Field gun

A WWIFrench 105 mm field gun

Afield gunis afield artillerypiece. Originally the term referred to smallergunsthat could accompany a field army on the march, that when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances (field artillery), as opposed to guns installed in a fort (garrison artilleryorcoastal artillery), or tosiege cannonsandmortarswhich are too large to be moved quickly, and would be used only in a prolongedsiege.

Perhaps the most famous use of the field gun in terms of advanced tactics wasNapoleon Bonaparte's use of very large wheels on the guns that allowed them to be moved quickly even during a battle. By moving the guns from point to point during a battle, enemy formations could be broken up to be handled by theinfantryorcavalrywherever they were massing, dramatically increasing the overall effectiveness of the attack.

World War I

German field guns captured by theNZEFdisplayed in London, 1918

As the evolution of artillery continued, almost all guns of any size became capable of being moved at some speed. With few exceptions, even the largest siege weapons had become mobile by road or rail by the start ofWorld War I,and evolution after that point tended to be towards smaller weapons with increased mobility. Even theGermansuper-heavy guns inWorld War IIwere rail or caterpillar-track mobile.

In British use,field gunsorlight gunswere anything up to 4.5 in (110 mm) in calibre, larger calibres weremedium guns,and the largest calibres wereheavy guns.

World War II

Since about the start ofWorld War II,the term has been applied to long-range artillery pieces that fire at a relatively low angle, as opposed tohowitzerswhich can fire at higher angles. Field guns also lack a specialized purpose, such as anti-tank or coastal artillery. By the later stages of World War II the majority of artillery in use was either in the form of howitzers of 105 mm (4.1 in) to 155 mm (6.1 in), or in form of hybrid anti-tank/field guns that had high enough muzzle velocity to be used in both roles. The most common field guns of the era were the British 5.5 in (140 mm), the American155 mm Long Tom(a development of aFrenchWorld War I weapon) and the SovietBS-3– an artillery piece adapted from a naval gun and designed to double up as an anti-tank weapon.

One of the most produced field guns during the war was the Soviet 76 mm (3.0 in)ZiS-3with over 103,000 produced. The ZiS-3 could be used in direct fire against armored vehicles, direct fire in infantry support, and indirect fire against distant targets.

1960s and 1970s

TheU.S. Armytried the long-range gun again from the early 1960s to the late 1970s with theM107 175 mm gun.The M107 was used extensively in the Vietnam War and proved effective in artillery duels with the North Vietnamese forces. It was considered a high-maintenance item and was removed from service with U.S. forces after a rash of cracked barrels. Production of the M107 continued until 1980 and the gun is still in service with the Israeli military. Reserve stocks are held by other former users such as thePeople's Army of Vietnam.

Modern times

Since the 1980s and 1990s, the field gun has seen limited combat use. The class of small and highly mobile artillery has been filled with increasing capacity by the man-portablemortarin 60 mm (2.4 in) or 81 mm (3.2 in)/82 mm (3.2 in) calibre and has replaced every artillery piece smaller than 100 mm (3.9 in).Gun-howitzersfill the middle ground, with the world rapidly standardizing on either the155 mmNATOor 152 mm (6.0 in) Russian (formerUSSR) standards. The need for a long-range weapon is filled byrockets,missiles,andaircraft.Modern gun-artillery such as theL118105 mm light gun or theM119105 mm howitzer are used to provide fire support for infantry and armour at ranges where mortars are impractical. Man-packed mortars lack the range or hitting power of gun-artillery. In between is therifled towed mortar;this weapon (usually in 120 mm (4.7 in) calibre) is light enough to be towed by a truck or SUV, has a range of over 7.5 km (4.7 mi) and fires a projectile comparable in destructive power to a 152 mm (6.0 in)/155 mm (6.1 in) artillery shell.

See also

• List of field guns

External links

• Field Gun Image Gallery - Royal Naval Museum's Sea Your History website
• Pictures of Vickers field guns
• The Royal Navy's field gun competition
• Portsmouth Action Field Gun - civilians in Portsmouth still running the ex-Royal Navy Command Field Gun run
• COMMAND100 - Centenary of Inter Command Field Gun