| Saddam's gun was for launching satellites. Its designer, Gerald Bull, had already succeeded in launching shells to an altitude of 60 miles, and built the G5 howitzer for South Africa that can hit a target 30 miles away (Dover - Calais is 20 miles) The supergun was immobile and highly visible though, so an easy target for aircraft. Bull died in 1990 of lead poisoning, of the type that happens a split second after being shot 5 times in the back of the neck. |