The main advantage of a howitzer over a cannon is its lower weight for greater calibres. A howitzer's range of fire is shorter than that of a cannon, but the projectile trajectory is much higher and the bomb weight is much greater than that of a cannonball. Moreover, due to plunging fire, howitzers can shell enemy forces behind obstacles or irregularities in the landscape. In the past, a howitzer's fire accuracy was inferior to that of a cannon, but explosive projectiles (bombs) and its large calibre compensated for this drawback. Howitzers took over mainly in the 18th century and played a great role in battles of those times.
