How did the Paris Gun bombard Paris from 68 miles away in 1918?

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The Paris Gun achieved its unprecedented range of approximately 121 km (75 miles) by utilizing a highly specialized design and trajectory. Contrary to the common misconception that it was the same weapon as the "Big Bertha" howitzer, the Paris Gun was a distinct long-range cannon developed by Krupp.1

To reach such distances, the gun featured an extremely elongated barrel—measuring about 34 meters (112 feet)—created by adding a tube to a 380-millimetre naval gun. When fired, a 250 kg charge of gunpowder propelled the shell at a velocity of 5,260 feet per second.1

The critical factor in its range was the trajectory: the shells were fired into the stratosphere, reaching an altitude of 39 km (24 miles). At this height, atmospheric drag was almost nonexistent, allowing the projectile to travel much further than was possible with traditional artillery firing through the denser lower atmosphere. While these weapons caused casualties and damage during World War I, they ultimately had little impact on the war's outcome.1