While infantry carries the title of “Queen of the Battle,” it’s the artillery that’s king. It strikes over vast distances, hits with a lot of force, and remains mobile and accurate. Here are 18 photos of these awesome weapons and their crews:
1. Artillery belches smoke and fire every time it shoots a round.
2. When crews emplace the weapons, they anchor them to the ground and set up aiming aids to ensure rounds go exactly where they should.
3. While the gun crews are emplacing the cannons, other artillerymen move the rounds to the firing point and prepare them for action.
4. Different guns have different muzzle velocities, but most can fire rounds at over 1,500 feet per second.
5. Between shots, crew members quickly remove the spent casing and load a new round.
6. Between shots on 155mm howitzers, the gun is swabbed out. (The white-tipped rod in the left of the photo is the swab.)
7. The guns are often towed around the battlefield behind vehicles, but can also be flown to firing points.
8. Even UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters can fly the guns around.
9. When they need to travel long distances, the artillerymen can throw their guns out of the backs of planes (with parachutes).
10. Some artillery units have self-propelled guns with light armor.
11. They’re highly mobile, but still put on an awesome light show.
12. Back in the day, the Navy’s artillery moved quickly as well, provided there was plenty of water.
13. Night fires light up the darkness.
14. Maneuver units can request illumination rounds from artillery, giving them plenty of light with which to see.
15. Modern artillery carries a lot more than just cannons. Multiple-Launch Rocket Systems can fire a dozen rockets each.
16. MLRS can put on its own amazing light show.
17. Also back in the day, the U.S. Army fielded atomic artillery that could launch rounds with .5 to 15-kiloton yields.
