The Paris Gun (1900's-present)

      The Paris gun was used in World War I by the Germans to bombard Paris. This gun was one of the largest guns at the time, as it was capable of firing a 260 pound shell with 15 pounds of explosives in it over 80 miles. This "super cannon" was a rail mounted gun, and was about 111 feet long. When the charge was fired, it would reach an altitude of approximately 24 miles before heading back toward earth.

      In World War I, March through August 1918, the Germans fired about 351 shells at Paris. The charges killed 256 people and injured 620. The Paris Gun was ineffective, howeverl because its accuracy was only good enough to hit city sized targets, the payload was small compared to other cannons, and the barrel needed replacement after only 65 shots. Still, this enormous gun was highly effective at wearing away at the Parisian's morale.

Below is an image of the Paris Gun and some of its ammunition.