Some Help on a Krupp 420 CM Big Bertha.

[Panzerjunky]

Hello
  This is my First post on this board...so thanks in advance for any help.
I am currently building a nice takom 1/35th scale Big Bertha with intentions of a small Diarama Of said gun in the field. The issue that I am facing is there is very little historical photos available for this gun in use. (I have not bought a bunch of books just online searches)
Questions are
1. How was the ammunition transported to the field.
2. once at the front how was it handled on the ground at 1200LB ish  per shell No easily I assume was it stacked next to the gun ect.
3 This is the main question. Did this gun use a powder charge or a separate brass casing like the say Skoda. That got ejected and left in a pile after the round was fired? The pics I see show a round almost as tall as a man but the round in the kit does not look like the historic pics. and the round in the kit has a rim on the case and a clear line around the shell thus prompting this question.
4. lastly where would one find a nice 1/35th scale WW1 arty crew.
Thanks in advance for any help

[NigelR]

The 420 mm used a separate brass casing for the charge, see attached picture.

Here's an original shell from the IWM collection: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30020787

I don't know how the shells were transported or moved close to the gun, the few pics I could find don't show this. However, there do not appear to be stacks of shells around the gun. This is a good site for reference: http://www.landships.info/landships/artillery_articles/42cm_M_Gerat.html and one of the pictures appears to show the shells being rolld along planks to get close to the gun. But that seems like hard work to me... Osprey have published a book specifically on the Big Bertha, if you want to be 100% sure it might be worth buying that (you can get an eBook version).

The only 1/35 German artillery figures I know of are from Model Cellar, but these are designed for the 21cm Morser. You might be able to convert these and also use a couple of their other German figures.

Finally, I would not describe any diorama with the Big Bertha as "small"...... I've seen this thing built and it's huge!

[Borsos]

Gary?s work might be of some help for you. I do not think that things can be done any better than this

https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=11757.0

Regards,
Andreas

[Panzerjunky]

Thank you for all your help.
A few of my questions were answered perfectly. Like the brass casing part.  Where the Modeler Gary showed the rounds as I expected to see after he reworked them. My only question is the groves in the driving band. Those bands are normally smooth until they contact the rifling in the barrel. Am I mistaken on that.
And yes, I was viewing the Landships forum and got those pics as well. I tried to sign up on the landships forum, but it kept telling me my authentication code was incorrect.  What code LOL
Thanks Again For all your help.
Jerry

[NigelR]

Those bands are normally smooth until they contact the rifling in the barrel. Am I mistaken on that.

No, AFAIK the soft copper bands were forced into the rifling when loaded and the grooves created as a result of the projectile travelling down the barrel.

[Panzerjunky]

Thank you
 That is what I thought that the groves in the driving band happened when the actual projectile engaged the rifling.
Thanks For the Help
Jerry

[Panzerjunky]

Thank y'all for all the help The knowledge base on this board is outstanding.
I do have a couple more questions regarding my "LIL" 420 CM. The beautiful diorama that was posted here is just what I was looking for, But of course one answer births 10 more questions.
1st what do you think was used for the brass powder casings. Tubular brass?? with cardstock bases??
2nd the powder charge bags? I was thinking using tea bag and tea leaves?
3rd I can't find any clear reffs of the giant Q-tip. Laying on the loading platform. There are pics but not clear. What is it for? Is it for ramming the rounds home Hence the ropes on the rear? or was it for simply cleaning the bore? and are the ropes on pulleys and why off to the side (Not to be in the way??)
Lastly were the rounds transported in the wicker baskets that we see on a lot of WW2 arty??
Thanks again for all the great help This has been a fun build. I wish I would have seen the great detail that could be done on this piece before I got to far past it. Mabee the next one!
Thanks Jerry

[NigelR]

Can't help with any specifics here, but I know that British charges were sticks of cordite, not powder (they stopped using powder in the 1890s). I would imagine the Germans were the same, a bit of Googling implies this to be the case. British charges were covered in silk cloth bags. I don't have any info the Germans though.