howitzer

how·it·zer

H0305900 (hou′ĭt-sər)n. A relatively short cannon that delivers shells at a medium muzzle velocity, usually by a high trajectory.

[Dutch houwitser, from German Haubitze, alteration of obsolete haufnitz, catapult, from Old Czech haufnice, probably from haufný, catapult that slung many stones at once : hauf, group, heap (probably from Middle High German hūfe, from Old High German hūfo) + -ný, n. suff.]

howitzer

(ˈhaʊɪtsə) n (Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) a cannon having a short or medium barrel with a low muzzle velocity and a steep angle of fire[C16: from Dutch houwitser, from German Haubitze, from Czech houfnice stone-sling]

how•itz•er

(ˈhaʊ ɪt sər)

n. a cannon with a comparatively short barrel, used esp. for firing shells at an elevated angle. [1685–95; < Dutch houvietser=houviets- (< German Haubitze < Czech houfnice slingshot)]

howitzer

1. A cannon that combines certain characteristics of guns and mortars. The howitzer delivers projectiles with medium velocities, either by low or high trajectories.
2. Normally a cannon with a tube length of 20 to 30 calibers; however, the tube length can exceed 30 calibers and still be considered a howitzer when the high angle fire zoning solution permits range overlap between charges. See also gun; mortar.

Thesaurus

Noun

howitzer - a muzzle-loading high-angle gun with a short barrel that fires shells at high elevations for a short rangemortar, trench mortarhigh-angle gun - a cannon that can be fired at a high elevation for relatively short ranges

Translations

obusiercannone d'Owitzerгаубица

howitzer

howitzer:

see artilleryartillery,
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. TRUSOV

howitzer

[′hau̇·ət·sər] (ordnance) A complete projectile-firing weapon with a bore diameter greater than 30 millimeters, and a length shorter than a gun of the same caliber; maximum angle of velocity is about 65°; used to deliver curved fire with projectiles of lower muzzle velocities than those from the gun.

howitzer

how·it·zer

howitzer

how•itz•er

howitzer

howitzer

howitzer:

Howitzer

REFERENCES

howitzer

howitzer

Synonyms for howitzer

noun a muzzle-loading high-angle gun with a short barrel that fires shells at high elevations for a short range

Synonyms

Related Words