The proximity fuze, or VT fuze, is used for precise airburst shelling. In the case of anti-air artillery, such a detonation is absolutely essential, as gunners cannot accurately calculate a manoeuvring aircraft's changes in altitude and speed. For ground artillery, the proximity fuze allows a battery to shred units in any terrain or cover (including open-top vehicles) without having to spend valuable time calculating to set up time fuzes.
