There is almost universal use of gunner in the English language to refer to artillery personnel, and not the French term cannonier.
[3] Some English speaking armies do use the originally French term bombardier as a rank in artillery units.
Normally used for anti-tank roles, the first effective system of this kind was developed during World War II to provide infantry with light, cheap and easily deployable weapon that does not require extensive training in gunnery.
The near complete lack of recoil allows some versions to be shoulder-fired, but the majority are mounted on light tripods and are intended to be easily carried by a soldier.
[4] In this sense the mortar has been called "infantryman's artillery", and represents a flexible logistic solution to satisfying unexpected need for delivery of firepower, particularly for the light infantry.
[5] In general infantry mortars are defined by what a team of infantrymen, sometimes known as mortarmen, can transport unaided by significant vehicle support.
[citation needed] These larger weapons usually require wheeled assemblies to allow their towing either by hand or by light tactical vehicles.
Usually lightweight and designed to be broken down to be portable by pack animals or even soldiers, they often are in limited calibers with low muzzle energy.
Guns fire a heavy shell on a relatively level trajectory from a longer barrel, allowing for very high muzzle velocity and good range performance.
It is a sub-category of self-propelled howitzers, where the artillery gun is mounted on a wheeled vehicle, usually a 8×8 or 10×10 APC, or 6×6, 8×8, 10×10 trucks.
They are capable of firing heavy shells but require enormous transport and logistical support to operate.