Howitzer

Howitzers were cannon specifically designed to fire hollow projectiles with smaller powder charges than similarly sized guns. Howitzers were distinguished from guns by having a chamber in the bore that limited the amount of powder that could be use to charge the piece and were both shorter and lighter in proportion to their projectiles than guns designed to fire solid shot. Howitzers were designated by the weight of solid shot that they would fire (if they fired solid shot) and by the diameter of the bore in inches. In the United States service howitzers were grouped into four classes:

1. Sea-Coast Howitzers, 8 and 10 inch, cast iron; (superceded during the Civil War by columbiads)

2. Siege and Garrison Howitzers, 8-inch and 24-pounder, cast iron;

3. Field Howitzers, 12, 24, and 32-pounder, bronze;

4. Mountain Howitzer, 12-pounder, bronze.

Howitzers were a powerful accessory to the close defense of any fortification. Canisters for howitzers carried more small balls than guns and could inflict devastating casualties on an attacking body of troops as it approached the crest of the counterscarp or when enemy troops were trapped in a well flanked ditch. Shells fired at longer ranges could help break down the orderliness and ensemble of an assaulting column or harass the artillerists in batteries established against the fortification. In an attack by regular approaches howitzers were combined with guns in batteries in front of the second parallel to help silence the attacked fortification's artillery, batter the earthen parapet on top of masonry walls, and generally harass enemy troops defending the covered way. In breaching batteries howitzers were used to break down the debris thrown off the wall by solid shot and shatter damaged masonry. In an accelerated attacks or bombardments howitzer fire was employed to ignite fires within the fortification and generally harass and fatigue the garrison. Against field fortifications howitzer fire was used to displace the soil of the parapet, harass the interior of the work, and to attempt to explode magazines.

January, 2003