42cm Type M-Gerat 14 L/12 (Big Bertha)

Heavy Siege Gun

Imperial Germany | 1914

"The 420mm Big Bertha siege gun became a famous World War 1-era heavy artillery piece."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 10/08/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Image courtesy of the United States Library of Congress.

The Big Bertha was a German initiative set into action before World War 1 (1914-1918). The Germans, like their counterparts in Austria-Hungary, observed the outcome of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 with great interest where German Krupp guns were utilized to good effect by the Japanese in sinking all Russian Navy capital ships from land-based positions during the Siege of Port Arthur. The famous "Big Bertha" would become a child of this observation and research with design, development and manufacture across twelve examples handled by Krupp Armaments Factory of the German Empire. It is believed that the 42cm L/12 nickname of "Big Bertha" was bestowed upon the weapon in honor of Bertha Krupp, owner of the Krupp production empire.

Big Bertha was a 96,000lb (43 ton) system that could lob 1,800lb shells nearly 8 miles (7.8) firing a 419mm projectile. The mounting hardware allowed for an elevation range of +40 to +75 degrees and a traversal of 4 degrees to either side. Muzzle velocity was 1,300 feet per second. Such was the size and weights in play with the Big Bertha that the weapon required a crew of dozens some six hours to assemble and disassemble the weapon. When not transported by Daimler-Benz tractors, the system was broken down and hauled via railway in no fewer than ten transport cars.

The Big Bertha's first notable combat action was against the "impenetrable" series of Belgian forts at Liege on August 12th, 1914. The huge German guns laid waste to the Belgian defenses in four days, demoralizing Allied forces and convincing the Germans to continue exploration into more mobile and powerful howitzers which inevitably included the famous "Paris Gun". Though highly inaccurate due to the distances involved and technology at play, the Paris Gun would terrorize Parisians from a range of 70 miles away showing that even the French capital was not safe from war.

Big Bertha crews could manage a rate-of-fire of 8 rounds per hour. While twelve total units were constructed prior to and during the war, eighteen additional barrels also existed. After the war, the Big Berthas were either confiscated by the conquerors or scrapped and none saw service into World War 2. At least two were outright captured and one sent to the United State's Aberdeen Proving Ground for extensive testing. This specimen was later on display at the US Army Ordnance Museum and, for whatever reason, scrapped sometime in the 1950s. No existing Big Bertha guns are known.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the 42cm Type M-Gerat 14 L/12 (Big Bertha) Heavy Siege Gun.

None. This is a towed artillery piece. Daimler-Benz tractor for towing in four major components OR across ten rail cars.
Installed Power

9 miles
15 km
Range

Structure
The physical qualities of the 42cm Type M-Gerat 14 L/12 (Big Bertha) Heavy Siege Gun.

200
(MANNED)
Crew

19.3 ft
5.88 meters
O/A Length

94,799 lb
43,000 kg | 47.4 tons
Weight

Armament & Ammunition
Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the 42cm Type M-Gerat 14 L/12 (Big Bertha) Heavy Siege Gun.

1 x 420mm (16.5in) gun barrel

AMMUNITION:
Dependent upon ammunition carrier.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Nightvision - NONE.
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Protection (CBRN) - NONE.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the 42cm Type M-Gerat 14 L/12 (Big Bertha) family line.

42cm Type M-Gerat 14 L/12 ("Big Bertha") - Base Series Designation; 12 units produced.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the 42cm Type M-Gerat 14 L/12 (Big Bertha). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.

Total Production: 12 Units
Contractor(s): Krupp Armaments Factory - Imperial Germany

[ Imperial Germany ]

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Image of the 42cm Type M-Gerat 14 L/12 (Big Bertha)

Image courtesy of the United States Library of Congress.

Design Qualities
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to battlefield requirements.

FIRE SUPPORT / ASSAULT / BREACHING

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Going Further...
The 42cm Type M-Gerat 14 L/12 (Big Bertha) Heavy Siege Gun appears in the following collections:

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