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Railway guns and armoured trains - Germany: books

A book on railway equipment of the German army? Here are books on the railway guns and the armoured trains of the Deutsches Heer, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht.


Reich Rails: Royal Prussia, Imperial Germany And The First World War 1825-1918

A comprehensive study of Prussian/German railways leading up to the war. Men, rails, lines, engineers, cars and stations all played a crucial part in Germany's Wars of Unification during 1864-1871, the interwar years and the final catastrophe that toppled many crowns, thrones and states, all told from a railroad perspective.

Railroad sagas are explored as railways aligned both for and against the Second Reich: Berlin-Baghdad, Trans-Siberian, Hejaz, African, Italian, American and more.
Also detailed are notable individual historic trains such as of those of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Tsar Nicholas II, hospital conveyances, differing gauges, railroad guns, armoured trains, Lenin's infamous 'sealed train' through Germany to Russia and more.

Also described are the famous men who made 'training' a successful wartime tool: banker Bleichroder, soldier von Moltke, raiders Lawrence of Arabia, Bulow and Hindenburg, and how Marshal Foch's railroad dining car became the focal point of the First World War's final ending.

From the very first German passenger service to the Russian Civil War, this is epic railroading as a military force. Written and researched by a leading military historian. Superbly illustrated with many rare and unpublished pictures.

Author:Blaine Taylor
Specs:224 pages, 23 x 15.5 x 1.5 cm / 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.59 in, paperback
Illustrations:32 b&w photographs
Publisher:Fonthill Media (GB, 2016)
EAN:9781781554241
Book: Reich Rails: Royal Prussia, Imperial Germany And The First World War 1825-1918

Reich Rails: Royal Prussia, Imperial Germany And The First World War 1825-1918

Language: English

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Deutsche Eisenbahngeschütze (Spielberger)

Eisenbahngeschütze sind bekanntlich Kanonen auf Schienen. Worüber aber kaum jemand etwas weiss, ist die Vielfalt, die es von diesen Monstern auf Schienen gab. Gebaut, um auf 100 und mehr Kilometer Tod und Verderben zu bringen, galten diese Kanonen in einer Zeit, als es noch keine Raketen gab, als einziges Mittel, um hinter den feindlichen Linien Schaden anzurichten.

Pages of the book Deutsche Eisenbahngeschutze (1)

Dass diese Fernwaffen meist nichts anderes waren als eine Vergeudung von Menschen und Material, steht auf einem anderen Blatt. Diese Spezialausgabe von Gerhard Taube zeigt und beschreibt Entwicklung Technik und Einsatz der deutschen Eisenbahngeschütze.

Pages of the book Deutsche Eisenbahngeschutze (2)

Author:Gerhard Taube
Specs:184 pages, 26.5 x 23 cm / 10.4 x 9.1 in, hardback
Illustrations:318 b&w photographs, 30 drawings
Publisher:Motorbuch Verlag (D, 2017)
Series:Spielberger
EAN:9783613039759
Book: Deutsche Eisenbahngeschütze (Spielberger)

Deutsche Eisenbahngeschütze

Language: German

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Eisenbahnartillerie : Einsatzgeschichte der deutschen Eisenbahnartillerie im Westen 1940 bis 1945 - Eine Dokumentation

In dieser Dokumentation werden die Eisenbahnartillerieeinheiten mit ihren Geschützen vorgestellt, ihre Feuerstellungen und Einsätze - mit Schwerpunkt an der belgischen und französischen Küste - und es werden Besichtigungsvorschläge zu den heute noch vorhandenen Anlagen beschrieben.

Einsatzplanungen für die 80 cm Gustav-Geschütze und für neuartige Munition (Röchling-Granaten und Peenemünder Pfeilgeschosse) werden ebenso dargestellt wie der Rückzug der Einheiten aus Belgien / Frankreich und der Verbleib der Geschütze.
Vorgestellt werden auch die Einsatzgebiete der Eisenbahnartillerie in Italien, Russland, Norwegen und in den Niederlanden. Die Beschreibungen werden ergänzt durch Übersichtskarten, Gliederungsbilder und einer Vielzahl von Fotos.

Author:Wolfgang Gückelhorn, Detlev Paul
Specs:288 pages, 29 x 21.5 x 2.5 cm / 11.4 x 8.5 x 0.98 in, hardback
Illustrations:523 b&w and 108 colour photographs, 188 drawings
Publisher:Helios-Verlag (D, 2014)
EAN:9783869331164
Book: Eisenbahnartillerie : Einsatzgeschichte der deutschen Eisenbahnartillerie im Westen 1940 bis 1945 - Eine Dokumentation

Eisenbahnartillerie : Einsatzgeschichte der deutschen Eisenbahnartillerie im Westen 1940 bis 1945 - Eine Dokumentation

Language: German

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K5 Rail Gun - Krupp's WWII Behemoth (Legends of Warfare)

NEW

Known by various names such as Anzio Annie, Anzio Express, and Leopold, the German 8 cm Kanone 5 Eisenbahngeschütz (railway gun), commonly abbreviated as K5(E), stands as Germany's most successful and widely employed railway gun design.
Twenty-four of these formidable weapons, capable of shelling England from positions in France, were utilized on multiple fronts, including France, Italy, Russia, and Holland.

This illustrated book captures the operation and deployment of these fearsome weapons through 80 vintage black-and-white photos.
Complementing the historical images are over 150 full-color photos showcasing the only surviving examples, providing detailed insights into the construction nuances of these massive railway guns.

Author:David Doyle
Specs:128 pages, 23 x 23 x 1.9 cm / 9.1 x 9.1 x 0.75 in, hardback
Illustrations:80 b&w and 150 colour photographs
Publisher:Schiffer Publishing Ltd (USA, 2023)
Series:Legends of Warfare
EAN:9780764366444
Book: K5 Rail Gun - Krupp's WWII Behemoth (Legends of Warfare)

K5 Rail Gun - Krupp's WWII Behemoth

Language: English

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German Railway Gun Leopold - 28 cm K5 (E)

Technical/historical background by the Dutch expert Jan Coen Wijnstok, illustrated with 31 b&w period photos and a selection of 224 detailed walkaround photographs highlighting in color all exterior and interior details of the World's only preserved K5(E) railway guns: Ausf. C from the US Ordnance Museum, Aberdeen, USA and Ausf. D from the Musée du Mur de l'Atlantique, Audinghen, France.

Includes the bonus giant (990 x 680 mm size) fold out sheet of super-detailed 1/72nd and 1/35th scale drawings of K5(E) Ausf. C & D in both firing and transport mode, and 1/10th scale drawings of K5's charges and projectiles.

Twelfth volume in the Series of all-picture books showing AFVs preserved at museums and collections throughout the World, designed for the enthusiast and military modeler.
Most complete reference book for super-detailing the Trumpeter, Dragon and Hasegawa kits. Reissued.

Author:Jan Coen Wijnstok
Specs:56 pages, 29.5 x 21 x 1.5 cm / 11.6 x 8.25 x 0.59 in, paperback
Illustrations:31 b&w and 224 colour photographs
Publisher:Model Centrum (PL, 2015)
EAN:9788360672242
Book: German Railway Gun Leopold - 28 cm K5 (E)

German Railway Gun Leopold - 28 cm K5 (E)

Language: English

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World War II German Super-Heavy Siege Guns (Osprey)

As the outbreak of World War II approached, Nazi Germany ordered artillery manufacturers Krupp and Rheimetall-Borsig to build several super-heavy siege guns, vital to smash through French and Belgian fortresses that stood in the way of the Blitzkrieg.
These 'secret weapons' were much larger than the siege artillery of World War I and included the largest artillery piece of the war, the massive 80 cm railway gun 'schwere Gustav' (Heavy Gustav). However, these complex and massive artillery pieces required years to build and test and, as war drew near, the German High Command hastily brought several WWI-era heavy artillery pieces back into service and then purchased, and later confiscated, a large number of Czech Skoda mortars.

The new super siege guns began entering service in time for the invasion of Russia, notably participating in the attack on the fortress of Brest-Litovsk. The highpoint for the siege artillery was the siege of Sevastopol in the summer of 1942, which saw the largest concentration of siege guns in the war.
Afterwards, when Germany was on the defensive in the second half of 1943, the utility of the guns was greatly diminished, and they were employed in a piecemeal and sporadic fashion on both the Eastern and Western Fronts.

In total, the German Army used some 50 siege guns during World War II, far more than the thirty-five it had during World War I. Supported by contemporary photographs and detailed artwork of the guns and their components, this is an essential guide to these guns, exploring their history, development, and deployment in stunning detail.

Author:Marc Romanych , Martin Rupp
Specs:48 pages, 25 x 18.5 x 0.8 cm / 9.8 x 7.3 x 0.31 in, paperback
Illustrations:numerous b&w and colour photographs
Publisher:Osprey Publishing (GB, 2020)
Series:New Vanguard
EAN:9781472837172
Book: World War II German Super-Heavy Siege Guns (Osprey)

World War II German Super-Heavy Siege Guns

Language: English

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German Armored Trains 1904-1945 - Technical, Organization, Operations

Starting with the first German uses of military armored trains in the early 1900s, this book continues through the World War I and Reichswehr periods, to World War II, the main focus of the book.
Detailed design, construction, and technical aspects are discussed, as well as analysis of armored train operations on all war fronts that saw them used: Poland, France, the Balkans, Italy, and their extensive use on the Russian Front. Also covered are the use of captured trains, noted personnel, and a history of each train unit.

Author:Wolfgang Sawodny
Specs:428 pages, 31.5 x 23.5 x 4 cm / 12.4 x 9.25 x 1.57 in, hardback
Illustrations:over 1000 b&w photographs
Publisher:Schiffer Publishing Ltd (USA, 2010)
EAN:9780764335235
Book: German Armored Trains 1904-1945 - Technical, Organization, Operations

German Armored Trains 1904-1945 - Technical, Organization, Operations

Language: English

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German Armoured Trains in World War II

This book gives a detailed account of the types and employment of German armored trains during WWII.

Author:Wolfgang Sawodny
Specs:52 pages, 21 x 28 x 0.5 cm / 8.25 x 11 x 0.2 in, paperback
Illustrations:b&w photographs, drawings
Publisher:Schiffer Publishing Ltd (USA, 1991)
EAN:9780887401985
Book: German Armoured Trains in World War II

German Armoured Trains in World War II

Language: English

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German Armored Trains on the Russian Front 1941-1944

This the third book by Wolfgang Sawodny on German armored trains in World War II, and presents all new information not previously discussed in his first two highly successful volumes. The main emphasis here is on the operational history of German armored train units on the Russian front, and includes many previously unpublished photographs.

Author:Wolfgang Sawodny
Specs:48 pages, 24.5 x 21.5 x 0.4 cm / 9.7 x 8.5 x 0.16 in, paperback
Illustrations:130+ b&w photographs
Publisher:Schiffer Publishing Ltd (USA, 2004)
EAN:9780764317835
Book: German Armored Trains on the Russian Front 1941-1944

German Armored Trains on the Russian Front 1941-1944

Language: English

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Related titles:

[TK] Militarfahrzeuge des deutschen Heeres 05-18

Militärfahrzeuge des deutschen Heeres 1905-1918

Wolfgang Fleischer

German | paperback | 128 p. | 2012

Fahrzeuge der Reichswehr - Radfahrzeuge 1920-1935

Fahrzeuge der Reichswehr - Radfahrzeuge 1920-1935

Walter J. Spielberger

German | hardback | 192 p. | 2017

World War II German Field Weapons & Equipment

World War II German Field Weapons & Equipment - A Visual Reference Guide

Keith (University College Birmingham, UK) Ward

English | paperback | 144 p. | 2014

Panzer und Radfahrzeuge von Reichswehr und Wehrmacht

Panzer und Radfahrzeuge von Reichswehr und Wehrmacht

Werner Oswald

German | hardback | 448 p. | 2017

World War II Wehrmacht Vehicles - Colour close-up

World War II Wehrmacht Vehicles - Colour close-up

Jan Suermondt

English | hardback | 128 p. | 2003

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Last update:27-03-2024