page_title: 24 cm SK L/30 "Theodor Otto"
section_title: Design and history
hierarchical_section_title: 24 cm SK L/30 "Theodor Otto" / Design and history
caption_attribution_description: English: The breech, cradle, loading tray and shell hoist of the 24 cm Theodor Otto railroad gun
context_page_description: The 24 cm SK L/30 "Theodor Otto" was a German railroad gun used in World War I. Four were built and saw service in 1918 on the Western Front.
context_section_description: These guns were originally fitted to the obsolete armored ship SMS Oldenburg, which had been disarmed when it was converted to a target ship about 1912. One obvious change made for land service was the placement of a large counterweight just forward of the trunnions to counteract the preponderance of weight towards the breech. This, although heavy, was simpler than adding equilibrators to perform the same function. Four were fitted in 1918 to the railroad and firing platform mounts (Eisenbahn und Bettungsschiessgerüst) (E. u. B.) designed for the 24 cm SK L/40 "Theodor Karl". This was fairly simple, but required an even larger counterweight to compensate for the older gun's shorter barrel and greater weight.
  The E. u. B. could fire from any suitable section of track after curved wedges were bolted to the track behind each wheel to absorb any residual recoil after the gun cradle recoiled backwards. It also had a pintle built into the underside of the front of the mount. Two large rollers were fitted to the underside of the mount at the rear. Seven cars could carry a portable metal firing platform (Bettungslafette) that had a central pivot mount and an outer rail. It was assembled with the aid of a derrick or crane, which took between three and five days, and railroad tracks were laid slightly past the firing platform to accommodate the front bogies of the gun. The gun was moved over the firing platform and then lowered into position after the central section of rail was removed. After the gun's pintle was bolted to the firing platform's pivot mount, the entire carriage was jacked up so that the trucks and their sections of rail could be removed. The carriage was then lowered so that the rear rollers rested on the outer track. Concrete versions were also used. It could have up to 360° of traverse. The E. u. B. mount retained 4° of on-mount traverse for fine aiming adjustments.
caption: Breech, cradle, loading tray and shell tongs of a "Theodor Otto"
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