BIG BERTHA.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 February 1922, Page 12

BIG BERTHA.

SECRET OF GERMAN GIANT GUNS. Though the main secret of the German guns which bombarded Paris was soon known to British artillerists, the gun and its story long remained a mystery to the public. Commander Kinzel, of the Grman Navy, who took part in the design, construction, and tests of the gun. has now made public an account of his experiences with it. writes the Berlin correspondent of the Daily Mail. The gun, be says, was a naval gun in that it was invented and served by naval personnel. It was designed to fire 75 miles. For a long time the designers were at a loss, but ultimately they seem to have overcome all ballistic difficulties, and the gun was built. The charge, ordinarily one-third of the weight of the projectile, was twice as heavy. The length of the chamber was monstrous. At an angle of 45deg. the barrel towered over houses, trees, and roofs. It needed sgme courage to shoot with a thing like “a stick of gigantic asparagus.” But the material stood it.

Commander Kinzel gives an interesting account of the testing; no artillery trial ground, he «ays. was large enough. In conjunction ’ with the Ministry of Marine the decision was reached to fire the gun from land at about the approximate distance from the sea the shell was calculated to carry. Batteries on the shore were warned, the ground divided into observation areas, and two seaplanes were sent out to watch for the shell. It was estimated that it would explode at 110 kilometres (68 miles) frouj the gun. At 3.15 one afternpon the seaplanes were warned by wireless, “Attention shell fire.” Three minutes was the time estimated for the shell to reach the marked area. Then came a ring on the telephone at the central statiort: “Reports of explosion heard.” It was foun<i, on inquiry that the shell had fallen at 95 kilometres (59 miles) from the gun, and 1400 yards inland. It had hit a cowshed, but there were no casualties.

The pieces were collected and examined. They showed that the shell had been to .an altitude of 40 kilometres. The dbstAnce. however, was short of that, for whiefi the gun was designed, and there followed . now consultations, calculations, and designs. Finally, a few weeks later, they were in a position to bombard Paris.

Two guns were made, and a third put in hand. Commander Kinzel gives spme details of the two w’hen they had been brought into position in a wood behind Laon in March. 1918. The nearest enemy lines were 12 kilometres (7J miles) away.\ Paris was 128 kilometres (80 miles)* distant. The crew were naval gunners. Social dug-outs had to be made for the Cartridges and shell, and special smoke apparatus for concealment. since at 45 barrel overshot .the forest. “The Shells.” he says, “looked modest side by side with the cartridges, which were three* and four times as long as the shell and *Qie length of two grown men. That tlfle gun could not. lay Paris in ruins was -plain; this was a ‘moral’ gun.” On March 23, at 7.15 a.m., they opened fire, and then continued every quarter of an . hour, later speeding the rounds. Af 2 o’clock the <un ennm through, and th-y f v r the day, so as hot to give

away' the position, as French observation balloons were searching the district. They fired for three days before they" not the first news of where their shells'’had fallen. Within 30 hours French artillery had located and shelled them, but they continued to fire. Neither gun' was hit. The guns, however, had a life of less than ’OO shots before the ignition chamber was so damaged that further firing was impossible. ‘ The old barrel was returned to the factory, a new one bein<* ready. The battery lost 7 killed and 13 wounded.