Artillery

Artillery is a weapon designed specifically to attack targets far in the distance, directly or indirectly.

## Overview

In modern parlance, artillery refers to an engine of war that uses stored energy, to project munitions far beyond the effective range of personal or vehicle mounted weapons. The most basic forms of artillery are in large measure employed as stationary devices designed to breach fortifications or reduce a single obstacle. Some of these are used by the other races. The destructive capabilities of siege weapons led to development of mobile versions suitable for employment on the battlefield. This development continues such that today artillery comprises highly mobile weapons of great flexibility in which repose most of a modern armyresupplys firepower.

The word artillery referred to any group of soldiers primarily armed with a manufactured weapon designed for long range combat. Artillery is arguably the most lethal form of armament currently employed by sapients on Welt. The vast majority of combat deaths in wars are caused by artillery.

### Crew

Individuals who operate artillery are called gunners whatever their rank.

The gunners and their guns are grouped in teams called crews. Several such crews and teams with other functions are combined into a unit of artillery usually called a battery or a company. Batteries are often combined into larger military organizations for administrative and operational purpose.

### Ammunition

The projectiles fired are typically either shot (if solid) or shell if not. Shell is a widely used generic term for a projectile, which is a component of munitions.

Artillery troops operate artillery. Artillery usually fire one of two types of ammunition, solid iron shots, or explosive variants called canister shells (a bag full of deadly shrapnel that incapacitates any soldier it touches immediately while doing little damage to fortifications). Shells are packed with powerful high-explosives that will destroy nearly anything within a sizable radius.

## Usage

During military operations the role of field artillery is to provide close support to other arms in combat or to attack targets. The latter role is typically achieved by inflicting casualties on the enemy from afar, or by demolition of enemy positions, equipment and vehicles.

### Time on Target Tactic

The TOTT is a technique developed by STAMP. This technique uses a precise determination of the time of flight from each firing battery to the target area. When a Time on Target is designated each battery that will join in firing on that target subtracts the time of flight from the TOT to determine the time to fire. Individual firing batteries train to fire their rounds as close to simultaneously as possible. When each firing battery fires their rounds at their individual time to fire every round will reach the target area nearly simultaneously. This is especially effective when combined with techniques that allow fires for effect to be made without preliminary adjusting fires.

A similar effect may be obtained by a single battery firing sequential rounds with different trajectories, with all rounds timed to arrive simultaneously.

### Creeping Barrage

A creeping barrage is the standard means of applying artillery fire to support an infantry attack, with the infantry following the advancing barrage as closely as possible.

### Box Barrage

Both types of heavy artillery ammunition are used for sustained bombardments. Box barrages are used to isolate a battlefield from enemy reinforcements, harassing fire during an enemy advance, counter-battery fire to suppress enemy artillery and destructive fire at selected enemy units, all spotted for by artillery officers who serve in the dangerous duty as forward observers on the front lines.

## Other race artillery

The other races make use of artillery for largely the same role as the Dalmer. They make use of trebuchets, catapults and other mobile artillery pieces.