User:Jnharrison2021/sandbox

World War One brought up many advancements in military technology, especially the guns and artillery. Artillery was used on both the offensive and the defensive. It was used to wreak havoc on the front lines and to pick out specific targets to demolish with one shell. Artillery ranged from light artillery carried by horses to the front lines to massive rail guns carried by trains. They used artillery in the creeping barrage in order to make the enemy fall back. Larger guns were used in siege warfare. Field artillery was used on the front lines and could be fired in a long straight line. These were used when a target was in direct sight. Once field artillery could not be fired in an arc, they were less useful than mortars due to trench warfare. In the trenches, mortars were used because they could fire over 45 degrees and the shells would either explode and send shrapnel flying or they could be rigged to set off a poisonous gas. Howitzers are another form of artillery. They were used heavily in World War One to destroy buildings and fortify locations. They have relatively short barrels and small propellant charges to propel the explosive projectiles at far distances and high trajectories. This form of artillery was between the field gun and the mortar. Like many of the other forms of artillery these were often arranged in batteries. This meant that they were often grouped together in a unit of guns to control the battlefield. Artillery was a major part of winning the war and maintaining territories.