Extra Credit Project: The Paris Gun

Investigate one of the largest guns ever used in warfare.

This project must be done by individuals.

You may ignore air resistance in this problem; but the real artillerymen could not, of course.

The German army in World War I shelled Paris with very large artillery pieces. These so-called 'Paris Guns' were actually a combination of two mortars stuck together. Pointed 55 degrees above the horizon, they fired shells with an initial speed of 1700 meters per second.

The guns were first used on March 23, 1918, a few days after the German army launched its last great offensive on the Western front. Three of the guns were located in Crepy-en-Laonnoise (about 8 km west-north-west of Laon), just behind the German lines.

In the absence of air resistance, what was the range of the 'Paris' guns?
How long was the shell in the air?
What is the distance from Crepy-en-Laonnoise to Paris? (Hint: a good atlas will help you measure the distance accurately. The RIT Library has a number of good atlases) (Note that the actual distance between Crepy and Paris is much smaller than the theoretical range of the gun, because in real life, air resistance decreases the range of the shell).
If the Germans had wanted to shell London from the same spot in Crepy, what muzzle velocity would the shells have needed?
Placing artillery on high ground extends its range. If the Germans wanted to shell London from Crepy with their existing 'Paris' guns, to what altitude would they have needed to lift the guns?

This page maintained by Michael Richmond. Last modified Nov 29, 2005.