LONG SHELL-FIRE

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21197, 21 August 1940, Page 7

LONG SHELL-FIRE

ACROSS THE CHANNEL BIG BERTHA RECALLED DISADVANTAGES OF GUNS (Official Wireless) (Received August 21, 11 a.m.) RUGBY. August 20 It was learned in London today that the report that a German highvelocity gun fired a few shells on the south-east coast of Britain from France was probably true. It is recalled that the Big Bertha, a huge German naval eight-inch gun which had a range of 80 miles and fired projectiles each weighing 2601 b. on Paris in the last war, had little effect after the first few days’ surprise.

Although it fired every third day for 140 days only 250 people were killed, many of these during the earliest period.

The disadvantages of using such large-calibre guns include their shortness of life. The Big Bertha could only fire 60 rounds, although new steel processes might now make the life of such a weapon somewhat longer; also the body of the projectile must be exceptionally thick, leaving little room for the explosive, the amount being actually less than in a shell of a low-velocity howitzer. Other disadvantages are inaccuracy and the difficulty of observing, which must be done by an aeroplane practically undisturbed by defending machines. It-would be possible to construct a gun with a range of 100 miles — London being then within reach of the French coast—but the only result of its use would be a nuisance value of no military advantage.