     U.S. Gun-Running Gets People Killed Planes Fire Arms |
Note the stunning failure to mention war profiteering. ------------ The word artillery was used to describe large-calibre mounted firearms. The calibre is the diameter of its barrel bore. In the 19th century artillery was divided into light and heavy, depending on the weight of solid shot fired. Light guns, deployed at battalion level, were usually 4-6 pounders, whereas heavy guns were 8-12 pounders. At the beginning of the First World War the main support weapon for the British Army was the long-barrelled field gun. Also available was the QF (quick-firing) field gun that had a recoil system that bounced the barrel back into firing position. Howitzers were developed to be used under cover or against hidden targets. These fired heavy shells on a high trajectory through a short barrel and were the best type of artillery gun to employ against fortifications. Another high-trajectory gun was the mortar. The projectile was dropped into its broad, stubby barrel and was fired by a pre-loaded explosive charge. By the end of the war some of these guns were capable of firing shells up to about 2km. The stalemate caused by the trench system resulted in military commanders demanding long-range heavy field guns. Heavy howitzers (200-400mm) could fire shells weighing over 900kg over 18km. The British Army also asked for heavy guns that were light enough to be pulled across mud and shell-shattered ground. |