Figure 35—ENGLISH 8-INCH "HOWITZ" CARRIAGE (1756). The short trail enabled greater latitude in elevating the howitzer.
In addition to the very light and therefore easily portable mountain howitzer used for Indian warfare, United States artillery of 1850 included 12-, 24-, and 32-pounder field, 24-pounder and 8-inch siege and garrison, and the 10-inch seacoast howitzer. The Navy had a 12-pounder heavy and a 24-pounder, to which were added the 12- and 24-pounder Dahlgren rifled howitzers of the Civil War period. Such guns were often used in landing operations. The following table gives some typical ranges:
Ranges of U. S. Howitzers in the 1860's
| Caliber | Elevation | Range in yards |
|---|---|---|
| 10-inch seacoast | 5° | 1,650 |
| 8-inch siege | 12°30' | 2,280 |
| 24-pounder naval | 5° | 1,270 |
| 12-pounder heavy naval | 5° | 1,085 |
| 20-pounder Dahlgren rifled | 5° | 1,960 |
| 12-pounder Dahlgren rifled | 5° | 1,770 |
Figure 36—ENGLISH MORTAR ON ELEVATING BED (1740).
From earliest times the usefulness of the mortar as an arm of the artillery has been clearly recognized. Up until the 1800's the weapon was usually made of bronze, and many mortars had a fixed elevation of 45°, which in the sixteenth century was thought to be the proper elevation for maximum range of any cannon. In the 1750's Müller complained of the stupidity of English artillerists in continuing to use fixed-elevation mortars, and the Spanish made a mortero de plancha, or "plate" mortar (fig. [37]), as late as 1788. Range for such a fixed-elevation weapon was varied by using more or less powder, as the case required. But the most useful mortar, of course, had trunnions and adjustable elevation by means of quoins.