Elevation (ballistics)

In ballistics, the elevation is the angle between the horizontal plane and the axial direction of the barrel of a gun, mortar or heavy artillery.

By World War I, reasonably accurate artillery fire was possible even at long range requiring significant elevation.

However, artillery tactics used in previous wars were carried on, and still had similar success where great accuracy was not required.

Large warships such as battleships carried large-caliber guns that needed to be elevated above the direct point of aim for firing accurately at small targets at long range.

With advances in the 21st century, it has become easy to determine how much elevation a gun needed to hit a target.