HOWITZER ('from howitz, from Ger. Hau bitze, formerly Haubnitze, from Bob. haufnice, havfenice, howitzer, sling for casting stones). A type of artillery. Although a short cannon, it differs from the mortar (q.v.), in that the latter is used for vertical fire, while the howitzer dis charges its shells in a horizontal direction. It is one of the oldest forms of artillery, and was used in Europe as early as the fifteenth century, and in America it was the first type of cannon to be manufactured. It is now one of the most important types of modern ordnance. howitzer batteries forming a part of the artillery corps of all the great nations of the world. The spe cial value of the howitzer is in indirect fire when high trajectories are necessary, and when noth ing but a large angle of descent of the projectile can be effective in attack. It has been found in recent military operations that the howitzer is of supreme importance in supplementing the gnu in field and mountain artillery batteries. owing
to the fact that the field gun with its fiat trajec tory fire prevents the enemy from exposing him self, and if the latter is strongly intrenched, he can hold his' position until attacked by infantry. The curved fire of the howitzer, on the other hand, will clear the enemy's trenches, and com pel resistance or a change of positron. Many European authorities now advocate the addition of a howitzer gun to every battery of field and mountain artillery. In the frontier defense of Austria. the howitzer plays an important part. The pieces are of 24 centimeters (almost 10 inches) calibre, and fire a shell weighing 300 pounds. containing a heavy bursting charge of high explosive. Although not originally designed for field work, they can he moved and brought into position and fired in twenty minutes' time after arrival at the desired point. See ARTIL LERY; ORDNANCE.