For use of this term to describe large railway banking engines, especially of a 0-10-0 configuration, see MR 0-10-0 Lickey Banker

Big Bertha (German: Dicke Bertha) is the name of the L/14 model of heavy mortar-like howitzers built and used by Germany during World War I. The name "Big Bertha" is often mistakenly applied to the Long Max and Paris Gun railway guns.

Designed in 1904 and produced by the Krupp factories in 1914, the L/14 howitzer was a movable 42 cm siege mortar with shells weighing 820 kg each and a maximum range of 15 km, with a maximum elevation grade of 80 degrees. Only 4 of them were built, and were used during the German assault upon Verdun from February 1916, along with other assaults.

In WW2 at least two machines were created re-proposing the concept of the siege mortar: the Sturmtiger and the Mörser Karl .

Links

• http://www.firstworldwar.com/atoz/bigbertha.htm