Superguns 1854-1991: Extreme artillery from the Paris Gun and the V-3 to Iraq's Project Babylon (New Vanguard)

Ever since the mid-19th Century, national militaries have sought to create monster artillery pieces, designed to shatter armies, cities, and fortresses and their morale. Starting with William Armstrong's "Monster Gun" Superguns will then take a look at the Wilhelm Gun that bombarded Paris in World War I, and World War II designs, and the Dora and Arrow guns, including the so-called V-3 London Gun.

During the Cold War both the Americans and Soviets attempted to construct nuclear artillery pieces including the Oka/Kondensator, and the Atomic Cannon. These guns then entered the Space Age, with Dr Gerard Bull's HARP gun and its descendants, including most famously Saddam Hussein's 1m-calibre "Supergun"--Project Babylon. Modern superguns featured also include current efforts at very-long-range magnetic rail-guns, capable of firing shells at seven times the speed of sound.

Using detailed commissioned artwork and contemporary photographs, this fascinating study will examine history’s great behemoths that have sought to terrorize armies and civilians for one and a half centuries.

• French Battleships 1914-45 (New Vanguard)
• South American Battleships 1908-59: Brazil, Argentina, and Chile's great dreadnought race (New Vanguard)
• M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank 1993-2018 (New Vanguard)
• US Navy Battleships 1886-98: The pre-dreadnoughts and monitors that fought the Spanish-American War (New Vanguard)
• The Aleutians 1942-43: Struggle for the North Pacific (Campaign)
• Tsushima 1905: Death of a Russian Fleet (Campaign)
• Japan 1944-45: LeMay's B-29 strategic bombing campaign (Air Campaign)
• Hellcat vs Shiden/Shiden-Kai: Pacific Theater 1944-45 (Duel)
• Chinese Battleship vs Japanese Cruiser: Yalu River 1894 (Duel)
• European Ironclads 1860-75: The Gloire sparks the great ironclad arms race (New Vanguard)