Gun vs. Cannon vs. Howitzer - The Firing Line - World of Tanks official forum World of Tanks official forum Gun vs. Cannon vs. Howitzer Started by k9catforce, Nov 15 2012 - 06:50 37 replies to this topic k9catforce #1 Posted Nov 15 2012 - 06:50 Major Member since: 02-20-2011 Basically, what is the difference between a gun, a cannon, and a howitzer? From my flight sim days, I know that a gun shoots non-explosive bullets, while a cannon shoots explosive rounds; but where does a howitzer fit in? And what is a gun/cannon considered if it fires both AP and HE?

Genesis0071 #2 Posted Nov 15 2012 - 06:53 Captain The_Chieftain #3 Posted Nov 15 2012 - 06:57 Military Specialist Genesis0071, on Nov 15 2012 - 06:53, said: Gun Dear God, no, that's a pistol. There's a reason this is called a Gun Motor Carriage The main difference between a gun and a howitzer is traditionally the arc of the round. Cannon can refer to the barrel/breech assembly of either a gun or a howitzer. I guess theoretically a cannon can be either a gun or a howitzer depending on the mount. It's 1am, if nobody else answers this before me in more detail, I'll be back tomorrow. Otto_von_Boris #4 Posted Nov 15 2012 - 06:58 First lieutenant 07-22-2011 Howitzer has a low shell velocity and fires with a arc. Anti-tank guns are the other types of guns on tanks. They fire with a low arc and have a high velocity.

Edited by Otto_von_Boris, Nov 15 2012 - 07:01. Genesis0071 #5 Posted Nov 15 2012 - 07:03 Captain Member since: 03-22-2011 To be a little more constructive, I can't speak for current day weapons but a cannon is a direct fire weapon where as a howitzer I think is used more like a mortar for firing over things. AlteredCarbon #6 Posted Nov 15 2012 - 07:04 Staff sergeant 04-02-2011 k9catforce, on Nov 15 2012 - 06:50, said: Basically, what is the difference between a gun, a cannon, and a howitzer? From my flight sim days, I know that a gun shoots non-explosive bullets, while a cannon shoots explosive rounds; but where does a howitzer fit in? And what is a gun/cannon considered if it fires both AP and HE?

Lifted entirely from Wikipedia: Spoiler In military use, the term "gun" refers primarily to direct fire weapons that capitalize on their muzzle velocity for penetration or range. In modern parlance, these weapons are breech-loaded and built primarily for long range fire with a low or almost flat ballistic arc. A variation is the howitzer or gun-howitzer designed to offer the ability to fire both low or high-angle ballistic arcs. In this use, example guns include naval guns. A less strict application of the word is to identify one artillery weapon system or non-machine gun projectile armament on aircraft. The word cannon is retained in some cases for the actual gun tube but not the weapon system. The title gunner is applied to the member of the team charged with operating, aiming, and firing a gun.

The English word howitzer originates ultimately from the Czech word houfnice.[1][2][3] Czech houfnice is derived, through the addition of the suffix -nice, from the word houf, "crowd", suggesting the cannon's use against massed enemies,[4][5] and houf is in turn a borrowing from the Middle High German word Hūfe or Houfe (modern German Haufen), meaning "heap".

Haufen, sometimes in the compound Gewalthaufen, also designated a pike square formation in German.[citation needed] In the Hussite Wars of the 1420s and 1430s, the Czechs used short barreled houfnice cannons[6] to fire at short distances into such crowds of infantry, or into charging heavy cavalry, to make horses shy away.[7] The word was rendered into German as aufeniz in the earliest attested use in a document dating from 1440; later German renderings include Haussnitz and, eventually Haubitze, from which derive the Scandinavian haubits, Finnish haupitsi, Polish haubica, Russian gaubitsa, Italian obice, Spanish obús, Portuguese obus, French obusier and the Dutch word houwitser, which led to the English word howitzer . Since the First World War, the word howitzer has been increasingly used to describe artillery pieces that, strictly speaking, belong to the category of gun-howitzer - relatively long barrels and high muzzle velocity combined with multiple propelling charges and high maximum elevation.

This is particularly true in the armed forces of the United States, where gun-howitzers have been officially described as "howitzers" for more than sixty years. Because of this practice, the word "howitzer" is used in some armies as a generic term for any kind of artillery piece that is designed to attack targets using indirect fire. Thus, artillery pieces that bear little resemblance to howitzers of earlier eras are now described as howitzers, although the British call them guns. Most other armies in the world still reserve the word howitzer for guns with barrel length 15 to 25 times its caliber, longer-barreled guns being cannons. The British had a further method of nomenclature that they adopted in the 19th century. Guns were categorized by projectile weight in pounds while howitzers were categorized by caliber in inches. This system broke down in the 1930s with the introduction of gun-howitzers. Hope that helps. 04-13-2011 I'll avoid the obvious Full Metal Jacket reference that can be made here.... As it was explained to me, a gun refers to a crew served weapon.

This traditionally means artillery, but can extend to things like a tanks main weapon or a naval battery. Cannons I've always taken to be anything around 20mm on up used for direct fire purposes. This counts a broad range of weapons, from weapons fitted onto aircraft up to the traditional cannons you see in movies about 18th and 19th century warfare.I don't know if this is technically the correct answer, but it's served me well. Perhaps indirect fire weapons can also be called a cannon, but you can also refer to them by a more specific type [for example, below] Howitzers are a type of artillery, charectorized by the relatively flat trajectory of the shot (as opposed to mortars). As such, they tend to have rather long barrels. Member since: 10-22-2011 This could be pushed further while I was a Infantry man in the Aussie Army we were told time and time again that a gun is a crew served weapon.

Example given to us by our sargents at the time 1986 to 89 was a sub machine gun can be called such as the first ones were crew served gunner and up to three ammo carriers and commander depending on wether u were Italian or german but both used crews for the first time. machine gun either light heavy or medium or GPMG SAW ie gunner loader commander . If you called a rifle or pistol or revolver anything else especialy GUN u were in big trouble . Thats it for the small stuff at the moment in the Aussie Army anyway Duty First. Member since: 06-05-2011 A cannon typically refers to a light caliber long barreled automatic weapon fit on armoured cars, personnel carriers, helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, and jets. Typically in the ranges of 2cm to 7.5cm and firing at high velocities. A gun, field gun actually, is a dual purpose weapon designed for long range support. They have long barrels, fire shells with thick walls to take the pressures, and fire at moderately high velocities. Though primarily and firstly not designed for anti armour operation, they were found suitable for the task when new ammunition were developed for them.

Caliber ranges were various, from 7.5cm to 4O.6cm (naval arms) Anti tank guns for most purposes are modifications and *daughters* to field guns, they are developed with long barrels for accuracy, and to fire thick walled shells not really suited for support tasks. These shells tend to be solid in their mass instead of being filled, and exit the weapon in extremely high velocity with the goal of striking & breaking through a hard surface (unlike the goals of other artillery) lt seems AT gun development stopped at the 15cm caliber, though these were largely experimental. A howitzer, a WWl novel idea, was quickly put to use and continued development and production for many advantages. These weapons did not fire with excessive velocity, meaning many things. Exit pressures were not high, so shell walls did not need to be thick. Allowing for more filler, to devastate infantry & obstacles. Recoil was not excessive. And barrels did not need heavy forging, unlike AT guns or tank weapons. The lowered velocity also allowed for shells to not bury themselves in striking the ground.

And finally, allowed the weapon to arc its attack over range (dropping into trenches/firing over hills) With these advantages, came disadvantages of course. There ranges were short, AT performance was poor, accuracy was poor (crosswinds hurt their performance a lot) 01-22-2012 The terms “cannon” and “howitzer” are inherited from a time of horse drawn artillery. By the time of world war one these terms seem to get confused and the meaning of the words start to blur before world war one Generally speaking a Cannon (Gun) is used in only direct fire mode. A cannons gun carriage mounts (trunnions) don’t allow enough elevation for indirect fire. An example of an American civil war era M1857 12-Pounder "Napoleon" smooth bore cannon The Howitzer has a bit of Variety. A howitzer can have a barrel shorter than a cannon and fire rounds at a lower velocity than cannon. Or the gun-howitzer, which has a barrel and round velocity similar to cannon. Both are generally are capable of higher firing elevation than standard cannons. A mortar is generally used with high-arcing of fire in indirect mode.

The usually have short barrels and fire at lower velocities. You could say they “lob” their rounds. An example of a civil war era “Parrott rifle” and would be considered a muzzle loading rifled cannon An example of an Armstrong gun which is considered rifled breech-loading cannon. This one is mounted on a disappearing carriage. After world war one everything kind of goes pear shaped. With the advent of new metallurgical techniques and the invention of high explosives artillery really hit its stride. Now for the time you could shoot at people you never saw and shoot at them safely from miles away (indirect fire). The lethalness of new and improved artillery was one of the factors in the rise of trench warfare. If the enemy could figure out where you were on the map, an artillery bombardment would soon follow. Because of the changing battlefield the direct fire mode of cannons fell to the wayside and if possible would be used as an option of last resort. I.e. your position being overrun, direct line of sight to you enemy…. Because of national differences and the march of progress, no clear cut rules to determining what is called what. In the present day “artillery” is thought of as indirect fire that comes from out of nowhere.

A “howitzer” is thought of as name for type of artillery. A “cannon” is thought of as really big gun (as in the 44 magnum is hand cannon). A siege mortar is thought of as an out of date type of artillery. A mortar is thought of as a man portable system capable high-arcing ballistic trajectory with a smooth bore barrel. Of course there are exceptions to every rule An example the M777 you could call it “gun-howitzer” because it's long barrel (like a cannon)can be used in direct and indirect fire. Self-propelled guns (SPG) could be considered "gun-howitzers" because they are capable of direct fire (like a tank) and indirect fire (shooting at stuff beyond view range) The type of ammunition involved really doesn’t matter in artillery’s naming convention. For example the M60 Patton tanks gun is capable of loaded canister rounds which effectively turn its cannon into huge shot gun for those up close personal encounters with soft targets. Edited by Tin_Omen, Nov 24 2012 - 16:12.

Member since: 09-20-2010 wow, just about everyone has a different answer. These definitions change when you go to different countries and often gun and cannon (Kannone) are interchangeable (but shouldnt be). Everything was a cannon until the advent of the breach block, Off the top of my head I believe the French came up with that, but could be wrong. Gun = rifled barrel, breach loading, sights cannon = non rifled, very limited and very low trajectory. Howitzer = high trajectory, low velocity artillery, no sights To clear something else up. Direct fire: This is a "crew directed weapon", it has sights on it and the crew directs the fire, even if using 'area' fire, targeting a space and not something specific in that space. Mortars are capable of both direct and indirect fire, depending on how/where they are positioned in the field. Some WW2 mtr's were small 50mm, and had limited range (500m or less), these would most certainly be direct fire weapons. Indirect fire: This is a spotter controlled weapon. By radio, perhaps by satellite today.

Artillery often operates this way, but GUNS are capable of both types of fire. Howitzers generally don't have sights. Edited by hipcanuck, Nov 15 2012 - 13:33. 09-08-2011 Tin_Omen, on Nov 15 2012 - 12:17, said: The terms “cannon” and “howitzer” are inherited from a time of horse drawn artillery. By the time of world war one these terms seem to get confused. Generally speaking a Cannon (Gun) is used in only direct fire mode. A cannons gun carriage mounts (trunnions) don’t allow enough elevation for indirect fire. A howitzer is used in direct fire and indirect fire mode and is hybrid of a cannon and a mortar. A howitzers gun carriage looks the same as cannons except the trunnions allow for enough elevation (45 degrees or more) for indirect fire. No, I'm going to disagree with you there. I believe a cannon is any large-calibre (usually 20mm or bigger) piece.

The cannon itself is just the bit that goes bang, not the mount, aiming systems, trails, chassis etc. When you add in everything else, it then becomes part of either either a howitzer or a gun. Quote A mortar is used only in indirect fire mode. A mortar mount is configured so the ground will take most of the recoil force generated when a round is fired and is incapable of being pitched forward enough for direct fire. There are several mortars capable of being fired in the direct fire mode, such as those found on the ALM-60 or 2S23 armoured cars. Quote Most self-propelled guns (SPG) would be considered howitzers because they are capable of direct fire (like a tank) and indirect fire (shooting at stuff beyond view range) Again, I'd tweak that. Pieces such as the M40 GMC I pictured above are designed primarily for the indirect fire role, but don't have as high an arc as the HMCs. hipcanuck, on Nov 15 2012 - 13:16, said: Gun = rifled barrel, breach loading, sights cannon = non rifled, very limited and very low trajectory.

Howitzer = high trajectory, low velocity artillery, no sights No, the M68 cannon is a very obvious counter to that point, it's rifled. The M284 cannon is another example, it's the one fitted to the M109A5 howitzer. Quote To clear something else up. Direct fire: This is a "crew directed weapon", it has sights on it and the crew directs the fire, even if using 'area' fire, targeting a space and not something specific in that space. Mortars are capable of both direct and indirect fire, depending on how/where they are positioned in the field. Some WW2 mtr's were small 50mm, and had limited range (500m or less), these would most certainly be direct fire weapons. Indirect fire: This is a spotter controlled weapon. By radio, perhaps by satellite today. Artillery often operates this way, but GUNS are capable of both types of fire. Howitzers generally don't have sights. I would add semi-indirect to that list, and modify direct.

Semi-indirect is when you can see your target yourself, so do not need a spotter, but you are still firing a high arc and aiming by use of indirect fire technique. That's where the 50mm mortars etc come in. Member since: 08-04-2010 I think that we can all agree that the definitions depend on the expert you ask. It is difficult to discuss when you include different types of weapons: tanks, anti-tank, aircraft, artillery, etc. For the purpose of describing in this game, cannon would not normally be used in English, but kannone would work for German tanks. I would still call a German main armament a gun, not a cannon. Even the low velocity weapon on my vehicle, the L5A1 76mm from the British light tank, Scorpion (Canada used the Scorpion turret on the AVGP Cougar) was called a gun, despite only having a muzzle velocity of 533m/s. A howitzer would be a short barreled, low velocity artillery piece, like the SU-26's gun. Very high arc, short range. Most other artillery in the game would be guns.

Even here, the definition gets blurred, because the Germans (or course!) call the GW-Tiger and GW-E top guns "morsers," suggesting a SU-26 type weapon. They do have shorter range and higher arc than the Obj 261's gun. The German guns would be called howitzers, then. As for indirect fire, most tanks have the capability to do this by use of a quadrant fire control, much like an artillery piece's direct/indirect fire sight. At longer ranges for low velocity guns like the Scorpion/Cougar, we could fire beyond 2000m but the gun elevation would be so high, the target would not be seen through the sight. Using the QFC, and bracketing fire techniques, we could bring fire on a target up to 3750m away. I remember reading a story about a Canadian tank regiment in WW2, the British Columbia Dragoons, or the British Columbia Regiment (IIRC) who used their Shermans as artillery by driving them up on the slope of a hill, then using an artillery spotter to call their fire in just like an artillery battery.

04-14-2011 k9catforce, on Nov 15 2012 - 06:50, said: Basically, what is the difference between a gun, a cannon, and a howitzer? From my flight sim days, I know that a gun shoots non-explosive bullets, while a cannon shoots explosive rounds; but where does a howitzer fit in? And what is a gun/cannon considered if it fires both AP and HE? Gun - Weapon used to fire a projectile at a target. Can be any size, shape or material. Can use any type of energy to propel the projectile. Cannon - Large Caliber, direct fire gun using an explosive charge to propel a projectile onto target. Cannon "shells" do not have to be explosive. AP/HE/HESH/APCR ect have no bearing on the term. Howitzer - Short barreled cannon that fires projectiles at high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent. Mortar - Indirect fire weapon that fires in high-arcing ballistic trajectories down on the target. Paint shop pic to demonstrate.

(Gun) Cannon / Howitzer / Mortar Types of Artillery - shell, gun, guns, howitzer and range Types of Artillery Loading TYPES OF ARTILLERY The function of land artillery is to kill troops at a range beyond that of a hand weapon, and to destroy material, obstacles and defences. Various natures of artillery have been developed, suit able to the tasks to be fulfilled. The four main classes are : field artillery (of which mountain, infantry-accompanying and horse-artillery are lighter varieties) ; heavy artillery (which is subdivided according to power of foe and of movement) ; anti aircraft artillery; trench artillery or mortars. Thus British artillery is classified, in detail, as follows :� _ Light (in India, Mountain) artillery (2.75-in. guns and 3.7-in. howitzers). Horse artillery (13-pdr. guns). Field artillery (18-pdr. guns and 4.5-in. howitzers) . Medium artillery (6o-pdr. guns and 6-in. howitzers). Heavy artillery (6-in. guns, 8-in. and 9.2-in. howitzers).

Super-heavy artillery (guns of 9.2 in. and upwards, and howit zers of i 2in. and upwards). Anti-aircraft artillery (3-in. guns). Field Artillery. This is capable of accompanying the ad vanced fighting line of an army. It consists of light guns and howitzers able to keep pace both on the road and across country with the arm it is supporting, and to come into action without previous preparation of the ground. The field gun is, in all armies a piece throwing a shell of from 15 to 18 lb. to a distance of at least Io,000yd., although effective ranges are generally less, and weighing less than 3ocwt. in action. Before the introduction of mechanical traction the weight was limited to 24cwt. and the range to 6,000yd. The present limit of approximately 3ocwt. is due principally to the fact that this weight is as much as a gun-detach ment of six men can man-handle. All modern field guns are quick firing; that is, the gun recoils on the carriage and returns to the firing position, while the carriage remains steady.

This saves the delay due to running up and relaying the gun after each shot, and increases the rate of fire from two rounds a minute to 25. It also enables the gun-detachment to remain behind the gun-shield, in stead of having to stand clear of it during the recoil of the carriage. The field howitzer differs from the field gun in that it throws its shell high into the air, so as to descend at an angle in excess of This enables it to reach targets, such as men in deep trenches, protected from the direct fire of guns. As this high-angle fire requires less effort than direct fire, the field howitzer is able to fire a shell double the weight of that of the field gun, without exceeding the same weight of equipment. Howitzer fire, from its nature, is local in effect, and at targets of considerable depth from front to rear, such as advancing infantry, it is inferior to the flat-trajectory fire of guns. In most armies one-fourth of the field artillery consists of howitzers, and three-fourths of guns. Special natures of field artillery are :�(a) Horse artillery, which can keep pace with cavalry across country.

For simplicity of ammunition supply, the gun may be the same as that of the ordinary field artillery, but in any case the weight behind the team is reduced by mounting the gunners on horses, instead of carrying them on the limbers and ammunition wagons (caissons in American usage). (b) Light or Mountain artillery, which is divided into separate loads which can be carried on pack animals or transported for short distances by hand. It is used in country impassable to wheeled carriages, and has been adapted to serve the newly found need for artillery of accompaniment (i.e., the close support of infantry) . The provision of a special light gun or howitzer to accompany the infantry has been a subject of con troversy and research since the World War, but it cannot be said that any country has yet found the ideal weapon. Medium Artillery. This consists of guns and howitzers of greater range and shell-power than field artillery, yet sufficiently mobile to accompany the infantry advance. The usual types are a gun of approximately sin. firing a shell of about 6o lb. to a range of i6,000yd. and a howitzer of about 6-in. firing a shell of about lb.

to a range of 12,000yd. The 6o-pdr. gun is designed to fire upon distant road crossings, railway junctions and other im portant points which have to be engaged without delay, and before the heavy artillery can come up. The 6-in. howitzer fires a power ful shell capable of demolishing buildings and of destroying entrenchments other than those of a semi-permanent nature. It is the principal weapon used in trench warfare. Both pieces are available for counter-battery work, that is, for attacking en trenched guns which have been located by aircraft or by sound ranging. The medium gun is an enlarged edition of the field gun. The 6-in. howitzer was formerly a short, handy piece, but owing to the increased range now required of it the length of the modern type is as much as 25 calibres. Heavy Artillery. This term is applied to pieces heavier than medium artillery including guns up to 8-in. calibre and howitzers up to 9.2-in. calibre. In modern war it is necessary to attack objectives at least Iom.

behind the fighting front and accordingly road-mobile heavy artillery, which can engage targets beyond the range of medium artillery, has been introduced. The principal gun of this type is the 6in. gun, the latest pattern of which ranges 15m. with 100 lb. shell. It can be fired from the ground without the delay entailed by building a platform ; wire mats or similar appliances are used to prevent the wheels from sinking. Modern 6-in. guns have split-trail carriages to enable them to be traversed quickly. A howitzer heavier than the 6-in. is required for destroying bridges and semi-permanent entrenchments. The 8-in. howitzer fires a 200-lb. shell and ranges 18,000yd. ; the British 9.2-in. howitzer, known in the war as "Mother," fires a 290-lb. shell ranging 12,7ooyd.; and the new American 24o-mm. (9.45-in.) how itzer, a type of gun used also by the French, fires a 356-lb.

shell to a range of 2 5,000yd. This piece is accepted as the typical mod ern heavy howitzer, and is about the largest piece likely to be transported by road in future warfare, as it is considered that heavier natures are better transported by rail. Super-heavy Artillery. As the size of a shell is increased, the effect increases in a higher ratio. Much of the destructive effect of a i,000-lb. shell is due to the blast, not to the local destruction caused by the high-explosive charge. The effect of the blast is to bring down walls as much as 5oyd. from the point of burst, to cause roofs to fall in, and generally to wreck a great building such as a railway station or factory. A single hit from a i 2-in. shell might destroy a bridge altogether, whereas ten hits from 6-in. shells, equal to the same weight of ammunition, would only cause easily reparable damage. A further advantage gained by the use of very heavy guns is the greatly increased range. Thus the British 9.2-in. gun throws a 38o-lb. shell 14m. while the new U.S.

i4-in. gun ranges 22m. with 1,56o-lb. armour-piercing shell, and nearly 3om. with a somewhat lighter stream-lined shell. These considerations have led to the extensive employment of super-heavy pieces in land warfare. Gun versus Howitzer. Formerly a howitzer was a low velocity weapon fired at a high angle of elevation, while a gun was a high velocity piece with a flat trajectory. The howitzer conveyed the shell to the target with a much smaller propelling charge than the gun, and consequently lasted much longer than the gun before it was worn out. At present all guns are mounted so as to fire at high angles of elevation, in order to attain their extreme range, and use reduced charges as well as full charges and super charges in order to save wear. On the other hand, the range re quired of howitzers is now greatly increased so that the 1914 pattern, 12 calibres long, has been superseded by howitzers of 25 calibres and over, firing much heavier charges. The distinction between gun and howitzer is therefore tending to disappear.

Super-heavy pieces are usually fired from railway mountings or at least are transported by rail. But an invader may find it necessary to bring up large howitzers, for the reduction of for tresses near the frontier, before the captured railways can be made available. The difficulty in the way of transporting these pieces by road is the limit of the weight which bridges can carry. Even on the great main roads of western Europe this weight is not more than 3o tons, and on country roads it may be as little as 5 tons. This implies a special type of howitzer, comparatively short and light, capable of throwing a heavy shell to a short range. The German 42-cm. (i6.5-in.) howitzer brought up for the siege of Antwerp was only i 2 calibres long, and weighed 212 tons, or about 29 tons on its special wagon. It threw shell of i 5.7cwt. to a range of 10,3ooyd. It was drawn by three traction engines with a fourth in reserve for hills.

The recoil gear, carriage, platform (in two parts) and gear for mounting the howitzer formed sepa rate loads, and the piece required 13 traction engines altogether. The French have a 3 7o-mm. (14.6-in.) howitzer, only 8 calibres long, throwing an 8cwt. shell i 1,5ooyd. It is rendered road-mobile by being carried on two road trucks, one following the other, with an arched girder between them from which the piece is suspended. The United States has an experimental 9.45-in. howitzer on a cater pillar mounting, driven by electricity from a separate vehicle which carries the i5oh.p. power unit. The total weight of the vehicle carrying the howitzer is 13 tons. Long-range Guns. During the World War the Germans bombarded Paris from a distance of 76m. with specially built long-range guns, throwing 265-lb. shells.

This long range was obtained by using a velocity of 5,0oof t.sec., and firing at an eleva tion of 55 degrees, so that the shell passed through the layer of dense air nearest to the earth, and reached the comparatively thin air at a height of iom. which opposed little resistance to its flight. In this case the greatest height of the trajectory was 24m. Guns of this type cannot fire more than about 3o rounds before they are worn out. Owing to uncertain weather conditions, the accuracy is poor; while the gun is new the shells may be expected to fall within a space of 2m. long by 4m. wide, but as the gun becomes worn these limits are soon exceeded. Aeroplanes are far more efficient than guns for this kind of bombardment, as an aeroplane can now carry a 2,000-lb. bomb and can drop it with far greater accuracy, at such distances, than the gun. Anti-aircraft Artillery. The problem of hitting a target moving in three dimensions is a difficult one and the additional complication due to a curved trajectory has to be eliminated as far as possible. All A.A.

guns are therefore flat-trajectory weapons with high muzzle velocities. Ordinary field guns mounted on lor ries or trucks, as employed in the World War, are of little use. Mobile A.A. guns used in the fighting line, are usually on low wheeled platforms which can be drawn behind a lorry. On com ing into action, the platform is lowered to the ground, and levelled by screw-jacks at each corner, so as to bring the pivot exactly vertical. Semi-mobile guns, used in sedentary warfare, are on heavier platforms which are carried in sections and put together before firing; and non-mobile guns, for the defence of fortresses and cities, are on solid concrete or caisson platforms. The ammunition used with A.A. guns is shrapnel or high explosive shell; a proportion of the shells are fitted with tracers. A tracer is a small firework in the base of the shell, which leaves a trail of smoke to mark its flight. This is necessary, since an ordinary shell fired into the air disappears until it bursts, and there is nothing to show whether it has passed close to the target or otherwise. The shell is fused so as to avoid endangering one's own troops by the shell falling among them.

Fire at aeroplanes is entirely by prediction ; the course and speed of the target are measured by optical instruments, and the gun is fired at the point where the aeroplane is expected to be, making due allowance for the time of flight of the shell. If the first shot or salvo misses, the plane will at once begin to dodge, and it is useless to fire at it until it has again settled down to a regular course. Trench Artillery. When two opposing forces are entrenched, they tend to press forward till their advanced works are within i ooyd. or less of each other. The same thing occurs in siege war fare, when the besieger extends his front trench till it is close to the fortress. The need then arises for a weapon capable of throw ing a heavy bomb to a short distance, yet which is so small and light that it can be carried through the trenches. The original piece of this type is the Coehorn mortar used in the sieges of the i8th century. The modern type was introduced by the Germans at the beginning of the World War. The Krupp Minenwerfer was a light gun of 2-in. calibre mounted on a short plank. The 50-lb.

spherical bomb rested on the muzzle, and had a tubular steel "stick" which extended down the bore of the gun. The piece was fired at an angle of 45 to 75 degrees of elevation, and its extreme range was about 450yd. The so-lb. bomb, with its high-explosive charge, was capable of wrecking a "dug-out" or blowing in the walls of a trench so as to block it. As the weight of the 50-lb. bomb rendered ammunition supply in the front trenches a laborious proceeding, the British introduced the light Stokes trench mortar, firing a io-lb. bomb. This is a weapon of a different type. It is a light steel tube of 3-in. calibre, with a spike projecting into the breech end of the bore. The cylin drical bomb has a small cartridge and percussion cap fixed to its base; it is dropped into the muzzle and slides down till the percus sion cap strikes the spike, when the cartridge is ignited and the bomb blown out. The extreme range is about 1,2ooyd.

This en ables it to be used from a point well back in the trench system where it is safer and less likely to draw fire than in the advanced works. A 25-lb. Stokes mortar was afterwards introduced, and was used principally for firing smoke shell. Later on, the bombs were fitted with air-vanes to increase their accuracy. The 3-in. Stokes proved such a handy weapon that it was used in mobile warfare as an infantry gun, for the reduction of "strong points" encountered in the infantry advance. Being a high-angle weapon, it was useless against moving tanks. Heavy Trench Mortars. Owing to the difficulty of supply ing heavy ordnance in sufficient quantities trench mortars were introduced in 1915, capable of throwing a zoo-lb. shell about 1,200 yards. The principal piece of this type was the Gatignolles 240 mm. (9.45-in.) mortar. This was in two pieces screwed together, and was fired from a mounting fixed on a bed of wooden balks. The total weight was about a ton, and it was divisible into five barrow loads.

The Allies used this weapon for firing from posi tions towards the rear of the trench system, where it could be turned on the front trenches in case the enemy invaded them. The Germans used, for the same purpose, a rifled 170-mm. (6.69 in.) trench mortar, firing a shell of i io lb. to a range of 1,25o yards. shell, gun, guns, howitzer and range From Encyclopedia Britannica M119A1/A2 105mm Towed Howitzer - Army Technology A M119 Howitzer built by the Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center is towed during the Rock Island Arsenal Armed Forces Day Open House parade. M119A1/A2 105mm Towed Howitzer, United States of America The M119A1/A2 is a lightweight towed howitzer in service with the US Army. The howitzer provides direct and indirect fire support to the forces deployed in combined arms operations. It is manufactured by the Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Technology Centre (RIA-JMTC) under joint US/RO (Royal Ordnance) partnerships.

The M119 was first deployed in the 7th Infantry Division, Fort Ord in December 1989. The modified howitzer, M119A1, was fielded to the 82nd Airborne Division in July 1991 and 101st Airborne Division in August 1992. The US Army concluded the M119A1 fielding in 1995. In April 2009, the M119A2 howitzer was fielded in Afghanistan and Iraq by the 4th Infantry Combat Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division. The M119 is presently used by all regular Army infantry brigades in the 10th Mountain, 25th Infantry, 82nd Airborne and 101st Airborne Divisions. The howitzer also serves the 173rd Airborne Brigade and National Guard field artillery battalions. M119 howitzer orders and deliveries The US Army signed a production contract and a license agreement for the howitzer with Royal Ordnance in 1987. The Army received its first delivery in 1989.

The first two improved M119A2 production guns were delivered in April 2007. "The M119 is lighter and has a more rapid rate of fire than its predecessor." The M119 was to be removed from service in fiscal year 2008-2009, but the contracts awarded to the RIA-JMTC were renewed by the US Army for extending the production of M119 up to 2013. L118/L119 British Light Gun The M119 was originally designed, developed and manufactured by the Royal Ordnance Company in Nottingham, England as the L118/L119 British Light Gun. The successful deployment during the Falklands war led the US Army to induct the howitzer into their inventory. The US Army purchased the license rights in 1987 to produce the howitzer by the name M119. M119A1 and M119A2 upgrades The US Army began the Light Artillery System Improvement Programme (LASIP) Block I improvements in 1998.

The programme added a new low-temperature recuperator, an improved trail access cover, simplified tail light assembly and brackets to include a chronograph and battery computer system. It also increased the brake diameter and provided scope for improved interchangeability of spare parts, reduced maintenance and increased trail life. The howitzers upgraded under Block I were re-designated as the M119A1. The LASIP Block II improvements redesigned the elevation gearbox and removed the radioactive tritium from the fire control system. The programme also changed the oil filling and monitoring hardware and installed a new buffer, an improved rammer / extractor tool and a rollbar to minimise damage during air-drop. The M119A1 fleet completed LASIP Block II upgrades in 2004. Howitzers modified under Block II are designated as M119A2. "The M119 was first deployed in the 7th Infantry Division." Ammunition The M119 can fire all standard Nato 105mm ammunition including the M1 high explosive rounds, M913 high explosive rocket assisted shells, M314 illuminating star shell and M60/M60A2 white phosphorous smoke cartridge.

Fire control The M119 is lighter and has a more rapid rate of fire than its predecessor, the M102. The maximum rate of fire is six rounds per minute for the first two minutes. The sustained rate of fire is three rounds per minute for 30 minutes. It has a standard firing range of 14,000m and a maximum range of 19,500m can be achieved with rocket-assisted shells. A standard crew of seven is needed to prepare the howitzer for firing. In August 2010, the US Army signed a $65m indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with Honeywell for high-performance, shock-tolerant artillery Tactical Advanced Land Inertial Navigator (aTALIN) for its M119 fleet. Mobility The M119 can be easily moved and rapidly deployed in the field to deliver optimum fire power with less combat weight. The howitzer has a lower silhouette and can fire without a recoil pit. It is primarily towed by the HMMWV (high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle) .

It can be routinely air dropped by parachute and also carried under slung by the CH-47 Chinook or UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. Share Howitzer | Article about howitzer by The Free Dictionary Howitzer | Article about howitzer by The Free Dictionary see artillery artillery, originally meant any large weaponry (including such ancient engines of war as catapults and battering rams) or war material, but later applied only to heavy firearms as opposed to small arms. ..... Click the link for more information. . Howitzer a type of artillery gun for directing plunging fire at covered targets. Howitzers are part of troop artillery (field artillery in foreign armies). They have a caliber of 100 mm or more, a relatively short barrel (from 15 to 30 calibers), a multisection charge, a range of fire of up to 17 km, and a relatively high rate of fire—a round every other minute or every minute to six rounds per minute depending on the caliber. Most modern howitzers are self-propelled; the old systems use mechanical traction.

The first howitzers were built in Europe in the 15th century (Italy and Germany) and were used for firing stone-filled canisters. In the second half of the 16th century howitzers began firing explosive shells. In Russia the first howitzers were built in the middle of the 16th century. They were called gakovnitsy, gaufnitsy, and gafunitsy. In the 1760’s Russia developed longer howitzers, which were named unicorns. The change from smoothbore to rifled guns in the 1860’s led to the building of rifled howitzers. The greater use of field fortifications in the wars in the second half of the 19th century increased the need for howitzers. They were widely used in all armies in the two world wars. During the Great Patriotic War (1941-45) the highest performance indexes were displayed by the Soviet 122-, 152-, and 203-mm howitzers. REFERENCES Kirillov-Gubetskoi, I. M. Sovremennaia artilleriia, 3rd ed.

Moscow, 1933. Istoriia otechestvennoi artillerii, vol. 1, books 1-3; vol. 2, book 4; vol. 3, books 7-8. Moscow-Leningrad, 1959-66. V. K. T 155mm Howitzer, Towed - 1/92 FA Association - Vietnam Click Here for Sound (.wav file) The Gun . . we pushed it, polished it, pulled it, pointed it, and pumped a lot of rounds out of it . . . it was the purpose for our being, it was why we were there. It is our aim (pun intended) to tell as completely as possible, the story of the 155mm Howitzer (M114A1), and its use in Vietnam by the 1/92nd Artillery. We plan to cover the major parts of the gun, the way the fire missions were conducted, the way the data was delivered to the guns, the types of munitions used, how the firebases were picked, and how the guns were transported to the firebases.

We would like to give the reader as complete a picture of an artillery battalion's functioning, in Vietnam, as possible. M777 Howitzer | Marines.com M777 Howitzer purpose Marines on the ground rely on the Marines by their side, but they also depend on Marine support from long range. The M777 Lightweight 155mm howitzer provides timely, accurate and continuous firepower in support of Marine Infantry forces. In 2005, the Marine Corps began fielding the M777, a much smaller, lighter (9,000 pounds lighter) and more maneuverable towed cannon weapon than its predecessor, resulting in improved transportability and mobility without impacting range or accuracy. 7-ton trucks are used to move the M777s, enabling Marine artillery units to move faster between positions. A must for equipment in an expeditionary force, the howitzer is also highly deployable, able to be lifted externally by both the MV-22 Osprey and CH-53E Super Stallion .

Two M777 howitzers can be transported in a single KC-130 Hercules Can fire up to 5 rounds per minute Attached to a 7-ton truck, can be dropped, loaded and ready to fire in under 3 minutes Can effectively place fire at 18.6 miles out Operational with a 5-Marine gun crew roles Just a few of the enlisted roles that operate the M777 include: Field Artillery Cannoneer Field Artillery Fire Control Marine Field Artillery Operations Chief List of artillery by type | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia List of artillery by type 204,343pages on A list of artillery catalogues types of weapons found in batteries of national armed forces ' artillery units . Some weapons used by the infantry units, known as infantry support weapons , are often misidentified as artillery weapons because of their use and performance characteristics, sometimes known colloquially as the "infantryman's artillery" [1] which has been particularly applied to mortars . [2] The distinguishing feature of infantry support weapons from artillery weapons is in the unit that provides the personnel for the weapon crew.

The list does not differentiate between guns and cannons although some designations use one word or the other. The word "cannon" is of Latin origin, borrowed into the English language from the French, while "gun" appears to be of German language origin and is found in earlier use in England. There is almost universal use of gunner in the English language to refer to artillery personnel, and not the French term cannonier. [3] Some English speaking armies do use the originally French term bombardier as a rank in artillery units. Edit A recoilless gun or recoilless rifles (RCL) is a lightweight weapon that fires a heavier projectile than would be practical to fire from a recoiling weapon of comparable size. Technically, only devices that use a rifled barrel are recoilless rifles. Smoothbore variants are recoilless guns. This distinction is often lost, and both are often called recoilless rifles. Normally used for anti-tank roles, the first effective system of this kind was developed during World War II to provide infantry with light, cheap and easily deployable weapon that does not require extensive training in gunnery .

The near complete lack of recoil allows some versions to be shoulder-fired, but the majority are mounted on light tripods and are intended to be easily carried by a soldier. Aircraft artillery has been used since the first world war. Tank guns Main article: List of tank main guns Tank guns are high-velocity guns designed to be fitted into the turret of a tank . They share many design features with anti-tank guns and in many cases are directly related to anti-tank gun designs. The primary objective of most tank guns is to be able to destroy other tanks, but other tasks such as fire support and anti-personnel missions often are required. Naval artillery Main article: list of naval guns Naval guns are manufactured based on the same principles as the land based artillery ordnance, but differ significantly in system design and use. Never referred to as "artillery" it is however often called upon to provide naval artillery fire support to the land forces operation in the coastal region within their range . Railway artillery Main article: List of infantry mortars The List of infantry mortars catalogues weapons which are issued to infantry units to provide close range , rapid response, indirect fire capability of an infantry unit in tactical combat.

[4] In this sense the mortar has been called "infantryman's artillery", and represents a flexible logistic solution to satisfying unexpected need for delivery of firepower, particularly for the light infantry . [5] In general infantry mortars are defined by what a team of infantrymen, sometimes known as mortarmen, can transport unaided by significant vehicle support. Because of this intrinsic restriction mandated by weight, mortars are only considered "infantry" to a calibre of 120mm.[ citation needed ] These larger weapons usually require wheeled assemblies to allow their towing either by hand or by light tactical vehicles. Heavy mortars Main article: List of heavy mortars Heavy mortars are large-calibre mortars designed to fire a relatively heavy shell on a high angle trajectory. Such weapons have a relatively short range, but are usually less complex than similar calibre field artillery. This category includes the "Trench Mortars" of World War I which were all too heavy and cumbersome, and hence lacked the mobility, to be classed as infantry mortars.

Field artillery M198 Howitzer | Military.com M198 Howitzer Mission: Towed Artillery Fire Support Manufacturer Cannons , Weapons , Army Weapons , Marine Corps Weapons , Army Equipment , Marine Corps Equipment The M198 155mm howitzer is a towed field artillery piece of a split trail carriage design. The M198 is equipped with a double baffle muzzle brake and a variable length hydropneumatic recoil mechanism. The M198 is transported trail first, with the gun suspended over a single pair of traveling wheels. While deployed forward for firing and transportation, for storage, the gun can be rotated 180 degrees (over the trail). When fired, the howitzer is not anchored, but rather, rests on the traveling wheels. The M198 cannot be fired while "limbered" (in traveling configuration), but rather, must be emplaced. The M198 does not have a splinter shield, and there is no option to attach one. The breech is a manually operated screw type mechanism. The M198 fires non-fixed (separate projectile and propellant) ammunition and can be loaded with a variable number of propellant bags.

The M198 is capable of providing fire support in both indirect and direct fire capacities. The M198 is air-transportable by C-5 and C-17 aircraft, and can be slung externally by CH-47D and CH-53E heavy lift helicopters (it is not CV-22 Osprey capable). The M198 howitzer weighs 15,760 pounds (in both traveling and firing configuration), and is 35.75 feet long in firing configuration (40 feet in traveling configuration and 24 feet in stowed configuration). The cannon itself has 45 degrees of lateral traverse and can be elevated between 72 and -5 degrees. The normal ground transport for the M198 is the M939 6x6 5-ton truck and the cannon itself requires a crew of nine. The M198 has a sustained rate of tire of 4 rounds per minute.

The howitzer's maximum range is 18,100m when firing standard 95-pound M107 HE and M864 DPICM projectiles, and 30,000m when firing 97-pound M549 RAP rounds. The development of the M198 155mm towed howitzer began in 1968 when a lightweight replacement was sought for the WWII era M114 155mm howitzer. A testbed prototype was developed and constructed at the Army's Rock Island arsenal in 1969 and firing tests began in 1970. Following initial firing tests, two prototype M198 howitzers were delivered to the Army in 1972, and following additional testing, the M198 howitzer entered full time production in 1978. The first Army M198 unit became operational in April of 1979. Since entering production, over 1,600 units have been manufactured, with the final units coming out of Rock Island in 1992.

The M198 is currently in active service with both the US Army and the Marine Corps though it is being replaced by the M777 ultra-lightweight 155mm howitzer in selected units.

Question: A "Howitzer" is a type of what?
Answer: Gun