The Schwerer Gustav, also known as the German Dora railway gun, was one of the largest artillery pieces ever built and was developed by Nazi Germany during World War II. The development of the Schwerer Gustav began in the late 1930s as Germany sought to create a super-heavy artillery piece capable of penetrating heavily fortified positions.
The Krupp company[1] undertook the construction of the gun, and it was completed in 1941. The Schwerer Gustav was a massive gun, with a caliber of 800 mm (31.5 inches). It weighed around 1,350 metric tons (approx. 3 million pounds). The barrel of the gun was approximately 32.5 meters (106 feet) long. It fired two main types of shells: a high-explosive shell and a penetration shell designed to destroy fortifications.
The Schwerer Gustav had an impressive firing range for its massive size. It had an operational range of approximately 47 kilometers (29 miles) when firing its high-explosive shells. The penetration shells, designed for attacking heavily fortified targets, had a shorter range of around 38 kilometers (24 miles). This considerable range allowed the gun to engage targets from a significant distance,
making it effective in siege and long-range bombardment scenarios. It was transported on specially designed railway tracks and required a crew of several hundred to operate. Krupp named the gun Schwerer Gustav (Heavy Gustav) after the senior director of the firm, Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach[2]. The siege of Sevastopol[3] was the gun’s first combat test.
4,000 men and five weeks were needed to get the gun into firing position; 500 men were needed to fire it. Installation began in early May, and by 5 June the gun was ready to fire. The following targets were engaged:
- June 5, 1941 – Coastal guns at a range of 15.5 miles. Eight shells fired.
- June 6, 1941 – Fort Molotov. Seven shells fired.
- June 7, 1941 – Firing in support of an infantry attack on Südwestspitze, an outlying fortification. Seven shells fired.
- June 11, 1941 – Fort Siberia knocked out of action. Five shells fired.
- June 17, 1941 – Maxim Gorky Fortresses bombarded. Five shells fired. Fort Stalin. Six shells fired. “White Cliff” also known as “Ammunition Mountain”: an undersea ammunition magazine in Severnaya (“Northern”) Bay. The magazine was sited 98.4 feet under the sea with at least 32 feet of concrete protection. After nine shells were fired, the magazine was ruined and one of the boats in the bay sunk.
There were plans to deploy the gun on the Eastern Front against Leningrad, but logistical challenges and the advancing Soviet front prevented this. The Schwerer Gustav was colloquially referred to as “Dora” after the sister of the head of the Krupp family, Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach.
Another massive artillery piece, Langer Gustav, was similar in design but with a longer barrel. It was never fully operational. After the war, the Schwerer Gustav was captured by the Allies, and one of its barrels was cut up and taken to the United States as a war trophy. One of the barrels of the Schwerer Gustav was cut up and transported to the United States as a war trophy.
This cut-up barrel is on display at the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Parts of the Schwerer Gustav are on display at the German Military Technology Museum in Peenemünde, Germany.
This museum focuses on military technology and includes exhibits related to Germany’s wartime developments. It’s reported that a set of wheels from the Schwerer Gustav is on display at the Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia. The museum is known for its extensive collection of military vehicles and equipment.Some smaller components or artifacts from the Schwerer Gustav may also be found in various military history museums and private collections around the world.
In Breaking Bad, Season 1, Walter plans to use thermite to to steal the methylamine they need to continue cooking. To convince Jesse that it will work to burn through a heavy metal door he explains the the biggest gun ever made, the Gustav Gun, could have been taken out with a commando with thermite.
Jesse: “So, uh, what’s this stuff called again?”
Walt: “Thermite.”
Jesse: “And that will cut through a lock? Because this is supposed to be one big-ass lock.”
Walt: “In World War II, the Germans had an artilery piece — it’s the biggest in the world — called the Gustav Gun. And it weighed a thousand tons. And the Gustav was capable of firing a 7-ton shell and hitting a target, accurately, twenty-three miles away. I mean, you could drop bombs on it every day for a month without ever disabling it. But… drop a commando… one man, with just a bag of this… and he could melt right through four inches of solid steel and destroy that gun forever.”
Jesse: “Jeez.”
Walt: “So, yes. It think it will cut through any lock we’re likely to find.”
―Jesse and Walt discussing thermite
Footnotes
- Krupp, officially known as Friedrich Krupp AG, was a prominent German industrial conglomerate with a significant impact on the country’s economic and military development. Founded in 1811 by Friedrich Krupp in Essen, the company initially focused on cast steel and armaments. Over the years, Krupp expanded its operations into various industries, becoming a major player in steel production, shipbuilding, and machinery manufacturing. By the late 19th century, Krupp had evolved into a vertically integrated company with its own coal and iron mines. It played a pivotal role in Germany’s industrialization and, notably, in the production of weapons and artillery during both World Wars. The company’s historical significance includes its innovative production methods and contributions to the German war effort. After World War II, Krupp underwent restructuring and eventually merged with Thyssen AG in 1999 to form ThyssenKrupp AG. Today, the legacy of Krupp is preserved in the history of German industrialization and military production. [Back]
- Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach (1870–1950) was a prominent German industrialist and the head of the Krupp family, which controlled the Krupp industrial conglomerate. Born into wealth and privilege, he married Bertha Krupp, inheriting the company through a special marriage contract. Under his leadership, Krupp became a major armaments manufacturer, playing a critical role in Germany’s military production during both World War I and World War II. Gustav Krupp faced controversy for his close association with the Nazi regime, as the Krupp company benefited from forced labor and contributed to the German war machine. After World War II, he was indicted for war crimes but was declared unfit to stand trial due to health reasons. The denazification process led to the dismantling of the Krupp industrial empire. Gustav Krupp’s life and legacy reflect the complex intersections between industry, politics, and morality during a turbulent period in German history. [Back]
- The Siege of Sevastopol during World War II, lasting from October 1941 to July 1942, was a protracted and brutal military campaign between the Axis powers, primarily Germany and Romania, and the Soviet Union on the Crimean Peninsula. Sevastopol, a strategically important Soviet naval base and fortress, was fiercely defended by the Red Army and the Black Sea Fleet. The city endured relentless bombardment from land, sea, and air, and despite valiant efforts to resist, the Soviet defenders were ultimately overwhelmed. The fall of Sevastopol had significant implications for the Eastern Front, opening up a pathway for the Axis forces to advance further into the Soviet Union. The siege represents one of the many intense and pivotal battles on the Eastern Front during World War II. [Back]
Further Reading
Sources
- “Schwerer Gustav” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwerer_Gustav
- “Thermite” https://breakingbad.fandom.com/wiki/Thermite
- “The Nazis’ Schwerer Gustav, The Biggest Gun Ever Built” https://allthatsinteresting.com/schwerer-gustav-railway-gun
- “Schwerer Gustav: Largest Gun Mankind Has Ever Built” https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/schwerer-gustav-the-biggest-cannon-during-wwii
- “What’s the Largest Gun Ever Used? Introducing the Schwerer Gustav” https://veteranlife.com/military-history/schwerer-gustav/
- “The Heavy Gustav, Hitler and generals inspecting the largest caliber rifled weapon ever used in combat, 1941” https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/heavy-gustav-1941/
