💣 Germany’s Largest WWI Gun | c. 1915 (Part 2 – Firing) Moments before firing, the crew complete final checks at the breech. A warning call — **“Achtung!” — **is shouted, ropes tighten, and the 42 cm M-Gerät (Big Bertha) erupts. The muzzle blast shakes the ground, dust lifts across the timber pit, and the echo rolls back through the valley. How the recoil worked: • Each shot drove the howitzer several inches backward on its timber sled. Heavy ropes and earthen chocks absorbed the shock before crews re-lashed and re-aimed for the next round. The gun weighed about 42 – 47 tons, and the recoil energy alone could shove the mount through mud if not perfectly braced. Specs and context: • Built by Krupp in 1914 for siege warfare against fortified cities. • Caliber: 42 cm (16.5 in). • Shell weight: ≈ 810 kg (≈ 1,785 lb). • Range: ≈ 9 km (5.6 mi). • Rate of fire: about 1 round every 7–8 minutes. • Deployed 5–10 km behind the front at Liège, Namur, Maubeuge & Antwerp. Accuracy and discrepan...