Karl-Gerät

About the Karl-Gerät – Self Propelled Siege Mortar:

The German Karl-Gerät was a behemoth self-propelled mortar designed to take down the strongest of Europe’s defenses.

Work on the Karl began in 1936 by German manufacturer Rheinmetall. Altogether, six Karls were produced between 1940 and 1941 in two different models. Each weighed 139 tons, and in traditional German custom, they were independently named—Adam, Eva, Thor, Odin, Loki, and Ziu. The initial 040 version used a short barreled 600mm gun that fired shells up to distances of 4,720 yards. The later 041 models used a longer 540mm gun to extend the range to 11,000 yards. Due to the size and complexity of the weapons, the gun had to be returned to zero elevation in order to reload. Considered “self-propelled,” the Karls were initially outfitted with 12-cylinder Daimler-Benz MB503A gasoline engines. Several were later updated to an MB 507C diesel engine. Top speeds were 6.3 mph, which, in retrospect, is quite impressive for a gun of this size. For main transportation, the mortars were torn down and loaded onto railroad cars.

Like many of these German giants, they had intermittent success. The Karls specifically saw action on the Eastern Front at the sieges of Leningrad and Sebastopol. In 1945, Eva and Loki were captured by American forces, while Ziu and Odin were captured by the Soviet Army. The fates of Adam and Thor are unknown.

Specifications:

Crew: 21
Caliber: 600 mm (24 in)
Operational range: 42 km (26 mi) (gasoline engine) 60 kilometers (37 mi) (diesel engine)
Maximum speed 6 to 10 km/h (3.7 to 6.2 mph)

Additional information about this Brickmania® custom building kit:

Printed elements on this massive build include gears, panels, a meter, knobs, exhausts, a shell, and a custom minifig. The custom sticker sheet allows one to customize the name of the mortar. The kit’s play features include axle controls to elevate the main gun, a loadable breech, and additional axle controls to elevate and depress the chassis’ suspension.

Model Statistics:

Designed by Umar Akmurzajev
1,924 LEGO® and Brickmania® elements
1x custom minifigs
Custom printed elements
High-quality sticker sheet
Full-color printed building instructions
1/35th scale to match other Brickmania kits
Intermediate Skill Level (4-6 years building experience recommended)

All Brickmania® model kits are made of new-condition LEGO® bricks. This model comes disassembled and includes complete printed building instructions. This is a limited-edition kit and production may be discontinued at any time.

This is not a LEGO® Product. LEGO and the LEGO minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this product. The LEGO Group is not liable for any loss, injury or damage arising from the use or misuse of this product.