Artillery

For the Danish thrash metal band, see Artillery (band).

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Cannon at a fort, 19th century

Artillery is a word for the big guns used in an army, for example cannons and howitzers. Such guns are used to shoot targets far away. Artillery is often used to stop enemy troops using an area, to bombard trenches and buildings with enemies in it and to support friendly units. There are many different weapons that are called artillery. They may shoot shells or missiles. Newer systems can even drop mines over a big area, making the area uncrossable. Anti-aircraft warfare includes the use of artillery to fight planes and other aircraft.

Those who fire the artillery piece are called "gunners". In most cases someone else, called a "spotter" must see the enemy, because artillery often shoots farther than the gunners can see. The artillery crews do not have to see the enemy to damage them.

Different types of artillery

Field artillery Field guns Field gun (Self-propelled) Howitzers Howitzer (Self-propelled) Infantry gun Infantry gun (Self-propelled) Mountain artillery Muzzle-loading gun Siege artillery

Specialized guns Anti-aircraft guns Anti-tank guns Assault guns Autocannons Coastal artillery Nuclear artillery Recoilless rifles Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns Self-propelled anti-tank guns

Mortars Mortars Heavy mortars Infantry mortars Self-propelled mortars Rockets Rocket artillery Transport-built-in artillery Naval guns Railway guns Tank guns

Artillery Media

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  Soldiers of the Royal Artillery firing 105mm light howitzers during an exercise (2013)

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  French soldiers in the Franco-Prussian War 1870–71

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  British 64 Pounder Rifled Muzzle-Loaded (RML) Gun on a Moncrieff disappearing mount, at Scaur Hill Fort, Bermuda. This is a part of a fixed battery, meant to protect against over-land attack and to serve as coastal artillery.

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  7-person gun crew firing a US M777 Light Towed Howitzer, War in Afghanistan, 2009

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  Artillery illuminating ammunition used in a shooting exercise on Simplon Pass, Switzerland. The illuminated mountain is Mount Fletschhorn, 9 km from the photographer's position.

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  A bronze "thousand ball thunder cannon" from the Huolongjing.

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  A depiction of an early vase-shaped cannon (shown here as the "Long-range Awe-inspiring Cannon"(威遠砲)) complete with a crude sight and an ignition port dated from around 1350 AD. The illustration is from the 14th century Ming Dynasty book Huolongjing.

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  French gunner in the 15th century, a 1904 illustration

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  First Battle of Panipat

• ATAGS showcasing towing, turning and firing of rounds

Other websites

• Artillery - Citizendium

More reading

• Iggulden, Hal; Iggulden, Conn (2007). "A Brief History of Artillery". The Dangerous Book for Boys. New York: HarperCollins. pp. 209–213. ISBN 978-0061243585.