24 cm Kanone 3

24 cm Kanone 3

A K 3 in the Wehrtechnische Studiensammlung Koblenz
Type Heavy Siege Howitzer
Place of origin Germany
Service history
In service 1939–45
Used by Nazi Germany
Wars World War II
Production history
Designer Rheinmetall
Designed 1935–38
Manufacturer Krupp
Produced 1938–44
No. built 14+
Specifications
Weight 54,866 kg (120,959 lb)
Barrel length 13.102 m (40 ft)
Shell weight 151.4 kg (334 lb) (HE)
Caliber 238 millimetres (9.4 in)
Breech horizontal sliding block
Recoil dual-recoil hydropneumatic
Carriage box trail
Elevation 0° to +56°
Traverse 6° on carriage
360° on platform
Rate of fire 1 rd per 4–5 min
Muzzle velocity 970 m/s (3,182 ft/s)
Maximum firing range 37 km (23 mi)

The 24 cm Kanone 3 (24 cm K 3) was a German heavy siege gun used in the Second World War by the first battalion of Artillerie-Regiment 84. Four were in service when Germany invaded Poland, assigned to the first two batteries of I./AR 84.[1] In the Battle of France the battalion still only had four guns.[2] By Operation Barbarossa all three batteries were equipped with two guns apiece.[3] This situation did not change for the next two years.[4]

Design & History

The K 3's gun design was nothing innovative, but the same cannot be said for the carriage. Rheinmetall placed a lot of emphasis on ease of assembly. It did not require a crane because it used electric winches, mounted on the carriage, to pull various parts through a system of inclined ramps, guide rails and runways. It also used the Rheinmetall's dual-recoil system, first seen on the 21 cm Mörser 18. The barrel recoiled normally in its cradle, but, in addition, the whole top carriage, which carried the barrel and its cradle, recoiled across the main part of the carriage. This system damped out the recoil forces and made for a very steady firing platform.

The K 3 was a gigantic weapon that was transported in six loads. These consisted of the firing platform, the carriage, the cradle, the barrel, the breech and an electric generator.

The Wehrmacht was not content with the gun's performance: "It was felt to be wasteful of time and manpower, the transport arrangements were cumbersome and the performance was not considered to be commensurate with the size of weapon."[5] These led to experiments by Krupp and Rheinmetall to extend the range. These included "pre-grooved" projectiles which showed no significant improvement, squeeze-bore, discarding sabot and even a smoothbore version. None of these reached beyond the experimental stage.

Notes

  1. ↑ Niehorster, Leo W. G. German World War II Organizational Series, Vol. 1/III: Higher Headquarters - GHQ Units - Static Units (1.09.1939), 2004, p. 39
  2. ↑ Niehorster, Leo W. G. German World War II Organizational Series, Vol. 2/II: Mechanized GHQ units and Waffen-SS Formations (10 May 1940), 1990, p. 28
  3. ↑ Niehorster, Leo W. G. German World War II Organizational Series, Vol. 3/II: Mechanized GHQ units and Waffen-SS Formations (22nd June 1941), 1992, p. 27
  4. ↑ Niehorster, Leo W. G. German World War II Organizational Series, Vol. 4/II: Mechanized GHQ units and Waffen-SS Formations (28th June 1942), 2004, p. 25 and German World War II Organizational Series, Vol. 5/II: Mechanized GHQ units and Waffen-SS Formations (4 July 1943), 2005, p. 44
  5. ↑ Hogg, p. 104

References

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