BIG GUNS DUE TO CHANCE.

Taihape Daily Times, 16 April 1919, Page 5

BIG GUNS DUE TO CHANCE.

The Big Bertha guns that shelled Paris last spring were born by accident, according to a report Tests were being made on the Baltic coast with guns which then had a maximum range of from to 25 miles. Torpedo boats were- stationed ,25 to 30 miles out to sea to watch for the dropping shells. They saw none v and were mystified. Tliat afternoon several boatloads of fishermen came in and told how they were fishing 60 miles from the coast when shells began falling around them. They couldn’t , stand where they came from, and they scurried for cover. Then it was discovered that the guns had been trained to a higher altitude than ever before, and that the shells carried so much further because of less air resistance at the high elevations. Immediately thereafter the guns were taken to France and the plans for shelling Paris were worked out.