# @itsaihistory on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DQR4EnRjh5k
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/61744772-itsaihistory-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/c009538158.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-10-26T16:34:23.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Parker Gordon (@itsaihistory) — https://gondola.cc/itsaihistory

## Caption

💣 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 discrepancies:
This recreation closely mirrors the real 42 cm M-Gerät. The physics, recoil slide, and crew movements follow period photos and reports, though a few details differ:

•	The barrel here appears slightly longer than the authentic L/12 (≈ 5 m) tube.
• The mounting is cleaner than field-worn emplacements.
•	Real crews supporting each gun numbered in the hundreds, but only 6–8 men were near the breech during firing.

Even with those differences, the scene captures how a Big Bertha looked and felt when fired — slow, deafening, and physically overwhelming.

#itsaihistory #WWI #artillery #german #Germany #militaryhistory #worldwar1 #history #europe #europeanhistory #documentary

## Stats

- **Views:** 36,314
- **Likes:** 817
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 18

## Tags

worldwar1, german, artillery, europe, history, europeanhistory, wwi, militaryhistory, itsaihistory, germany, documentary

---
Copyright (c) Gondola