Osprey Weapon 48

Increasingly from the 11th century AD, East Asian armies used exploding missiles and siege cannon to reduce the fortifications of their enemies. These ranged from heavy siege cannon such as those used during the sige of P'yongyang during the Japanese invasion of the late 16th century, a weapon that would have been similar to those used in contemporary Europe, to Korean hwach'a, carts mounting over a hundred rockets wihich were used to batter the Japanese at Haengiu in 1593. This is a level of technology that would not become available in Europe until the 19th century in its infancy, and the Second World War before it was practical on the battlefield. This book details the design and use of the wide range of weaponry available.

The rapid development of the tank as an offensive weapon following its introduction in World War I gave artillery theorists cause for concern during the 1920s and 1930s. By the beginning of World War II anti-tank guns had been developed, initially at around 37mm and 2 pounds in weight of shot. By the end of the war, monster anti-tank weapons were being developed, able to penetrate an armour thickness of up to 200mm at a range of 1,000 yards.