have, however, far greater shell power. The special features of the
weapon are, of course, the product of the special requirements which
have called it into existence. These are, briefly (a) the necessity of
being able to "search" the interior of earthworks, a task which, as has
been said, is beyond the power of high-velocity field guns, and (b)
demolition work, which is equally beyond the power of even a H.E. shell
of field-gun calibre. The first of these conditions implies a steep
"angle of descent," which again implies a high angle of elevation. The
second requires great shell power but does not call for high velocity.
The howitzer, therefore, is a short gun, firing a heavy shell at high
angles of elevation. Howitzers almost always are laid by the indirect
method of fire from under cover, since it is clear that, with high
angles of elevation, the gun may be brought close up to the covering
mass, and still fire over it. Ranging must be done very accurately and
yet economically, as but few of their heavy shells can be carried in the
wagons and limbers, and the shells descending upon an enemy almost
vertically lose the long sweeping effect of the field shrapnel which
neutralizes minor errors of ranging. The projectiles employed are high
explosive and shrapnel, the latter for use against _personnel_ under
cover, the former for demolition of field works, casemates or buildings.
It is very generally held that howitzer time shrapnel is the best form
of projectile for the attack of shielded guns. Here it may be said that
no completely satisfactory method of dealing with these has yet been
discovered. The best procedure with field guns is said to be lengthening
the fuze to obtain a high percentage of bursts on graze. A shell
striking the face of the shield will penetrate it, and should kill some
at least of the gun detachment behind. The high-explosive shrapnel
alluded to above is designed primarily for the attack of shielded guns.