Hitler loved the Gustav, but according to some accounts, many officers and soldiers who operated the beast did not. In fact, it’s very possible the hate was so great they mockingly referred to it as “Dora.” Here’s where things get murky: several sources claim that two heavy guns were built and that the second gun — nicknamed “Dora” — was sent to Stalingrad for use against the Soviets. As the story goes, the time required to assemble the gun was so great it gave the Soviet army enough time to surround the Germans and run them off before being used.
Conflicting stories exist of this second gun. Some say they retreated with the gun, while others saying it was left it behind, studied, and eventually dismantled or blown up — to be later discovered in ruins by American soldiers. A photograph showing servicemen sitting on a long barrel has since been determined not to be a Gustav-level heavy gun.
The only other recorded use of Gustav (not Dora) was in 1944, when the Germans used it to lob approximately 30 shells into the city of Warsaw to break up a riot. After that, it vanishes into history.
Gustav cost an estimated 10 million German Marks to build, was used twice, and fired less than 100 rounds. While it was the biggest gun used in combat, it was not the biggest gun ever built. That claim to fame lies with “Little David,” a 36-inch (914 mm) cannon built by the U.S. Army to use against Japanese bunkers. Fortunately, the Japanese surrendered before it was ever needed.
