As far as I red, Anzio Annie was repainted in the Dark Yellow / Dark Red pattern only after a long rest at APG, however, Squadron in action has a plate by Don Greer, dated 1976 which shows the same pattern, on the other hand, the book Deutsche Eisenbahn Geschütze (that translates too as German Railway Guns) shows pictures of Anzio Annie in plain light gray (similar to the shade that most of the collection outdoors is painted ). The book dates 1990. So it is perfectly possible that Mr. Greer has based his plate in an existing photograph. And I would like to see if there are any evidences of that patterns and that colors during world war II
On the other hand, Stripe patterns like the K5 at Pas de Calais in Gray/Green were also appied. Vintage pictures of the Calais gun show perfectly this pattern. Also the diesel locomotive was painted with the same stripes of dark green over dark gray ( can not state if the shade is a perfectly match to panzer gray). I really doubt this was some sort of field application, and personally I tend to believe in a factory specification. However this is a mere guess.
So, to the final question: is this gun Gray/Green or Dark Yellow/dark brown?
If any of you can also date and locate the picture, that is wonderfull. I have no idea where it was taken and when.
Finnaly, any of you know the book Eisenbahn Geschutze der Welt, by Frank Kasar - Motorbuch Verlag 2003 ( Railway Guns of the World ). How is it inside? Worth buying? I would appreciate your advise.
Well, I am going to start tomorrow evening my Trumpeter Leopold. I really hate to start something with doubts, please give a little aid here.
I just got Trumpeters kit for Christmas but I dont know exactly which one it was but I think it was Dark Yellow/Dark Green??? (thats just a guess though)
Nuno, Eisenbahn Geschutze der Welt has not yet reported for duty in my library, since his existence was unknown to me until you brought it to my attention. He will be assimilated just as soon as I can get my wife to pull some strings in the publishing world and acquire a copy for me. (I hope!) You obviously have done your homework and have reached an impasse. Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer to your dilemma. Here are some more images from a Missing-Lynx thread, but you probably already have these too and there isn’t much useful text: http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/message?forumid=47207&messageid=1064186675
Good luck and if I manage to round-up a copy of the above, I’ll let you know.
and check too the companion volume about heavy mortars: Die schweren Geschütze der Welt. Feldartellerie – Selbstfahrlafetten– Belagerungsgeschütze here:
What I would love to know is how these books are inside. Are they a vallue added to the excelent Deutsche Eisenbahn Geschutze - Rohr Artilerie auf Schiennen. This one even has wartime color pictures of the mighty Dora and it’s original plans. Unfortunatly it has quite few info regarding the K5.
I also ordered the Azimut CD ROM . This time it was not a complete shot in the dark, as I asked about contents and it has 150 pictures of the Calais Gun and Anzio Annie - model aimed, 100 wartime pictures and several color plates.
There is another CD on sale but only of current pictures of the Calais gun. I opted for the Azimut. Keep in touch
Nuno, Thanks for the links and the CD info, that sounds really cool! But I want to obtain the books without having to pay for them! And if I’m patient and wait, I usually can. My wife wholesales books for a living and can usually pull a rabbit out of a hat, so to speak. It’s slow and not always a sure thing, but it beats paying retail, especially when you’re talking about books like these!! So for now, I sit and wait. [:(]
Gee!!! Lucky You! I have to find a wife like that too. Does she has a sister in the same business - most of my modelling budget goes directly to reference books and magazines ( I subscribe seventeen, sometimes I wonder if I want to be in the guiness book or something similar with all this model mania in my head)
[(-D] LOL!!! Actually, she does have a sister in the book business! Unfortunately though, she’s married too. I wouldn’t want to think about how much I have tied up in books, several of them are over a 100 bucks a piece. I don’t think I’d have half the volumes that I do if I had to buy them outright. I knew there was a reason I married this woman!
Nuno, After reviewing the images on that Missing-Lynx thread, I found this image of Leopold, but here again, what color is he? Reichbahn gray or dark yellow? It looks rather light for the gray, but I don’t know.
Normally I compare the colors with the uniforms. In this case I too m forced to think it is not gray, as the uniforms are darker.
I can confirm the existence of K5’s in gray, dark yellow and plain green. Still I can not confirm accuracy regarding stripe patterns…if I had Waffen Revue numbers 59,60, 61 perheaphs it would be easier. Thank you for this image.
Nuno, Just by luck, I stumbled on to your photo posted here in my copy of Battle of the Bulge Then and Now, page 36. The photo caption says: “A detachment of long-range railway guns, Eisenbahn-Artillery-Abteilung 725, was attached to Heeresgruppe B. The picture shows one of the 70-foot-long, 28cm K5 guns in firing position…on a railway line east of Monschau.” Whether or not this actually is a K5 of EAA 725 though is anybody’s guess.
Here is the page. Sorry for the poor quality. When I upgraded to Windows XP, I found out that HP doesn’t make XP drivers for my scanner, so now it works like wet matches.
Not much text about the gun here. Since the crew doesn’t even have coats on, they are all wearing Jackboots and early model uniforms (look at the dark collars), and there are tree branches with leaves on them for camouflage, I don’t think this photo was taken in December 1944.
Apparently the image won’t zoom while it is in Ron’s upload file either
Thank you Leopold! It perfectly suites and printed out fine in a4 format. I agree with you : tthat is no December athmosfere ( and winter 44 was one of the coldest in the XX century in europe). But at least the clue that points in the direction of the western front suites my needs. All references I have on the eastern conflict show k5’s in plain panzergrau.
I ordered some old issues of waffen revue dedicated to the railway guns ( all the familly) to see if I can pock some new info.
