What If R.G. LeTourneau had the German KRUPP RAUMER S?

[seadude]

Here's a few more photos I found on the Net of the Krupp Raumer being inside the factory where it was built, as well as being loaded up on rail cars after being found by the Allies to be transported.............somewhere? As I said in my original first post, the Krupp Raumer was found/captured by American forces at the end of the war. It was then dismantled and taken to a depot somewhere. After that, there's no information that I could find on what happened to it. I'm going on the assumption that it probably would have been shipped back to the U.S. for testing and evaluation purposes at an Army base somewhere. After testing and evaluation was complete, the Krupp Raumer probably would have been taken apart for scrap and melted. But that's just my guess.

[kerick]

IIRC there was some Shermans that had a device like that.
https://tankhistoria.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/T1E3.jpg

[Rick Lowe]

Would something in the way of r/c aircraft tyres do the job?
Or there could well be something on Thingiverse that might suit - it's amazing just what is on there, but be warned - it can be is a real time-sink...

[Wardukw]

Would something in the way of r/c aircraft tyres do the job?
Or there could well be something on Thingiverse that might suit - it's amazing just what is on there, but be warned - it can be is a real time-sink...

Dude ...you can get 3in RC plane wheels ..ive brought em before...my only thought would be the size of the rims ..there quite small .

[Jakko]

That's somebody's imagination. AFAIK, the idea behind the Räumer S was that it would detonate mines using its massive wheels to absorb the blast. Using large discs like in that picture is something only the Americans tried, and though it could be conceivable for the Germans to have seen this solution and decided to try it too, I kind of doubt they would have.

[NARSES2]

The thing I don't understand with that type of vehichle is that while it may well explode the mines it actually drives over there will still be an "unswept" area between the wheels ? Or did they simply assume that the blast from a detonated mine would explode those "unswept" ? I'm not sure it would.

The way they were ment to work was to drive over an area multiple times to clear a path but also to used to make a single path for tanks for rapid movement.
The vehicles weight was used to crush anti tank and anti personal mines ...also to handle the blast from double and triple stacked mines .

Ah, ok. I assume that they just assumed the opposing forces wouldn't have had any suitable AT weapons available ? It just seems a huge waste of resources to me.

[NARSES2]

Here's a few more photos I found on the Net of the Krupp Raumer being inside the factory where it was built, as well as being loaded up on rail cars after being found by the Allies to be transported.............somewhere? As I said in my original first post, the Krupp Raumer was found/captured by American forces at the end of the war. It was then dismantled and taken to a depot somewhere. After that, there's no information that I could find on what happened to it. I'm going on the assumption that it probably would have been shipped back to the U.S. for testing and evaluation purposes at an Army base somewhere. After testing and evaluation was complete, the Krupp Raumer probably would have been taken apart for scrap and melted. But that's just my guess.

Fascinating photos, thanks 

Just wondering if the bloke in the above photo is British ? Uniform looks very much like a British NCO to me, although I can't see any stripes, but hey, given my eyesight 

[seadude]

IIRC there was some Shermans that had a device like that.
https://tankhistoria.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/T1E3.jpg

Kerick:
There's also this Sherman conversion too. (pic below)

[seadude]

Here's a few more photos I found on the Net of the Krupp Raumer being inside the factory where it was built, as well as being loaded up on rail cars after being found by the Allies to be transported.............somewhere? As I said in my original first post, the Krupp Raumer was found/captured by American forces at the end of the war. It was then dismantled and taken to a depot somewhere. After that, there's no information that I could find on what happened to it. I'm going on the assumption that it probably would have been shipped back to the U.S. for testing and evaluation purposes at an Army base somewhere. After testing and evaluation was complete, the Krupp Raumer probably would have been taken apart for scrap and melted. But that's just my guess.

Fascinating photos, thanks 

Just wondering if the bloke in the above photo is British ? Uniform looks very much like a British NCO to me, although I can't see any stripes, but hey, given my eyesight 

From my view, he kind of looks more French to me. The Raumer was loaded up on rail cars and probably transported to a depot somewhere in France where it would eventually be transported across the channel to England.

[Wardukw]

The thing I don't understand with that type of vehichle is that while it may well explode the mines it actually drives over there will still be an "unswept" area between the wheels ? Or did they simply assume that the blast from a detonated mine would explode those "unswept" ? I'm not sure it would.

The way they were ment to work was to drive over an area multiple times to clear a path but also to used to make a single path for tanks for rapid movement.
The vehicles weight was used to crush anti tank and anti personal mines ...also to handle the blast from double and triple stacked mines .

Ah, ok. I assume that they just assumed the opposing forces wouldn't have had any suitable AT weapons available ? It just seems a huge waste of resources to me.

Oh don't assume anything matey ...your totally right ...the Allies had air dominance so a failure there also our AT weapons would own this monster definitely..all it's armour would be under it's hull and some thinner armour on its sides but not up to the lever of a medium or heavy tank...it's designed for blasts from underneath more than the sides..it's also why the wheels are so tall ..more space from the blast..less damage from it .
As for your comment about being a huge waste of resources...yep ..bingo 
It was typically German at the time ...go big or go home ..let's build something huge and heavy and guzzles fuel ...wasting material they didn't have to waste ..but then you have to look at it another way...bloody epic cool models for us armour nuts     

[seadude]

A few of LeTourneau's overland trains were painted in a bright red/orange color. To my eyes, it doesn't look like a completely red color nor a completely orange color. Rather, a mix of the two. So I assembled some of the main structural pieces for one half of the Krupp Raumer vehicle, then sprayed with Tamiya fine white primer.
(Actually, I assembled both Raumer vehicle halves and sprayed them, plus sprayed the rest of the part sprues with white primer.)
As you can see in a below pic, I'm using Vallejo Light Red color which to me seems close. The only problem with painting this vehicle and all the parts is that Vallejo Model Air paints are meant for airbrushing. But since I don't own an airbrush and can't use one for multiple reasons, then everything has to be hand painted by brush. And from the tests I've done so far, it looks like in order to get good coverage, I'll need to lay down 2-3 coats. I just now added a 2nd coat to the areas on the main Raumer chassis in one of the pics. But if you look very closely, you might be able to see where the red/orange paint doesn't quite cover evenly the area where it was applied. So once that 2nd coat is dry, then I'll go back over with a 3rd coat and hopefully that will be enough.

[Wardukw]

Red is one of those very annoying colours to paint by hand ..like orange and yellow ...I have seen some paints which cover extremely well..now if I could remember the damn name that would help 

[Rick Lowe]

That particular colour takes multiple coats; even over pink, as I have discovered - though I used Model Master Acrylic...

AIUI. Vallejo Air colours brush pretty well, despite the name/intent.

[seadude]

AIUI. Vallejo Air colours brush pretty well, despite the name/intent.

Depends on the color. White, Yellow, and the Light Red I am now using have taken me at least 3 coats on various model projects. Though sometimes, it can even go as high as 4.
Darker colors I've noticed seem to only need 2 coats. Lighter colors need more.

In other news..........
For anybody that wants to read up on R.G. LeTourneau and his overland train vehicles or his other works, below are some books you might find interesting.
This book on Amazon I have placed an order for it earlier today. Should have it this coming weekend.
https://www.amazon.com/R-G-LeTourneaus-Overland-Trains/dp/B0BFL91FX6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2D0KGI4OK7HPS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5w00qvJ6LgkmVaRCe-H7jHUzRhhR3UGMpZjKv3gWq764KAKA-jZuj6b2PMJPLDkiLnoj7tBs3DraY29Yc3mHJZK_dzvk8kSLeWGwG0JSCP4Zbtf1Q7JU_INPJ-P8iOwZBseaRRCinu5xFQXFPy0kat4Q6Wo08ygtwzTuIG3LTsE69zg1xk11Yqi14xEuteNAH3ocaT7YtZ-aQ2UBAzwi022ZvWtui7l13O4b05_wKnc.Xb1B5A6OFqqKjVrGpaB87jhMxZJHSdB52sDH5mCowVU&dib_tag=se&keywords=overland+trains&qid=1734480535&sprefix=overland+trains%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-1

[Wardukw]

Those are books I'd love to get ..his machines were ridiculous in their size and I fecking love that