37:
226:
192:). In addition, it was observed that, due to their higher velocity, stone balls were shattered by the impact on the walls rather than smashing them. Thus, the mass of the cannon balls and, consequently, of the ordnance too continually increased, finally culminating in giant cannon like the Pumhart von Steyr which fired a 690 kg (1,520 lb) ball. Apart from the anticipated improvement in penetrating power, other factors such as prestige and a potential deterrent effect also played an important role.
324:
196:
316:
222:. Due to their less bulky dimensions and higher rate of fire, these artillery pieces could be more flexibly deployed and caused more destruction in any given length of time. Furthermore, the transition from stone to smaller, but much more devastating iron balls meant that super-sized bores became unnecessary. The caliber of a 50 lb (23 kg) ball, for example, could be reduced from 28 to 18 cm (11.0 to 7.1 in) when using an iron projectile instead.
174:
292:
127:
304:
206:
For all their manufacturing quality the superguns were only moderately successful. Their military effectiveness turned out to be out of all proportion to their overwhelming logistical demands and financial costs. For the cost of a single supergun, two or three large bombards with a reasonably smaller
476:
long. Testing commenced in
February 1919, but after only six rounds were fired a crack was discovered, and the gun was scrapped in 1928. A weapon of similar concept, the "8-inch sub-calibre Mark II", was converted from a 12-inch gun (either Mark XI, XI*, or XII), producing a 205 mm
425:. Their low overland mobility made them arrive later than the infantry at Liège, so several infantry assaults were made with heavy loss of life and generally little success. The guns arrived a few days later and reduced the forts at Liège one-by-one over a short period of a few days.
372:. The gun was a rifled muzzle-loader of 22,000 kg (49,000 lb) that fired shells of up to 600 pounds (270 kg) and could pierce 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) of iron armour. Armstrong identified them as "shunt" guns, but they were soon popularly known as "monster" guns.
145:
with a ball diameter of more than 50 cm (20 in). These superguns were either manufactured by forging together longitudinal iron bars, held in place by iron rings, or cast in bronze with techniques generally similar to bell-founding. Known examples include the
106:
46/36L, which set a threshold of 100 mm (3.9 in). Several grammatical changes were made to that latter in 1992 and the threshold was lowered in 2003 to yield the current definition, as endorsed by UN General
Assembly Resolution 58/54.
444:
fired 33 km (21 mi) at a railway bridge in
Belgium). All of the major powers involved employed such weapons in limited numbers, typically between 280 and 305 mm (11 to 12 inches) although some larger weapons were also used.
375:
By the 1880s he had built guns of over 40 feet (12 m) in length that could fire 1,800 pound (810 kg) shells and punch through an incredible 30 inches (76 cm) of iron at a range of 8 mi (13 km). The gun was exhibited at the
500:, firing a 7,000 kg (15,000 lb) shell to a range of 37 km (23 mi). Although their original role proved unnecessary, Gustav was used successfully to destroy Soviet heavy fortifications, most notably those at
456:
from a distance of over 130 kilometres (81 mi). The gun had a bore diameter of 211 mm (8.3 in) and a barrel length of 34 metres (112 ft). It was fired from concealed fixed positions in the forest of
259:
in 1453. The extant
Dardanelles Gun, cast by the Ottoman gunfounder Ali several years later, is assumed to have followed closely the outline of Orban's guns. A similar super-sized bombard was employed by the
399:
to march past a line of
Belgian fortifications constructed specifically to stop such an invasion route. During the opening phases of the war, the Germans employed a 420 mm (17 in)
627:, whence it could then drop onto any place on the Earth. Gerald Bull was assassinated in March 1990, terminating development, and the parts were confiscated by British customs after the
472:
for a class of never-built
Russian battleships was converted and lined down to 205 mm (8.1 in), with the designation "8-inch sub-calibre Mark I". The barrel was 120
283:(1600–1645), and was then one of the largest cannons in the world. Artillery was used by Indian armies predominantly for defending against besieging armies.
188:
loads. These, however, exerted larger pressure on the existing cannon and could make it burst, causing the death of the irreplaceable gunner with his crew (and
184:
At the beginning of the development of superguns was the desire to increase the effect of the projectiles. To this end, master gunners first simply used larger
1078:
1045:
Bastable, Marshall J. (April 1992). "From
Breechloaders to Monster Guns: Sir William Armstrong and the Invention of Modern Artillery, 1854–1880".
1132:
Guilmartin Jr., John F. (2007). "The
Earliest Shipboard Gunpowder Ordnance: An Analysis of Its Technical Parameters and Tactical Capabilities".
812:
John F. Guilmartin Jr. (2007), "The
Earliest Shipboard Gunpowder Ordnance: An Analysis of Its Technical Parameters and Tactical Capabilities",
623:. The objective of this project is not certain, but one possibility is that it was intended to develop a gun capable of firing an object into
99:
508:, but was withdrawn before it could be used. Development might have continued but for the ever-increasing Allied air power, which limited
591:
became interested in the possibility of using 'superguns' in place of rockets to insert payloads into orbit. He lobbied for the start of
377:
247:
At about the same time super-sized bombards were phased out in
Western Europe, the technology was transmitted to the Ottoman army by one
556:
103:
44:
351:
944:
36:
1198:
665:
532:, about 95 miles (153 km) away. Two attempts to build underground bunkers for the huge weapons were thwarted by massive
31:
670:
639:
218:) could be produced whose firepower was enough to shatter any medieval wall, in particular when it was concentrated in a
477:(8.1 in)/75 calibre weapon. However, with the war ending before the gun was ready, this weapon was soon scrapped.
1216:
1122:
1090:
484:
were expected to take over in the long-range bombardment role. Nevertheless, the Germans built a handful of powerful
1236:
544:
236:
Thus, as early as the second half of the 15th century, further development in siege technology concentrated on the
536:
bombing raids, which made further attempts futile. Two smaller prototype versions of the gun were used during the
464:
The British attempted to develop weapons to counter the Paris Gun, but none was ready for testing until after the
17:
973:
1176:
Schmidtchen, Volker (1977b), "Riesengeschütze des 15. Jahrhunderts. Technische Höchstleistungen ihrer Zeit",
1163:
Schmidtchen, Volker (1977a), "Riesengeschütze des 15. Jahrhunderts. Technische Höchstleistungen ihrer Zeit",
465:
596:
458:
1134:
814:
328:
1002:
548:
563:
experiments, primarily with smoke shells. These experiments were important in the development of the
1001:
Balasubramaniam, R.; Saxena, A.; Anantharaman, Tanjore R.; Reguer, S.; Dillmann, P. (January 2004).
437:
365:
83:
525:
411:
256:
488:
and the largest artillery pieces (by caliber) ever used in combat: the 800 mm (31.5 in.)
922:
407:
358:
343:
339:
296:
897:
364:
artillery pieces, constructed a 600-pounder 'monster gun' of then extraordinary size at the
1017:
611:. HARP was later cancelled, and Bull turned to military designs, eventually developing the
189:
599:
barrels welded end-to-end. Three of these 16"/50 (406 mm) guns were emplaced, one in
448:
The longest-ranged and longest-barreled of the heavy guns deployed in World War I was the
8:
537:
473:
369:
1021:
1151:
1062:
1033:
831:
269:
225:
908:
634:
It has been suggested that the US Navy had developed a supergun (actually a prototype
418:
1212:
1194:
1155:
1118:
1086:
1037:
841:
835:
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441:
433:
273:
241:
219:
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147:
95:
1143:
1054:
1025:
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823:
493:
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Development continued during the inter-war era, although at a more limited pace as
280:
142:
138:
111:
620:
576:
533:
489:
414:
396:
230:
212:
167:
79:
67:
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872:
687:
685:
616:
612:
381:
55:
1029:
1003:"A Marvel of Medieval Indian Metallurgy: Thanjavur's Forge-Welded Iron Cannon"
323:
195:
1230:
1207:
Casey-Maslen, Stuart; Clapham, Andrew; Giacca, Gilles; Parker, Sarah (2016).
1100:
Eschelbach, Rudolf (1972), "Das Feuergeschütz des Mittelalters (1350–1550)",
608:
529:
355:
240:, and bombards largely disappeared from the leading artillery arsenal of the
87:
682:
315:
592:
582:
560:
497:
422:
261:
1147:
827:
291:
94:
of 76.2 mm (3.00 in) and above". This definition, shared by the
1074:
643:
588:
429:
392:
388:
279:
In India, a large forge-welded iron cannon was built during the reign of
200:
163:
159:
151:
131:
173:
1066:
1000:
847:
517:
505:
501:
335:
391:, the German military was especially interested in the development of
1211:. Oxford commentaries on international law. Oxford University Press.
449:
347:
308:
185:
115:
71:
59:
40:
1058:
428:
Larger artillery after this opening period was generally limited to
628:
604:
485:
481:
403:
155:
75:
63:
595:
to investigate this concept in the 1960s, using paired ex-US Navy
1083:
Paris Kanonen: The Paris Guns (Wilhelmgeschutze) and Project HARP
655:
635:
469:
361:
265:
252:
208:
91:
1206:
703:
691:
600:
513:
509:
126:
303:
86:, capable of engaging surface targets by delivering primarily
909:
DiGiulian, Tony, Britain: 8"/75 (20.5 cm) sub-caliber Mark II
898:
DiGiulian, Tony, Britain: 8"/120 (20.5 cm) sub-caliber Mark I
624:
453:
400:
248:
923:
Sussex History Forum post with material from RMSR War Diary
642:), capable of shooting shells at 5,600 mph (9,012 km/h) or
552:
543:
During World War II, the British developed an experimental
496:. The latter had been designed specifically to defeat the
798:
796:
141:
siege warfare the term superguns applies to stone-firing
879:
811:
793:
468:. A 16 in (410 mm) gun under development by
567:. It was used from March 1943 through February 1945.
512:'s options in terms of re-opening bombing attacks on
974:"Electromagnetic Railgun - Office of Naval Research"
853:
440:were fitted with an 18-inch (457 mm) gun, and
570:
110:Historically, large-calibre weapons have included
1191:The artillery of the Dukes of Burgundy, 1363-1477
1228:
350:took place. In the 1860s, the industrialist Sir
1189:Smith, Robert Douglas; DeVries, Kelly (2005),
1131:
100:Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe
1188:
1175:
1162:
787:
775:
751:
739:
727:
715:
432:, which had much greater mobility, or naval
936:
378:Royal Mining Engineering Jubilee Exhibition
102:, is updated from an earlier definition in
58:Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA) is "
1099:
1073:
918:
916:
885:
763:
104:United Nations General Assembly Resolution
993:
319:Model of the Paris Gun on fixed mounting.
1044:
859:
322:
314:
302:
290:
224:
194:
172:
125:
35:
913:
346:, a revolution in armaments, including
14:
1229:
1112:
158:(all iron) as well as the cast-bronze
27:Weapons with a calibre of 75mm or more
945:"A Brief History of the HARP Project"
666:List of the largest cannon by caliber
547:named Bruce, which was deployed near
516:. This led to the development of the
410:) and two 305 mm (12.0 in)
327:A section of the Iraqi supergun from
70:, combining the characteristics of a
32:List of the largest cannon by caliber
873:"Armstrong's 'monster' gun revealed"
671:Super High Altitude Research Project
646:7 (seven times the speed of sound).
640:Electro-Magnetic Laboratory Rail Gun
615:. Some years later, Bull interested
1209:The Arms Trade Treaty: A Commentary
417:to reduce the famous fortresses of
255:gunfounder, on the occasion of the
121:
24:
25:
1248:
1117:. Strood: Tempus Publishing Ltd.
951:. astronautix.com. Archived from
504:. Dora was readied for combat at
286:
942:
966:
927:
902:
891:
865:
805:
354:, who had already built one of
781:
769:
757:
745:
733:
721:
709:
380:held at Newcastle in 1887 for
13:
1:
676:
545:13.5/8 inch hypervelocity gun
452:, which was used to bombard
7:
1135:Journal of Military History
848:Balasubramaniam et al. 2004
815:Journal of Military History
802:Schmidtchen (1977b), p. 226
649:
559:. It was intended only for
329:Imperial War Museum Duxford
10:
1253:
1085:. Herford: E. S. Mittler.
580:
574:
29:
1030:10.1007/s11837-004-0265-5
949:Encyclopedia Astronautica
597:16"/50 caliber Mark 7 gun
438:Lord Clive class monitors
50:The formal definition of
1113:Flower, Stephen (2004).
788:Smith & DeVries 2005
704:Casey-Maslen et al. 2016
692:Casey-Maslen et al. 2016
395:due to the need for the
366:Elswick Ordnance Company
45:cross-channel firing gun
1237:Large-calibre artillery
257:Siege of Constantinople
52:large-calibre artillery
1047:Technology and Culture
994:Reference bibliography
886:Bull & Murphy 1988
331:
320:
312:
300:
233:
203:
181:
134:
47:
1148:10.1353/jmh.2007.0204
828:10.1353/jmh.2007.0204
607:, and the third near
603:, Canada, another in
581:Further information:
571:The "Supergun Affair"
344:Industrial Revolution
340:precision engineering
326:
318:
306:
294:
228:
198:
176:
129:
39:
1115:Barnes Wallis' Bombs
436:(two of the British
1022:2004JOM....56a..17B
538:Battle of the Bulge
384:'s golden jubilee.
1079:Murphy, Charles H.
754:, pp. 229–230
742:, pp. 228–230
706:, pp. 81, 83.
587:Canadian engineer
557:cross-Channel guns
412:Skoda Mörser M. 11
332:
321:
313:
301:
234:
204:
182:
137:In the context of
135:
48:
1200:978-1-84383-162-4
1193:, Boydell Press,
1178:Technikgeschichte
1165:Technikgeschichte
1102:Technikgeschichte
943:Graf, Richard K.
776:Schmidtchen 1977b
752:Schmidtchen 1977b
740:Schmidtchen 1977b
728:Schmidtchen 1977a
716:Schmidtchen 1977a
661:List of artillery
520:"London Gun" or "
442:HMS General Wolfe
352:William Armstrong
274:Battle of Zonchio
242:dukes of Burgundy
179:Pumhart von Steyr
148:Pumhart von Steyr
96:Arms Trade Treaty
16:(Redirected from
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281:Raghunatha Nayak
122:Late Middle Ages
68:artillery pieces
43:, a Nazi German
21:
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1142:(3): 649–669 .
1125:
1093:
1075:Bull, Gerald V.
1059:10.2307/3105857
1005:
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955:on May 13, 2002
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822:(3): 649–669 ,
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764:Eschelbach 1972
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652:
638:, known as the
621:Project Babylon
585:
579:
577:Supergun affair
573:
565:Grand Slam bomb
534:Royal Air Force
490:Schwerer Gustav
397:Schlieffen plan
311:being assembled
289:
231:Dardanelles Gun
168:Dardanelles Gun
124:
34:
28:
23:
22:
18:Heavy artillery
15:
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1053:(2): 213–247.
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617:Saddam Hussein
613:GC-45 howitzer
575:Main article:
572:
569:
524:", fired from
522:Hochdruckpumpe
382:Queen Victoria
359:breech-loading
288:
287:Modern weapons
285:
272:design at the
123:
120:
56:United Nations
26:
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1218:9780198723523
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1092:3-8132-0304-2
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933:Flower, p. 95
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860:Bastable 1992
856:
850:, p. 17.
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799:
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790:, p. 205
789:
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741:
736:
730:, p. 157
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694:, p. 81.
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609:Yuma, Arizona
606:
602:
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561:stratospheric
558:
554:
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549:St Margaret's
546:
541:
539:
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531:
530:Pas de Calais
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336:metallurgical
334:With the new
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88:indirect fire
85:
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1171:(2): 153–173
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1164:
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1114:
1108:(4): 257–279
1105:
1101:
1082:
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1016:(1): 18–23.
1013:
1009:
981:. Retrieved
977:
968:
957:. Retrieved
953:the original
948:
938:
929:
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893:
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867:
855:
843:
819:
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771:
759:
747:
735:
723:
711:
699:
633:
593:Project HARP
586:
583:Arms-to-Iraq
555:among their
542:
521:
498:Maginot Line
479:
463:
447:
430:railway guns
427:
393:superweapons
386:
374:
338:methods and
333:
278:
268:of possibly
262:Ottoman navy
246:
237:
235:
215:
205:
183:
136:
109:
54:used by the
51:
49:
619:in funding
589:Gerald Bull
526:Mimoyecques
389:World War I
238:HauptbĂĽchse
216:HauptbĂĽchse
201:Tsar Cannon
164:Faule Grete
160:Faule Mette
152:Dulle Griet
132:Dulle Griet
983:2015-10-08
959:2013-08-14
677:References
506:Stalingrad
502:Sevastopol
408:Big Bertha
297:Big Bertha
190:even kings
116:siege guns
30:See also:
1156:162353666
1038:108291163
836:162353666
486:Krupp K5s
466:Armistice
450:Paris Gun
387:Prior to
370:Newcastle
356:the first
348:artillery
309:Paris Gun
276:in 1499.
264:aboard a
253:Hungarian
177:Austrian
90:, with a
64:howitzers
41:Adolf Gun
1231:Category
1081:(1988).
650:See also
629:Gulf War
605:Barbados
482:aircraft
474:calibres
434:monitors
404:howitzer
299:howitzer
270:Venetian
229:Ottoman
199:Russian
156:Mons Meg
143:bombards
130:Flemish
112:bombards
98:and the
76:howitzer
1067:3105857
1018:Bibcode
656:Railgun
636:railgun
528:in the
470:Vickers
415:mortars
342:of the
295:German
266:carrack
220:battery
209:caliber
92:calibre
1215:
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1154:
1121:
1089:
1065:
1036:
834:
601:Quebec
514:London
510:Hitler
362:rifled
213:German
186:powder
84:rocket
80:mortar
1152:S2CID
1063:JSTOR
1034:S2CID
1006:(PDF)
832:S2CID
625:orbit
459:Coucy
454:Paris
423:Namur
419:Liège
406:(the
401:Krupp
249:Orban
82:, or
1213:ISBN
1195:ISBN
1119:ISBN
1087:ISBN
644:Mach
553:Kent
494:Dora
492:and
421:and
307:The
251:, a
211:(in
166:and
154:and
114:and
60:guns
1144:doi
1055:doi
1026:doi
1010:JOM
824:doi
551:in
518:V-3
368:in
72:gun
1233::
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