The term Howitzer, first used in 1695, is derived from the Czech word houfnice, with houf roughly translated to “crowd.” It was a primitive short-barreled weapon, in its original form, used in the 1400s against infantry and charging cavalry. That use would continue through WWI, but later shift to include gun-howitzers, with longer barrels and the capacity to shoot projectiles in higher trajectories. After WWII, any piece of artillery that utilized indirect fire on a target was broadly referred to as howitzer. More flexible than mortars and cannons, today, some howitzers can fire up to 4 rounds per minute at targets 14 miles away. The newer M109 Paladin howitzer has been able to hit targets up to 43 miles away. Howitzer shells vary in size, but a common caliber is 155mm.