💣 WWI Howitzer | 1917, Western Front What is a howitzer? A field gun designed to fire shells on high arcs—between a cannon’s flat shot and a mortar’s steep drop. It hits targets hidden behind ridges and trenches. Where does the word come from? From Czech “houfnice” (“catapult”/“crowd-crusher”). German gunners rendered it “Haubitze”; English later adapted it to “howitzer.” How big is the one shown? British 6-inch 26-cwt howitzer. Projectile: ~100 lb (45 kg). Max range: ≈9 km (5.5 mi). Crew: about 10. What does “26-cwt” mean? It’s the barrel and breech weight: 26 hundredweight (≈2,912 lb / 1,321 kg). How did the British use it? Wire-cutting, trench-busting, counter-battery fire. Before assaults, crews fired timed barrages at the Somme, Arras, and Passchendaele. How did the Germans use theirs? 15 cm sFH 13 and 21 cm Mrs 16 filled the same role. German batteries coordinated with forward observers by field telephone; their “drumfire” barrages pulverized positions. How was a shot pre...