Schwerer Gustav

The Schwerer (heavy) Gustav was the largest artillery piece ever built. It was a railway gun specifically designed to destroy French forts along the Maginot line. The gun was not ready in time for the campaign against France, but it did see action later in the war, during the Siege of Sevastopol, where its 800mm (31-inch) shells proved extremely effective. It destroyed a munitions depot 30 meters (98 feet) below ground during the siege.

Fortunately for the Soviets, Sevastopol would be the only place where Schwerer Gustav would come to their aid. The gun was transported to Leningrad to take part in the siege there, but before it could fire, the Soviets had already lifted the siege.

The entire piece of artillery weighed 1490 tons and measured 47.3 meters (155 ft 2 in) in length. 250 people were needed for the 250 different tasks involved in getting the gun ready to fire. This required constructing the gun's track, digging trenches, and assembling the weapon.

A second gun, "Dora," was ordered in addition to Schwerer Gustav. When the artillery was ordered in the past, the Krupp company, which manufactured the gun, never asked for payment for the first piece. As a result, Schwerer Gustav was given to the Wehrmacht at no cost. Despite its impressive appearance, this Wunderwaffe did not see much action.