WHAT’S THE LARGEST GUN EVER USED? INTRODUCING THE SCHWERER GUSTAV
If you know your World War II history, you’ll be familiar with the Maginot Line. A mess of forts, obstacles, and anything else the French could use to protect their country from the Nazis. But this, as we now know, wouldn’t deter Hitler from invading. Part of his plan was to build a weapon that was as massive as his hateful ambitions: the Schwerer Gustav. While this weapon was a reason the Nazis felt bold enough to invade L'hexagone, it took too long to construct and wouldn’t help after all. But this fact doesn’t mean it didn’t see action, nor does it make it any less incredible in all of the worst ways. Read next:The Davy Crockett Nuke, Rifle or Nuclear Weapon?
The 800MM Schwerer Gustav Was Hitler’s Giant Gun
While we would excuse you for thinking that the Schwerer Gustav, also known as the Heavy Gustav in English, was a tank, you’d be wrong. Though the artillery weaponry was created to bomb French fortifications, the Schwerer Gustav - Rail Super Gun is a more fitting description. The Gustav Gun is the largest-caliber rifled weapon ever used in combat, capable of firing the heaviest artillery during WW2. Similar weapons, such as the Dora and the Langer Gustav, were created but destroyed before they could be used. The Landkreuzer P. 1500 Monster was another concept, but it never even made it to the construction phase. Hitting far-away targets with immense force was and continues to be the goal of warring factions. The Schwerer Gustav just took these ideas to larger-than-life proportions. Featuring a mass weighing more than 1,300 tonnes, a height reaching just over 38 ft., a barrel that's more than 106 ft. long, a width wider than 23 ft., and a total length of more than 155 ft., the Schwerer Gustav was a massive display of weaponry. A Schwerer Gustav shell could decimate a target accurately at 43,000 yards with a max range reaching 51,000 yards.
Was the Schwerer Gustav Ever Used?
Yes, Hitler’s Gustav was in use from 1941 until 1945. The Siege of Sevastopol in Crimea during the Spring of 1942 is when the Schwerer Gustav would first see action. Hundreds of shells were fired from the weapon, but due to the major drawbacks, including cost, manpower, lack of mobility, and size (making it an obvious aerial target), the Nazis would soon resort to other methods of warfare less than two years after its deployment.
What Happened to the Schwerer Gustav?
The answer is tricky and depends on who you believe:
- The Nazis are said to have destroyed the Schwerer Gustav after abandoning its use to stop enemies from using it.
- The Soviets claimed that they ended up capturing the weapon and dismantled it.
While you're free to decide for yourself, the prevailing belief tilts to the side of the Germans destroying the weapon.
One Gun, Thousands of Men
As you can imagine, a weapon reaching the magnitude of the Gustav gun took quite the crew to make things happen. In total, thousands of people were assigned to operate the weapon, with around 2,500 men needed to lay down the track, 250 to fire ammunition, and even more men assigned to protect the weapon from being destroyed by Allied aerial attacks. The crew’s reward for days of labor? Successful firings every 30 to 45 minutes. Overall, the Schwerer Gustav could fire around 14 shots per day. If you’re interested in seeing what over three days of work from more than 2,000 men looks like, and we know you are, the nice people at the American Heroes Channel have provided some excellent footage of this unique weapon in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf3fgfHoTOc
Where Is the Schwerer Gustav Now?
It’s believed that the Schwerer Gustav was destroyed right as American Forces were arriving in the area. Just north of Auerbach, Germany, the remains of the weapon were found. Interestingly enough, Merseburg, Germany, was the site where the Soviets would bring gathered weaponry from the war. The remains were brought to the city, but it’s unsure what became of it after being brought to the stockpile. Weapons continue to advance in many ways, and shrinking is one of them. We may never see another gun quite like the Schwerer Gustav, and hopefully, we will never live to see the effects of such massive weaponry either. Suggested read:The Truth Finally Revealed: Who Killed Hitler?
Image: Reuters
TAGS: