Antediluvian_Monster -> RE: Anyone using Medium and Heavy Tanks? (7/22/2020 11:06:22 PM)
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ORIGINAL: Malevolence quote:
ORIGINAL: Antediluvian_Monster The US DOD defintion for howitzer is a low or high trajectory cannon firing at medium velocities, with length normally between L/20 and L/30. Per that, the M81 gun/launcher on Sheridan is indeed technically a howitzer. Or perhaps a gun-mortar, since the weapon seems to be shorter than normal howitzer ("gun-" because normal mortar per DOD is indirect fire and muzzle-loading). Other examples of post war "howitzers" would be the low pressure gun on BMP-1 and the 60mm gun-mortar on some AML armoured cars. Overall I tend to see the large distinction between high velocity guns and howitzers as excessive and too "Brits in the Western Desert circa 1941" who fielded tank guns that were either high velocity and were issued with only AP solid shot or low velocity and issued with HE. Even British eventually started mixing ammo loadouts. Post-war high performance HEAT warheads, lighter gun mounts and better recoil compensators completely change the game by '60s, and we get stuff like 6 ton armoured cars with 90mm 750 m/s MV guns capable of knocking out most battle tanks of their day at any range. Sorry, but not true. I mean that in the nicest internet way possible. [:)] An elephant has a tail. A cat has a tail. Therefore a cat is an elephant. [;)] I recommend you not focus on one, specific, component and wikipedia-like definitions of the weapon systems. Google-knowledge is not enough. Field artillery includes troopers who employ cannons, rockets, and missile systems. Infantry and Armor includes troopers who employ cannons, rockets, and missile systems. Despite this, a cannoneer and tank gunner perform different duties using different systems--fire control systems, quadrants, firing tables, sights, etc. The procedures, methods, and systems, in total, they use are not the same, despite the cannon tube. Cannoneers use guns and howitzers, for example. Tank gunners use guns, but do not use howitzers. These details include some incredibly boring stuff like ammunition design, safety, risk, rules, inter-service rivalry, training, etc. Six Sheridans are not a battery of howitzers. Two Sheridans are not a howitzer section. When performing Table VIII with the M551A1, does the crew respond to a call for fire? No. The M81E1 rifled 152 mm gun/launcher is not a howitzer. It is a total system with much more than just a cannon tube. Bottom line, if you call it a howitzer, professionals think you sound ignorant of all those other details. That said, we aren't just in Kansas anymore. [image]local://upfiles/34589/6B1EEFF75EF04C41A2B8F35664AEB89D.jpg[/image] Bit too much unnecessary noise in that post to take it very seriously, but you seem to be saying that howitzer is, per some definition you are using but not citing*, a weapon exclusive to the artillery arm? How about 105mm Howitzer M4, used on few variants of the M4 Sherman tank? *Incidentally mine was Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms.
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