On 21 June, 1940, a gigantic 420mm Skoda mortar [large guns like this were often termed "Big Berthas"-Ed.] took over the job and fired close to 40 shells, each of which weighed close to 2, From 14 May, 1940 on, a 280mm canon fired 33 shells at Schoenenbourg without any appreciable results. 500 lb., at the Fort. These shells penetrated some 40 ft. deep in the earth before exploding
Blocks 3, 5, and 6 had their reinforced concrete
pads hit directly by the shells, and each time a dent
the size of a bathtub was created. Under the shock of the impact,
all of Block 6 and the grillwork around its staircase were sunk a couple
of inches into the ground, creating a significant crack at the level
of the access corridor. Shells falling beside the blocks shook and
cracked the domed ceilings and the floors of the galleries,
especially in the magazine areas.
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