K5(E) German Railway Gun "Anzio Annie"

"Anzio Annie" the gun with many names! Known to her crew as "Leopold" and to the German Army as "Schlanke Bertha," the K5(E) railway gun was probably the most highly developed railway gun ever designed. Her nick- name "Anzio Annie" was bestowed on her by the G.I.'s at Anzio, who were on the receiving end of her 550 lb. high explosive shells, which arrived with clocklike regularity and pinpoint accuracy. Designed and built by the famous Krupp Works, the K5(E) was the standard long range railway cannon of the German Army during WW II. Because of the extensive railway facilities in Europe, this type of gun reached a high degree of refinement, whereas little work was done in the U.S. on heavy rail guns. From her 70.67-foot barrel, she could fire a 550 lb. projectile approximately 54,680 yards, or 31 miles! Fortunately, two of the K5(E) cannon were captured in Italy, one of which, "Leopold," was brought to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, for examination and testing. She now rests at the U.S. Army Ordnance Museum, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, on permanent exhibit. Through the cooperation of the Curator, U.S. Army Ordnance Museum, measurements, and photography of the actual gun provided the data upon which this exact 1/72nd scale model was engineered.