Editing Howitzer (section)

{{short description|Type of artillery piece}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox weapon
|name= Howitzer
|image= [[File:155mm-howitzer-korea.jpg|300px]]
|caption= Firing of a 155 mm howitzer by the 90th Field Artillery Battalion, US 24th Infantry Division, during the Korean War
|type= Artillery
|is_ranged= yes
|is_artillery= yes
|barrels= 1
|range= Varies by model
|max_range= Typically several kilometers to tens of kilometers
}}
The '''howitzer''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|aʊ|.|ɪ|t|s|ər}}) is an [[artillery]] weapon that falls between a [[cannon]] (or [[field gun]]) and a [[Mortar (weapon)|mortar]]. It is capable of both low angle fire like a field gun and high angle fire like a mortar, given the distinction between low and high angle fire breaks at 45 degrees or 800 mils (NATO). With their long-range capabilities, howitzers can be used to great effect in a [[Artillery battery|battery]] formation with other artillery pieces, such as long-barreled guns, mortars, and [[rocket artillery|rocket artillery.]]  Howitzers were valued for their ability to fire [[explosive]] shells and [[incendiary device|incendiary materials]] into fortifications. Unlike mortars, which had fixed firing angles, howitzers could be fired at various angles, providing greater flexibility in combat.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, howitzers evolved to become more mobile and versatile. The introduction of [[rifling]] in the mid-19th century led to significant changes in howitzer design and usage. By the early 20th century, howitzers were classified into different categories based on their size and role, including field howitzers, siege howitzers, super-heavy siege howitzers, and defence howitzers.

During [[World War I]] and [[World War II]], howitzers played significant roles in combat, particularly in [[trench warfare]] and artillery-heavy strategies such as the [[Soviet deep battle]] doctrine. In modern times, the distinctions between guns and howitzers have become less pronounced, with many artillery pieces combining characteristics of both. Contemporary howitzers are often [[self-propelled artillery|self-propelled]], mounted on tracked or wheeled vehicles, and capable of firing at high angles with adjustable propellant charges for increased range and accuracy.