Playable 105mm howitzers
| fraction | gun | Notice |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | leFH 18/40 10.5 cm | Long-range axis howitzer |
| USA | M2A1 105mm | Allied variant |
| Great Britain | M2A1 105mm | Allied variant |
| France | M2A1 105mm | Allied variant |
105mm howitzer
WWII Online Handbook · Artillery
This chapter explains the operation of the 105mm towed howitzers in WWII Online with an emphasis on the German one leFH 18/40 10.5 cm. It covers firing position, gun HUD, crew positions, zeroing in, forward observer, ammunition, elevation changes, fire correction and battery fire.
Key message
The 105mm howitzer is not a front-line gun. It is most effective from a prepared, covered position in the hinterland. Their effect comes from range (10,675km), markings, clean alignment, pitch/roll control and cooperation with a forward observer.
Basic data of the German leFH 18/40
| type | Fire support |
|---|---|
| Armament | 105mm grenade |
| Muzzle velocity | 470 m/s |
| Maximum range | 10,675km |
| crew | 3 positions |
| Train class | Difficult |
1. Abandonment of the 105 mm howitzer
The 105 mm howitzer is an indirect support tool. It bombards target areas, streets, intersections, forward bases, Depot areas, spawn areas and assembly areas. The shooter usually does not see the target directly, but works with markings and feedback from an observer.
- Area effect: Enemy infantry and vehicles are forced out of rooms.
- Smoke: Attacks, retreats or road crossings can be covered.
- Barrage: Roads, bridges, open fields and Depot axes are made dangerous.
- Battery fire: Multiple guns saturate a target area much more quickly.
2. Crew positions
| position | role | Task |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | driver | Move the gun, briefly change position, use binoculars, check azimuth/distance using the G key. |
| 2 | Gunner | Align gun barrel, set azimuth and range, select ammunition, trigger fire. |
| 3 | Commander / Leveling | Check pitch and roll and bring them to 0.0°. This is crucial for accurate fire. |
3. Important buttons
| button | function |
|---|---|
| M | Open map |
| Z | Deploy/Undeploy |
| G | Check azimuth and distance |
| 0 NumPad | Gunsight / open sights |
| Backspace | Change ammunition |
| 1–3 | Change crew position |
4. Recommended keymapper setting
For artillery, the directional control should be finely operable. In the official instructions it is recommended to use the category in the keymapper AT & AAA Guns to open and also assign the directional movements to the arrow keys.
| function | Left direction | Right direction |
|---|---|---|
| Traverse / lateral direction | Arrow left | Right arrow |
| Elevation / height direction | Down arrow | Up arrow |
A low DPI mouse or fine-tuned joystick can also help. What is important is not speed, but controlled millimeter work when straightening.
5. Prepare Fire Mission
1. Select Fire City
If possible, the howitzer should operate from a city to the rear that is not directly threatened.
2. Check range
Place a contact marker roughly in the target area. If the target is out of range, a different firing position must be chosen.
3. Create mission from the hinterland
The mission should start from the Fire City. The right mission facility is important for PPO construction and ammunition supply.
4. Prepare the terrain
Look for open, flat terrain that is as tree-free as possible. Alternatively, a Engineer can build an Artillery Pit PPO.
5. Bring the gun into position
The 105 is pushed or brought to the firing position with a suitable towing vehicle.
6. Create a new target mission
For the actual shelling, the target city should be set as a mission target so that relevant contact markers are visible.
6. Understand the Gun HUD
The Gun HUD is the howitzer's fire control computer. It shows the data about the vehicle, the gun barrel and the active target. The shooter must compare and adjust these values carefully.
| HUD line | position | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle | Position 3 | Vehicle azimuth, pitch and roll. Pitch/roll that is not zeroed significantly distorts the firing solution. |
| Gun barrels | Position 2 | Pipe azimuth in degrees and mils, angle and estimated range. |
| Active target | Position 2 | Aktiver Zielmarker mit Azimut und Entfernung in Metern. |
Note: Stabilize vehicle, bring gun barrel to active target, then fire.
Active markers
The howitzer uses active waypoints or contact reports. Once a marker is active, the Gun HUD updates the fire data.
- Rally Point for collection points
- Attack point for the first zeroing
- Bombard Point for registered fire targets
- Contact report for detected opponents or target areas
Pro tip
Use Attack Points to zero in first. Once the gun is registered, place Bombard Points on the actual target spaces. This allows the shooter to quickly switch between known targets.
7. Procedure: Use the gun
1. Move the gun
Use position 1 and bring the howitzer into the prepared firebox.
2. Roughly align with the target
If possible, position the gun in the direction of the target azimuth.
3. Deploy
With Z place the earth spurs and take the firing position.
4. Zero pitch and roll
In position 3 bring pitch and roll to 0.0°.
5. Align gun barrel
In position 2, bring the tube azimuth to the active target azimuth in mils.
6. Adjust range
Adjust the range of the gun barrel to the distance of the active target.
7. Choose ammunition
Select HE or Smoke according to the fire task.
8. Control look
Check pitch/roll, azimuth and range again.
9. Fire
Fire a single shot and wait for observation.
10. Recheck after each shot
Recoil changes position. Check gun barrel, pitch and roll again.
8. Gun Recoil / Gun Jump
After each shot the gun jumps slightly. This can change azimuth, pitch and roll. If you just keep firing afterwards, the error increases with every shot. Even a good forward observer cannot completely compensate for imprecise messages from the gun.
- Check pitch and roll after every shot.
- Bring the gun barrel back to the target azimuth.
- Check range again.
- Only then fire the next shot.
9. Pitch & Roll Consistency
The howitzer works more precisely if the vehicle itself is as aligned as possible with the direction of fire. If the gun is at a steep angle, for example at 45° to the actual firing axis, significantly more pitch and roll must be corrected after each shot.
Bad
Gun transverse to the firing axis, strong lateral deflection, high correction effort after each shot.
Better
Vehicle azimuth close to gun barrel azimuth. This means the gun remains more stable after firing.
10. Vertical Interval – height difference between gun and target
Vertical Interval means height difference between firing position and target. This difference influences the actual impact distance. The HUD distance alone is therefore not always enough.
| Position | Effect | Correction thought |
|---|---|---|
| Uphill | The terrain intersects the flight path sooner. The shot seems rather short. | Increase range if the FO reports “short”. |
| Downhill | The grenade flies longer along the trajectory. The shot seems rather long. | Decrease range if the FO reports “long”. |
Rule of thumb from the instructions:
Observed error ÷ 2 = first range correction.
Example: Impact 500 m short → 500 ÷ 2 = 250 → increase range by 250 m.
11. Ammunition
HE – High Explosive
HE is the standard ammunition for impact in the target area. It seems about explosion and splinters, but not like an exaggerated Hollywood explosion. Terrain, cover, prone infantry and obstacles reduce the effect.
Smoke – smoke
Smoke covers movement, disrupts lines of sight, and can enable attacks or retreats. The German 105mm howitzer uses lavender smoke.
AP/HEAT
Antiarmor ammunition such as AP or HEAT is currently not modeled according to the instructions. The howitzer should therefore not be planned as a tank destroyer.
12. Smoke colored
| nation | Smoke color |
|---|---|
| Germany | lavender |
| USA | Violet |
| Great Britain | White |
| France | White |
13. Direct fire
Direct fire is only an emergency solution at short distances. The open sights are over the 0button on the NumPad opens. There is no real destination point; the instructions describe the left edge of the fourth text channel as a rough guide.
| Target distance | German 105mm howitzer: rough angle |
|---|---|
| 50 m | -1.0° |
| 75 m | -0.6° |
| 100 m | -0.2° |
These values are only rough approximations. For real combat use, indirect fire remains the main task.
14. Forward Observer (FO)
The Forward Observer is the howitzer's most important partner. He observes impacts, sets or confirms markers, reports corrections and ensures that the grenades land in the correct target area.
- FO on the same mission if possible.
- FO must survive; without vision, no correction.
- FO reports briefly and clearly: “short”, “long”, “left”, “right”.
- FO marks impacts or target areas with contact markers.
- FO should say which quadrant the battery is firing from so corrections are properly understood.
15. Register Gun
When registering, you don't immediately fire on the main target. First, an easily observable target area is chosen so that the height difference, range and lateral deviation can be understood.
1. Select observable point
FO looks for a flat, visible spot close to the actual target.
2. Place contact markers
The marker must be visible to the gun and can be activated.
3. Make the initial shot
Only one gun fires.
4. Report impact
FO reports deviation in range and side.
5. Apply correction
Gun adjusts range and mils.
6. Repeat
If the shots are within approximately 100 m of the registration point, the gun is considered registered.
16. Fire Correction: Bracketing
Bracketing means bracketing the target. Instead of wasting small corrections, you consciously shoot over and under the target until the center is found.
Shot 1: FO reports short.
Shot 2: Range deutlich erhöhen, FO meldet long.
Schuss 3: Differenz halbieren.
Schuss 4: Feinjustieren und Wirkungsschießen beginnen.
Mutige Korrekturen sparen Zeit und Munition. Zu vorsichtige Korrekturen lassen das Überraschungsmoment verloren gehen.
17. Laterale Korrektur in Mils
Seitenabweichungen werden am besten in Metern beobachtet und in Mils am Geschütz umgesetzt. Die offizielle Anleitung enthält dafür Tabellen. Für den praktischen Einsatz genügt zunächst diese Vereinfachung bei etwa 9.000 m Zielentfernung:
| Seitlicher Fehler | Korrektur bei ca. 9.000 m |
|---|---|
| 50 m links/rechts | ca. 6 Mils |
| 100 m links/rechts | ca. 11–12 Mils |
| 250 m links/rechts | ca. 28 Mils |
| 500 m links/rechts | ca. 56 Mils |
Bei Batterien empfiehlt es sich, auf gerade Werte aufzurunden, damit mehrere Geschütze leichter koordiniert werden können.
18. Batteriebeschuss
Eine Batterie besteht aus mehreren 105-mm-Haubitzen. Ziel ist nicht ein einzelner Punkt, sondern ein Zielkasten. Die Anleitung empfiehlt einen Abstand von etwa 25 m zwischen den Geschützen, damit Resupply, Towing, Dispersion und Sprachkommunikation besser funktionieren.
Registry Gun
Nur ein Geschütz schießt zuerst ein. Diese Gun bestimmt die korrekten Werte für Zielhöhe und Grundrichtung.
Rest der Batterie
Alle anderen Geschütze übernehmen die registrierten Werte und verteilen ihr Feuer seitlich und in der Tiefe.
Kill Box
Mehrere Geschütze füllen einen Zielkasten mit Wirkung. Beispiel: 100 m Breite und 100 m Tiefe.
19. Beispiel: Batterie mit vier Geschützen
Beispielhafte Werte nach Anleitung: Zielentfernung etwa 8.900 m, Registry Gun bei 6.400 Mils, 100 m Zielbreite entsprechen bei 9.000 m ungefähr 11–12 Mils.
| gun | Beispiel-Mils | Task |
|---|---|---|
| Gun 1 | 6394–6396 | linker Bereich |
| Gun 2 | 6397–6399 | links Mitte |
| Gun 3 | 6400–0002 | rechts Mitte / Registry |
| Gun 4 | 0003–0005 | rechter Bereich |
Zusätzlich können die Geschütze leicht unterschiedliche Reichweiten zwischen etwa 8.850 m und 9.050 m verwenden,
um nicht nur eine Linie, sondern einen Zielkasten zu decken.
20. Flugzeit und Nachladen
| Wert | Praxiswert aus der Anleitung |
|---|---|
| Flugzeit | ungefähr 30 Sekunden bis zum Einschlag |
| Nachladezeit | ungefähr 10 Sekunden zwischen den Schüssen |
Deshalb muss der FO geduldig beobachten. Wer zu früh korrigiert, korrigiert möglicherweise noch vor dem Einschlag des letzten Schusses.
21. Häufige Fehler
- Waypoint nicht aktiv: Gun HUD zeigt falsche oder alte Daten.
- Pitch/Roll nicht auf 0.0°: Schüsse landen unvorhersehbar.
- Nach Rückstoß nicht neu gerichtet: Fehler vergrößert sich mit jedem Schuss.
- Zu nahe an der Front: Geschütz wird durch Infanterie oder Luftangriffe schnell ausgeschaltet.
- Kein FO: Einschläge können nicht zuverlässig korrigiert werden.
- Zu kleine Korrekturen: Zeit, Munition und Überraschungsmoment gehen verloren.
- Direktfeuer erzwingen: Die Haubitze ist primär ein indirektes Unterstützungswaffensystem.
22. Kurzer Einsatzablauf als Merkliste
- Hinterlandstadt und Zielraum wählen.
- Reichweite mit Marker prüfen.
- Mission und Feuerstellung vorbereiten.
- 105 zur Stellung bringen.
- Deploy mit Z.
- Pitch und Roll auf 0.0° bringen.
- Active Target setzen.
- Gun Barrel Azimut und Range auf Active Target angleichen.
- Munition wählen.
- Einzelschuss abgeben.
- FO-Korrektur abwarten.
- Range, Mils, Pitch und Roll korrigieren.
- Bei Trefferlage Wirkungsschießen oder Rauch einsetzen.
- Nach Feuerphase Stellung wechseln oder neu registrieren.