Here's a real dumb question for an armor neophyte: What's the difference between a howitzer and a cannon? I'm thinking especially in terms of tanks or other AFVs.

TIA...Kevin

Not much really except a howitzer has a higher angle of fire while a cannon has a flatter angle of fire. This results in the howitzer being able to deliever greater plungging fire.

A howitzer in terms of on a tank fires a shell or projectile at a medium velocity with a high trajectory. The shell is lobbed onto it's target.

A cannon or gun on a tank is like a large calibre gun, which fires it's shell or projectile at a high velocity with a low or straight trajectory directly at it's target. Like a rifle.

Easy one, a howitzer uses a high trajectory and is considered indirect fire. Simple example is bullet goes up and comes down in a pre-determined location. Line of sight is not necessary. A howitzer set a a specific point, pointing in a specific direction and a given angle, and a set charge will drop its rounds in basically the same spot without having to see the spot.

A cannon, or on a tank, main gun is a direct fire weapon. The trajectory is relatively flat and what you see is what you shoot at. Tank guns can be used as indirect fire, but unlike artillery shells, you cannot adjust the charge in the round.

Mortars are indirect fire too, but they use a very high trajectory.

If I remember correctly, a howitzer is a gun primarily intended for firing explosive shells at high-angles, with arcing flight paths (i.e., indirect fire). This is distinct from a gun intended for use as a direct fire weapon, with a relatively flat trajectory. Tank guns are referred to as "Guns".

Cannon is a more-or-less generic term indicating something that fires a projectile larger than some arbitrary size (.50 cal seems to be the standard, right now), usually in single shots or non-automatic sequential shots. The truth is that terms like "gun" and "cannon" are kind of interchangeable in day-to-day use, even in the military.

As an aside, the long, round, holey part of any cannon is called the "tube", not the "barrel". The military refers to gun tubes and cannon tubes, etc. In fact, howitzer firing battery strengths are counted in terms or how many tubes it possesses, which is to say, how many functional howitzers that battery has. However, in conversation, the howitzers may be referred to as "guns". Larger formations of artillery are also counted in terms of tubes.

The long, round, holey part of a tank cannon is referred to as a "gun tube". Cleaning the gun is called "punching the tube", a reference to the effort required by several men to push a tight-fitting bore-brush through the tube (alway muzzle to breech), several times. The sectional pole used to push the bore-brush is called the "rammer staff", a throwback reference to the muzzle loading cannons of old. BTW, be ready to pull your hands clear if you are the man closest to the muzzle when the bore brush pops into the breech (with a hollow sounding pop). If you don't, you will need band-aids for your fingers and knuckles.

I hope this clears things up a little, but I doubt it...

Wow! Armorama turns into the Learning Channel once again
DJ

The two terms go back well before the American Civil War. All artillery was direct fire at that time, you had to see the target to judge fall of shot, even mortars were basically direct fire then. Howitzers were designed to give a higher angle of fire so that rounds could be placed over the walls of fortifications, and generally fired shells. Cannon had a higher muzzle velocity and flatter trajectory and were used primarily to engage targets in the open and for breeching walls of fortifications . Guns could fire shot and shells. One thing discovered during the American Civil War was that the short barreled 24-pound howitzers fired a mean cannister round due to the large bore. The 12-pounder "Napolean" was classified as a gun-howitzer as it could fire a low trajectory shot and a high trajectory shell both with relative effectiveness. The US carried many cannon and howitzers up thru the Vietnam war. There were both 155mm cannons and howitzers during WWII. Cannons tended to have more range, but less accuracy that howitzers. The 8-inch (203mm) howitzers was/is one of the most accurate weapons in history. The 175mm was one of the most famous cannon, it had extreme range, but lost accuracy rapdly at longer ranges. It was used for H&I fires in Vietnam because it could reach out to support the LRRPs and SF out in the boonies. It is a favorite of the Israelis because of its extreme range. Howitzers are now favored for indirect fire because of there ability to use plunging fire.

Ranger74

Ranger 74---all that may be correct, but true beauty is achieved when one watches a 155 in the direct fire role. Whatever it hits is totally and completely destroyed. It's impressive.
DJ

August, 1989 Fort Dix N.J., I saw for the first time 155s direct fire at old burnt out tank husks @ 300 yards out. Talk about a beautiful sight!!! No words to descibe that event.

Hopefully they were firing HEAT, a most impressive sight indeed!!! You are quite correct in that a 155 is impressive in the direct fire role. But ask any artillerymen, and they will tell you that they much prefer the indirect fire role. Direct fire is a method of last resort, it often means that the crap has hit the fan