WWII Photo Brings out Big Gun
Northwest Herald - Tuesday, November 10, 1998
By Carla J. Eskew
MARENGO - U.S. Army Cpl. Marshall V. Johnson took several photographs during his World War II service.
But it was not until recently the intelligence officer discovered what that cannon-like weapon was that he photographed on the rails cars in Germany.
"My God. I never heard of this gun." he said. "It looked like a railroad gun."
It was 1945 and the draftee with the 417th Field Artillery Group set up headquarters for American troops near Grafenwohr, Germany. Armed with a Brownie camera he bought in San Francisco at a Walgreen's for a couple of dollars, Johnson stumbled upon the "Schwere Gustav," the largest gun ever built.
For 53 years, Johnson kept three photos of the disassembled "80CM Gustav," unaware he chronicled history.
Then Johnson's son, Brad came across an Internet site (Railway Gun WEB Muesum and Palpatine's German Railroad Guns Page) devoted to the weapon. Scotland researcher John Palpatine sent the Johnsons information about the "Schwere Gustav."
The German gun had an operational career of 13 days, during which it fired 48 shells in battle. It was just too big to move quickly to the effective. It took 25 trainloads of equipment, 2000 men and up to six weeks to assemble the massive killing machine.
"I think it's something a lot of people didn't know about," Marshall Johnson said. "I didn't know what it was."
The "Schwere Gustav" helped wipe out Sevastopol, Fort Molotiv, Sudwestspitze and Fort Siberia, all in the Soviet Union.
"It is unlikely such a weapon will ever be seen again," the 87-year-old Marengo veteran said.
Johnson worked at International Harvester in Chicago making farm equipment before he was drafted into the artillery group at age 28.
The group operated 155 Howitzers, which were short cannons that fired at high trajectories. Johnson said his group brought more firing power to the battles.
Johnson specialized in aerial photo interpretation as the intelligence officer for the group. He said he could tell what types of tanks and what they were carrying jut by measuring the tracks on a photo.
"It was very technical." he said. "You were concerned all the time, afraid of messing up."
Johnson said he is fortunate to return from the war alive.
"The real heroes are the ones lying over there under a cross. They gave their lives," he said.
Johnson, the former owner of Marengo's Tastee Freez, said he is proud of his military service. He received the American Defense Medal and several campaign ribbons with battle stars.
"It was quite an experience. I wouldn't have missed if for anything, but I wouldn't want to go through it again," he said. "this is the greatest country in the world. You can't beat this country!"
(You got to check out Railway Gun WEB Muesum and Palpatine's German Railroad Guns Page for further details.