10m 27sLength

A great historic video of the US Military mortar that is considered the largest and most powerful mortar that has ever been built. Little David was the nickname of an American 36 inches (910 mm) caliber mortar used for test firing aerial bombs during World War II, that is one of the largest calibre guns ever built, having a larger calibre than both of Germany's Dora and Gustav which were 31.5 inches (800 mm) railway guns. Great Britain's Mallet's Mortar had an identical calibre. Type Heavy mortar Place of origin United States Service history In service Testing only Used by USA Wars World War II Specifications Weight 40 tons (without carriage) Barrel length 22 feet (6.7 m) Shell 3,650 pounds (1,656 kg) Caliber 36 inches (914 mm) Barrels 1 Muzzle velocity 1250 ft/s (381 m/s) Maximum firing range 6 miles (9.7 km) Feed system Muzzle loading History[edit] The mortar was originally used as the launching mechanism for test-firing aerial bombs at Aberdeen Proving Ground (during the war, bombs became larger and larger necessitating the construction of such a large calibre gun). Little David was therefore not intended as a combat weapon. The mortar's base was a large steel box. The base 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] By 1944, it was expected that the US forces would encounter extremely strong fortifications during the expected invasion of Japan. Studies began on using Little David as a siege mortar. The mortar was converted into a two piece mobile unit, consisting of the 80,000 pounds (36,000 kg) barrel and the 93,000 pounds (42,000 kg) base transported by two artillery 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.[2] Little David was one of the largest artillery pieces ever produced, by calibre, 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. Little David currently resides in the outdoor collection of armor and artillery pieces at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. The United States Armed Forces[1] are the federal military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.[7] The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military. The President of the United States is the military's overall head, and helps form military policy with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), a federal executive department, acting as the principal organ by which military policy is carried out. The DoD is headed by the Secretary of Defense, who is a civilian and Cabinet member. The Defense Secretary is second in the military's chain of command, just below the President, and serves as the principal assistant to the President in all DoD-related matters.[8] To coordinate military action with diplomacy, the President has an advisory National Security Council headed by a National Security Advisor. Both the President and Secretary of Defense are advised by a seven-member Joint Chiefs of Staff, which includes the head of each of the Defense Department's service branches as well as the chief of the National Guard Bureau. Leadership is provided by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[9] The Commandant of the Coast Guard is not a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. All of the branches work together during operations and joint missions, under the Unified Combatant Commands, under the authority of the Secretary of Defense with the exception of the Coast Guard, which is under the administration of the Department of Homeland Security and receives its operational orders from the Secretary of Homeland Security. However, the Coast Guard may be transferred to the Department of the Navy by the President or Congress during a time of war.[10] All five armed services are among the seven uniformed services of the United States, the two others being the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (under the Department of Health and Human Services) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (under the Department of Commerce). From the time of its inception, the military played a decisive role in the history of the United States. A sense of national unity and identity was forged as a result of victory in the First Barbary War and the Second Barbary War.