Most advanced self-propelled gun: Self-propelled howitzer PZH 2000
Country: Germany
developed: 1998
Caliber: 155 mm
Weight: 55.73 t
Barrel length: 8.06 m
Rate of fire: 10 rounds/min
Range: up to 56,000 m
The mysterious letters PZH in the name of a self-propelled howitzer, considered today the most advanced mass-produced self-propelled systems, are deciphered simply and in a businesslike manner: Panzerhaubitze (armored howitzer).
If you don’t take into account exotics like the “Paris Cannon” or the experimental American-Canadian HARP gun, which threw shells to a height of 180 km, the PZH 2000 is the world record holder for firing range – 56 km. True, this result was achieved during test firing in South Africa, where a special V-LAP projectile was used, using not only the energy of the powder gases in the barrel, but also its own jet thrust. IN " ordinary life» firing range German self-propelled gun is located within 30–50 km, which approximately corresponds to the parameters of the Soviet heavy 203-mm self-propelled howitzer 2S7 “Pion”.
Of course, in terms of rate of fire, “Peony” up to PZH 2000 is like the Moon – 2.5 rounds/min versus 10. On the other hand, “classmate” German howitzer- the modern Msta-S with 7-8 rounds per minute looks quite good, although it is inferior in firing range.
The weapon was developed German company Krauss-Maffeu Wegmann within the framework of the so-called Joint Memorandum of Understanding in the field of ballistics concluded between Italy, Great Britain and Germany. The self-propelled gun is equipped with a 155-mm L52 gun manufactured by the Rheinmetall corporation. The 8-meter (52 caliber) barrel is chrome-plated along its entire length and is equipped with a muzzle brake and an ejector. The guidance drive is electric, loading is automatic, which ensures a high rate of fire. The machine is equipped with a multi-fuel diesel engine MTU-881 with a hydromechanical transmission HSWL. Engine power – 986 hp. The PZH2000 has a range of 420 km and can travel at a maximum speed of 60 km/h on roads and 45 km/h on rough terrain.
Fortunately, big wars, where something like the PZH 2000 would find worthy use has not yet happened in the world, however, experience in the combat use of self-propelled guns as part of international forces for peacekeeping in Afghanistan is available. This experience brought with it reasons for criticism - the Dutch did not like that the protection system against radioactive, biological and chemical effects turned out to be defenseless against the pervasive dust. It was also necessary to equip the gun turret with additional armor to protect the crew from mortar attacks.
The heaviest self-propelled gun: Karl-Gerat self-propelled mortar
Country: Germany
start of production: 1940
Caliber: 600/540 mm
Weight: 126 t
Barrel length: 4.2/6.24 m
Rate of fire: 1 shot / 10 min
Range: up to 6700 m
Crawler vehicle with awkward large-caliber gun looks like a parody of armored vehicles, but combat use this colossus has found itself. The production of six self-propelled 600-mm mortars of the "Karl" type has become important sign militaristic revival Nazi Germany. The Germans longed for revenge for the First World War and were preparing suitable equipment for future Verduns. The tough nuts, however, had to be cracked at a completely different end of Europe, and two of the “Karls” - “Thor” and “Odin” - were destined to unload in the Crimea to help the Nazis take possession of Sevastopol. Having fired several dozen concrete-piercing and high-explosive shells at the heroic 30th battery, the mortars disabled its guns. The mortars were indeed self-propelled: they were equipped with tracks and a 12-cylinder Daimler-Benz 507 diesel engine with 750 hp. However, these giants could move under their own power only at a speed of 5 km/h, and then only over short distances. Of course, there was no question of any maneuvering in battle.
The most modern Russian self-propelled gun: Msta-S
Country: USSR
adopted: 1989
Caliber: 152 mm
Weight: 43.56 t
Barrel length: 7.144 m
Rate of fire: 7–8 rds/min
Range: up to 24,700 m
"Msta-S" - self-propelled howitzer(index 2С19) is the most advanced self-propelled gun in Russia, despite the fact that it entered service back in 1989. "Msta-S" is designed to destroy tactical nuclear weapons, artillery and mortar batteries, tanks and other armored vehicles, anti-tank weapons, manpower, air defense and missile defense systems, control posts, as well as for the destruction of field fortifications and preventing the maneuvers of enemy reserves in the depths of his defense. It can fire at observed and unobserved targets from closed positions and direct fire, including work in mountainous conditions. The reloading system allows firing at any pointing angle in the direction and elevation of the gun with a maximum rate of fire without returning the gun to the loading line. The mass of the projectile exceeds 42 kg, therefore, to facilitate the work of the loader, they are fed automatically from the ammunition rack. The mechanism for supplying charges is semi-automatic. The presence of additional conveyors for supplying ammunition from the ground allows firing without wasting internal ammunition.
The largest naval gun: the main caliber of the battleship Yamato
Country: Japan
adopted: 1940
Caliber: 460 mm
Weight: 147.3 t
Barrel length: 21.13 m
Rate of fire: 2 rounds/min
Range: 42,000 m
One of the last dreadnoughts in history, the battleship Yamato, armed with nine guns of an unprecedented caliber - 460 mm, was never able to effectively use its firepower. The main caliber was launched only once - on October 25, 1944, off the island of Samar (Philippines). The damage inflicted on the American fleet was extremely minor. The rest of the time, the aircraft carriers simply did not allow the battleship to come within shooting range and finally destroyed it with carrier-based aircraft on April 7, 1945.
The most mass cannon World War II: 76.2 mm field gun ZIS-3
Country: USSR
designed: 1941
Caliber: 76.2 mm
Weight: 1.2 t
Barrel length 3.048 m
Rate of fire: up to 25 rds/min
Range: 13,290 m
Tool designed by V.G. The rabe was distinguished by its simplicity of design; it was not very demanding on the quality of materials and metalworking, that is, it was ideal for mass production. The gun was not a masterpiece of mechanics, which, of course, affected the accuracy of shooting, but quantity was then considered more important than quality.
Largest mortar: Little David
Country: USA
start of testing: 1944
Caliber: 914 mm
Weight: 36.3 t
Barrel length: 6.7 m
Rate of fire: no data
Range: 9700 m
During the Second World War, the Americans were not noticed for their weapon mania, but still, one outstanding achievement belongs to them. The giant Little David mortar with a monstrous 914 mm caliber was the prototype of the heavy siege weapon, with which America was going to storm Japanese islands. A projectile weighing 1678 kg, of course, would have made a noise, but “little David” suffered from the diseases of medieval mortars - it hit close and inaccurately. As a result, something more interesting was found to intimidate the Japanese, but the supermortar never saw action.
Largest railway gun: Dora
Country: Germany
tests: 1941
Caliber: 807 mm
Weight: 1350 t
Barrel length: 32.48 m
Rate of fire: 14 rounds/day
Range: 39,000 m
“Dora” and “Heavy Gustav” are two super-monsters of the world artillery of 800 mm caliber, which the Germans prepared to break through the Maginot Line. But, like the Thor and Odin self-propelled guns, the Dora was eventually driven near Sevastopol. The gun was directly served by a crew of 250 people, and ten times more soldiers performed auxiliary functions. However, the accuracy of firing 5–7-ton shells was not very high, some of them fell without exploding. The main effect of the Dora shelling was psychological.
The heaviest Soviet weapon of World War II: Howitzer B-4
The 203.4 mm howitzer is probably one of the most important contenders for the title of “weapon of Victory.” While the Red Army was retreating, there was no need for such a weapon, but as soon as our troops went west, the howitzer was very useful for breaking through the walls of Polish and German cities turned into “festungs”. The gun received the nickname “Stalin’s sledgehammer,” although this nickname was given not by the Germans, but by the Finns, who became acquainted with the B-4 on the Mannerheim Line.
Country: USSR
adopted: 1934
Caliber: 203.4 mm
Weight: 17.7 t
Barrel length: 5.087 m
Rate of fire: 1 shot / 2 min
Range: 17,890 m
Largest towed weapon: M-Gerat siege mortar
Country: Germany
adopted: 1913
Caliber: 420 mm
Weight: 42.6 t
Barrel length: 6.72 m
Rate of fire: 1 shot / 8 min
Range: 12,300 m
« Big Bertha"has become a successful compromise between power and mobility. This is exactly what the designers of the Krupp company sought, inspired by the successes of the Japanese, who stormed Port Arthur with the help of large-caliber naval guns. Unlike its predecessor, the Gamma-GerKt mortar, which fired from a concrete cradle, “Big Bertha” did not require special installation, and was towed to the combat position by a tractor. Its 820-kg shells successfully crushed the concrete walls of the forts of Liege, but in Verdun, where reinforced concrete was used in the fortifications, they were not so effective.
The most long-range weapon: Kaiser Wilhelm Geschotz
Country: Germany
adopted: 1918
Caliber: 211–238 mm
Weight: 232 t
Barrel length: 28 m
Rate of fire: 6–7 rounds/day
Range: 130,000 m
The barrel of this gun, also known as the "Paris Gun", "Colossal" or "Kaiser Wilhelm Gun", was a series of pipes inserted into the drilled muzzle of a naval gun. This “lash,” so that it would not dangle too much when fired, was strengthened with a brace, like the one used to support crane booms. And still, after the shot, the barrel was shaken by long-lasting vibrations. Nevertheless, in March 1918, the gun managed to stun the residents of Paris, who thought that the front was far away. 120-kg shells flying 130 km killed more than 250 Parisians during a month and a half of shelling.
With the discovery of gunpowder, artillery began to flourish in the world. The walls of cities became thicker and stronger, and accordingly, ordinary trebuchets, catapults and small-caliber ones could no longer effectively penetrate them. As a result, the size of artillery installations began to seriously increase in order to be able to combat enemy defenses. And so the most big gun in the world. Very few such weapons were created, so they are a kind of symbol of the power of the state that created them.
5. 2B1 "Oka"
The development of this self-propelled gun began on November 18, 1955, due to a resolution of the Council of Ministers. The main idea was to create a mobile unit capable of firing tactical nuclear charges, since at that time the USSR had such weapons that strategists could not determine the method of delivering them to the final enemy. The self-propelled mortar had the following characteristics:
A total of four prototypes were produced, and all of them even took part in the parade on Red Square. Chassis was created on the basis heavy tank T-10 (IS-8). Subsequently, during field tests, the main drawback of the Oka was revealed, namely, the huge recoil, due to which the gun rolled back five meters after firing, which turned out to be unacceptable. Due to the fact that loading took place from the breech of the gun, the rate of fire was increased to 1 shot per 5 minutes.
However, even such characteristics did not satisfy the commission, and it was decided to abandon the project. At that time, mobile tactical weapons were already considered more promising. missile systems, like 2K6 “Luna” and the like, whose total power easily covered the potential of 2B1 “Oka”.
This mortar, created at the end of the Second World War, was a kind of experiment and was intended for shelling the most seriously fortified areas of the enemy’s defense. And although “little David” had a much more modest appearance, compared to monsters like “Dora” or “Karl”, its caliber was much more impressive, as were other characteristics, among them:
The mortar was supposed to be used during the US invasion of the Japanese Islands, since American strategists expected to see extremely serious defenses there, consisting of well-fortified bunkers and pillboxes. To hit such targets, a special projectile was even developed, which “little David” was supposed to fire. After the detonation of the ammunition, a crater with a diameter of more than 12 meters and a depth of more than 4 meters remained. Despite all its power, the mortar never left its test site, eventually turning into a museum exhibit; in addition, it was possible to save one shell from its ammunition load.
The Tsar Cannon is a monument to Russian foundry art and artillery. It was cast in bronze in 1586 by master Andrei Chokhov, who worked at the Cannon Yard. The Tsar Cannon has the following characteristics:
The Tsar Cannon itself is covered with various inscriptions relating to the greatness of the Russian Tsar, as well as containing the name of the master who cast it. Historians are confident that the gun was fired at least once, but no documents have yet been found that shed light on this point. Now the gun is one of the main attractions of Moscow.
Dora is one of the unique super-heavy artillery pieces that have only been produced in modern times. Built by Krupp in the late 1930s. The very idea of such a weapon was proposed by Adolf Hitler during a visit to one of the concern’s factories in 1936. Dora's main task was the complete destruction of the Maginot Line and some Belgian border forts. Soon a technical specification for the designers was drawn up, and work began to boil. In general, the following characteristics of this weapon can be distinguished:
It is known that Dora was used during the siege of Sevastopol. More than 50 shells were fired at the city, each weighing 7 tons. This caused quite serious destruction to the city, but most military experts are inclined to believe that such artillery systems are stillborn.
A giant bombard, which the Hungarian engineer Urban managed to cast in just a few months, around the 15th century. The Basilica was built for the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II and was intended to bombard the walls of Constantinople, which was still in the hands of the Byzantines. Bombarda had great amount shortcomings, but its strength was enough for the Turks to be able to punch a large hole in the city wall with one shot and win the battle. However, just two months after the shot, the Basilica collapsed from its own recoil. Accurate technical characteristics and no images have survived, but something is still known:
Considering the conditions under which the Basilica was created, we can say that this is the cannon in the world. The weight of the projectile of this bombard could reach 700 kilograms, which is quite serious for that time. Overall, this is one of the most terrible weapons, which, although it had its shortcomings, still completed its task.
Dora was developed in the late 1930s at the Krupp plant in Essen. The main task of the super-powerful weapon is to destroy the forts of the French Maginot Line during a siege. At that time these were the strongest fortifications that existed in the world.
"Dora" could fire projectiles weighing 7 tons at a distance of up to 47 kilometers. When fully assembled, Dora weighed about 1,350 tons. The Germans developed this powerful weapon when preparing for the Battle of France. But when fighting began in 1940, the biggest gun of World War II was not yet ready. In any case, Blitzkrieg tactics allowed the Germans to capture Belgium and France in just 40 days, bypassing the Maginot Line defenses. This forced the French to surrender with minimal resistance and the fortifications did not have to be stormed.
"Dora" was deployed later, during the war in the East, in the Soviet Union. It was used during the siege of Sevastopol for shelling coastal batteries who heroically defended the city. Preparing the gun from the traveling position for firing took a week and a half. In addition to the immediate crew of 500 people, a security battalion, a transport battalion, two trains for the supply of ammunition, anti-aircraft division, as well as its own military police and a field bakery.
The German gun, the height of a four-story building and 42 meters long, fired up to 14 times a day with concrete-piercing and high explosive shells. To push out the largest projectile in the world, a charge of 2 tons of explosives was needed.
It is believed that in June 1942, "Dora" fired 48 shots at Sevastopol. But due to the large distance to the target, only a few hits were obtained. In addition, if the heavy ingots did not hit the concrete armor, they would go 20-30 meters into the ground, where their explosion would not cause much damage. The supergun showed completely different results than the Germans, who poured a lot of money into this ambitious miracle weapon, had hoped for.
When the barrel expired, the gun was taken to the rear. After repairs, it was planned to use it under besieged Leningrad, but this was prevented by the liberation of the city by our troops. Then the supergun was taken through Poland to Bavaria, where in April 1945 it was blown up so that it would not become a trophy for the Americans.
In the XIX-XX centuries. there were only two weapons with a large caliber (90 cm for both): the British Mallet mortar and the American Little David. But "Dora" and the same type "Gustav" (which did not take part in hostilities) were artillery largest caliber who took part in the battles. Also these are the biggest self-propelled units ever built. However, these 800 mm guns went down in history as “a completely useless work of art.”
Greetings to the readers of the site. Today we will talk to you about military equipment, namely about the biggest guns in history.
Civil War in the United States contributed to the emergence of new types of weapons. This is how this smooth-bore Columbiad gun appeared in 1863. Its weight reached 22.6 tons. Caliber - 381 mm.
Saint-Chamond - French large-caliber ( 400 mm) a railway gun built in 1915.
2A3 "Kondensator" - Soviet self-propelled artillery installation capable of firing both conventional and nuclear projectiles of caliber 406 mm. Was created during cold war"in 1955 as a response to the new American doctrine of massive use nuclear weapons. A total of 4 copies were built.
2B2 "Oka" - Soviet self-propelled 420 mm mortar launcher built in 1957. Its 20-meter barrel made it possible to fire 750 kg of shells at a distance of up to 45 km. Due to the complexity of loading, it had a relatively low rate of fire - one shot in 10.5 minutes.
Big Bertha
Big Bertha was a German mortar designed to destroy strong fortifications. It was developed in 1904 and built at the Krupp factories in 1914. Its caliber was 420 mm, the weight of the shells reached 820 kg, and the firing range was 15 km. A total of four such guns were built.
The Perm Tsar Cannon is a cast iron battle cannon, which is the largest in the world. It was manufactured in 1868. Its caliber is 508 mm. Firing range up to 1.2 kilometers.
Charles
Karl is a heavy self-propelled German mortar from the Second World War. One of the most powerful self-propelled guns of that time. It was used during the assault on fortresses and heavily fortified enemy positions. A total of 7 copies were built. Its caliber was 600 mm.
Dora
Dora is a super-heavy railway artillery gun designed in the late 1930s by the Krupp company (Germany). It was intended to defeat the Maginot fortifications and forts on the border of Belgium and Germany. It was named after the wife of the chief designer. Its caliber is 800 mm.
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It is not for nothing that artillery is called the main participant in the war. From the very beginning of its history, it became an important and integral part of any ground forces. Even despite high-tech developments in the field missile weapons And air aviation, the artillerymen have enough work to do, and this state of affairs will not change in the foreseeable future.
In the army, size mattered and always matters, regardless of the type of troops. Large bombers or massive tanks are not the most maneuverable, and sometimes not as effective tools attack or defense, but do not forget about the psychological effect they have on enemies.
So, we present to your attention a list of the largest guns in the entire history of mankind, which includes artillery pieces different eras and times. All of them have survived to this day in one form or another, and instill fear in museum visitors, and not in enemies on the battlefield.
- Ottoman "Basilica".
- German "Dora".
- Russian Tsar Cannon.
- American gun "Little David".
- Soviet mortar "Oka".
- German "Big Bertha"
Let's look at each participant in more detail.
"Basilica"
Taking pride of place on our list is the Ottoman Basilica cannon. They began casting it at the beginning of the 15th century at the request of the ruler Mehmed II. The work fell on the shoulders of the famous Hungarian master Urban, and a few years later the world's largest cannon in the history of war appeared.
The bronze gun turned out to be colossal in size: the length of the warhead was 12 meters, the barrel diameter was 90 cm, and the weight exceeded the 30-ton mark. For that time, it was a heavy machine, and at least 30 tall bulls were required to move it.
Distinctive features of the gun
The crew of the gun was also impressive: 50 carpenters to make a platform at the shooting site and 200 people to aim at the target. The firing range of the world's largest cannon was about 2 kilometers, which at that time was an unthinkable distance for any weapon.
“Basilica” did not please its commanders for long, because literally after a few days of a difficult siege, the cannon cracked, and after a couple of days it stopped firing altogether. Nevertheless, the weapon served the Ottoman Empire and brought a lot of fear to the enemies, from which they could not recover for a long time.
"Dora"
It's very hard German gun considered the most big gun in the world of World War II. It all started in the 30s of the last century, when Krupp engineers began designing this colossus.
A gun with a caliber of 807 mm had to be mounted on a special platform that walked along railway. The maximum range for hitting targets fluctuated around 50 kilometers. German designers managed to produce only two guns, and one of them took part in the siege of Sevastopol.
The total weight of "Dora" fluctuated around 1.3 tons. With about a half-hour delay, the cannon fired one shot. Despite the fact that many military analysts and specialists had a lot of doubts about the combat effectiveness and practicality of such a monster, the gun really instilled panic and disoriented enemy troops.
Tsar Cannon
Bronze in the list of the largest artillery pieces received national pride - the Tsar Cannon. The weapon saw the light of day in 1586 thanks to the efforts of the weapons designer of those years, Andrei Chokhov.
The dimensions of the gun make an unforgettable impression on tourists: the length is 5.4 meters, the caliber of the combat weapon is 890 mm and the weight of more than 40 tons will frighten any enemy. The largest cannon in the world rightfully received the respectful treatment of the Tsar.
Above appearance the guns also tried. The cannon is decorated with complex and interesting patterns, and several inscriptions can be read along the perimeter. Military experts are confident that the Tsar Cannon opened fire on the enemy only once, despite the fact that this was not confirmed in historical documents. Our gun was included in the famous Guinness Book of Records and became the most visited attraction in the capital, along with the Lenin Mausoleum.
"Little David"
This gun from the United States is a legacy of World War II and is considered the world's largest cannon in terms of caliber diameter. “Little David” was developed as a tool for eliminating particularly powerful enemy structures on the Pacific coast.
But the gun was not destined to leave the range where it passed successful tests, so the gun inspired fear and respect only in photographs of the foreign press.
Before firing, the barrel was mounted on a special metal frame, which was buried a quarter into the ground. The cannon fired non-standard cone-shaped projectiles, the weight of which could reach one and a half tons. At the site of the explosion of such ammunition there was a deep depression 4 meters deep and 10-15 meters in circumference.
Mortar "Oka"
In fifth position on the list of the world's largest guns is another domestic development Soviet times - Oka mortar. In the middle of the last century, the USSR already had nuclear weapons, but experienced some problems with delivering it to the target location. Therefore, before Soviet designers set the task of creating a mortar that could fire nuclear warheads.
As a result, they got a kind of monster with a caliber of 420 mm and a weight of almost 60 tons. The mortar's firing range varied within 50 kilometers, which, in principle, was sufficient for mobile tank equipment of those times.
Despite the theoretical success of the enterprise, mass production of Oka was abandoned. The reason for this was the monstrous recoil of the gun, which negated all mobility: for a normal shot it was necessary to properly dig in the mortar and build supports, and this required too much time.
"Big Bertha"
Another weapon of German designers, but already at the beginning of the last century, when the First World War raged World War. The gun was developed at the already mentioned Krupp plant in 1914. The gun received a main combat caliber of 420 mm, and each individual projectile weighed almost one ton. Having a firing range of 14 kilometers, such indicators were quite acceptable.
"Big Bertha" was designed to destroy particularly strong enemy fortifications. Initially, the gun was stationary, but after some time it was modified and made possible to use on a mobile platform. The first option weighed about 50 tons, and the second about 40. To transport the guns, steam tractors were used, which with great difficulty, but coped with their task.
At the landing site of the projectile, a deep depression with a diameter of up to 15 meters was formed, depending on the ammunition chosen. The gun's rate of fire was surprisingly high - one shot in eight minutes. The cannon was a real disaster and a headache for the allies. The machine not only inspired fear, but also demolished even the strongest walls and fortifications.
But despite my lethal force, "Big Bertha" was vulnerable to enemy artillery. The latter was more mobile and quicker of fire. During the assault on the Osowiec fortress, in eastern Poland, the Germans, although they pretty much battered the fort, lost two of their guns. While Russian soldiers great success repelled the onslaught, damaging only one standard artillery unit (the naval "Kane").
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