Why Germany Built a Gun That Took 4,000 Men to Fire

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]In 1936, German engineers were given a daunting task: creating a weapon capable of penetrating the concrete fortifications of the French Maginot Line.

[00:00:09]The answer from the Krupp company was the Schwerer Gustav, the largest artillery system [music] ever used in combat. From an engineering perspective, this 800-mm railway monster was a true marvel.

[00:00:20]>> [music] >> It weighed 1,350 tons and fired armor-piercing shells weighing over 7 tons, capable of piercing 1 m of armor, >> [music] >> 7 m of concrete, and 30 m of solid earth.

[00:00:33]However, from the standpoint of military logistics, Gustav was an absolute nightmare. Its transportation, assembly, and operation required the efforts of over 4,000 [music] personnel, including engineers and anti-aircraft crews to protect it from enemy aviation.

[00:00:49]Preparation for firing took several weeks and required the laying of a specialized double railway track, making the system highly inflexible. Since the gun was completed too late for the French campaign, its only significant combat use occurred in 1942 during the Siege of Sevastopol.

[00:01:06]There, Gustav successfully destroyed several key targets, including a deep underground ammunition magazine located 30 m beneath solid rock.

[00:01:15]What do you think about this weapon? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.