Self-propelled artillery

Self-propelled artillery is a mobile weapon system that carries an artillery piece on a powered chassis, allowing it to move with military forces and fire without being towed into position.

Artillery: Artillery comprises large-caliber weapons designed to fire munitions over long distances. Self-propelled artillery is a mobile form of this broader weapon family.
Towed artillery: Artillery pieces moved into position by a separate vehicle or by a crew. Towed guns are generally lighter or cheaper but need a separate prime mover.
Indirect fire: Fire directed at targets that cannot be seen directly from the weapon’s position. Self-propelled artillery commonly fires from concealed positions at targets identified by others.
World War I: A global war fought from 1914 to 1918, centered on the Allied and Central Powers. The war accelerated experiments with motorized artillery and mobile battlefield weapons.
Howitzer: An artillery piece designed to fire shells at relatively high angles as well as flatter trajectories. Howitzers are the most common weapons mounted on modern self-propelled artillery.
Tracked vehicle: A vehicle that moves on continuous tracks rather than wheels. Tracks give many self-propelled guns traction across rough ground.
Self-propelled gun: A mobile artillery vehicle carrying a gun, often with a direct-fire capability or a relatively limited gun arc. The label overlaps with self-propelled artillery, though usage varies by military and period.
Fire support: Military action that uses weapons to assist forces engaged in an operation. Mobile artillery delivers supporting fires while keeping pace with ground formations.
World War II: A global war fought from 1939 to 1945 between the Axis and Allied powers. Wartime production brought self-propelled artillery into widespread use.
Field artillery: Artillery intended to support ground forces in field operations. Self-propelled artillery is a mobile platform for field-artillery weapons.

Linked from 12 pages