Mountain gun
Encyclopedia
Mountain guns are artillery
pieces designed for use in mountain warfare
and areas where usual wheeled transport is not possible. They are similar to infantry support gun
s, and are generally capable of being broken down into smaller loads (for transport by horse
, human
, mule
, tractor
, and/or truck
).
Due to their ability to be broken down into smaller "packages", they are sometimes called pack guns or pack howitzer
s. During the U.S. Civil War
these small portable guns were widely used and were called "mountain howitzers."
The first designs of modern breechloading mountain guns with recoil control and able to be easily broken down and reassembled into highly efficient units were made by two Greek army engineers, P. Lykoudis and Panagiotis Danglis
(after whom the Schneider-Danglis gun
was named) in the 1890s.
Mountain guns are largely outdated, their role being filled by mortar
s, multiple rocket launcher
s, recoilless rifle
s and wire-guided missile
s. Most modern artillery is manufactured from light-weight materials and can be transported fully assembled by helicopters.
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
pieces designed for use in mountain warfare
Mountain warfare
Mountain warfare refers to warfare in the mountains or similarly rough terrain. This type of warfare is also called Alpine warfare, named after the Alps mountains...
and areas where usual wheeled transport is not possible. They are similar to infantry support gun
Infantry support gun
Infantry support guns are artillery weapons designed and used to increase fire power of infantry units they are intrinsic to, offering immediate tactical response to the needs of the unit's commanding officer. The designs are typically with short low velocity barrels, and light construction...
s, and are generally capable of being broken down into smaller loads (for transport by horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
, human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
, mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
, tractor
Tractor
A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
, and/or truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
).
Due to their ability to be broken down into smaller "packages", they are sometimes called pack guns or pack howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
s. During the U.S. Civil War
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
these small portable guns were widely used and were called "mountain howitzers."
The first designs of modern breechloading mountain guns with recoil control and able to be easily broken down and reassembled into highly efficient units were made by two Greek army engineers, P. Lykoudis and Panagiotis Danglis
Panagiotis Danglis
Panagiotis Danglis was a Greek general of the Hellenic Army and a politician.He was born in Agrinio in 1853, graduated from the Scholi Evelpidon Officer Academy in 1878 as a Second Lieutenant of Artillery, and later extended his studies for another year in Belgium...
(after whom the Schneider-Danglis gun
75 mm Schneider-Danglis 06/09
The 75 mm Schneider-Danglis 06/09 was a Greek-designed and French-manufactured mountain gun....
was named) in the 1890s.
Mountain guns are largely outdated, their role being filled by mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
s, multiple rocket launcher
Multiple rocket launcher
A multiple rocket launcher is a type of unguided rocket artillery system. Like other rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers are less accurate and have a much lower rate of fire than batteries of traditional artillery guns...
s, recoilless rifle
Recoilless rifle
A recoilless rifle or recoilless gun is a lightweight weapon that fires a heavier projectile than would be practical to fire from a recoiling weapon of comparable size. Technically, only devices that use a rifled barrel are recoilless rifles. Smoothbore variants are recoilless guns...
s and wire-guided missile
Wire-guided missile
A wire-guided missile is a missile that is guided by signals sent to it via thin wires connected between the missile and its guidance mechanism, which is located somewhere near the launch site. As the missile flies, the wires are reeled out behind it...
s. Most modern artillery is manufactured from light-weight materials and can be transported fully assembled by helicopters.
External links
- Popular Science, May 1941, "The Old Army Army Mule Takes Guns Where Wheels Won't Go"
- Assembling the Howitzer detail photos showing a 75mm howitzer's various sections being taken off mules and assembled