What is the difference between a howitzer and a mortar

Johnnie Pearson I believe the difference is due to barrel length. So the , , and 8-inch are short barreled howitzers, and the is a long barreled gun. I then opened the question to our entire group and following are the replies I received. Paul Griffith Bill, The difference is In rifling. Rifling causes the projectile to spin as it leaves the tube and travel further, thus greater range. I hope this helps. One might go high and come down and the other might go straight to the target.

The howitzer took the shortest path to the target. The gun may have fired farther but it had an arch in its travel pattern. How many of us have seen damage to the plate in the well as a result of a high angle and charge 3 load on a This clip from Wikipedia further explains the difference of howitzer vs. Gun-howitzer also referred to as gun howitzer is a type of artillery weapon that is intended to fulfill both the role of ordinary cannon or field gun, and that of a howitzer.

It is thus able to convey both direct and indirect fire. For effective direct fire, the gun-howitzers typically employ a fairly long barrel, usually not shorter than 30 calibers. Its ammunition also has a high muzzle velocity and often large caliber often mm and larger.

When we fired mm Guns we sometimes fired them as howitzers, angles elevations greater than 45 degrees mils. My understanding of the difference is that a howitzer fired a shell that had a higher arch to it as opposed to the flatter path taken by the shell fired by a gun.

Mark Hommel The howitzer has spiral grooves inside the barrel that makes the projectile spin as is travels. A gun doesn't have grooves and the projectile doesn't spin.

The howitzer is more accurate. Well, that is what I was told while I was there on the firebase. I assumed it was true. Stan Markham The wikipedia article on field guns has a definition of gun and howitzer that parallels my recollection of what we were taught at Ft Sill: "the term has been applied to long-range artillery pieces that fire at a relatively low angle, as opposed to howitzers which can fire at higher angles.

In short, the difference is the "usual" angle of fire - low vs. Mortars would have a higher angle than howitzers. However, throughout the years, the word howitzer could mean any kind of artillery. At some time in modern history a mathematical standard was developed by various military organizations.

As I remember a howitzer became a gun when the bore diameter was multiplied by 27 times and the barrel length exceeded the computed amount. I think this is correct. We have been discussing when a howitzer should be called a gun. Example—the M SP —mm gun vs. You, being the Historian of the Army, probably have the answer. I think I remember from OCS class a howitzer is called a gun when the diameter of the bore of the barrel is multiplied by 27 times and this amount is longer than the length of the barrel.

You are the only person I know that knows everything about the Army. The range is probably the only significant difference between complex "mortars" and regular SPHs. All other differences like logistical and C2 arrangements can be changed - the change would just require orders from the responsible general, there's nothing prohibiting such a change except human inertia.

This horizontal fire support would be limited by the priorities and the available ammunition stocks - but it would be an add-on to the existing capabilities, not necessarily causing a downgrade of artillery capabilities. Combat team leaders might fear that their own fire support would not be available for their own team when they need it. But that could be solved with proper ammunition supply and highest-ranked standing orders about the priorities.

The ability to support other units up to 30 or 40 km away instead of just up to about 15 km away could lead to a drastic improvement of indirect fire support availability and we could save the resources for another AFV version and even eliminate one type of ammunition from the logistical system.

The additional costs would be the small difference between regular SPH and gold-plated mounted "mortars" plus small changes in the support structure possibly resupply vehicles.

The latter costs are kind of "variable", as they depend a lot on how much the new capability would be used. I'm a strong proponent of rather simple mortars for the infantry. But even there the horizontal support fire concept should be embraced to the limits of the mortar's range. Labels: Military Hardware. Anonymous 6 July at Newer Post Older Post Home. An entire company of infantry in wagons, with a mountain howitzer and several rounds of grapeshot, was hastened to their relief.

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