A superb model of the huge Dora railway carriage mounted 80cm gun - the largest calibre rifled weapon ever built. This kit is huge! It includes the specialist railway transport carriages and load distribution structures required to move such a heavy artillery piece.



Brief History:

The largest gun ever built had an operational career of 13 days, during which a total of 48 shells were fired in anger. It took 25 trainloads of equipment, 2000 men and up to six weeks to assemble. It seems unlikely that such a weapon will ever be seen again. The 80-cm K (E), for all its size and weight, to say nothing of its 'overkill' firepower, went into action on only one occasion. It was originally intended to smash through the extensive Maginot Line forts but when the campaign in the West took place in 1940 the 80-cm K (E) was still in the Krupp workshops at Essen and, in any event, the German army bypassed the Maginot Line altogether. Thus when the 80-cm equipment had completed its gun proofing trials at Hillersleben and its service acceptance trials at Rugenwalde there was nothing for the gun and its crew to do.

NOTE - this model is very large and heavy (weighs 50 pounds) and may not be shippable to all countries.