24 cm Theodor Kanone (E)
Encyclopedia
The 24 cm Theodor Kanone (E - Eisenbahnlafette (railroad mounting)) was a German railroad gun used during World War II
in the Battle of France
and on coast-defense duties in Occupied France for the rest of the war. Three were built during the Thirties using forty year-old ex-naval guns.
after taking power in 1933 the Army High Command (Oberkommando des Heeres
- OKH) ordered Krupp
to begin work on new railroad artillery designs, but they would take a long time to develop. Krupp pointed out that it could deliver a number of railroad guns much more quickly using obsolete guns already on hand and modernizing their original World War I
mountings for which it still had drawings available. OKH agreed and authorized Krupp in 1936 to begin design of a series of guns between 15 and 28 cm (5.9 and 11 in) for delivery by 1939 as the Emergency Program (Sofort-Programe).
Three 24 cm SK L/40 C/94 guns originally used by the Kaiser Friedrich III
- and Wittelsbach-class
pre-dreadnought
s were placed on new mounts patterned on the E. u. B. (Eisenbahn und Bettungsgerüst - railroad and firing platform) mount used by the same guns in World War I
as the 24 cm SK L/40 "Theodor Karl"
. The new mounts lacked the under-carriage pivot and rollers used for the firing platform (Bettungsgerüst) in World War I as the Vögele turntable (Drehscheibe) completely replaced the old system. The turntable consisted of a circular track with a pivot mount in the center for a platform on which the railroad gun itself was secured. A ramp was used to raise the railway gun to the level of the platform. The platform had rollers at each end which rested on the circular rail for 360° traverse. It had a capacity of 300 tonne, enough for most of the railroad guns in the German inventory. The gun could only be loaded at 0° elevation and so had to be re-aimed for each shot. One obvious change made for land service was the placement of a large counterweight just forward of the trunnions to counteract the preponderance of weight towards the breech
. This, although heavy, was simpler than adding equilibrators to perform the same function. All three guns were delivered in 1937.
as it supported XXV Army Corps from Ettenheim
during its passage of the Rhine River. From July 1941 they spent the rest of the war on coast defense duties assigned to Batteries 664 and 674 in the vicinity of Hendaye
and Saint-Jean-de-Luz
near the Spanish border with France, although sources differ on which guns were assigned to which batteries on what dates. Both batteries were able to retreat to Germany by 1 September 1944 after the invasion of Normandy
in June 1944, but nothing is known of their activities afterwards.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
and on coast-defense duties in Occupied France for the rest of the war. Three were built during the Thirties using forty year-old ex-naval guns.
Design
As part of the re-armament program initiated by the NazisNazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
after taking power in 1933 the Army High Command (Oberkommando des Heeres
Oberkommando des Heeres
The Oberkommando des Heeres was Nazi Germany's High Command of the Army from 1936 to 1945. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht commanded OKH only in theory...
- OKH) ordered Krupp
Krupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
to begin work on new railroad artillery designs, but they would take a long time to develop. Krupp pointed out that it could deliver a number of railroad guns much more quickly using obsolete guns already on hand and modernizing their original World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
mountings for which it still had drawings available. OKH agreed and authorized Krupp in 1936 to begin design of a series of guns between 15 and 28 cm (5.9 and 11 in) for delivery by 1939 as the Emergency Program (Sofort-Programe).
Three 24 cm SK L/40 C/94 guns originally used by the Kaiser Friedrich III
Kaiser Friedrich III class battleship
Kaiser Friedrich III class battleships were a class of pre–World War I, pre-dreadnought battleships of the German Kaiserliche Marine. The class was made up of five ships, all of which were named for German emperors...
- and Wittelsbach-class
Wittelsbach class battleship
The Wittelsbach-class battleships were a group of five pre-dreadnought battleships of the German Kaiserliche Marine . They were the first battleships produced under the Navy Law of 1898. The class was composed of the lead ship, , , , and . All five ships were laid down between 1899 and 1900, and...
pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought battleship is the general term for all of the types of sea-going battleships built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the ironclad warships of the 1870s and 1880s...
s were placed on new mounts patterned on the E. u. B. (Eisenbahn und Bettungsgerüst - railroad and firing platform) mount used by the same guns in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as the 24 cm SK L/40 "Theodor Karl"
24 cm SK L/40 "Theodor Karl"
The 24 cm SK L/40 "Theodor Karl" was a German railroad gun that served on both the Eastern Front and the Western Front in World War I. Originally a naval gun it was adapted for land service after its ships were disarmed beginning in 1915...
. The new mounts lacked the under-carriage pivot and rollers used for the firing platform (Bettungsgerüst) in World War I as the Vögele turntable (Drehscheibe) completely replaced the old system. The turntable consisted of a circular track with a pivot mount in the center for a platform on which the railroad gun itself was secured. A ramp was used to raise the railway gun to the level of the platform. The platform had rollers at each end which rested on the circular rail for 360° traverse. It had a capacity of 300 tonne, enough for most of the railroad guns in the German inventory. The gun could only be loaded at 0° elevation and so had to be re-aimed for each shot. One obvious change made for land service was the placement of a large counterweight just forward of the trunnions to counteract the preponderance of weight towards the breech
Breech-loading weapon
A breech-loading weapon is a firearm in which the cartridge or shell is inserted or loaded into a chamber integral to the rear portion of a barrel....
. This, although heavy, was simpler than adding equilibrators to perform the same function. All three guns were delivered in 1937.
Ammunition
The shells for this gun were loaded using a four-wheeled ammunition cart to move the shells and powder from the rear of the mount where it was hoisted from the ground or an ammunition car by the on-mount crane. It used the German naval system of ammunition where the base charge was held in a metallic cartridge case and supplemented by another charge in a silk bag which was rammed first.| Shell name | Weight | Filling Weight | Muzzle velocity | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nose- and base-fused HE He He is a third-person, singular personal pronoun in Modern English, as well as being a personal pronoun in Middle English.-Animals:... shell with ballistic cap Shell (projectile) A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used... (Sprenggranate L/4.2 m Bdz u. Kz. m Hb) |
148.5 kg (327.4 lb) | 16.4 kg (36.2 lb) (TNT) | 810 m/s (2,657.5 ft/s) | 26750 m (29,254.2 yd) |
| base-fused armor-piercing shell with ballistic cap Shell (projectile) A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used... (Panzer-Sprenggranate) L/4.1 m Bdz. m Hb) |
151 kg (332.9 lb) | 14.9 kg (32.8 lb) (HE He He is a third-person, singular personal pronoun in Modern English, as well as being a personal pronoun in Middle English.-Animals:... ) |
Unknown | Unknown |
Combat history
Two Theodors equipped Railroad Artillery Battery (Artillerie-Batterie (E.) 674 during the French campaignBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
as it supported XXV Army Corps from Ettenheim
Ettenheim
Ettenheim is a town in the Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.In the Middle Ages, Ettenheim belonged to the Archbishop of Strasbourg. It gained its Charter in 1302.In 1973 it was incorporated into the Ortenaukreis.-Districts:...
during its passage of the Rhine River. From July 1941 they spent the rest of the war on coast defense duties assigned to Batteries 664 and 674 in the vicinity of Hendaye
Hendaye
Hendaye is the most south-westerly town and commune in France, lying in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department and located in the traditional province Lapurdi of the French Basque Country...
and Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.Saint-Jean-de-Luz is part of the province Basque of Labourd and the Basque Eurocity Bayonne - San Sebastian .-Geography:...
near the Spanish border with France, although sources differ on which guns were assigned to which batteries on what dates. Both batteries were able to retreat to Germany by 1 September 1944 after the invasion of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
in June 1944, but nothing is known of their activities afterwards.