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A piece of artillery that is notable for having a barrel, which can sometimes be quite long, that is used to launch projectiles. The howitzer is fired by pulling a lanyard, or a cord. A large howitzer can fire as many as five rounds per minute. It might also have a panoramic telescope to help soldiers sight an enemy target and a fire control quadrant to measure elevation. The cannon is used for long-range targets and is generally lowered when the enemy is close.
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Howitzer Term Timeline in A Rumor of War
The timeline below shows where the term Howitzer appears in A Rumor of War. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter Nine
...Corporal Kazmarack. It is a rainy day. Caputo flinches from the sound of an eight-inch howitzer firing a round. Though Caputo knows that the sound is outgoing, the noise is remarkable....
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Chapter Ten
...that night and knows that he will not get much sleep after midnight, with the howitzers booming all night.
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Chapter Eleven
...base. The counterattack is getting under way. Caputo feels slight excitement when he sees the howitzers, “bouncing on their carriages behind the speeding trucks.” A column of white flame from burning...
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