- Little David
Infobox Weapon
name= Little David
caption= Little David at theAberdeen Proving Ground
origin=United States
type= Heavy Mortar
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is_artillery= Artillery
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service= Testing only
used_by= USA
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weight= 40 tons (without carriage)
length= Barrel (22 ft)
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barrels= 1
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max_range= 6 miles
feed= Muzzle loading
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transport=Little David was the nickname of an American 36 inch (914 mm)
caliber mortar used for test firing bombs duringWorld War II . Towards the end of the war it was modified to serve as a siege mortar, as it was expected that the US forces would encounter extremely strongfortification s during the invasion ofJapan . Because Japan surrendered, the invasion was unnecessary and Little David was never used in combat. Little David is still one of the artillery pieces with the largest caliber in history, beating even the German 800 mmsupergun Schwerer Gustav (although it is equalled by the 19th century French Monster and British Mallet's mortars). The mortar was to be transported by twoartillery tractor s, making it more mobile than a railway gun. Its potential effectiveness was questionable because of its limited range and accuracy.External links
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/little-david.htm globalsecurity.org - 36-inch Little David]
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