German and captured railway guns in World War II

Click on thumbnail images to enlarge

: U.S. 7th Army Troops, 3rd Armored Division with captured 27,4cm K(E) 592(f). March 1945 near Cologne

: 20 cm Kanone (E) from 685 Eisenbahn-Artillerie-Batterie on the Vögele turntable, France 1941

: Krupp 28 cm Kanone 5 (E) in action

: K5(E) “Anzio Annie” of the 712. Eisenbahn-Artillerie-Batterie. Crew cleaning the gun barrel, March 1944

: Captured K5 “Leopold” 919 219 of the 712. Eisenbahn-Artillerie-Batterie. Civitavecchia June 1944

: German troops firing railway gun over the English Channel 1940

: German soldier fires 28 cm Kanone (Eisenbahn) Kurze Bruno 1940

: 21 cm K 12 (E) of the Eisenbahn-Artillerie-Batterie 701, France

: 15 cm SK (E) L/40 Kanone during exercise 1939

: 20.3 cm K (E) captured in Auderville Laye, France 11 July 1944

: German troops manning captured ex-French 370mm modèle 1915 howitzer (E) 751(f) Warsaw, December 1944

: Schwerer Bruno fires over English Channel 1940

: 20,3 cm K (E) at Plouharnel Batterie, Le Begot, Bretagne 1944

: Captured experimental gun 340 mm L/60 Bourgoin 2

: Captured 38cm K(E) Siegfried railway gun named “Gneisenau” of the Eisenbahn-Batterie 698. Montélimar pocket August 1944

: Captured St Chamond 400mm Mle 1915/1916 howitzer

: K5 Leopold captured by the Allies in Citavecchia 1944

: Captured 240 TAZ Modèle 1893-1896

: Schwere Bruno in Belgium 1941

: Captured St Chamond 400 mm Mle 1915/1916 howitzer 2

: Captured 38 cm Siegfried K (E) named “Gneisenau” of the Eisenbahn-Batterie 698. Montélimar pocket August 1944

: 21 cm K 12 (E) of Eisenbahn-Artillerie-Batterie 701 on the coast of the English Channel

: Captured ex-French 27,4 cm K 592(f); 274mm Gl. modèle 17

: 28 cm Kanone 5 (Eisenbahn)

: Krupp 28 cm Kanone 5 (E) ready to open fire

: Captured 27,4cm K(E) 592(f) named “Bruno” of the Eisenbahn Artillerie Batterie 692 at La Coucourde, France 1944

: Captured 38cm K(E) Siegfried gun named “Gneisenau” of the Eisenbahn-Batterie 698. Montélimar pocket, August 1944

: 274 mm Mle 1917 barrel

: French railway guns 340mm Mle 1912 Schneider and 320mm Mle 1870 1940

: French 340 mm Mle 1912 Railway Gun Belfort France

: French Railroad Gun 320 mm Mle 1917 named Joyeux

: 28 cm Schwere Bruno railway gun France

: 340 mm L/60 Bourgoin gun

: French railway guns 340mm Mle 1912 Schneider and 320mm Mle 1870

: 28 cm Eisenbahngeschutz Kanone L/42 “Schwere Bruno”. Gun of the Eisenbahn-Artillerie-Batterie 689. Winter camouflage, Eastern Front 1942

: 32 cm french railroad gun mle 1870

: 400 mm St. Chamond Mle 1915 1916 french railway howitzer

: Captured french railway gun

: 274 mm Mle 1917 railway gun and locomotive

: German 28 cm K5 Eisenbahngeschutz of the Eisenbahn-Artillerie-Batterie 686. Railway gun in action, winter camouflage. Leningrad 1942-1943.

: ex french railway gun crew 1941

: 274 mm Mle 1917 Railway gun France

: Schneider 320 mm Mle 1870-93 1945 railway gun Furth 1945

: German 280 mm railway gun

: railway gun 340 mm St. Chamond Mle 1912

: 194 mm Mle 1870 93 TAZ Railway Artillery France 1940

: 24 cm “Theodor Bruno” Kanone german railway gun and crew June 1940

: German Railway Artillery Atlantikwall 1944

: French railroad gun

: German railway gun 17cm SK (E) L/40

: 274 mm Mle 1917 french railway gun

: railway gun barrel

: Eisenbahngeschutz 28 cm K5(E) eastern front railway gun

: captured 274 mm Mle 1917 railway gun 1940

: 28 cm Schwere Bruno German Heavy Railway Artillery

: german railway gun in action 1943

: 400 mm St. Chamond Mle 1915 1916 railway howitzer

: 320 mm Mle 1870 30 railway gun

: German 27,4 cm Railroad Gun Artillery France

: ex French 27,4 cm K(E) 592 (f) railway gun with number 929323 and nickname Casar

: german 28 cm Eisenbahngeschutz railway gun

: Wehrmacht Troops with Captured French 320 mm Railway Artillery

: 28 cm K5 (E) Sewastopol Krim railway gun

: German 28 cm K5 (E) railway gun Sevastopol Crimea eastern front

: ex French 37 cm K(E) 714(f) 370 mm Modele 1875 79 German Railroad Gun

: Eisenbahngeschutz 28 cm Schwere Bruno railway gun France

: 340 mm Mle 1912 railway artillery

: 28 cm Kanone Eisenbahnlafette L/42 “Schwere Bruno” of the Eisenbahn-Artillerie-Batterie 689, Germany 1940

: 28 cm Schwere Bruno german railway gun

: 274 mm Mle 1917 railway gun

: 340 mm Mle 1912 L/47 railway gun

: Belgian ex German Krupp 28cm SK L/40 Bruno railway gun 1940

: 274 mm Mle 1917 Railway guns France

: 28 cm Schwere Bruno railway gun

: German Eisenbahngeschutz Leningrad area

: captured 274 mm Mle 1917 railway gun

: 320 mm mle 1917 railway gun

: 340 mm L/60 Bourgoin railway gun

: french 320mm Mle 1870 30

: German 20,3 cm L/60 Eisenbahngeschutz

: ex French 370 mm Modele 1875 79 German Railroad Gun

: 340 mm Mle 1912 L/47 French railway gun

: 370 mm modele 1875 79 railway gun

: 320 mm Mle 1970 93 railway gun

: ex French 27,4 cm K(E) 592(f) German Railroad Gun Captured at Rentwertshausen 1945

German and captured railway guns in World War II.
Railway guns were placed on a special railway platform enabling it to fire. Lesser works were often placed in rotating turrets, and could be part of armored trains. Railway guns in the strict sense were large-caliber independent units (from 200 mm to 800 mm) used as a long range artillery siege. Many guns were built as mounted on the works of sized caliber naval artillery. Just as in the case of armored trains, the dynamic growth of aviation in the 30s of the twentieth century was the beginning of the end use of railway guns.
One of the most famous railway guns was called “Paris gun” used to fire the capital of France in 1918. The heaviest railway gun of the First World War was the French 520 mm howitzer Schneider, the largest railway gun in general was a German construction used during the Second World War Dora with a caliber of 800 mm. Although the giant railway guns could not realistically weigh on the war, their ability to break down into dust massive fortifications and devastating psychological impact on the enemy posed major advantage.