New-York tribune., 1921-12-19
German Tells Story
Of Big Bertha That
Bombarded Paris
Moral Gun Was Tested at
Sea Because No Proving
Ground Was Big Enough:
Three Cannon We're Made

LONDON, Dec. (By Mail).-The
main story OF the German Big Berthas"
which bombarded Paris was soon
knewn to British artillerists, remarks
the Berlin correspondent OF THE Daily
Mail" but the gun and its story long
remained a mystery TO the public.
Commander Ajnzel. of the Germa~
navy. who took part in the design, CON
struction and tests of the gun, has
now MADE pubic an account of his ex-
periences with it.
The gun, he says. was naval gun in
that it was invented and served by
naval personnel. 1t was signed to
fire sevcnty-fve miles.
For q long time the designers we're
at Il loss, but ultimately they seem to
have overcome all ballistic difficulties
end the gun was built. The charge. or
dinarily one-third of the weight Of the
projectlle, was twice as heavy. The
length Of the chamber was monstrous
At an angle OF as degrees the barrel
lowered over houses, trees and roofs
1t needed some courage to shoot with a
thing Ike "a stick of gigantic aspara-
gus" But the material stood it.
Commander kinzel gives an interest
ing account Of the testing; no artillery
trial ground, ne says, was large enough
In conjunction with the Ministry Of
Marine the decision was reached to fire
the gun from land at about the approx
mate distance from the sea the shell
was calculated 70 carry. Batteries on
the shore were warned, the ground
divided into observation areas and two
seapianeS we're sent out to sea to watch
for the she'll. 1t was estimated that it
would explode at 10 kilometers {ee
miles from the gun.
At 3:l5 o'clock one afternoon the
seaplanes were warned by wireless.
Attention, shell fire" Three minutes
was the time estimated for the shell to
reach the marked area. Then came a
ring on the telephone at the central
station: Reports of explosion heard. -
IT was found on inquiry that the she'll
mad fallen at 95 kilometers SO miles
from the gun, and 1.400 yards inland.
1t rad MT cowshed, but there we're
no casualties.
The pieces were collected and exam
ined. They showed that the she'll Mad
Deen to an altitude of 40 kilometers.
ne distance however, was short of
that for which the gun was designed
ana there followed new consultations
calculations ard designs. Finallv' q
few weeks later, they were in a nosi-
tion to lombard Paris.
lwo guns were made and a third nut
~ hand. Commander Kinzel gives some
details OF the two when they had been
prought into position in wood behind
Loan IN March, 1918 The nearest
enemy lines were Il kilometers (71L
miles, away. Paris was Us Gn kim ~ ~
$50 miles) distant The crew were
naval gunners. Special augouts had to
De made for the cartridges and shells
and special smoke apparatus for con
ceaimenr. since at as degrees the ba rrel
overshot the forest.
The shells, he says looked modes.
side by side with the cartridges. which
were three and four times as long az
the shell and the length OF two grown
men. That the gun could not Law Paris
IN ruins was plain, this was moral"
gun On MARCH %. at 7:l5 a. M. they
opened fire, and then continued every
quarter OF an hour, later speeding the
rounds. At o'clock the sun came
through, and they ceased for the dav.
so IS not TO give away the position,
as French observation balloons were
searching the district. They fired for
three days before they got the first
news of where their shells had fallen.
!" thin thirty hours French artillery
had located and shelled them, but they
continued to fire. Neither gun was hit.
The guns, however, had a life of less
than 100 shots before the ignition
chamber was SO damaged that further
firing was impossible. The old barrel
=
being ready. The battery lost seven
Killed and thirteen Eoundaa.