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Was the Howitzer an anti-tank gun?

Updated: 10/26/2022
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11y ago

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In general, no. Most howitzers had a short barrel and light powder charge, mainly to make them light and manoeverable, such as for "mountain guns". They certainly weren't designed as anti-tank weapons but a hit from a howitzer round might disable a tank.

In today's modern militaries, all field guns are now howitzers (the primary definition of a "howitzer" vs a normal gun is that a howitzer is capable of elevation about 45 degrees from horizontal). While their primary mission is long-range indirect fire, they all have direct-fire capability. They also come with a wide variety of ammunition. While they don't have the APFSDS-style kinetic penetrator typical of direct-fire guns, they do have both a variety of HEAT and HESH rounds that can be very effective, plus they are capable of firing a number of different guided weapons.

So, the answer is: YES, the modern howitzer definitely has a significant anti-tank capability, though that is not their primary mission. When used in the anti-tank role, it is almost always via indirect fire dropping a variety of specialty rounds on the tops of tanks a considerable distance away. Using a howitzer in a direct-fire anti-tank role is generally a sign that something has gone seriously wrong with the tactical situation.

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Q: Was the Howitzer an anti-tank gun?
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