Abstract: A deep hole drilling machine having a drill headstock and a drilling carriage, and a drill guide carriage disposed between them, at least two of these three units being displaceable on the machine bed, and the workpiece and/or the drill tube being rotatable. This machine is designed such that differences in workpiece or drill lengths, workpiece inaccuracies and different hole starting and hole finishing movements can be provided for automatically. This is accomplished by providing a length measuring system on each of the displaceable units; the reading made by each measuring system will depend on the position of its unit with respect to a reference point on the fixed unit. A comparator compares the relative positions of the displaceable units, while an evaluating circuit is provided for controlling the movement of at least one of the units on the basis of the readings made after the workpiece and the drill have been inserted into the machine.