Yes, that's partly true, but there comes a point of elevation with a fixed cartridge (like the 18pdr) where further increasing the elevation actually decreases the range. I agree that the single pole trail design limited the elevation in the 18pdrs case to only +16 degrees, which in turn meant that for the 18pdr cartridge, the maximum range attainable was also limited.
The main problems with the limited range of elevation (-5 to +16 degrees on the 18 pdr Mk1) were crest clearance (getting a round over elevated terrain) and the inability to elevate sufficiently for 'plunging fire', ie getting the round coming back to earth at a high angle, which was much more effective when bombarding emplacements and fortifications.
Mike C
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26-09-11, 04:07
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