42CM "Big Bertha" and German Siege Artillery of World War I
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
New Vanguard 205
Authors: M. Romanych & M. Rupp
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-78096-017-3
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 48
The First World War saw innovations across the board in terms of warfare. Both tactics and equipment changed drastically throughout the war, including artillery pieces. One of the most secret designs was the 42cm M-Gerät howitzer, at the time the largest artillery piece in the world. Two of these guns were rushed to the front at the opening stages of the war, and their performance saw the rapid destruction and surrender of two forts. This initial success led to the Germans naming them "Big Bertha" after Bertha von Krupp, the owner of the company building them. The name stuck, and the Allied forces soon applied the name to other large siege guns.
This book documents the history of the 42cm M-Gerät howitzer and other German siege guns of the First World War. The book begins with the design and development of large field guns, beginning with the 30.5cm Beta-Gerät. The evolution of these designs is interesting, and followed a trend of increasing firepower before increasing mobility. Also documented here is the munitions, which needed equal attention as having a big gun is useless without ammunition to fire.
Once the development is covered, the book turns to the operational history of these large guns. This section is broken down into broad theater pieces, beginning with Belgium and France in 1914. The Eastern Front in 1915 follows, with a culmination of Verdun in 1916. The last two years of the war marked the decline of the guns, and this section documents the lack of available targets and the improvements in counter-battery artillery as factors of that decline. Finally, the book discusses the post-war aftermath, which saw one gun hidden away and resurrected during the Second World War. Today, none of these guns remain, although some vestiges can be found in museums, such as shell casings.
This is a solid history of the "Big Bertha" siege artillery of the First World War, with a well-written text and ample photographic coverage. My thanks to Osprey Publishing for the review copy.