Little David

Little David
Little David at the Aberdeen Proving Ground
Type	Heavy mortar
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	Testing only
Used by	United States
Wars	World War II
Specifications
Mass	173,000 pounds (77 long tons; 87 short tons)
Barrel length	22 feet (6.7 m)

Shell	3,650 pounds (1,656 kg)
Caliber	36 inches (914 mm)
Barrels	1
Muzzle velocity	1,250 feet per second (381 m/s)
Maximum firing range	6 miles (9.7 km)
Feed system	Muzzle loading

Little David was the nickname of an American 36-inch (910 mm) caliber mortar designed to breach the Siegfried Line and then used for test-firing aerial bombs during World War II. With the same calibre as the British Mallet's Mortar, constructed in May 1857, it is one of the largest-calibre guns ever built, having a larger calibre than both of Germany's Schwerer Gustav and Dora which were 31.5-inch (800 mm) railway guns.^[1]

History

The mortar was developed as an extension of a previous proposal to destroy heavy concrete fortifications such as the Siegfried Line with massive plastic explosive charges delivered by rocket or bomb. During a discussion between representatives of the Ballistic Research Laboratory and the Office of the Chief of Ordnance it was suggested that instead of dropping such a charge from an airplane, it could be fired from a mortar. Development began of a 914 mm (36.0 in) siege mortar firing a 3,650 lb (1,660 kg) shell. The mortar's base was a large steel box that was placed below ground, with its top flush with the surrounding surface, allowing the mortar's muzzle to be lowered horizontal for loading at ground level.^[1]

After the Siegfried Line was breached with conventional forces, Little David was instead considered for use against the extremely strong fortifications during the expected invasion of Japan. The decision was made to test for this purpose, but the end of the war also removed all need for Little David to be deployed. The mortar was able to be transported as a two-piece mobile unit, consisting of the 80,000 lb (36,000 kg) barrel and the 93,000 lb (42,000 kg) base transported by two M25 tractors. In addition to the two main loads, the Little David unit would also include a bulldozer and crane with bucket to dig the emplacement for the mortar's base.^[2]

The huge mortar could be ready to fire in 12 hours. The largest (800 mm) known German artillery weapons were hauled on 25 railway cars and required three weeks to put in firing position, but had a longer range of 47 km (29 mi) compared to the 9.7 km (6.0 mi) of Little David.^[2]

Little David was by calibre one of the largest artillery pieces ever produced, although Dora fired a heavier shell. Little David's overall effectiveness would have been questionable because of its limited range and accuracy. When Japan surrendered, the invasion became unnecessary, and Little David (still in its trial phase) never saw combat.

With the closure of the Aberdeen Proving Ground Ordnance Museum and relocation to Fort Lee,^[3] the status of Little David was previously in doubt as only restored pieces made the transfer.^[4]

As of September 2023 Little David has been moved to the new museum location and is slated to undergo restoration prior to display.^[5]

July 1945 film footage of mortar setup and firing

References

^ ^a ^b "Little David Heavy Siege Mortar". MilitaryFactory. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
^ ^a ^b "Little David". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
^ "Army Ordnance Museum". www.ordmusfound.org. retrieved 29 October 2021
^ "Ordnance Museum looks to future". www.army.mil. retrieved 29 October 2021
^ VBC (9 August 2023). "Meet "Little David," the World's Largest Gun from World War II". Veterans Breakfast Club. Retrieved 27 September 2023.

Sketches of the Ordnance Research and Development Center in World War II. 1945.

Sources

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Little David mortar.

newsreel from the Army Pictorial Service
Little David Mortar Present day photos of the Little David Mortar at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD

v t e United States artillery of World War II
Tank guns	37 mm gun M5/M6 75 mm gun M2/M3/M6 76 mm gun M1 3-inch gun M7 90 mm gun M3 90 mm gun T15 105 mm howitzer M4 105 mm gun T5 120 mm gun T53 155 mm gun T7
Anti-tank guns	37 mm M3 57 mm M1 75 mm field gun M1897 on M2 carriage 3 inch M5 90 mm T8 105mm T8
Field, medium and heavy guns	75 mm field gun M1897 on M2 carriage 75 mm howitzer M1 105 mm howitzer M2 105 mm howitzer M3 4.5 inch gun M1 155 mm howitzer M1918 155 mm howitzer M1 155 mm gun M1918MI 155 mm gun M1/M2 "Long Tom" 8 inch howitzer M1/M2 8-inch gun M1 240 mm howitzer M1
Mortars	60 mm mortar M2 81 mm mortar M1 4.2 inch mortar M2 Little David
Other vehicle-mounted	75 mm howitzer M2/M3 75 mm gun M1897 105 mm howitzer M2 155 mm gun M1917MI 155 mm gun M2 8 inch howitzer M1/M2
Anti-aircraft guns	37 mm M1 40 mm M1 3-inch gun M1917 3-inch gun M1918 3-inch anti-aircraft gun M3 90 mm M1 120 mm M1
Coast artillery guns	3-inch gun M1903 90 mm M1 6-inch gun M1903 155 mm gun M1918MI 7"/45 caliber gun 8-inch Mk. VI 8-inch gun M1888 10-inch gun M1895 12-inch coast defense mortar 12-inch gun M1895 14-inch gun M1907 16-inch gun M1895 16-inch gun M1919 16-inch Marks 2 and 3 16-inch howitzer M1920
Railway artillery	8-inch Mk. VI 8-inch gun M1888 12-inch coast defense mortar 14-inch M1920

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