AUSTRALIA'S PRIZE WAR TROPHY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 30, 30 October 1919, Page 5

AUSTRALIA'S PRIZE WAR TROPHY

"LITTLE BEBT.IIA" SHIPPED. London, October 27. The llin, railway gun which tho 31st Battalion, A.1.1) , , captured at Harbonnicres on August B,ISJIB, has been shipped aboard the steamer Dongavie. Two 'big guns for H.M.A.S. Australia are also being taken out—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. [The German llin. railway gun has a range of 20 .miles, its weight is 185 tons, and the under-carriagc is 721t, in length. It threw GCOlb. high vrfocity shells into Amiens, and fired 200 shells against the Australians between May uud August. When tho Germans were retiring Lieutenant G. Burrows -and Sappers Strahan and Palmer wont forward, regardless of machine-gun and rifle fire, raised steam in a locomotive, and brought the gun back. Subsequently it wns exhibited in Paris, and brought to Woolwich. The gun was captured by the Australians on August 8, and the story of its capture was related to the official reporter with the A.I.F. by Australian officers who saw tho incidont. On the morning of the first advance, Queensland infantry, when advancing near Harhonniercs, saw before them h train shunting, apparently trying to get off ono line on to another to escape. In the centre of the train was a great sheeted .objeat which was difficult to recognise. A British aeroplane whioh was passing saw the train, and dropped a bomb near tho engine, which was apparently damaged, for a great eteam-clond went up. Tho creiv, who wore afterwards captured, were terribly scalded. Tho airman then dropped a 'bomb on tho tail of the, train, which blew up. The problem arose how the gun could bo removed from its position in No Man's Land, where it (hen was. An engineer working with the Queensland infantry -went out, and being able to handle a railway engine, got up steian, hooked on to tho tail of the train, and shunted the gmi through No Man's Land on to tho railway leading into our iines. By the afternoon "Little Bertha" had b?en brought in over the lines, repaired by engineers, and then taken (x> a point a inilo. behind the Australian lines, where it was temporarily run off the rails till ilui engineers again repaired tliciii.J