What's the difference among shells, howitzers and cartridges?

Shell vs. Howitzer: A Clarification

Shell and howitzer are two different concepts, although they are related.

Shell: It is a type of explosive projectile used in artillery. It is designed to explode in mid-air or on impact, releasing metal fragments and a shock wave.

Howitzer: It is a type of artillery weapon that specialises in firing shells. Howitzers are characterised by a higher firing angle than cannons, which allows them to fire shells on curved trajectories.

Essentially, a howitzer is the weapon that fires the shells.

To summarise:

Shell = Explosive projectile.

Howitzer = Artillery weapon that fires shells.

Other common mistakes:

Shells vs Cartridges: They are not the same thing. IN essence:

Shells typically refer to the complete ammunition unit that is fired from a weapon. This includes the projectile, the propellant, and the primer. In other words, a shell is the entire package that is loaded into the chamber of a gun.

Cartridges can refer to the same thing as a shell, but they are more commonly used to describe the metal casing that holds the projectile, propellant, and primer together. In this sense, a cartridge is like a container for the ammunition.

Basically:

World War I Era Shells, Howitzers, and Cartridges

World War I Shell:

World War I shell

• These shells were often made of steel and filled with explosives like TNT or high explosive. They were used in various artillery pieces like howitzers

World War I Howitzer

World War I howitzer

• These artillery pieces were characterised by their shorter barrels and higher elevation angles that allowed them to shoot shells over obstacles and into trenches. The French 75mm field howitzer was a famous example.

World War I Cartridge:

World War I rifle cartridge

Attention - pictures are from Google, they're not mine.