Bloody "Dora": How a giant Nazi cannon could change the course of World War II. The largest caliber gun in the world
Today we will tell you about the largest in the world, which was created during the Second World War - we will talk about a unique super-heavy railway artillery gun German army called "Dora".
If you are familiar with history, you probably remember that after the First World War the development German artillery it was almost impossible - the reason for this Treaty of Versailles, according to which Germany was prohibited from having a gun whose caliber exceeded 150 mm. Nazi leaders felt it was time to create a new large-caliber weapons, which would eclipse all existing ones in the world - this would also help raise the prestige of Germany in the eyes of other states.
During his next visit to the Krupp plant in 1936, Hitler, at a meeting with management, demanded the creation of a new super-powerful weapon that could easily destroy French and Belgian border posts. Its maximum range was supposed to reach about 45 kilometers, and the projectile itself could penetrate a 30-meter layer of soil, 7 m of concrete or 1 m of armor. The project was completed in 1937 and at the same time an order was placed for its production at the Krupp plant. In 1941, the first gun was built, which it was decided to call “Dora” - in honor of the wife of the chief designer’s wife. A few months later, a second gun was created (it was significantly smaller than the first), the name of which was given in honor of the director of the plant - “ Fat Gustav" In total, Germany spent more than 10 million Reichsmarks to create weapons, some of which were used to create a third weapon. It, however, was never completed.
Some characteristics of the Dora: length - 47.3 m, width - 7.1 m, height - 11.6 m, barrel length - 32.5 m, weight - 1350 tons. In order to prepare the weapon for battle, about 250 people and 2,500 additional personnel were used, who did this in 54 hours. The weight of one projectile is 4.8 tons (high-explosive) or 7 tons (concrete-piercing), caliber is 807 mm. Number of shots - no more than 14 per day, maximum projectile speed - 720 m/s (concrete-piercing) or 820 m/s (high-explosive), sighting range- up to 48 kilometers depending on the projectile.
In order to deliver the Dora to one place or another, several locomotives were used (for example, it was brought to Sevastopol on five trains in 106 cars). Moreover, all the necessary personnel barely fit in 43 cars. It's interesting that in usual time Only a couple of thousand people were enough to service the Dora, but during the war this figure at least doubled.
One of the most famous uses of the Dora is near Sevastopol. The Germans transported the gun to Crimea. A firing position was chosen there near the village of Duvankoy. Assembling the gun and preparing it for firing took the staff about 6 weeks. She fired her first shell (concrete-piercing) on June 5 at the northern part of Sevastopol. Unfortunately for the Germans, the attack did not have the effect that the Nazis expected - for the entire time, only one successful hit was recorded, which resulted in the explosion of one of the ammunition depots. In this case, the damage from the weapon could be colossal, but only if the projectile hit the target exactly, which did not happen. But in order to identify an exact target, it was necessary to keep the Dora almost near the city itself, which the Germans could not afford. In total, the shelling lasted 13 days, during which 53 shells were fired. Then the gun was dismantled and transported to Leningrad.
In 1945 American troops While passing through the forests located near the city of Auerbach, we came across the remains of a huge metal structure, which was damaged by an explosion. A little further they found two trunks of incredible size. After interviewing the prisoners of war, it turned out that these were the remains of “Dora” and “Gustav”. After the investigation was completed, the remains of the guns were sent for melting down.
IN different times V different countries The designers began to experience an attack of gigantomania. Gigantomania manifested itself in various directions, including artillery. For example, in 1586 in Russia the Tsar Cannon was cast in bronze. Its dimensions were impressive: barrel length - 5340 mm, weight - 39.31 tons, caliber - 890 mm. In 1857, the Robert Mallett mortar was built in Great Britain. Its caliber was 914 millimeters and its weight was 42.67 tons. During World War II, Germany built the Dora, a 1,350-ton monster with a caliber of 807 mm. Other countries also created large-caliber guns, but not so large.
American designers were not noticed in the Second World War in gun giantomania, however, they too turned out to be, as they say, “not without sin.” The Americans created the giant Little David mortar, the caliber of which was 914 mm. “Little David” was a prototype of a heavy siege weapon with which the American military was going to storm Japanese islands. During World War II, at the Aberdeen Proving Ground for testing the shooting of armor-piercing, concrete-piercing and high-explosive aircraft bombs used large-caliber gun barrels naval artillery, withdrawn from service. The test air bombs were launched using a relatively small powder charge and were launched at distances of several hundred yards. This system was used because during a normal airdrop, much often depended on the crew's ability to strictly comply with the test conditions and weather conditions. Attempts to use the bored barrels of 234 mm British and 305 mm American howitzers for such tests did not meet the growing calibers of aerial bombs.
In this regard, it was decided to design and build a special device that threw aircraft bombs called Bomb Testing Device T1. After construction this device proved itself quite well and the idea arose of using it as an artillery weapon. During the invasion of Japan, the American army was expected to face heavily defended fortifications- and such a weapon would be ideal for destroying bunker fortifications. In March 1944, the modernization project was set in motion. In October of the same year, the gun received the status of a mortar and the name Little David. After this, test firing of artillery shells began.
Mortar "Little David" had rifled barrel 7.12 m long (7.79 caliber) with right-hand rifling (rifling steepness 1/30). The length of the barrel, taking into account the vertical guidance mechanism mounted on its breech, was 8530 mm, weight - 40 tons. Firing range 1690 kg (weight explosive- 726.5 kg) with a projectile - 8680 m. The mass of the full charge was 160 kg (caps of 18 and 62 kg). Initial speed projectile - 381 m/s. A box-shaped installation (dimensions 5500x3360x3000 mm) with rotating and lifting mechanisms was buried in the ground. Installation and removal of the artillery unit was carried out using six hydraulic jacks. Vertical angles guidance - +45. +65°, horizontal - 13° in both directions. The hydraulic recoil brake is concentric, there was no knurl, to return the barrel to starting position a pump was used after each shot. Gross weight The assembled gun weighed 82.8 tons. Loading - from the muzzle, separate cap. Projectile at zero angle the elevation was supplied using a crane, after which it was advanced a certain distance, after which the barrel was raised, and further loading was carried out under the influence of gravity. An igniter primer was inserted into a socket made in the breech of the barrel. The Little David shell crater was 12 meters in diameter and 4 meters deep.
For transportation, specially modified M26 tank tractors were used: one tractor with a two-axle trailer transported the mortar, the other transported the installation. This made the mortar much more mobile than railway guns. The artillery crew's equipment, in addition to tractors, included a bulldozer, a bucket excavator and a crane, which were used to install the mortar at the firing position. It took approximately 12 hours to install the mortar in position. For comparison: the German 810/813-mm Dora gun, disassembled, was transported by 25 railway platforms, and it took about 3 weeks to bring it into combat readiness.
In March 1944, they began to remake the “device” into military weapon. Was developed high explosive shell with finished protrusions. Testing began at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Of course, a projectile weighing 1678 kilograms would have made a noise, but the Little David had all the “diseases” inherent in medieval mortars - it hit inaccurately and not far. In the end, something else was found to frighten the Japanese (Little Boy - atomic bomb, dropped on Hiroshima), but the supermortar never took part in the fighting. After the abandonment of the operation to land Americans on the Japanese Islands, they wanted to transfer the mortar Coastal artillery, however, poor shooting accuracy prevented its use there.
The project was suspended, and at the end of 1946 it was completely closed.
Currently, the mortar and shell are stored in the museum of the Aberdeen Proving Ground, where they were taken for testing.
Specifications: Country of origin: USA. Testing began in 1944. Caliber - 914 mm. Barrel length - 6700 mm. Weight - 36.3 tons. Range - 8687 meters (9500 yards).
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Every soldier knows that the use of powerful weapons has a significant impact on the positive outcome of the battle. That is why engineers in many countries are working hard to create huge weapons that would allow as soon as possible complete any battle. The most big gun in the world impresses not only with its size, but also with its amazing firepower.
"Little David" - the largest cannon of the Second World War
In 1944, a new weapon entered service with the US Army - a mortar, which, despite its enormous size called "Little David". The gun had a caliber that was a record at that time - 914 mm. To today no gun was built with such large caliber. The creators of the mortar believed that with the help of such powerful weapons It will be possible to easily cope with even perfectly fortified enemy positions.
The Little David gun was not widely used. Its use would significantly enhance firepower American army, which was fighting the Germans and Japanese at the time. But after testing it was found that the weapon could not be called the most accurate. In addition, transportation and installation of such a giant required a lot of time, which is always in short supply in real battles:
- transporting the mortar required the use of two artillery tractors;
- to arrange firing position, it was necessary to use a lot of different special equipment;
- installation and configuration of the gun took at least 12 hours.
- loading the weapon was problematic, since the weight of one shell exceeded 1.6 tons.
After several tests, the project to manufacture the world's largest cannon was closed. The weapon remained at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, where it was first tested. Now it is a museum exhibit.
The Tsar Cannon - the largest weapon of the Middle Ages
Today in the capital of Russia you can admire the second largest gun in the world - the Tsar Cannon, whose caliber is 890 mm. It was created in 1586. The cannon was cast from bronze and became not only a monument to artillery, but also an exhibit of unique foundry art. It was designed and created by master Andrei Chokhov.
Current researchers who have had the opportunity to restore the cannon claim that it was created solely for decorative purposes. In order for a gun to fire a shot, it must have a pilot hole. The Tsar Cannon does not have it, which indicates that it was never fired.
"Dora" - Hitler's biggest gun
Before the start of World War II, Adolf Hitler wanted to arm his army with the most powerful and destructive weapons. In 1936, he instructed the engineers of the metallurgical plant to build a huge cannon, the design of which was provided to the German leader back in 1930. After 4 years the railway artillery piece was ready for battle.
The creation of a gun, the caliber of which was 807 mm, remained in big secret. The weapon was used only 2 times, after which it was destroyed. The Dora was first used in the battle of Sevastopol. But the weapon did not give the expected result. The shots, whose range was 35 km, were not the most accurate. After a shell explodes impact force went underground, and huge underground voids formed under the surface.
After the first use of the huge cannon, it became clear that it was an extremely costly project that did not justify itself. To install and maintain Dora, it was necessary to use a huge number of special equipment and up to 3 thousand people.
The army of Nazi Germany was armed with another huge artillery weapon- mortar "Karl". 7 of these were built self-propelled guns, caliber 600 mm. They were used to defeat well-fortified enemy locations.
The Karl mortar fired shots at a range of 4.5 to 6.7 km. The gun could move along the highway with maximum speed 10 km per hour. The gun's combat set consisted of only 4 shells, each of which weighed 2 tons. A staff of 16 people was required to operate the gun.
In the city of Perm you can see a huge cannon, which in 1868 was made by casting iron. This huge weapon with a caliber of 508 mm ranks fifth in the list of the largest guns on the planet. It was planned to be used as the main weapon on ships and in the defense of cities. But the invention of steel made it possible to make lighter guns, and the cast iron cannon became a historical relic.
The German troops were armed with many types of huge artillery pieces. In 1914, the list was replenished with another cannon - the largest mortar in the world with a caliber of 420 mm. This weapon proved its worth in the First World War, allowing the Germans to conquer superbly defended enemy fortresses. A total of 9 such artillery pieces were used in combat operations.
In the post-war period, the Soviet Union actively developed new weapons. In 1957, a huge self-propelled mortar "Oka" with a caliber of 420 mm was built. It was assumed that the gun would fire shells with nuclear charges. After testing, a significant defect was revealed: the recoil of the gun is simply enormous and it significantly reduces its performance. 4 such mortars were manufactured, after which their production ceased.
One of the largest cannons was created in France in 1884. The gun was built on a railway platform, which made its use a little more difficult, since battles were often fought far from railways. In 1917, the gun was redesigned and could already be used as a field version. The 240 mm caliber gun fired shots at a distance of 17 km. All Saint-Chamond guns were destroyed German aviation in 1940.
In 1957, the world military community was impressed by a new Soviet invention - a 406 mm self-propelled artillery gun. The 2A3 self-propelled gun was demonstrated for the first time at a parade in Moscow. Rumors spread among foreign weapons experts that the gun was created only for a frightening visual effect. But the weapon was real and performed well during training tests.
During the American Civil War in 1863 it was made huge cannon caliber 381 mm, which is in tenth position on the list of the largest guns. The weight of the Columbiads exceeded 22.5 tons, which made their use difficult. But thanks to such tools in civil war a turning point has arrived.
With the discovery of gunpowder, artillery began to flourish in the world. The walls of cities became thicker and stronger, and accordingly, ordinary trebuchets, catapults and small-caliber ones could no longer effectively penetrate them. As a result, the size of artillery installations began to seriously increase in order to be able to combat enemy defenses. This is how the largest cannon in the world appeared. Very few such weapons were created, so they are a kind of symbol of the power of the state that created them.
5. 2B1 "Oka"
Development of this self-propelled gun began on November 18, 1955, due to a resolution of the Council of Ministers. The main idea was to create mobile installation, capable of firing tactical nuclear warheads, since at that time the USSR had such weapons that strategists could not determine the method of delivering them to the final enemy. Given self-propelled mortar had the following characteristics:
A total of four prototypes were produced, and all of them even took part in the parade on Red Square. Chassis was created on the basis heavy tank T-10 (IS-8). Subsequently, during field tests, it was revealed main drawback“Oki”, namely, a huge recoil, due to which the gun rolled back five meters after firing, which turned out to be unacceptable. Due to the fact that loading took place from the breech of the gun, the rate of fire was increased to 1 shot per 5 minutes.
However, even such characteristics did not satisfy the commission, and it was decided to abandon the project. At that time, mobile tactical weapons were already considered more promising. missile systems, like 2K6 “Luna” and the like, whose total power easily covered the potential of 2B1 “Oka”.
This mortar, created at the end of the Second World War, was a kind of experiment and was intended for shelling the most seriously fortified areas of the enemy’s defense. And although “little David” had a much more modest appearance, compared to monsters like “Dora” or “Karl”, its caliber was much more impressive, as were other characteristics, among them:
The mortar was supposed to be used during the US invasion of the Japanese Islands, since American strategists expected to see extremely serious defenses there, consisting of well-fortified bunkers and pillboxes. It was even developed to defeat such targets. special projectile, which “little David” was supposed to shoot. After the detonation of the ammunition, a crater with a diameter of more than 12 meters and a depth of more than 4 meters remained. Despite all its power, the mortar never left its test site, eventually turning into a museum exhibit; in addition, it was possible to save one shell from its ammunition load.
The Tsar Cannon is a monument to Russian foundry art and artillery. It was cast in bronze in 1586 by master Andrei Chokhov, who worked at the Cannon Yard. The Tsar Cannon has the following characteristics:
The Tsar Cannon itself is covered with various inscriptions relating to the greatness of the Russian Tsar, as well as containing the name of the master who cast it. Historians are confident that the gun was fired at least once, but no documents have yet been found that shed light on this point. Now the gun is one of the main attractions of Moscow.
Dora is one of the unique super-heavy artillery pieces that have only been produced in modern times. Built by Krupp in the late 1930s. The very idea of such a weapon was proposed by Adolf Hitler during a visit to one of the concern’s factories in 1936. Dora's main task was the complete destruction of the Maginot Line and some Belgian border forts. Soon a technical specification for the designers was drawn up, and work began to boil. In general, the following characteristics of this weapon can be distinguished:
It is known that Dora was used during the siege of Sevastopol. More than 50 shells were fired at the city, each weighing 7 tons. This caused quite serious destruction to the city, but most military experts are inclined to believe that such artillery systems are stillborn.
A giant bombard, which the Hungarian engineer Urban managed to cast in just a few months, around the 15th century. The Basilica was built for the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II and was intended to bombard the walls of Constantinople, which was still in the hands of the Byzantines. The bombard had a huge number of shortcomings, but its strength was enough for the Turks to be able to punch a large hole in the city wall with one shot and win the battle. However, just two months after the shot, the Basilica collapsed from its own recoil. Accurate technical characteristics and no images have survived, but something is still known:
Considering the conditions under which the Basilica was created, we can say that this is the cannon in the world. The weight of the projectile of this bombard could reach 700 kilograms, which is quite serious for that time. In general, this is one of the most terrible weapons, which, although it had its shortcomings, still completed the task assigned to it.
Military history has a huge amount memorable facts, which include the creation of weapons, which to this day amaze with the scope of engineering thought and its size. Over the entire existence of artillery, several artillery pieces of impressive dimensions were created. Of these, the most outstanding in size can be noted:
- Little David;
- Tsar Cannon;
- Dora;
- Charles;
- Big Bertha;
- 2B2 Oka;
- Saint-Chamond;
- Rodman;
- Capacitor.
Little David
"Little David", made by the Americans at the end of World War II, is an experimental model of a 914 mm mortar. Even in our time, it is the largest cannon in the world, a record holder among large-caliber ones.
Tsar Cannon
The Tsar Cannon, created by master Andrei Chokhov in 1586, is cast in bronze and has a large caliber of 890 mm.
In fact, the cannon never fired, even despite the legends that say it was shot with the ashes of False Dmitry. As a detailed study of the gun shows, it was not completed, and the ignition hole was never drilled. The cannonballs from which the pedestal for the Tsar Cannon is made today were not actually intended to be fired from it. The cannon was supposed to fire “shots”, which were stone cannonballs with a total weight of up to 800 kilograms. That is why its early name sounds like “Russian Shotgun”.
Dora
The brainchild of the German plant "Krupp" of the late thirties of the last century, named after the wife of the chief designer, is called "Dora" and is a super-heavy railway artillery gun from the Second World War. This is the largest cannon of the German army.
Its caliber is 800 mm, and its large-caliber charge was impressive in the destruction after the shot. However, it did not differ in shooting accuracy, and it was not possible to fire many shots, because the costs of its use were not justified.
Charles
In the Second world war the German heavy was destined to distinguish itself with its outstanding power self-propelled mortar"Karl", the large caliber of which was her main value, and was 600 mm.
Tsar Cannon (Perm)
The Perm Tsar Cannon, made of cast iron, has a caliber of 508 mm and, unlike its namesake, is still a military weapon.
The manufacture of the cannon dates back to 1868, and the order for it was issued to the Motovilikha Iron Cannon Factory by the Ministry of the Navy.
Big Bertha
The Big Bertha mortar, with a caliber of 420 mm and a firing range of 14 kilometers, is remembered as the largest artillery piece of the First World War.
It is famous for breaking through even two-meter concrete floors, and fifteen thousand fragments from its fragmentation shells could fly up to two kilometers. In total, no more than nine examples were built of the “fort killers,” as the “Big Bertha” was also called. Having a fairly large caliber, the gun was capable of firing with a frequency of one shot every eight minutes, and to soften the recoil, an anchor attached to the frame, which was buried in the ground, was used.
Oka
The Soviet development 2B2 “Oka”, with a 420mm caliber, could fire one shot with a range of twenty-five kilometers in five minutes. The active-reactive mine flew twice as far and weighed 670 kg. The shooting was carried out using nuclear charges.
However, as practice has shown, the possibility of long-term operation was complicated by too strong recoil. This was the reason for the refusal to place the gun on serial production, and in metal version there was only one “Oka” left. This is despite the fact that only four copies were produced.
Saint-Chamond
In May 1915, the front saw eight French railway guns from the Schneider-Creusot company.
The formed French government in 1914, a special commission from which large arms concerns received an offer to develop guns large caliber for railway conveyors. Especially powerful guns 400 mm caliber, which were produced by the Saint-Chamon company, took part in hostilities a little later than their predecessors from Schneider-Creusot.
Rodman
In the nineteenth century, new types of weapons began to appear in the form of armored trains and armored ships. To combat them, in 1863, the Rodman Columbiad gun was manufactured, weighing 22.6 tons. The barrel caliber was 381 mm. The name of the gun was taken in honor of an early example of a similar type.
Capacitor
The parade that took place on Red Square in 1957 is notable for the fact that the column of troops included a self-propelled artillery installation"Condenser" (SAU 2A3).
Its considerable caliber (406 mm) and impressive dimensions made a splash at the parade. Experts from other countries began to suspect that in fact the equipment shown at the parade was purely of a sham nature and was intended to intimidate, but in reality it was real combat installation, which was also shot at the training ground.
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