The K5, or Krupp K5, is a railway gun that was used by the Germans during World War II.

HistoryEdit

In World War I both sides used railway guns against each other on the Western Front. The railway guns tended to have a large caliber similar to those mounted on warships. Because of their heavy size the guns were mounted on rail carriages. In the 1930s the new Nazi government began to rearm itself with new weapons; some of them being railway guns. Although the Germans designed large guns like the Schwere Gustav, they knew that they would need smaller railway guns to support the infantry quickly; enter the Krupp K5. In the mid-1930s research began on new a new lighter railway gun. By 1936 the first K5 was ready for testing and afterwards showed favorable results; although the barrel did have a habit of splitting. In 1936 the Wehrmacht ordered more K5 guns from Krupp. Arguably, the K5s were the most successful railway guns of World War II. The K5 saw action during the Invasion of France, shelled the English Channel and participated in the Italian Campaign. The most famous K5 was 'Anzio Annie' which shelled the Allied beachhead at Anzio in Italy. The K5s were reliable because of their small size, quick firing time and fast mobility.

StatisticsEdit

Designer: Krupp

Number Built: 28

Weight: 218 tons

Caliber: 28 cm (11 in)

Rifling Grooves: 12

Shell Weight: 255 kg (565 lb)

Rate of Fire: 15 (hour)

Range: 64 km (40 miles)

In Game Appearance.Edit

• In Medal of Honor: Allied Assault: Breakthrough, one level involves the player attempting to destroy two Krupp K5s in Anzio.
• In Medal of Honor: Airborne the level Varsity has a railway gun that needs to be destroyed. The railway gun has the appearance of a K5.

TriviaEdit

• A few K5s still exist today. 'Anzio Annie' is at the United States Army Ordance Museum in Aberdeen Maryland. Another K5 is in France at the Battery Todt Museum.
• It was not uncommon for the gun crews to name their railway guns. The guns that shelled Anzio were named 'Robert' and 'Leopold'.