The main advantage of a howitzer over a cannon is lesser weight at greater caliber. A howitzer's range of fire is shorter than that
of a cannon, but the projectile trajectory is much higher, and the bomb weight is much greater than that of a cannonball. Moreover, due to
plunging fire, howitzers can shell enemy forces behind obstacles or terrain irregularities. In those times a howitzer's fire accuracy was worse
than that of a cannon, but explosive projectiles (bombs) and large caliber compensated that drawback. Howitzers have gained the ground mainly in
the XVIII century; they have played a great role in battles of those times.
