21cm / 24cm Paris-Geschutz (Paris Gun) Long-Range, Super-Heavy Railway Gun

The Paris Gun of the German Empire in World War 1 was not so much to destroy the city as it was a psychological weapon against the people in it.

 Updated: 8/4/2017; Authored By Staff Writer; Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com

The "Paris Gun" was one of Germany's several "big guns" featured during World War 1. It was originally a 380mm gun barrel (38cm SK L/45 "Max") used on the "Long Max" series of railroad guns developed by the storied concern of Krupp though the assembly now lengthened and its barrel lined to produce a longer-range weapon of smaller 210 caliber. The 69-foot long barrel, and complex mounting hardware, sat atop a specially-configured railway car and its crew numbered 80 specialists and assistants - these personnel pulled from the ranks of the German Navy as the gun held a naval origin. With the arrival of the Paris Gun, however, the Germans produced a weapon that could launch a man-made projectile into the stratosphere - up to 26 miles up - the first such act of its kind recorded in astronautics.

As its name suggested, the weapon was developed with the sole intent to engage Paris at long range, proving to its citizens that they were not immune to the fighting along the Western Front. In this way, the gun proved a success as a psychological terror weapon but was largely inaccurate, prone to technical issues, and required many resources which then produced limited results. In this way, the Paris Gun was something of a failure as a true battlefield artillery piece.