Railway Guns of World War II

(Paperback)

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Description

World War II marked the zenith of railway gun development. Although many of the railway guns deployed at the start of the conflict were of World War I vintage, Germany's ambitious development programme saw the introduction of a number of new classes, including the world's largest, the 80cm-calibre Schwerer Gustav and Schwerer Dora guns, which weighed in at 1,350 tons and fired a huge 7-ton shell. This book provides an overview of the types of railway guns in service during World War II, with a special focus on the German railway artillery used in France, Italy and on the Eastern Front, and analyzes why railway guns largely disappeared from use following the end of the war.

Reviews

This is an extremely interesting book, by an excellent author, with very good illustrations. Anyone interested in coastal defense or artillery should find it enjoyable and informative. - Coast Defense Journal

I found this book quite fascinating. Railway Guns of World War II explains an area of rail operations that is rarely covered. - Model Railroader News

If you enjoy history and want to find something different you might scratch-build for your layout, you had best look into Railway Guns of WWI and Rail-way Guns of WWII. I enjoyed them; I bet you will also. - Railroad Model Craftsman

Author Bio

Steven J. Zaloga received his BA in History from Union College and his MA from Columbia University. He has worked as an analyst in the aerospace industry for over two decades, covering missile systems and the international arms trade, and has served with the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think tank. He is the author of numerous books on military technology and military history, with an accent on the US Army in World War II as well as Russia and the former Soviet Union. Peter Dennis was born in 1950. Inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn he studied illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.