German self-propelled cannon Karl-Gerät 040 ZIU COBI 2560- World War II

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     You know that:

• These heavy self-propelled guns for the Wehrmacht were created at the instigation of the German generals, who were already looking for weapons to destroy fortified points on the Czechoslovak border before the war in 1934.
• The development of the weapon was delayed, and so the first terrifying missiles were fired only in 1941 at the forts in the Wielky Dzial area.
• A total of 7 pieces were produced in various modifications.
• Due to the weight of 124,000 kg, the gun had to be transported over a long distance by special vogons with couplers and then on several Culemeyr rollers to the firing position.
• About 60 rounds were transported with a battery of two guns.
• On the very first deployment, the 2170 kg heavy cartridge in the barrel was uprighted and the operator was unable to free it even with the help of pulleys and a crane.
• The gun with the stuck shell had to be sent back to Germany to Rheinmetall, which removed the shell under strict security measures. 
• During the move along the railway, the guns were escorted all the way by Luftwaffe fighters, so that the noise of the engines was interrupted by the noise of the monster rolling along the tracks.
• In preparing the firing position at Sevastopol on 18 February 1942, a suitable site had to be first prepared by moving 1,500 m3 of earth using light and heavy equipment and 700 kg of explosives.
• Before the gun was assembled, a cover sheet was erected to keep the gun concealed from the enemy.
• The cannon was also deployed against insurgents in Warsaw, but many of the shells fired at the city failed to explode and the soldiers of the Home Army recovered 250 kg of explosives from each such shell to use against the Germans.

Technical parameters:

• dimensions length 11,15 m, width 3,16 m, height 4,38 m
• armour max. 8 mm
• weight 124 000 kg
• power unit petrol engine Mercedec Benz MB 503A with 580 hp
• maximum road speed 6 km/h
• maximum road range 42-60 km
• fuel tank capacity 1200l
• fuel consumption 2000 - 2800 l/100km, 175 l/h when firing
• cannon L/8,45 calibre 600 mm
• range 4500 to 6700 m depending on ammunition
• rate of fire 1x / 10 minutes
• crew 21 persons (commander, driver, assistant driver + 18 gunners)