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80cm Kanone 'Dora' at Stalingrad

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KWeiler854

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Mar 24, 1997, 3:00:00 AM3/24/97
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All,
I have come across information that states that the giant German 80cm rail
gun 'Dora' arrived at Stalingrad in late August 1942. I can find no
information as to what she did there and she was quickly withdrawn when
Soviet counterattacks began to threaten her.

My question to all is, does anyone have any information about 'Dora' at
Stalingrad? Was she readied for firing? Kept entrained? Did she ever
fire at all? What was the purpose of sending her (I can pretty well guess,
for smashing dug in Soviet troops in the cellers of buildings) offically?

Thanks,
Ken Weiler
Sterling, Virginia


Paul Ayotte

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Mar 25, 1997, 3:00:00 AM3/25/97
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On 24 Mar 1997 21:28:07 GMT, kweil...@aol.com (KWeiler854) wrote:

>All,
>I have come across information that states that the giant German 80cm rail
>gun 'Dora' arrived at Stalingrad in late August 1942. I can find no
>information as to what she did there and she was quickly withdrawn when
>Soviet counterattacks began to threaten her.
>

You are mistaken there Dora, the Wehrmacht name, Gustav, Krupp's name
was only used at the siege of Sevastopol. As far as I know she was
never threatened by the Soviets, air or ground forces..

>My question to all is, does anyone have any information about 'Dora' at
>Stalingrad? Was she readied for firing? Kept entrained? Did she ever
>fire at all? What was the purpose of sending her (I can pretty well guess,
>for smashing dug in Soviet troops in the cellers of buildings) offically?
>

The Dora fired 36-55 shells at Sevastopol including one round that
penetrated 30m (100ft) of earth to detonate a magazine at Severnaya
Bay. It was then dismantled to be setup at Leningrad but the siege had
lifted. It was then reported to fire upon Warsaw during the uprising
in 44 but that was probably the 60cm Karl.

The whole artillery piece was never found. A spare barrel was found
near Madgeburg and some the mounting pieces in Bavaria.

Paul Ayote


KWeiler854

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Mar 26, 1997, 3:00:00 AM3/26/97
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Paul,
Thanks for your prompt and thoughtful reply to my posting on the German
'big guns'.

My source for the earlier comments was none other than the noted British
artillery author Ian Hogg in his latest work "German Artillery in World
War II" (Greenhill books, London, 1997). On pages 138 and 139 he goes
into some detail on the activities of the two completed 80cm K (E) rail
guns, the first 'Gustav Gerat' (named after the head of the Krupp concern)
and the second 'Dora Gerat' (named after the wife of the designer) and
mentions the incomplete assemblay of a third, never completed.

As I mentioned earlier, Hogg states that 'Dora' went to Stalingrad in late
August 1942 but the records are incomplete after that and no other
information is available as to her activities and it is that time I am
seeking information on her.

Ken


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