I don't know about either the museum or the gun. but it is a hot topic on th A-wall mailinglist...

Anybody got an idea about what this gun is at what museum???

 

On teh collections in Russia- I believe those building you speak of are at Kubinka (which could well be right next to Moscow- not sure). I've seen some listing before of the collection at the Kubinka armory museum, and let's just say it's amazing. Among other things, they actually have one of the Karl 60cm mortars which looks to be in near perfect condition. I don't have the link handy, but try a google search for it for more info.
And on Aberdeen, it's a real pity. The K5 they have there, "Leopold", aka Anzio Annie, is actually in relatively good condition. But the tank park- horrible. Eevrything is just sitting out in the east coast weather. Some of the tanks even have cut away sides. Great to see the interior, but once the weather gets in there's no stopping it...
Funding is the problem- one of the brochures available at Aberdeen is a pamphlet about the restoration/preservation efforts. Suffice it to say they NEED money...
Final note on Aberdeen- due to security reasons, being on a military base, the proving grounds museum is apparently closed till further notice.
Oh well...

 

I've never been there, but from what I've read the Atlantic Wall Museum sounds underfunded.

Hey - I've just thought of a useful role for the Channnel Tunnel! Stevin, perhaps you could push that gun down the line a few miles and then let it just rollllll on through....

 

Ahh, well, by what I understand I can probably hide it in my luguage now...hehe....well, Martin, I'll get it through that tunnel in time for the next beltring...is just around the corner, right? I am, the gun was made to travel on rails....

 

May I help? I would like "only" to shoot some two or three rounds. I don't think the French at Calais would mind if we give them a few K5's shells from Dover, wouldn't they?

 

A request- could we haul that thing over to the US east coast?
Yankee statium could definetely use some of the "K5" treatment...

 

* Bump * as the topic is back in fashion.....

 

The most interesting feature of this topic is the "Friedrich Then and Now"

 

If we're firing big guns from Dover wouldn't it be nicer to reinstall 'Winnie' & 'Pooh', the pair of 14 inchers mounted there in wartime. Maybe not as techie or glamourous as the K5's but still capable of sending shells cross-channel.

Cheers,
Adam.

 

Dora film.


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1209533366135570549&q=dora

 

wow... too bad it doesn't have sound