About "Big Bertha"

Big Bertha was a WWI heavy siege gun manufactured on the eve of the war, by Krupp in Germany. It’s a type of super-heavy howitzer that provided Germany with a way to shell and destroy enemy lines and forts. Big Berta’s history started with the newer version of the 30.5-cm Beta-Gerat howitzer. There, the Germans wanted vastly superior offensive power, and had Krupp create the Gamma-Gerat howitzer. This was Big Bertha, but mounted on a stationary carriage that was emplaced in a concrete foundation. It was so difficult to move that the APK asked Krupp for a more mobile version, and thus, Big Bertha was delivered in June 1914.

Krupp and Daimler developed a tractor for the Bertha to tow the guns, which were broken down into five loads when on the road. Big Bertha gained a strong reputation on both sides of the lines due to its early successes in smashing the forts at Liege. A total of 12 complete M-Gerats were built before the war, and 10 more were built during the war. As the war ground on, several Berthas were destroyed when their barrels burst due to faulty ammunition. Two Big Berthas were captured by the US Army at the end of the war.

Specifications

• Weight: 47 tons (94,000 pounds)
• Length: 5.88 m (19.3 ft)
• Shell: HE; 820 kg (1,807 lbs)
• Traverse: 4 degrees
• Muzzle velocity: 400 m/s (1,312 ft/s)
• Effective firing range: 12.5 km (7.8 mi)

Additional information about this Brickmania custom building kit:

Big Bertha comes with the following features

• Functional gun elevation and traverse mechanisms
• Opening sliding breech block
• Functional shell hoist and 42cm shell
• Custom printed WW1 gunnery officer included
• Kit includes 553 genuine LEGO® elements
• Over-all color is dark gray
• 1/35 scale to match other Brickmania model kits
• Advanced building level (6-8 years of building experience recommended)

All Brickmania model kits are made of new-condition LEGO bricks. This model comes disassembled and includes complete printed building instructions and comes packaged in a sealed box. This is a limited edition kit and production may be discontinued at any time.

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