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From: thos@suite.sw.oz.au (Thomas Cohen)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: hi angle clarification
Message-ID: <1991Apr19.071022.14259@amd.com>
Date: 19 Apr 91 11:16:42 GMT
References: <1991Apr16.041352.27770@amd.com> <1991Apr18.033113.23012@amd.com>
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From: thos@suite.sw.oz.au (Thomas Cohen)



>From: bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt)
>> [Gun, Howitzer & mortar definitions ]
>So, how do you classify the Soviet 152mm Gun-Howitzer?

Dunno, guess the Soviets must be confused. ;^) Possibly used in various
roles depending on the ammunition and charge (see below).

>And, I believe the old 175mm Artillery piece was a "gun" not a howitzer.  

Guns can be of any size - 15" in the case of the USS Missouri et al.
According to (all chorus... Ian Hogg ) a Gun is generally a piece of
artillery that fires a projectile at high velocity with a relatively
flat trajectory - certainly less than 45 deg, and uses a limited range
of cartridge options. Although AA guns are allowed to fire over 45deg I
believe ;^)

A Howitzer is a piece of artillery capable of firing at angles greater
than 45 deg, and at a low velocity. It has a propellant charge capable
of being adjusted to for size to give a number of trajectory options,
all of which describe a high path to pass over intervening obstacles and
reacah behind cover to drop the shell on the target. Compared with a gun
of the same calibre, the howitzer fires a heavier shell at lower
velocity and has a shorter range.

Mortars are strictly speaking, any ordnance that can fire only at angles
greater than 45deg.

-- 
thos cohen
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