Also known as: Model 1841 12-pounder howitzer.
| Type | Bronze smoothbore field howitzer |
|---|---|
| Bore | 4.62 inches |
| Ammunition | Shell, spherical case, and canister |
| Character | Shorter and lighter than the gun; higher trajectory, smaller charge |
The howitzer's role
The 12-pounder field howitzer was a short, light bronze smoothbore designed to throw explosive shell and case at a higher angle than the flat-shooting gun, reaching troops behind cover with a comparatively small powder charge. In the prewar organization a field battery commonly paired 6-pounder guns with 12-pounder howitzers.
Its 4.62-inch bore matched that of the later Napoleon, which combined the roles of gun and howitzer in a single piece and gradually replaced the separate howitzers in the field. Surviving 12-pounder howitzers are shorter and lighter than Napoleons of the same bore.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- United States Army, Ordnance Department. The Ordnance Manual for the Use of the Officers of the United States Army. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1862.
- Gibbon, John. The Artillerist's Manual. New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1860.