The Paris Gun was a morale-breaking precursor to the terrifying V-weapons of World War II. The citizens of France feared German Zeppelins were dropping bombs on them from the sky. It was a fluke - the gun had a targeting tolerance measured in miles. On Good Friday, 1918, one of the gun’s shells landed on a church in Paris and killed 91 people. The gun rode the rails, but could only fire from special concrete firing installations.
Each shot took up to three minutes to reach its target as the shell soared through the stratosphere. This 211-millimeter cannon bombarded Paris with 243-pound shells from 75 miles away.
#Gustav the railway gun crack
Germany had its own fleet of long-range artillery pieces and the Entente powers soon feared the thundering crack of the Paris Gun. The rebels attached a naval artillery cannon to a chassis and used it to harry the Union during the Battle of Savage’s Station.ĭuring World War I, the Entente powers converted large naval guns and defensive cannons into railborne artillery to pound German fortifications along the Western Front. The Confederacy deployed the world’s first railway gun during the American Civil War. Public domain photoĭecades of history led up to the Heavy Gustav - successively larger and heavier railway guns leading to the biggest of them all. At top- Hitler inspects the Heavy Gustav in 1941. Above - one of the K-5 guns that fired on American forces in Italy, 1944. For centuries, better artillery meant bigger artillery, but that changed during World War II. It was too bulky, took too long to fire and required hundreds of troops to operate. With Chinese invasion looming, Taiwan’s troops seek tech support from American vets July 6, 2022įor $550K, a Cold War-era missile silo and command center could be yours July 6, 2022īut the impressively massive superweapons were dinosaurs. Russian trap? Moscow says it shot missiles at Ukrainian troops raising flag on Snake island after handing the island back July 7, 2022 Putin warns the West, says Russia hasn’t even really started in Ukraine yet July 7, 2022 ‘Irresponsible to want to plunder:’ German Defense Minister denies Ukraine armored transport vehicles July 7, 2022 How do Haitian police deal with gangs while lacking body armor, weapons and ammunition July 8, 2022Īrmy cancels multi-gun competition due to lack of registrants here’s why July 8, 2022įormer Japanese prime minister assassinated by a navy veteran with a home-made firearm July 8, 2022 ‘The enemy is sneaky, targeting residential areas:’ Ukraine reports casualties from Russian offensive on east July 8, 2022 Associating veteran-owned BRCC with ‘mass shootings’ over endorsement of the Dallas Cowboys is disingenuous at best and libelous at worst July 8, 2022
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