Instapundit » Blog Archive » NOBEL PEACE PRIZE UPDATE: US Marines set up artillery base near Makhmour.
The United States Marine who was killed in an Islamic State (ISIS) rocket attack on Saturday was part of an American fire-base which had been set up near Makhmour. . . . The fire-base is home for a “couple of hundred” Marines who are living in tents on the front-line. There they have set up howitzer artillery guns...(Source)
"Artillery howitzer guns"? "Artillery howitzer guns"?
See, this is what happens when an MI Geek Army retiree with Asbergers reads stupid shit...
For those who may be wondering what has me twitching and curled up in a ball over here:
- Howitzers are cannon artillery which can fire with the barrel elevated at a relatively high angle, usually between 45 and 90 degrees; traditionally a howitzer has a comparatively short barrel (i.e., 30 times the bore diameter) and fires with a relatively low powder charge.
- Guns, or field guns, have a barrel that is 45 times (or more) the bore diameter in length, fires a relatively high powder charge, and at a fairly low angle.
- Some artillery pieces are technically "gun-howitzers", able to fill both roles.
- Bonus Ordnance Geek Note: The length of a cannon's barrel will often be referred to as a multiple of calibers, i.e., a field gun has a barrel that is 45 calibers.
Other stupidity in there:
"(A) couple of hundred Marines..." So, a battalion, then...
"Living in tents"... Which, probably seems like luxury...
"On the front line"... Sigh.
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