Ruff, V. Der Strabokran

15t AND 16t GANTRY CRANE VARIANT USED IN TIGER, PANTHER, ELEFANT AND V2 ROCKET UNITS

The road gantry cranes were an indispensable tool for maintaining the new heavy tanks Tiger, Panther, and tank hunter Elephant near to the front line. An exceptional use for the gantry crane was from 1944 onward with the Divison z.V. for loading and unloading of delivered A4 (V2) rockets onto the Vidalwagen or Meillerwagen launching trailers.

256 pages, hardcover in landscape format, text EN/DE, more then 240 of rare and unpublished large format photographs from Panzerinstandsetzung and detail pictures of survivors, patents, technique and history, In action tables, K.St.N, plus a set of highly detailed 1/35 scale drawings of 15t 16t 20t and a manual driven Strabokran variant for modellers included.

The history of the development of this extraordinary crane is now documented for the first time, and its use by the armoured workshop companies, the pioneers and the artillery is described using original documents and numerous pictures, with complete series of pictures of the lifting and mounting of the armoured turrets and other uses being shown for the first time. Drawings and detailed photos help to recognise the main differences between the 15 t and 16 t Strabo crane variants. Numerous drawings in 1/35 scale are included for the modeller for all gantry crane variants.

Table of contents:
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Introduction
History of the company J.S. Fries, Frankfurt am Main
Strabo crane and variants
The "Operation Backfire" report
Strabo crane in use
Rarities
K.St.N - with Strabo crane
Patent applications and patents
Remaining Strabokranes
16 tonne Strabo crane in detail
Appendix

With over 240 unique, mostly large-format pictures from the armoured repair and detailed photos of remaining Strabo cranes, patents, technical and historical outline, deployment tables, K.St.N, numerous detailed drawings of the 15 t, 16 t, 20 t and a manually operated 15/16 t Strabo crane variant in 1/35 scale.