Thread 64248920

What's the difference between SPG and SPA?

>>64248920 (OP)
gun = direct fire
artillery = indirect fire

Lurk 2 years before posting.

>>64248920 (OP)
self-propelled gun just means its a "gun", as in a low-angle cannon, mounted on a vehicle
artillery refers to both low and high angle weapons, but usually refers to high angle weapons in casual conversation

so the M8 scott and M7 priest are both HMC, howitzer motor carriage, since they are capable of lobbed shots
but the former is a close-range weapon designed for supporting infantry while the latter is mobile artillery

the M12 and M10 are both gun motor carriages since they are capable solely of low-angle fire
but the former is a very long range artillery piece with the latter is a relatively close-range tank destroyer

>>64248920 (OP)
A

>>64248939
>>64248931
artillery has been mostly guns fired over open sights for most of its history

most "guns" have been howitzers capable of both direct and indirect fire since WW1

it's literally just retarded terminology autism. fucking chatbots.

>>64248948
a howitzer is distinct from a gun in that its capable of both high and low angle fire

>it's literally just retarded terminology autism.
knowing whether you have a gun, a howitzer, or a mortar with you will be pretty important in the field, since they dont generally do the same things

>>64248948
It's more of a doctrine rather than mechanical capability thing.
>it's literally just retarded terminology autism. fucking chatbots.
It's very clear you never served in any military or know anything about how they operate.

>>64248939
>>64248948
Thank you for explaining anon

>>64248955
SPA and SPG are synonyms. You will see the same thing referred to as any number of terms.
>>64248951
Every gun in service since WW1 is a howitzer, they still get called guns. The vast majority of things that are commonly termed SPGs (i.e., everything that isn't an assault gun) have indirect fire capability and are thus also self-propelled howitzers.

Making a distinction between SPA and SPG is retarded terminology autism because currently, all SPGs are SPAs because they're all howitzers

>>64248968
If they're the same, why are there 2 names for it? And how do people classify them

>>64248968
the 105mm howitzer is only colloquially called a gun, since it was used for low-angle fire fairly often
but it was officially classed a howitzer
hence why the M7 priest is a HMC and not a GMC

the 155m gun is definitely a gun and not a howitzer, since it could elevate high enough to lob shots

>>64248968
>SPA and SPG are synonyms.
According to who? Under what military naming convention?

>>64248920 (OP)
The only time I've seen them differentiated SPG meant SP tube artillery that isn't a mortar and SPA just meant self propelled artillery in general, and that can be a wide range depending on what you consider "artillery"
See Ian Hogg for what true maximalism on that subject looks like. Guy classed MANPADS as artillery in his books.
SPH seems to work well for most of the times you'd use either in the modern day (talking about SP howitzers) but it's not as commonly used.

For that matter, are gun-mortars considered guns or mortars?

The flavor of autism.