The explosions continued throughout the day bringing life in the city to a standstill.
Stores closed down and the Metro system stopped running.
The gun that bombed Paris from 120 km away.
Since January 1918, the city had endured relentless nighttime bombings, primarily from aircraft and zeppelins.
The absence of sound of artillery fire suggested that the shells must have originated from a great distance.
In the days that followed, several intriguing theories surfaced in various newspapers.
One idea proposed that the projectiles reaching Paris were fired from a much larger “flying gun.”
Despite a thorough search of the forests surrounding the city, no such gun was discovered.
This lining tube measured 102 feet in length and extended 46 feet beyond the original gun’s muzzle.
An extension was bolted onto the muzzle to enclose and reinforce the tube.
The Paris Gun prepared for rail transport.
At that altitude, reduced air resistance greatly increased horizontal range.
Each shell was, therefore, manufactured in gradually increasing diameters to match the rate of wear.
Such an incident occurred in March 25, destroying Gun No.3 and killing several soldiers.
Trajectory of the shells fired from the Paris Gun.
Even when shells struck buildings and exploded inside, the exterior often showed little to no visible damage.
Map of Paris, showing where shells fired by the Paris Gun landed, June-August 1918.
The black line across the map indicates the direction from which the shells arrived.
Image credit:Wikimedia Commons
The Paris Gun’s immense range had a major drawbackit was grossly inaccurate.
A Paris gun turntable mounting near Chateau-Thierry.
of Railway Artillery# Paris Under The Gun,HistoryNet
