self-propelling howitzer

A howitzer that propels itself. Laymen think these are tanks, but their armour is thinner and they haven't got a rotating turret. They are not to be confused with tank destroyers such as the WWII Jagdpanther oder Marder -- tank destroyers are just that, tank destroyers, while self-propelling howitzers are artillery pieces.

Current examples are the U.S. M-109 German PzH 2000.

The Jagdpanther and Marder series armor of World War II were examples of this. If the Close Combat series of games is any indication, the Marder was a weak version that could be overrun by infantry, but the Jagdpanther was truely fearsome. In addition to the main gun, both versions also sported a heavy machine gun that could also cause mischief.