American 24-pdr Howitzer ~ 1776
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The howitzer originated in the Netherlands during the late 17th Century as a type of artillery that used a small powder charge to propel an explosive shell at a high angle up to a maximum of 45-degrees. Howitzers had much shorter barrels than cannons that were used for direct or flat trajectory fire. In addition to having a shorter barrel the howitzer had a small diameter powder chamber inside the barrel. This powder chamber means there is much thicker metal around the powder when it is ignited, greatly reducing the possibility of the barrel failing. Howitzers were mounted on wheeled carriages with shorter and more steeply angled trails to allow them to be elevated to approximately a 45-degree angle. Howitzers were commonly used for launching explosive shells over the walls of enemy fortifications or enemy forces hiding on the backside of a hill. At the beginning of the American Revolution in 1775, the Continental Army was in urgent need of artillery. There were few American colonists with the expertise necessary to cast artillery pieces. One of the most skilled and prolific makers of American made artillery was James Byers who was casting bronze guns in New York City in 1775. In 1776 he relocated his foundry operation to Philadelphia. This howitzer is the first 24-pounder howitzer he made for the Continental Army as indicated by the "No.1" visible on the left trunnion. In early 1777, General Henry Knox, Chief of the Continental Artillery, directed Byers to move to Springfield Massachusetts. There Knox created the Continental Army's first arsenal where weapons of all types were manufactured for the Army.
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