Takom bring out the big guns - how big? 30.5cm! We show you the Skoda built up

Most people thought that guns were made INTO Skoda’s in the 80’s but there was a time this Czech factory made armaments for the Austro Hungarian Empire. We have some pictures of Takom’s latest kit due in a month depicting the Skoda 30.5cm M1916 Siege Howitzer,“Siege of Sevastopol” 1942 boxing…

New from Takom in October 2014

Skoda 30.5cm M1916 Siege Howitzer,
“Siege of Sevastopol” 1942

Takom
#2011
1/35^th scale
5 marking choices in the kit
RRP around £37.49 through Takom’s Distributors Worldwide.

Used by the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I and by Nazi Germany in World War II.

 These are the main parts of the kit you get in the box -  ammo box, shells, gun on flat floor and ammo trolley

In 1916 Skoda built 51 complete guns that were to be used during WWI to which Italy received 16  from the Austro-Hungarians after the end of the war. Italy used these up to at least June 1943. Italy, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia shared these guns after the war.

During WWII Germany captured some of these howitzers from Czechoslovakia (17 pieces) 30.5cm H638(t) in 1939 and Yugoslavia (5 pieces) 30.5cm H638(j) in 1941.

M11 and M11-16 have a barrel length of 10 calibres, M16 has a barrel length of 10 calibres.

The  Skoda 30.5cm M1916 Siege Howitzer saw service against Poland, France and the Soviet Union in World War II where they served with Heavy Artillery Battalions (schwere Artillerie-Abteilungen) 624, 641 and 815 as well as two Heavy Static Artillery Batteries (schwere Artillerie-Batterie (bodenstandig) 230 and 779.

These were fired from their platforms like in the photo below – This one is on the transportation trailer..

The kit shows that the floor of the firing platform is included (not too sure about the sides) which saves you some bother of scratch building and riveting! Here is the kit built up – this is what you might be able to do with yours given the chance.. and a little skill

This kit is due in October so not long now – you can get it from Takom’s Distributors Worldwide.