38 cm SK L / 45
The 38-cm-SK-L / 45 (38 cm caliber, rapid charge-cannon caliber length 45) was in the First World War employed gun of the Imperial Navy and of the German Army . Originally designed as a ship gun, it was also used on land under the designation 38 cm Gun Max or Langer Max . Like the “ Big Bertha ”, it was produced by the Krupp company as the sole manufacturer of heavy and heaviest artillery.
The "38-cm SK L / 45" had a tube with an inner diameter of 38 cm and was one of the largest calibers used at the time. Their range was up to 48 km.
Origins
These guns had their origin as the main armament - two guns each grouped in four turrets - of the German large-line ships of the Bayern class , of which only the SMS Bayern and SMS Baden were completed by the end of the First World War.
With the beginning of the trench warfare in 1914, the lack of heavy and extremely heavy artillery on the German side became noticeable; numerous improvisations emerged in a hurry. The conversion of the guns originally intended for use by ships for use on land was in charge of the head of the weapons department in the Reichsmarineamt , Vice Admiral Maximilian Rogge , after whom the gun was also named "Max".
"Langer Max" could both as pure Railgun or Bettungsgeschütz be used, which include a depending on the design firing curve or up to 360 ° bedding were provided. Five 38 cm SK-L / 45 guns were used as coastal guns in fixed bedding in the Pomeranian and Germany batteries on the Flemish coast by the Flanders Marine Corps .
The construction of the gun bank variant was complex: the Barbette was driven over a bed between two railway wagons. This bedding was poured with concrete. The construction and dismantling of this facility took a relatively long time. So the gun was usually built far behind the front. The Battle of Verdun began on February 21, 1916 at 8:12 am German time with shots from "Tall Max" in the Warphemont forest.
Positions of some ballast guns, of which structural remains are still present:
| Location | country | Coordinates | target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duzey (Bois de Warphemont) | F. | 49 ° 21 '32 " N , 5 ° 36' 17.9" E | Verdun |
| Muzeray (Bois de Watlemont) | F. | 49 ° 19 ′ 16.2 " N , 5 ° 37 ′ 18.5" E | Verdun |
| Loison (Ferme Sorel) | F. | 49 ° 17 '50.8 " N , 5 ° 34' 55.2" E | Verdun |
| Semide | F. | 49 ° 19 '50.9 " N , 4 ° 36' 13.3" E | Mourmelon-le-Grand , Suippes |
| Saint-Hilaire-le-Petit (sous la Meurière) | F. | 49 ° 15 '41.4 " N , 4 ° 22' 2.1" E | Châlons-sur-Marne, Sainte-Menehould, Suippes |
| Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique (le Montoir) | F. | 49 ° 31 ′ 41.4 " N , 3 ° 18 ′ 18.7" E | Compiègne, Fismes, Villers-Cotterêts |
| Zillisheim | F. | 47 ° 40 ′ 46.1 " N , 7 ° 18 ′ 20.1" E | Belfort, Wesserling |
| Hampont (le Chaumont) | F. | 48 ° 49 '41.3 " N , 6 ° 33' 28.6" E | Nancy, Dombasle-sur-Meurthe, Lunéville |
| Predik boom | B. | 51 ° 0 ′ 25.5 " N , 2 ° 54 ′ 41.6" E | Dunkirk , Bergues |
| Leugen boom | B. | 51 ° 7 ′ 11.4 " N , 2 ° 58 ′ 52" E | Dunkirk , Ypres , Les Moëres |
Technical specifications
- Caliber: 38 cm
- Length: 31.60 m
- Weight: 274 t
- Elevation range: −5 ° to + 55 ° (fixed bedding), −5 ° to + 18.5 ° (as a railway gun)
- Side directional range: 4 ° (as a railway gun)
- Muzzle velocity: approx. 820 m / s
- Maximum range: 47.5 km
Museum reception
The Lange Max Museum has existed in Koekelare, Belgium, since 2014, and is dedicated to the position of the artillery and the German occupation of Belgium during the First World War .
literature
- Ian Hogg : 20th Century Artillery. Gondromverlag, Bindlach 2001, ISBN 3-8112-1878-6 .
Web links
- Lange Max Museum, Koekelare
- Langer Max - 38 cm SK L / 45 - www.morthomme.com