The weight of the howitzer was more then 123.500 Kilogramm and was built on a 2-piece base plate which allowed the howitzer to make 360° turns without having to do modifications on it. For transporting of this heavy cannon it was necessary to use 6 different transport trucks, the construction on the field was possible within 2 hours with an electronical crane. The gun barrel was 9,585m long and it was possible to raise it from +45° to max. 75° in high, and it had a durability of approx. 2000 shots. The weight of each used bullet was 575Kg. Totally 8 heavy howitzers M1 were built during the production time between 1939 and 1944.
During the battle in F rance the howitzers were used for the bombardemebt of teh PFL I Line. after the fortress Eben-Amael was fallen during the first days of the battle already. The gun was taken over to the heavy artillery batallion 641 on 27th of July 1940 and delivered to the Eastern front. used at Operation Barbarossa in the 9th divison. In 1942 the howitzer was used ad the assault on Sevastopol under the command of the 11th division Group South. Finally in 1942 it arrived in Leningrad and was used at the siege of the city. After its withdrawal of the Eastern Front it was returned to the Reich and was used for a last time at the quell of the rebellion in Warszaw in 1944.
It is interestingly that only the way of this heavy gun is comprehensible, although 5 further guns were inherited in active duty in 1942 and furter more in the following years until 1944.
The kit of this heavy howitzer is offered from the Chinese manufacturer Soar Art Workshop, who already have some experience with heavy guns as they offered the railyway gun DORA as one of the biggest kits ever in this scale 1/35. The fitting and details are very well done, the plastic is easy to work with (and also standart glue is usable this time). The beautiful carton is full of wonderful parts, and as a kind of bonus there is also a 3D-drawing (blue print) of the gun included.
The biggest flaw is the two-piece gun barrel which is not correct in size, details and the missing of any decals.
All together it is a great kit of an impressive cannon. A very usefull upgrade is already available from Schatton Modellbau in Germany - a wonderful detailed and corrected gun barrel made of turned aluminium. If using that it is urgently necessary to use some counterweight for the barrel - otherwise it would be much too heavy to stay lifted up!
Der I have started to fit the parts of the bases and the lower construction of the cannon. Everything remains movable if you work carefully. Further details as well as some platforms and walkways were added here later, together with the detailed multi-piece handrails.
The loading mechanism remains also movable, the aluminium barrel is glued only at the backside of the loading block which received some counterweight of lead to keep the barrel balanced. Further details were added, the installation follows later after the painting.
Next task are further plattforms around the base construction and further details....
Cheers
Micha
