Arafinar, on 28 June 2012 - 10:40 AM, said:
Ok you really need to explain this, have worked around RL arty units and your statement doesnt seem to hold water IMO.
So a round slows down as it travels. That's why direct fire weapons have such shorter maximum effective ranges than indirect weaponry like howitzers. If that wasn't the case, don't you think the M1A1 would have at least a 45 degree cannon elevation capability so it could provide indirect fire support with it's 120mm cannon?
The direct fire support weapons are what is know as a kinetic energy weapon, meaning that it damages it's target by transferring the energy it has into the target. In order to make these weapons more damaging without having to increase their munition size, we've increased their muzzle velocity. These muzzle velocities are faster than the round would travel if dropped from any height, thus they are faster than the rounds terminal velocity. This means they will slow down as they travel through the air as the air resistance is greater than the force of gravity.
Indirect fire support weapons work on multiple principles, including kinetic and explosive munitions. Your 155mm Howitzer is not just firing a heavy piece of metal at it's target, it is launching a high explosive charge that will detonate delivering it's damage. Yes, a 155mm slug would do damage, but significantly less than a 155mm high explosive round.
Edited by PirateNixon, 28 June 2012 - 11:06 AM.