Field Howitzers

1. Range

Cannister 0 - 20 cm
Shell 30 - 50 cm

Howitzers can fire only cannister and shell. They cannot fire shell at ranges closer than 30 cm. When a mixed battery fires cannister, treat the howitzers as cannon of the same caliber as the rest of the battery. Since the rules work with pairs of guns, British batteries with only one howitzer can be changed to give ~*every other* battery a *pair* of howitzers. Odd numbers of howitzers can be rounded up or down depending on the situation.

2. Modifiers

Use all Artillery and Target modifiers except as follows: Do not use the Long Range modifier.

Check Terrain section to see if the available terrain counts as cover.

Replace "charging cavalry -2" with "target unit is moving -2"

3. Targeting

Howitzers can fire at enemy units behind terrain features such as hills, woods, and towns, and even if there are friendly units between the howitzers and the enemy (shell only). To use this indirect fire, however, a friendly unit in good order and in command control must be able to see the enemy target unit.

4. Terrain

For shell fire, walls, fences, embankments, and other two- dimensional obstacles do not count as cover. Buildings without roofs, redoubts, and trenches still count as cover.

5. Effect

Once you have selected the target unit for the howitzer shells, roll one d6. Subtract one for Conscript and Second Rate batteries.

1,2 - Dud
3-4 Ground Burst
5,6 - Air Burst

Dud - Nothing happens
Ground Burst - Roll on Artillery Table as for Shot
Air Burst - Roll on Artillery Table with +3 modifier Ground bursts on boggy ground are duds. Ground bursts inflict l point of structural damage for each casualty inflicted.

Ground bursts may cause buildings to catch fire. Roll two d6. Ignition occurs based on the type of roof:

Thatch 8 - 12
Wood 10 - 12
Tile with wooden building 12

This is a "hook" for players to add your own fire rules. Some people have argued that at Waterloo Jerome should have burned down Hougomont with howitzer fire. This rule will not see much use in Spain.

Air Bursts do not cause structural damage or start fires. (Debatable, but simple.)

6. Russian Licornes

Russian licornes were long-barreled howitzers that shot farther, with a flatter trajectory. They use all of the same rules above, except:

Field Licorne Shell Range: 30 - 70 cm.

Russian licornes must have a direct line of sight to their target.

Shrapnel

All British cannons from 1808 on can fire shrapnel. Range and modifiers are as for Shot, but do not use the Long Range modifier. All cover counts. The firing battery must have a direct line of sight to the target unit. After selecting the target unit, use the Effect Table for Shell. Apply the results as given, but shrapnel does not start fires or inflict structural damage. If players feel that this rule makes British artillery too powerful, limit each battery to four shrapnel shots per game.

Comments

The "field howitzer" is meant to cover all midrange howitzer sizes, including the German 7 and 10 pdrs, the British light and heavy 5.5", the French 6" and 8", and the Russian 10 pound licorne. 3 pdrs and the 4.4" howitzer are ignored. If players want to represent "heavy" howitzers, such as 20 and 24 pdrs, extend the ranges by 1/3 and add +2 to the burst modifiers. Siege mortars are not covered. They should have about double the range, and do not fire cannister.