Often called the King of Battle or the God of War, artillery is truly one of the most powerful and most deadly weapons of war and historically, more combat deaths have been caused by artillery than by any other means. Artillery refers to long-ranged weapons that fire large-caliber projectiles, such as field guns (howitzers), heavy mortars, or rocket launchers and in battle their role is to provide fire support for the infantry, cavalry, armor and other military units.
Traditionally, the tactic for artillery, perfected by Napoleon, was to concentrate in a direct-fire role. They were usually placed between or a few hundred meters behind the infantry they were to support. By 1914, all armies had standardized on relatively light, highly maneuverable field guns with flat trajectories. Examples of guns designed for this role include the French 75-mm, the German 77-mm, the American and Russian 3-inch (76.2-mm), and the British 18-pounder (83.8-mm).