The largest gun in the world - awesome, but useless

Martial artillery - one of the three oldest military arms - throughout its existence knew examples of creating unique weapons. Huge, powerful, unprecedented, they were announced as a weapon of victory and almost always remained out of work. Most likely, they were conceived as an indicator of the military power of the country, a demonstration of the genius of engineering thought.

Giant caliber

There are several lists, according to which the first place in the list "The world's largest gun" is occupied by different guns. Unmatched to this day machine-monster of the largest caliber (914 mm, which is 36 inches) is an American experimental mortar (a tool with a short barrel for hanging firing) called "Little David". This amazing miracle weapon never left the Aberdeen proving ground. Very soon, because of unclaimedness, it became a museum exhibit.

"A very timid old woman. And I can not believe that a gun! "

Following this monster in the list is the Russian Tsar Cannon (photo of this peculiar Russian symbol is attached). Its caliber is 890 mm, or 35 inches. This bombard, cast from bronze by the Russian master Andrei Chokhov in 1586, is a monument to foundry and artillery art. It is made in the Cannon Court for the glory of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich and, apparently, to frighten the enemies who should have fled, having heard about the size and capabilities of the cannon. Research way in 1980 Serpukhov specialists managed to establish that one shell from the gun was still released. But this beauty is in the literal and figurative sense a symbol of the greatness of Russian weapons. One of Moscow 's brightest sights , the Tsar Cannon (photos show the constant pandemonium of the people at the carriage) along with the Tsar Bell from childhood in the minds of Russians are associated with the grandeur and invincibility of Russia. This shotgun Russian, as in the old days it was called, has a mass equal to 39,31 tons, the length is equal to 5,34 meters. The gun is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. You can add that sketches painted by AP. Bryullov, a professor of architecture and the elder brother of the legendary Karl Bryullov, the drawings were made by the engineer de Witte.

Applied a single time

The third in this list is a car-monster, named after the wife of the chief designer of "Dora". This is really the biggest gun in the world in size and weight. Under the guidance of Professor Erich Müller, in the factory of the Krupp concern in 1930, a peculiar miracle of artillery art was created by the personal decree of Adolf Hitler. This weapon, enormous, costly and, in principle, useless, was used only once during the storming of Sevastopol in 1942, when 250 days the city confronted the most powerful army in the world. Despite its frightening appearance, it did not demonstrate any merit. And the legendary defense of Sevastopol entered all textbooks.

And Dore is too tough

Combat artillery of the coastal battery No. 30 named after Maxim Gorky, on the recognition of the Germans themselves, allowed delaying the taking of the city for six months. This fort, as the Germans called the battery, was also recognized by them as "an authentic masterpiece of engineering thought." Never in the entire history of the war the fascist invaders used artillery in such numbers. To break the unprecedented resistance of the Russians, a German cannon "Dora" was delivered here. A cannon-monster, developed by the Krupp concern, was manufactured at the personal order of Adolf Hitler specifically to destroy the heavily fortified Maginot line. There she was not involved. She was taken to the Crimea to participate in the operation, code-named "Fiery whirlwind at the" Love Sturgeon ".

Amazing options

807-millimeter gun was a miracle of artillery art. The unique super-heavy giant, moving along the rails, the biggest gun in the world did not find a worthy and wide application, because its advantages became shortcomings.

One projectile weighed 7100 kilograms. The length of the barrel reached 32 meters. The range of fire is 25 kilometers, "beyond the horizon", which caused the rarity of hitting the target. Just once, "Dora" caused more or less perceptible damage - destroyed the ammunition depot. In order to maintain the monster, which had a total length of 50 meters and a height of 11 meters with a lowered barrel, and 35 with a raised barrel, except for the calculation of 4,399 soldiers, civilian officers, and the gun commander, the rank of colonel needed battalions of transport and security, commandant's office, camouflage A company, a bakery and a field mail office.

Distressing and useless

Such parameters, which made it cumbersome, little maneuverable, unprotected, surprisingly costly and completely ineffective, the artillery history did not know.

This "super-powerful" gun was installed on a special platform, moving along rails, separated by a distance of 6 meters. "Dora" did not play any significant role in the capture of Sevastopol. Nevertheless, she was moved to Leningrad in order to suppress the heroic city. But here she did not find an application. Adolf Hitler had plans to destroy Britain's naval base in Gibraltar, but they also fell back due to the impossibility of delivering the giant. At the end of the war, at that time, the largest gun in the world was blown up by the Germans in Bavaria, 36 kilometers from the city of Auerbach.

You can add that the dormant "Dora" had a twin brother, "Tolstoy Gustav", designed in 1930. By the end of the war, details were made for the third ignorantly deceased monster.