What is the difference between artillery guns and tanks?

Answer 1

Traditionally, and normally even today; Artillery means "Guns". And Armor means "Tanks."

When military men say "guns" they are referring to artillery (cannons). Example: "What position were those "guns" located during last night's recon mission?"

For Armor: "Last night's recon flight (reconnaissance/scouting) showed some "armor", point out their locations on the map here."

Since times/names/organization/etc. have changed, during the Vietnam War: Field Guns were "wheeled towed guns" (mostly 105mm and 155mm), they were also called "split trails" or "split tails", "field pieces", as well as artillery and cannons. They were called "split trails" because for towing, their extended rear rails were slid together where there was a steel circle and that circle was placed over the vehicle's towing hitch (like pulling any trailer today). When deployed, the tail end of the gun was un-hitched from the vehicle that was pulling it, and placed on the ground, the artillerymen spread the rail to form a "V" and the "V" now acted as supports (or an anchor) for the gun when it fired. The second type of gun in Vietnam was the SP, or SPG (Self Propelled Gun); these were simply guns that drove themselves, they did NOT have to be towed. Some looked like a tank because they were fully armored with a turret (often constructed from aluminum). The most common SP's in Vietnam that had turrets and were most often mistaken for tanks, were the 155mm SPGs. The second type of SPG in Vietnam were the 175mm and the 8 inch SP's. They had no turret, the gun tubes themselves were completely exposed, those could not be mistaken for a tank.

During the Vietnam War: The M48 Patton 90mm Gun Tank; M551 Sheridan light tank (officially designated the Armored Airborne Reconnaissance Assault Vehicle/152mm gun); M41 Walker Bulldog light tank (76mm gun); and the Australian Centurion 84mm gun medium tank were employed. The enemy (NVA) deployed T-54/55 100mm Gun medium tanks; and their PT-76 Amphibious light tanks (76mm), these machines were supplied to the North by both the USSR & Red China. Red Chinese equipment supplied to North Vietnam were called CHICOM AK-47s, SKS's, tanks, grenades, etc. Chicom=Chinese Communist.

The difference between artillery and armor is that artillery (guns) stay in place and fire primarily IN-DIRECT fire at enemy positions. In-direct fire means they cannot see what they are shooting at (artillery observers do that for them/during Vietnam they were called FO's-Forward Observers/if they were pilots they were called FAC's-Forward Air Controllers). Tanks are designed to move, shoot, and communicate-they fire while advancing...and primarily employ DIRECT fire on the enemy (direct fire means they can see the target...and like a rifle, they are aiming directly at the target).

Consequently, tanks, during the Viet War, were built of solid steel (today they are built of composites); with the ONE exception of the M551 Sheridan tank, those were (minus the 152mm gun and turret) built of aluminum, as they could swim (they were amphibious).