Artillery
History: Artilery was first used in 1346 in the famous battle of Crecy, France, but the recognizion came approx. 400 years later; after the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) the Austrians recognized the importance of artillery in modern warfare, and the Prince Lichtenstein was commissioned to reorganize it. Jean Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval,a Frenchman serving with the Austrian artillery, was stuck with the improvements in effected in Austria. On his return to France he came up with the idea of creating a complete system, in both personnel and materiel, making a seperate provision for field, siege, garrison and coast artillery. This system was later on used with brilliant tactical success by Napoleon. Even in World War I the term "Napoleonic artillery" went by the strategy board but one major difference in the tactics were the use of chemical warfare. In World War II the main difference was the use of rockets and guided missiles, notably the German V-2 missile. Modern artillery is usually referred to as mobile or fixed. Mobile Artillery includes: Field pieces transported by own wheels, railway artillery, and the heaviest of siege guns. Fixed artillery is designed for permanent emplacement, such as seacoast armament mounted in harbor defences and certain fixed anti-aircraft establishments. Notably is the antitank weapons used to destroy armored motor vehicle and the Pack artillery designed for use in mountainous or jungle countries. Artillery is usually transported by the following means: Towed by tractors or trucks; hauled in the body of a truck but unloaded and emplaced for firing; self propelled (mounted directly on vihicle) or airborne (transported by aircraft or gliders). Hint: Great unit for attacking City Walls. Specifications:
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