There are many weapons built in the long history of human wars, but there are very few that can be called super weapons. Very few. As the largest caliber artillery system put into actual combat in the history of mankind, the "Gustav" 800mm
The train gun is one of the most famous ones.
The Gustav train gun, which was designed in 1934, was originally used to target France's Maginot Line. At the beginning of the design, it was established that it could penetrate a 7-meter-thick concrete wall or 1,000 mm armored steel with a single shot.
The target requirements were met, and the final winning bidder to take over the design and manufacturing of this fortified weapon was the famous German "King of Heavy Artillery" Krupp.
The design plan for this type of giant gun was initially shelved after it was submitted to the German Army Headquarters. However, like his good CP and loving father Comrade Stalin, Hitler, a fanatical believer in large-caliber guns, personally put the plan on the agenda.
The head of state said he was happy, and when the people below heard it, they naturally thought about the position under their buttocks and tried to find ways to please the head of state.
Judging from the final result, the roar of the 800mm fired from the Hilles Leben test firing range on September 10, 1941, indeed made Hitler smile with great satisfaction.
According to Krupp's practice, the No. 1 "Gustav" of the 800mm giant train gun system was given away for free and was given to the German Wehrmacht for use free of charge.
It is Krupp's practice to give the first gun of any order to the Wehrmacht free of charge. Although the cost of the 800mm cannon is far higher than any of the company's weapons and can be called an astronomical figure, the company's young boss Everred
·Kluber finally made the decision to continue to implement the tradition of "free gifts".
Hitler, who was overjoyed, had already made a request when he was watching the Gustav test. This kind of super anti-city treasure that made him passionate was not just one, but two more to have a card.
Now that the head of state has spoken, the flatterers below are willing to do whatever they can to help. After all, as long as the head of state is happy, how much money is spent and whether it is a waste of resources are nothing to those who are anxious to move their butts.
Woolen cloth?
After naming the first heavy artillery piece after his father, Alfred Krupp, the small boss of the Krupp Company, named the second machine after his wife "Dora".
This time, Alfred Kluber asked the Wehrmacht for a one-time manufacturing cost of up to 7 million Reichsmarks for the second machine "Dora", equivalent to 29.4 million U.S. dollars, which was enough to build 28 Tigers, which are famous for their valuable wealth.
tank.
After the first two Gustavs were built, the unnamed Gustav No. 3 had a more tragic fate.
This specialized version of the No. 3 aircraft with 82 times the caliber and 520 mm for bombarding London, England from Calais, France, had a maximum range of 190 kilometers when using specially designed full-caliber rocket extended-range shells. It was a well-deserved black technology at the time.
Doomsday weapons.
I don't know where they got the information that the Germans were building this kind of Noble Phantasm in London. The British bullies were shocked. Without saying a word, they immediately mobilized a Lancaster bomber formation and razed the No. 3 aircraft manufacturing factory in Essen.
The unfinished No. 3 aircraft lying in the factory was blown up by a heavy aerial bomb into a pile of twisted and hot scrap metal.
The unfinished No. 3 machine was destroyed in an air raid and became the swan song of the Gustav 800mm giant train gun. The No. 1 machine "Gustav" and No. 2 machine "Dora" that had been built and delivered became the only remaining ones.
of fruitful results.
These two super weapons, unique in human history, went to the front line almost at the same time in 1942.
Gustav No. 1, which had just turned Sevastopol into ruins, is currently being transferred to Leningrad. After firing 48 rounds to smooth out the rifling of the barrel, it has been replaced with a brand new spare barrel.
, the Germans plan to use this super weapon to make the holy city of Leningrad, which would rather die than surrender, bow to the muzzle of the 800mm cannon.
On the other hand, the protracted prolongation of the Stalingrad war made the Germans gradually realize that conquering the city might encounter the same troublesome conditions as the siege of Leningrad last year.
The Germans, who had already suffered a loss, could not repeat the same mistake. The Germans, who wanted to make a final decision, directly dragged the brand-new No. 2 Dora onto the Stalingrad front battlefield to prepare for deployment. They had absolute air supremacy and had surrounded the city from land.
This situation is the perfect time for this cumbersome anti-city treasure to show off.
It is not easy to assemble this super cannon with a total combat weight of 1,350 tons.
In the next few days, Carl and Martin, who were sent to help out, became free servants to serve the second Miss Dora.
The weight of a component ranging from a few tons to dozens of tons is simply beyond human power. In order to assemble the Dora that was dismantled into 25 trains, special lifting gantry crane equipment must be built on site.
The 250-man artillery crew that accompanied Dora to the front line, combined with a battalion of more than 800 infantrymen who came to support the attack, built a 20-meter-high double-hole gantry crane on the spot to assemble Dora.
After a total of 54 working hours, Dora was finally assembled, showing off its majestic and domineering figure. However, the 2,500 artificial soldiers on the other side who were dedicated to laying a special double track for Miss Dora were still busy.
Once the huge Miss Dora, which weighs 1,350 tons, is assembled, no matter where it goes, someone will need to clear the way.
The special dedicated double rails need to be laid according to the actual terrain surveying and mapping work on site according to the deployment situation. At the same time, the design of the turning rails for adjusting the left and right firing range of the artillery must be taken into account. The entire project of laying the rails is no less difficult than one
Major infrastructure projects.
The 2,500-person railway support team includes coolie engineers, terrain surveying and mapping experts, railway engineers, mechanics and many other positions who perform their respective duties and work together.
In addition, there are 2 anti-aircraft artillery battalions specially assigned to protect Miss Dora from the worry of air attacks. In addition, including the logistics support unit, the cooking unit that cooks for thousands of people and other indispensable subordinate units, surrounding many
The total number of special servants who pull Miss Er around has exceeded 3,500.
Originally they just wanted to come over and join in the fun, but they never wanted to be treated as coolies for free. Carl and Martin regretted it and complained endlessly.
After helping to assemble Miss Dora, I was immediately called over to help lay the railway.
Carr and Martin, who were wielding hoes and shovels in their hands to dig the railway embankment, were so exhausted that they stinked to death. It is easy to imagine how exhausting it was to do this kind of earthwork to repair the earth under the poisonous August sun.
Whenever Carl and Martin, who were so tired that they dropped their tools and sat down at the construction site, took out their water bottles and took a sip of water and smoked a cigarette to take a break, Miss Dora's majestic figure always made the two of them...
The fellow sufferers felt the value of their work and grinned at the same time.
"Look, Carl, how beautiful she is! Just like a lover, isn't it?"