Karl-Gerät, Monster Penjebol In World War II Bunker

"Karl-Polewali" (040/041) is a self-propelled Howitzer made Siege Rheinmetall for the German war needs. Its main function is to destroy bunkers or static defense that are difficult to be penetrated by ordinary bullets.

This is a self-propelled Howitzer is the largest ever made in mankind throughout history. Seven successfully completed, but only six are visible in the battle from 1941 to 1945.

Starting from attacking the Soviet fortress at Brest-Litovsk and Sevastopol, membombandir Polish insurgents in Warsaw to be involved in the Battle of the Bulge and Remagen bridge in the attack. Of the seven pieces only one is left since the end of the war until now.

Of the seven pieces that are made, six of which were named "Adam", "Eva", "Thor", "Odin", "Loki", and "Ziu" while the seventh is used for the purposes of research and testing so as not to be named.

Delivery of the six pieces of Karl-Gerät was conducted from November 1940 to August 1941. In 1941 began to be held to boost the distance tembaknya modifications, in May 1942 the barrel diameter of 54 cm came into use in the sixth vehicle.

Karl-Gerät 041 shipped in June-August 1943. It is said that the addition of barrel length also affect the increased bullet damage, Karl-Gerät.

Fourth Panzer Ausf Bearer Bullets Karl-Gerat

Twenty-two Panzer IV Ausf. D, E and F is modified with additional superstructure to carry four bullets Karl-Gerät, with facilities including a crane to move a bullet to the Karl-Gerät.

Without such vehicles Karl-Gerät impossible to operate because the bullet Karl-Gerät own weight ranging from 1250 kg to 2170 kg.

One bullet can break through a concrete wall 2.5 meters thick. This capability is particularly useful where they have faced barriers enemy bunkers.

Unfortunately affairs mobility Karl-Gerät quite slow, he is only able to move with speed 10km/jam so it takes a long time to move to the target.

And since Karl-Gerät have absolutely no self-defense is necessary to avoid a tight guard enemy target. But while its presence in the field really helped.

Bunkers that had been seized with the need to laboriously cleared by now quite a few bullets Karl-Gerät.

One bullet from the Karl-Gerät. Compare the size of the human body

Vehicle weighing 124 tonnes is powered engines Daimler-Benz MB 503 A 12-cylinder or a 507 MB machine C 12 cylinder.

This machine is only capable of propelling Karl-Gerät 10km/jam speeds. If you want to travel so far then Karl-Gerät can be disassembled into seven parts to be transported using a trailer-Strassenfahrzeug Culemeyer (trailer is also commonly used to transport heavy tanks such as King Tiger).

But it could also be transported intact by train, Karl-Gerät mounted in the middle between two special carriages.

Karl-Polewali Variants  

Polewali 040: Original model, with a short barrel barrel diameter of 60cm (24in)

Polewali 041: Late models, with adjustable length (L/11.55) diameter 54cm (21 in.)

History Karl-Polewali  
On January 3, 1941 was formed Heavy Battery (schwere Batterie) 833. And on 2 April 1941 Heavy Artillery Battalion converted into (schwere Artillerie Batallion) 833 which has two battery, each battery has two-Polewali Karl

1 May 1941 in preparation for Operation Barbarossa. Was one battery to be deployed to clean up the Soviet fortress at Brest-Litovsk, but the order was changed so that the May 14, 1941 are used to attack the Soviet border near Lviv.

The first battery was assigned to the IV Army Corps of 17th Army of Army Group South close to Lviv second battery while the 4th Army was assigned to help the attack of Army Group Center to the Brest fortress.

In preparing to attack the Soviet fortress Sevastopol in early summer, Heavy Artillery Battalion 833 Karl-Polewali three completed.

On May 20, 1942 Karl-Polewali three menembakan 72 were heavy concrete-piercing bullets and 50 bullet shells light concrete-piercing shells.

On July 19, 1942 Karl-Gerät withdrawn from the front and then sent to Hillersleben for repair. But one of them successfully taken the Soviets and taken to Moscow for evaluation.

July 22, 1942, Army High Command (Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH)) ordered the deployment of battery Karl-Gerät into Army Group North to assist in the conquest of Stalingrad Operation George.

OKH then form a new Heavy Artillery Battalion on May 4, 1943 by using existing equipment and vehicles on the Heavy Artillery Battery 628.

18th Army of Army Group North is also planning on using a Karl-Gerät Oranienbaum for operation on the bridge in the western part of Leningrad in the summer of 1943, but the battalion was then ordered to return to Leipzig Karl-Geräte on 8 August.

On 13 August 1944 Karl-Gerät a battery sent to the 9th Army to help dampen the insurgency in Warsaw by the Polish patriots.

Between March 21, 1945 - April 1945 Karl-Gerät Nr. II "Eva" and Nr. V "Loki" was overrun by U.S. troops. While Nr VII which is the Karl-Gerät for test purposes in the control of U.S. Army and shipped to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, but then the scrap.

While the Nr. VI "Ziu" successfully captured by the Soviets in Jüterbog 20 April 1945 and then installed in the museum Kubinka, the rest Nr. I "Adam", Nr. IV "Odin", Nr. III "Thor" unaccounted for, although all three appear successfully captured Soviet soldiers in Jüterbog.