Text T. J . Gander
Introduction
TH E solid fuel rocket is no newcomer to modern warfare for its first recorded
use in battle dates back to AD 1232, but after the fall from grace of the
Congreve and Hale rockets towards the end of the nineteenth century little use
was made of it until the German Army re - introduced the rocket in an offen
sive role from 1940 onwards . Actually they could have had rockets in service
during World War I, for Krupps had purchased the solid fuel rocket patents of
the Swedish experim enter Lieutenant-Colonel von Unge in 1909. While the
rockets then produced w ere extensively tested , they did not go into production
as they were virtually hand - made and the slow - burning bl ack powder propel
lants then in use were prone to damag e during storage and transport. This
damage manifested itself in erratic burning and general unreliability. It was not
until the advent of the larg e grain double-based prop ellants after about 1935
that a storeable and reliable mass-produced rocket could be manufactured .
This book sets out to show how one nation, Germany, employed the
solid fuel rocket as part of its national field armoury. As such it confines
itself to weapons used on the battlefield and only encroaches onto the anti
aircraft role when the rockets so employed were also used as ground-to
ground w eapons. However, to 'compl ete the story' in some cases, mention
has been made of the airborne use of some of these weapons.
The research into this subject has been considerably aided by John Milsom
who supplied much of the material used in this book, and to whom my
thanks are due. Acknowledgements and thanks must also be made to
R. C. Gibson, John Wilkes, Colour Sergeant Fitch of the Airborne Forces
Museum at Aldershot, Peter Chamberlain, the staff of the Photographic Sec
tion of the Imperial War Museum, and finally my wife who typed the
original manuscript. Kenneth M . Jones produced the cover art .
CONTENTS
Page
Section
14
2: Rock et Equipment
1: Deployment and
Organisation
ROCKETS were employed by the German forces in World War 2 in an attempt
to conserve the facilities available for the manufacture of war weapons.
A rocket and its proj ector can be made and fired with a large saving in
money, manufacturing facilities and training over the corresponding artillery
equipment. But it was realised from the start that the accuracy of the rocket
fell far below that of the conventional artillery shell. Where the rocket made up
for this was in its ability to cover large areas with explosive, smoke or gas in
a very short time, and rocket units were trained to maintain a very high rate
of fire over short periods.
The high fire rate was utilised in 'beefing-up' barrages and counter
barrages though the former was the more usual. Fixed projectors (such as the
Schweres Wurfgeriit 40 and 41) were also used to this end while the mobile
projectors were more often used for following up tank formation attacks, when
they usually supported the flanks . In the armoured attack the independent
Panzerwerferbatteri e or Wuhrfrahmen - armed half-tracks closely followed the
attack and laid down supporting barrages when required, although towed
projector units sometimes carried out this task. The ability of the Nebelwerfer
units to lay smoke cloud screens to hide movement and dispositions was
often utilised whenever large areas had to be covered in a short time. The
rocket units could do the same with gas but fortunately this was not called
for during the 1939-45 conflict .
The ability to cover large areas with HE (high explosive), smoke or gas
had to be paid for tactically. Each rocket when fired left a trail of flame and
smoke (giving rise to the name 'Nebelwerfer'-smoke thrower) and if this did
not show up the firing position, the large cloud of dust and debris stirred
up by the rocket's exhaust certainly would. This often resulted in counter
battery artillery and mortarfire being directed at the Nebelwerfer emplacements.
Later in the war the Russians sometimes used Katyusha rockets for this
purpose so that rocket versus rocket duels occurred. As a result of this
counter-battery work, the Nebeltruppe had to be experts in getting in and out
of action quickly.
Further down the tactical scale, rocket units were often detached to give
support to relatively small unit actions, so that a single battery sometimes gave
support to a company attack. There were also more specialised applications
such as when a 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41 battery was added to the proposed
complement of a cavalry artillery abteilung attached to Army Group Centre
(Russian Front) during 1943. The remainder of the abteilung was to have
been made up of recoilless 10'5 cm LG 40 guns, so the 15 cm battery would
have added a great deal of fi repower to the abteilung strength.
ESTABLISHMENTS
Basically there were three different types of rocket unit, of which the basic
unit was the Abteilung (artill ery brigade) . These abteilung were joined in dif
fering combinations to form Werferregimenter. The three basic abteilung were
as follows.
(1) Rocket Projector Brigade (Motorized). (Werferabteilung [m ot ]).
Normally equipped with the 15 cm Neberwerfer 41 this formation consisted
of a brigade staff and staff battery with up to three batteries (werfer
batterien), The equipment for this unit is shown separately, but the staff
consisted of:
Brigade HQ
Reconnaissance/ observation platoon
Rangefinder section.
Maintenance unit
Ad ministrative staff
Signals staff
Anti-tank unit, armed with the 3 7 cm or later the 75 cm Pak.
Listed below are the known units which made up the larger Nebeltruppen
formations in 1945. No priority has been given to unit seniority. The list is
not complete .
Note: s-schweres (heavy)
Stab-Staff.
Stell-Stellung (static, garrison)
(mit 21 [pz] Bttr)-with 21 battery made up of 15cm
Panzerwerfer 42 on Maultier half-tracks.
WR- Werfer Regiment.
W erfer Regimen t s 1
Werler Regiment s 2
Werfer Regiment s 3
Werfer Abteilung 4
Werfer Abteilung 6
Werfer Regiment 10
Werfer Abteilung 11
Werfer Abteilung 31
113
114
203
208
211
224
408
458
The Smoke Units that took part in the Invasion of Poland in September
1939 were Nebelabteilung 1, 2 and 5.
9 Werfer
10
11
12
13
14
15
16 Werfer
17 Werfer
18 Werfer
19
20
Regimenter 14, 54
Regimenter 86, 87
Regimenter 88, ?
Regimenter 21, 22
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54
AMMUNITION ESTABLISHMENTS
(NUMBER OF ROUNDS)
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2
2
6
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31
31
2
2
18 109
1269 Smoke
453 HE
540 HE
11
.-------
:;
'"'
ABOVE: A squad of German paratroops moves caurio usly along a road under
fire. The leading man carries a RP 43 and has a slung rifle. His No 2. behind.
carries a ro und fer rhe RP 43 in his lefr hand, and a rifle in his right. This is
at Normandy, June 1944.
12
13
,I
2: Rocket
Equipment
The 15 cm Rocket
TH E 15 cm rocket was the most widely encountered and used of all the
German rocket projectiles. It came into widespread service during late 1941
and remained operational till the end of hostilities and even after 1945 remained
in service with the French forces.
The 15 cm rocket came with three basic fillings-HE, smoke and chemical.
The chemical variant was not used operationally, but was stockpiled ready for
use (18,600 were captured at H Muna 5t Georgen in 1945).
The spin stabilized rocket was of an advanced design and differed from
all other types in use at that time by having the rocket motor at the front
of the shell and the HE or smoke payload in the base. This rather odd arrange
ment was brought about to make use of the rocket motor as shrapnel when the
shell exploded . In other rocket types the motor tended to separate in one piece
on detonation and thus had little destructive effect. Placing the motor in front
of the explosive however ensured the fragmentation of the motor housing and
increased the weapo'n's anti-personnel hazard .
The motor vented through 26 angled venturi situated evenly in a ring
some two-thirds of the length down the body (see below) . Inside the
forward part of th e body were seven sticks of compresed black Diethylene
Glycol Dinitrate which made up the propelling unit. This was ignited by a
cellulose tube filled with black powder which ran the full length of the
motor. When primed by an electrical initiator placed in anyone of the 26
exhaust holes the igniter caused the propellant to burn at both ends at once
and so ensure fast and even burning which increased the motor's efficiency.
The motor weight totalled 14 Ibs and the rocket's velocity was 1,120 feet / sec.
Maximum range was 7,723 yards for HE and 7546 for smoke.
LAUNCHERS
The 15 em Nebelwerfer 41
The 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41 is still perhaps the best known of the rocket
launchers used by the Germans and was encountered on all fronts from 1942
onwards. Originally thought to be a form of mortar it earned the names of
'Moaning Minnie' or 'Screaming Mimi ' from the Allies who learned to fear
its high rate of fire and destructive powers throughout the war.
Basically the Nebelwerfer 41 (or 'Nebelwerfer d' as it was sometimes referred
to in Allied reports) was a well designed six-barrelled weapon which was
light, mobile and relatively cheap. The six 51 inch long barrels were spaced
equally round a central axis and mounted on a two wheel carriage with a
split trail and a front stabiliser plate (see photographs). The barrels could be
elevated from 5_45 and traversed 27 . Weight when ready for action was
14
15
only 1191 Ibs so only a light towing vehicle was required- usually a 3-ton
truck . The carriage was adapted from that used on th e 37 cm Pak 35/3 6 L/45.
The barrels were 16 cm in diameter with three raised guide rails about t inch
high reducing the calibre to 15 cm. Laying was effected by use of the elevation
and traverse wh eels on th e left of th e piece where a dial sight was attached
under a hinged metal box cover. Loading was carried out by two numbers
of the four-man crew each working from one side and loading the bottom
barrels first and working upwards. The rockets were held in place by spring
clips with the bases projecting (see photographs). A further spring catch was
then moved over to contact the electrical initiator in one of th e venturi. After
loading the crew retired to prepared slit trenches some 10- 15 yards away and
the rockets were fired. The rockets were fired in a set sequence (see diagram)
by electrical impulses from a hand generator and the impulses were trans
mitted to the projector along a seven-core cable to a plug and socket on the
00
aGO0
Chemical Warfare
To complete the 15 cm details a brief mention of the projectiles intended for
chemical warfare must be mad e. The rock ets used for this purpose were 401
inches long (same length as the smoke filled Nebelgranate) . Markings on the
nose were either a series of green rings--each gree n ring acting as a code for
17
the filling-or a green cross. There were three main fillings, two variations of
mustard gas and one unidentified odourless gas, as well as phosgene which
was first used at Verdun in 1917. Doubtless there were many other agents
available.
BEL OW: Laying a 75 em Nebel werfer 47. The sight being used is probably an
ABO VE: This shot of a 75 em Nebelwerfer may h ave been 'po sed' as th ere is no
cable leading to the junction box on the right-hand side of the projector. Nore
ho w ever the rocker's rransp0r/ tube under th e soldier's boot. (IWM-NA2628).
These weapons were not used operationally partly due to the great dislike
of gas by Hitler (who was himself gassed during World War I) and many of
the senior Army commanders, but more particularly to fear of retaliation by the
Allies. It was well known to the Germans that the Russians were equipped
with aircraft capable of spraying prussic acid over large areas, which would
require a great deal of protection and de-contamination activities by the
recipients. As a result many chemical filled shells and rockets were refilled
with high explosive during the latter stages of the war, but were not always
re-colour coded.
Chief Chemical Warfare adviser to the Army High Command (OKW) during
1945 was General Hermann Ochsner, General die Nebeltruppen.
15 em Do-gerat 38
The Do-geriit designation was sometimes wrongly applied by the Allies to the
Nebelwerfer 41 but in fact it applied to a projector developed for use by the
Fallschirmjiiger (the German parachute arm). It fired a single 15 cm rocket and
was designed to be dropped by parachute.
The main projector frame (Schiessrinne) waS a metal framework some 7 to
8 feet long and 6 inches square. It was supported at the forward end by a
bipod with limited elevation and traversing gear. The rear end rested on the
ground. This frame was very lightly constructed and weighed only 421b. Attach
ed to it was a dial sight, which was normally packed in a special container,
and the electrical firing mechanism and cable. The whole equipment was
designed to break down into containers for parachute dropping and then quick
nnd easy assembly for use. The rocket was then introduced from the forward
end of the frame and fired, as with the Nebelwerfer 41, from a position under
cover some 10-15 yards distant. As there was only one round to be fired a simple
two - core cable could be used with probably a light battery for an electrical
sOllrce.
19
Universal Carrier series. The original drive shaft had been shortened to drive
the forward track sprockets . Each track had its own brake controlled by two
levers on the driver's right which could be used to assist steering.
The welded armour body was TI inches thick and proof only against
small arms fire. Each vehicle carried one 7 92 mm MG 34 or MG 42 mounted
on a pintle above the cab, and the crew of three usually carried three
9 mm SUb-machine guns with 2,000 rounds of 9 mm ammunition and 2,000
rounds of 7 92 mm . As well as the ten rockets loaded in the projector another
ten were carried internally. Further rounds were carried in accompanying
Munitionspanzer Maultiers. Even with the above mentioned load the tracked
Maultier had a good cross-country performance with the 36 litre six-cylinder
engine giving a speed of 25 mph over flat ground . Some 300 were ordered.
However the Maultier was seen only as a makeshift design until the Panzer
werfer 42 could be mounted on the chassis of the Schwerer Wehrmachts
schlepper (or SWS). This came into service in late 1944. The 15 cm
Panzerwerfer was unchanged but the SWS could now carry 26 rockets
internally in addition to the t en in the projector. Overall layout was similar
to th at of the earlier Maultier, but the all-round performance was improved
and the overall height was lower (6 feet 8 inches as against 8 feet 6 inches).
The armoured version of the SWS was intended to replace the Sd Kfz 250 and
251 half-track series but the end of the war prevented this happening . It
followed the general half-track layout but had numerous improvements in
design, especially in the track.
Some SWS units were encountered from late 1944 onwards. One captured
example was found to carry, in addition to the full complement of rockets, two
8,8 cm Panzerschreck launchers, Panzerfauste, hand grenades, smoke grenades
and magnetic charges as well as the roof-mounted MG 42 and the crew's
side arms.
Allied intelligence reports mention the Pan ze rwerfer 42 being mounted on the
15 em Panzerwerfer 42
One of the major limitations in action of the Nebelwerfer 41 was the smoke
trail left by the rocket in flight . As already mentioned this attracted counter
bilttery activity and thus reduced the length of time a rocket battery could
slily in action before it had to withdraw. To overcome this limitation the
1':lIm,rw crfer 42 was developed to make the 15 cm projector more mobile. It
ill v() lvoci mounting ten 15 cm barrels on the roof of a lightly armoured
IVI:llilli'lr (Milk) truck manufactured by Opel. The ten barrels were arranged in
0
0
1"'11/ lilY" ,:. "r fivll ilnd the mounting had a 270 traverse and 80 elevation.
1,,,,01111 11 1:,,:1 III Ito c:mi"d out outside the vehicle so in use the vehicle fired
II 11 11 ill II (11",11,,,, illi lid o II I(: cab ) and then moved off into cover to reload.
II" , J\!l, lIlli l,'1 "III' H.'" 11 ',"e l W:1S, to give its full designation, the Sd Kfz 4/1
1'1," 1 I I! II I I VI' '' '~/:l!l lV1 , I h" ::I:IIHI:lrd commercial chassis of this vehicle had
1, ,111 11 Id ll ll,, 01 Ily '''1' 11 11 il1l1 11,\" HI: II' ilxl e wnd wheels with a Horstmann-type
1111, I' " ~II I' lI o1 jl y 11 1,,1 1111"1''''' ' '\111\ ,,"I dissimilar to that used on the British
J ()
'I If 'II .
22
23
The 21 cm Rocket
LAUNCHERS
The 21 em Nebelwerfer 42
Originally intended to be an enlarged version of the six-barrelled 15 cm
Nebelwerfer 41 . The 21 cm Nebelwerfer 42 ended up as a five-barrelled
projector. However in all other respects it clearly resembled the 15 cm
projector and even utilised the same 37 cm Pak derived carriage.
The decision to use the five-barrel layout was made because of the better
balance and stability of the mounting when using the heavier 21 cm
ammunition.
The 4 feet 3?, inch long barrels were spaced round a central axis and held
in position by stamped steel plates-one near the breech and another
half-way to the muzzle. Elevation and traverse controls were simple and actu
ated by pressed steel wheels on the left of the carriage. Elevation was from
_5 to 45 and traverse 12 either side. As on the 15 cm equipment there
was a split trail and a stabilising plate on the front of the axle. The wheels
w ere stamped steel discs with 600/20 pneumatic tyres. Weight of the
equipment was 12 cwt (605 kg). Maximum range of the projector was 8530
yards (7850 metres) according to range tabl es but some rockets managed to
reach 1 0,000 yards on trials in North Africa.
Loading was effected from the rear. Wh en loaded the rocket rear was flush
with the end of the barrel and held in position by spring-loaded catches.
Firing was normally carri ed out electrically from a position under cover some
1 0 yards from the projector. connection to the electrical network on the barrels
being mad e by a six-core cable via a junction bo x on the right-hand side of
the mounting. The 0'3A initiating current came from a small hand generator.
For firing order see diagram.
During 1944-45 the firms of Krupp and Skoda were both experimenting
with fin stabilising of 21 cm rockets. The Germ an surrender in May 1945 ended
these experiments. Other experiments w ere also carried out with hollow-charge
warheads for the 21 cm rocket.
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AIRCRAFT LAUNCHERS
Although strictly outside the scope of this book, mention should be made of
the fitting of 21 cm rocket launchers to fighter aircraft in an attempt to break up
the massiv e formations of 8th USAAF bombers (mainly B-17 Flying Fortresses)
which made almost daily daylight raids over the Reich from 1942 onwards.
The defensive fir e of these form ations made interception by normal fighter
armament difficult and costly, so many possible solutions were tried out and the
21 cm projector came well out of experiments.
The equipment was called the Wurfger at 21, and fired a normal 21 cm
Wurfgrenate 42 Spreng from a single 21 cm barrel hung under the wing of
a BF 109G6/ R4 fighter. To the crews the projector was known as the
'Ofenrohr' (or Dodel) (not to be confused with the 88 cm Panzerschrek) and
two were carried by each fighter, one under each wing. First issued to squad
rons during mid-August 1943 they were fired from some 800 yards behir:d the
formation and prov ed very effective. However, th e projectors slowed down the
fighter aircraft considerably and affected th e airflow over the elevators, so that
wh en long-range escort fighters such as the P-47 Thunderbolt an d P-51
Mustang came into use by the USAAF the 'Ofenrohr' was withdrawn from
use. They were used mainly by JG 1 and JG 26, both Sc hlageter units,
and the period of ma xim um success was August and September 1943.
The Fw 190A-4/ R6 was also fitted with the WG 21, as was the twin
engined Bf 11 OF-2 which could carry four tubes . A ground attack adaptation
of th e WG 21 w as tried out by Hs 129B units on the Eastern Front for use
against tanks, but was not a success. Ju 88 ground attack units also tried
the WG 21, ?gain without success.
gases vented through 26 1 cm jets inclined 14 0 right to impart spin to the rocket
in flight . Diameter of the motor was 14 cm. For tropical use the exhaust end of
the motor was sealed with aluminium foil or a mild steel plate. 'European'
rounds were left unprotected.
The fuse on the 28 cm was of the point-detonating or graze action type.
A safety pin was fitted which had to be removed before firing. After firing, two
centrifugal bolts armed the fuse. Fusing for the 32 cm rocket was similar.
Both types were contained in a wood or metal crate known as a
'packkiste'. They were designed to be fired from this crate and the crate also
served as storage and cnrrying containers. Maximum range for the 28 cm was
2337 yards and 2217 yards for the 32 cm. Minimum range was 1019 yards.
LAUNCHERS
Simplest of all of the 28 / 32 cm projectors was the carrying crate. Each crate had
small hinged legs on its base and these could be used for small elevation correc
tions after the front of the crate had been positioned on an earth mound or low
wall. Laying was completed by simply pointing the round at its target. The
safety pin was then removed and the rocket fired electrically by a hand genera
tor after the user had taken cover some 10-15 yards away. Single rou nds used
in this way were of great assistance in demolishing strong-points and bunkers
in the path of attacking infantry units but accuracy was not of a high order and
only large targets could be usefully engaged . However the large explosive or
incendiary charge was devastating in its effect.
BEL OW: Schweres Wurfgeriit emplaced and loaded ready for the assault on
Sebas tap ol, 1942.
The WG 28
As the war in Russia progressed, it bacame appa rent that the Russian tank
forces were becoming more powerful as time ran out for the opposing Panzer
BEL O W A Czech officer using a hand clinometer to determine th e correct
elevation of a Sch w eres Wurfgerat 41; up to f our men were n eeded to hold the
frame in place b efore clamp ing. (IWM-81 5 103).
Range
m
Elevation
mils
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1100
1200
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
1925
68
92
116
140
165
192
219
248
278
311
344
379
417
460
509
569
659
698
50% zone
breadth
length
m
m
Correction
for drift
mils
+ 5
+ 7
+ 8
+10
+ 11
+ 13
+ 15
+ 17
+ 19
+21
+23
+26
+ 28
+ 31
+ 35
+ 39
+ 45
+48
160
160
150
150
150
150
150
140
130
120
110
90
80
80
80
20
20
20
30
30
40
40
40
50
50
60
70
80
90
90
,,,_ , ,. 0
30
78
98
118
140
162
185
208
233
259
286
314
344
375
409
447
490
540
602
800
+ 7
8
+ 10
+ 12
+13
+ 15
+17
+ 19
+ 21
+ 23
+ 26
+28
+30
+ 33
+36
+40
+ 44
+49
+ 60
31
170
170
170
170
180
180
180
180
170
160
150
140
120
110
100
100
100
20
20
20
30
30
30
40
40
50
50
60
60
70
80
80
90
110
units. To try and stem the armoured flood, many airborne weapons were
experimented with, and amongst them was a tube-launched adaptation of the
28 cm rocket. known as the Werfer Gerat 28 (or WG 28) . This launcher was
mounted under the wings of both the Hs 129B and an undesignated Ju 88,
unofficially known as the Ju 88N or Ju 88Nbwe. In both cases the WG 28
was not a success, probably due to its drag-inducing large frontal area and the
generally poor accuracy of the 28 cm rocket. As a result of the experiments
both types of aircraft were adapted to carry the 75 cm Kwk 39 anti-tank gun.
Another type of aircraft that attempted to use the WG 28 operationally was
the Focke-Wulf F 190F-8. These aircraft were flown by SchlachtflieJer' units
on the Eastern Front but the results were not encouraging and the units went
on to try other tank-busting methods. In service with these units the WG 28
was referred to as the Werfer-Granate 28/ 32 .
AB OVE: A 28 /32 cm N ebelwerfer 41. N ote the junction box on the nearside
33
000
000
IUOVE: An Sd Kfz 251 /1 firing its last rocket during the fighting in Stalingrad. Note the empIV crates.
...
- :..-.-
ABO VE: A captured Sd Kfz 251 with the S WR 40 frames clearly visible. The
swivelling pla tes and clamps are sho wn at varying angles. (I WM -NA 10436) .
this the Schweres Wurfrahmen 40 was designed by the J.Gast KG. of Berlin
Lichtenberg during 1940 for mounting on the Sd Kfz 251 or 251 / 1. The end
result meant that the relatively light half-track could pack a punch harder than
many of its heavier, co stlier and more complex counterparts (though not as
accurately) .
In it's final form the Schweres Wurfrahmen 40 (or SWR 40) enabl ed th e
Sd Kfz 251-or more commonly the 251 / 1-to carry si x 28 / 32 cm rockets
in their crates on a frame designed to carry three projectil es on each side of
the vehicle. The rockets were attached to a plate on this frame still in their
carryi ng crate and they were fired from the crate. Each pivoting plate could be
elevated between 5 and 45 and a scale was provided for laying along with a
fixing clamp.
The rockets were not loaded on to the Wurfrahmen until required-otherwise
the width of the vehicle could become awkward. In transit, the six rockets were
stowed inside the vehi c le. Normally the load consisted of five 28 cm rockets
and one 32 cm incendiary. In action the vehicle was directed nose first
towards the target (no other traverse control was provided), brakes were
applied, the crates ('packkiste') loaded, th e plate elevated to the required angle
and then clamped into position . The crew th en retired to cover some 10 yards
distant for firing. Extra rounds could be carried in follow - up half-tracks or
lorries. Once the rockets had been expended or even not required further the
Sd Kfz 251 / 1 could still carry out its numerous tasks while retaining the
SWR 40. The normal armament of 2MG 34 s was retained and in some cases
the forward MG 34 was replaced by a 2 cm KwK 30 or KwK 38 .
36
There were two sub-types of the SWR 40-the A and B, but these app ear
to have differed only in the electrical firing circuits on the frames, and even
then only in the connections to the initiator. The Type A used for an initiator
the Steckzunder 40, as used in the 28/32 cm Nebelwerfer 41. However the
Type B used the similar Druckknopfzunder 42 which differed mainly in having
press stud terminal s on the ends of th e leads. Like th e earlier initiator, it was
issued in sealed cardboard cartons containing 16 items.
The six rockets could be fired in ten seconds. The acco mpanying diagram
shows the firing order.
Sd Kfz 251 half-tracks carrying the SWR 40 were widely used in Russia ,
especially during the sieges of Stalingrad and Leningrad. They were also
encountered in Tunisia, Sicily, Italy and NW Europe.
One other vehicle that carried the SWR 40 was th e French built Infantrie
Schlepper UE(f) . This was one of the small infantry carriers captured during
the 1940 campaign and held in reserve by th e Wehrmac ht until late 1943 when
the growing threat of Allied inv asion in North France led to the improvisation
of many types of mobile weapons on French cha ssis. Small numbers of the UE
carriers were adapted to carry four launchers, two on each side. With a crew
of two or three internal rocket stowage must have been minimal. Aiming and
firing methods were th e same as that described for the full SWR 40 . It is not
known how many vehicles w ere converted . Weight of th e vehicle with the racks
fitted was 1 75 tons.
normal fighting range was from 400 - 5500 metres (437-6015 yards) . Overall
length was a fraction over 4 feet.
The 30 cm rocket appears to have used high explosive fillings only. They
were painted black with white stencilled letters round the nose to denote filling
and batch number.
As already mentioned the motor was an enlarged version of the successful
15 cm motor. The motor was 22-! inches long and 8-! inches wide and contained
in a steel tube 0-43 inches thick. Seven sticks of Hydro-cellulosepulver made
up the propellent which vented through the base venturi block consisting of
18 holes angled 1242' to rotate the projectile. This venturi-block had a central
hole into which the initiator was permanently fixed . In the event of a misfire
however, the initiator could be unscrewed and replaced by a new item . When
fired electrically the initiator ignited a small gunpowder pellet which in turn
ignited a celluloid tube which ran centrally along the motor to the maintainer.
The maintainer started the main motor charge as normal, but the maintainer
was held from the charge sticks by a wire mesh grid, introduced to prevent
damage or premature firing of the motor if the rocket was accidentally dropped
or knocked.
LAUNCHERS
Like the 28 / 32 cm rocket the 30 cm rocket was issued to the front line in
a wooden carrying crate or 'packkiste'. This could also be used as a launching
rack but was not often so employed.
Also like the 28/32 cm series the Schweres Wurfgerat 41 was used in a
The 30 em Nebelwerfer 42
The 30 em Raketenwerfer 56
39
elevating (from 0 _65 ) and traverse (40 ) controls. However, apart from the
normal dial sight an open fixed sight calibrated from 100-1000 metres (110
1093 yards) was also provided .
As mentioned in the section on the 15 cm rocket the 30 cm Raketenwerfer
56 could be adapted to fire the 15 cm projectile. Liner rails could be inserted
into th e 30 cm projectors and when not in use, these rails were stacked and
secured onto the launcher frames (se e photographs) .
BEL OW: A 30 em N ebelw erfer 42. No te the open box at th e left- hand side
w hich covers the sights w hen n ot in use.
The 8 cm Rocket
The sharp division of status and establishment between the regular Wehrma cht
and units of the Waffen 55 even went down to equipment and weapon level.
Thus it is not surprising to discover that although the 55 units also used the
standard field rocket equipments, they developed and used a different type of
rocket for issue to their formations alone. This rocket was the 8 cm Raketen
sprenggranate, developed from a projectile originally intended for aircraft use,
and which differed from most of the larger field rockets in being fin stabilised
instead of spin-stabilised . It has been suggested that this form of rocket was
adopted after experience under bombardment from the Russian 'Katyusha'
projectors and the resemblance between the 8 cm rocket and its Russian
counterparts was close .
Actually, the diameter of the rocket was 78 mm, and the overall length was
27 7 inches (703 mm) . Weight was 15 Ib 3 oz . At th e rear, four fins raised
the diameter to 7875 inches (200 mm) . The propellant used was six cordite
sticks which were electrically primed and ignited by two gunpowder discs.
Exhaust gases vented through a single 20 mm base venturi. Motor weight was
10 Ib (4 ' 54 kg). The warhead was formed of three perforated pellets of pressed
flake TNT weighing 11b 5t oz (610 gms) . Arming of the warhead was effected
partially by the burning propellant which melted a soh metal disc and allowed
the detonator to approach a centrifugally-released striker, ready for the nose
impact fuse to set off the warhead. Maximum range of the 8 cm rocket was
5796 yards (5300 m) with a velocity of 950 f/sec. A smoke carrying version
was also used .
The main launchers for this rocket were the mUltiple projector known as the
8 cm R-Veilfachwerfer which could fire up to 45 rockets in one salvo, and the
single Mantlerohr. Both launchers were of the rail variety and resembled current
Russian equipment. In both types the rocket lay on rails supported by four
metal studs, two on each side of the rocket body.
40
41
ABOVE: An 8 cm Raketensp renggranate. N ote the leads run ning from the base
to the firing circuit.
The performance of the 8 cm fin-stabilised rocket in action as opposed to
the more complex 'spinners' added further fuel to the arguments between the
SS and the Army, and in early 1944 a meeting was held in Berlin to decide
the matter. Their decision was that the 8 cm rocket was superior to the 15 cm
series but Hitler himself overruled any change-over in production rates and
ordered large scale field trials of the two equipments which were never com
pleted . In retrospect it seems likely that the decision in favour of the 8 cm was
largely a political one in view of the gradual and insidious policy of the SS
in taking over every part of the war effort of the Third Reich-a policy which
culminated in SS control of the V-weapon campaign and even eventually the
Wehrmacht itself.
The 10 em Nebelwerfer
35 and 40
10 em N ebelwerfer 35
10 cm Wurfgranate 35 Spreng
HE
10 cm Wurfgranate 35 Nebel
Smoke
10 cm Wurfgranate 35 Nebel S
10 em Nebelwerfer 40
10 cm Wurfgranate 40 Spreng
HE
10 cm Wurfgranate 40 Nebel
Smoke
10 cm Wurfgranate 40 Nebel S
10 cm Wurfgranate 40 wKh Nebel
Weights varied-for a rough guide the 35 Nebel weighed 16 Ib while the
40 Nebel weighed 219 lb.
Chemical-filled rounds (other than smoke) were available but not used.
20 mm Luftfaust
By late 1944 Allied air supremacy was so overwhelming that drastic anti-air
craft measures were being contemplated by all arms of the German forces . Some
of these measures involved anti-aircraft rockets which are beyond the scope of
thi s book, as they primarily concerned the anti-aircraft arms. However, one
stop - gap solution can be mentioned here, as it concerns a projector intended
for issue to front-line troops who were especially troubled by the activities of
ground attack aircraft such as the Ilyushin 11-2, P-47 Thunderbolt and Typhoon
or Tempest. This equipment iNas known as the Luftfaust or Fliegerfaust. In the
event the war ceased before it saw field service, but large numbers had been
manufactured and were ready for issue.
The equipment was designed for quick, simple and cheap manufacture. The
shoulder-mounted projector consisted of nine drawn steel-tubes-eight spaced
The Nebelwerfer 35 and 40 are included as they constituted the first equipment
of the Chemical Warfare troops. They were not rocket equipments but large
mortars.
First issued to the Nebelabteilung in late 1935 the 10 cm Nebelwerfer 35
was an enlarged version of the 8 cm Schwere Granatenwerfer 34 mortar.
Five men formed the crew in action and the 228 Ib weight of the complete
weapon could be transported by pack-animal, two-wheeled handcart or
sledge. Rate of fire was of the order of 12-15 rounds per minute. Range wa s
3025 m. In 1939 the Nebelwerfer 35 was the standard equipment of the
Nebelabteilung during the Polish campaign and was also issued to the
Gebirgswerferabteilung (mountain rocket projector brigades) .
The 10 cm Nebelwerfer 40 was a much heavier and more complex weapon .
It embodied a recoil mechanism as the projectile was loaded via a breech
block and fired by percussion as in a normal artillery piece--however the
high elevation and trajectory of a mortar was retained, and the barrel remained
smooth bored. Weight was 1730 Ib which meant that the piece had to be
towed on its wheeled carriage, usually behind a light truck or by men across
country. Range was increased to 6225 m and the firing rate was 8-10 rounds
@@
@@@
@@@
per minute.
AMMUNITION
The Nebelwerfer 35 and 40 both had a calibre of 105 cm but fired differing
ammunition- however, the Nebelwerfer 35 could fire the generally heavier
Nobolwerfer 40 rounds. A list of the various types follows :
42
a circle round one central tube. These nine tubes were held securely in
place by four identical stamped steel plates. Each plate had an integral sleeve
to make the structure really rigid and the two end plates were welded in
position- the other two were friction fitted and held in place by the firing
In
assembly.
The nine rounds were pre-loaded in ready-spaced clips 50 that the clip could
be fitted directly into the projector. Pre-spacing of the individual rounds was
effected by two further steel plates similar but lighter, to those spacing the
tubes on the projector. Rounds were held fixed in position by wire spring
clips on the base plate of the clip while the front plate was 'floating', so that
when the rounds were introduced into the projector and pushed home the front
plate was push ed back onto the base. After pushing home the clip was rotated
slightly and this locked the unit in position. A handle on the clip was provided
for the use of the loader.
The nine rockets were fired in two batches-one of four and then one of
five with an 02 second delay between salvoes. This delay was brought about
by a delay pellet inserted in the initiators of the second group.
To fire the rockets the projector was held on the shoulder against a folding
shoulder-rest and held by two folding hand-grips (both grips and rest were
simple stampings) . Sighting was by fixed open sights on the left-hand of the
projector. In front of the rear hand-grip was the trigger which when released
allowed a spring-loaded rod to energize an impulse magneto . The resultant
pulse was transmitted to the rocket clip by a wire via a plug connection to the
clip. Earth return was via another plug. On the clip itself connections were
made to each rocket from two insulated collector rings . Safety was effected by
turning the forward hand-grip out of line from the spring-loaded rod which
I'
Weight of shell ..... ... ....... .. .... . ...... ... .. .. ........... .. 110 grams (3 ' 9 oz)
Weight of propellant.. .. . .. ..
.. .. .. ........ .. .. .... .40 7 grams (1 -4 oz)
44
Maximum range .. ... . . .. .. ..... . .. ...... .... ... .. . . ............ 2,200 yards
Fuse . ............ . ..... ... ...... .. ...... . ... .. .... .. ....... . ... .Contact with self
destruct facility.
Luftfaust Projector Details
Total weight .... .. ..... .... ....
. .... ...... ............ 14tlb
Overall length ...... .. ............ . .... .. .. . ......... .... .... 51 t inches
.. .. .. i inches
Diameter of each tube .. .. . ..... .. .... .. .
Overall diameter at breech ..... .. .. .. .. .... . .. . .. . ... ......... 5j inches
The 7 3 cm Rockets
The first appearance of the 7 '3 cm rocket was in late 1941 when it was used
in the somewhat unconventional role as a propaganda spreading device. Instead
of an explosive or smoke warhead the 73 cm rocket carried propaganda
leaflets which were expelled from the rocket in flight to flutter down over
enemy positions. The rocket used for this role was known as the Propaganda
granate 41 (or Propagandageschoss) and was a conventional rocket 16 1 inches
long. Total weight of the rocket was 7 Ib 2 oz of which 1 Ib was the propellant
and the leaflet payload weighed only 8 oz.
After firing the diglycol dinitrate propellant exhaust was directed through
seven angled venturis in the base and a time fuse burned through to a small
black powder bursting charge in the rocket's centre. When the charge burst
it forced apart the two halves of the forward half of the rocket body lengthways
and released a spring round which the leaflets were wrapped thus scattering
the leaflets.
The launcher used for this rocket was the 7'3 cm Propagandawerfer 41,
which was a simple and light (25 Ib) single-round frame. It consisted of a steel
tube base-frame on which was mounted the angle -iron launching trough,
pivoted at its base. This trough frame was 29~ inches long, and elevated by
an arm from the trough to the base-frame. In use the base was held firmly in
place by three fixed spades welded to the underside of the base frame. The
launching trough was raised to the desired elevation and clamped into place,
after which the rocket could be loaded. Unlike most other German field rockets
the 7'3 cm series employed percussion firing, so the Propagandawerfer 41
employed the mortar principle. The rocket was laid on the trough and held
20 inches away from the base striker by a release lever. Attached to this
lever was a cord which enabled the firer to take the necessary cover some
distance from the launcher. On release the rocket slid down the trough ont"
the fixed striker which ignited the percussion primer in the rocket's base.
The Propagandawerfer was employed by special units (Propagandatruppen)
trained to undermine the morale of the enemy front-line troops. What effect the
leaflets distributed by such an expensive device had on the enemy is difficult
to determine but doubtless the paper was put to good and time-honoured uses.
45
wide rocket dispersal and thus cover a very wide area. Each row could be
individually cocked and all rows fired together. Limited elevation controls were
provided .
It seems extremely likely that this device used the 73 cm rocket, and that
this form of projector was in fact a 'one-off' device or even a field 'lash-up', as
it appears that only one was ever captured and no mention of it appears in
German accounts.
During the latter months of 1943 a new weapon appeared almost simultane
ously on both sides of the conflict. On the American side the new weapon was
known as the Launcher, Rocket, M1 and fired a small rocket 236 inch in
diameter. The German equivalent fired a 8 8 cm rocket and was known as the
88 cm Raketenpanzerbuchse, Both of these relatively light rocket grenades
could knock out any tank then in service-provided it was close enough, for
both weapons could fire their missiles effectively up to only just over 100 yards,
However the destructive power of the warheads owed less to their impact
and explosive powers than to the nature of the warhead which was a 'shaped
charge' employing the 'Munroe effect'.
This 'Munroe effect' was discovered by an American explosives expert,
Professor Charles E. Munroe, as far back as 1887. Very basically a hole could
be blown, or more accurately burned, through armour plate by having an air
gap between a bursting charge and the plate at the time of the explosion,
The bursting charge is held contained in a steel casing with the front only
lightly covered with thin sheet steel. An air gap is deliberately formed
by making a conical depression in the explosive and the nose is tapered only
for streamlining and holding the impact fuse at the correct distance from the
charge. The fuse when firing thus ignites the charge which is then 'focused'
forward and spends all its destructive energy on the impact region. In practice
this meant that early rocket grenades could burn a hole in up to 8?, inches of
armour plate.
Despite the Munroe effect being widely known little use was made of it
before World War 2. The German firm of Westfalisch-Anhaltische Sprengstoff
Aktiengesellschaft did some research on shaped charges and developed them
for mining purposes from 1912 onwards. Military uses were not investigated
deeply until early in World War 2 when the destructive effect was enhanced
by lining the shaped charge with thin sheet steel to be carried along in a
vaporised state by the force of the explosion , This vapour added to the
burning effect. Other metals can be used for this liner, examples being zinc
and lead, and as some metals give better results than others much experimenta
tion was carried out with various alloys. For maximum effect the charge must
go off at an optimum distance from the plate so the shaped charge is not often
used on high velocity projectiles but on relatively slow moving ones or fixed
mines or charges. Thus the rocket was selected for use against tanks and
the 'bazooka' launcher developed. It is interesting to note that the British also
developed a spaced charge missile but chose to fire it from the PlAT launcher
which was a spigot mortar.
In time the Munroe effect became known as the 'Hollow Charge' effect.
46
47
\1;/
\,
Co.""
,,~
~~
'. III
0/\\1\\ \
\\
((L
Ii :,
(,,,11\
~-"..,II
'"
I
~o scd~e t-.
lo o dcdo
~@"
~",~
{b} l e ad
Thp, Raketenpanzerbuehse 43
II I' .. II ( it II :Q 2 and came into service late in 1943. It was a two-man weapon
,Conr. u;"
I
(0 ) l e o d ..... cCI .... r ';j; n s
49
c:~:::~~.
')
target tank difficult in anything but closely built-up areas (where tanks were
not likely to venture anyway) so the weapon was normally fired from selected
and prepared positions. In infantry companies the RP 43 was normally
assigned to the company HQ platoon.
BEL O W: A 'drill book' sho t of an RP 54 team, with the loader placing a round in
the tube. In action the team w ould be heavily camouflaged. (IWM-STT6832).
~9
E ~'1iI
ABOVE: American soldiers examine a captured R P 54.' The firer is in fac t holding
th e hand tensioner for the solenoid spring-n ot the trigger. The censor has
erased the divisional markings on the Americans' uniforms. (I WM -EA29277) .
winter 44/45 ammunition. These kits also included a new rearsight slide with
offset marks for aiming-off for target speeds and a new glass window.
Besides the shield modification made to the RP 43, another field change
was the addition of a periscope and extending shoulder rest to the R P 54
and 54/ 1. All the parts could be made locally and the periscope was
modified from a standard rifle attachment or even adapted from commercial
models. A small handle was clamped to the trigger guard for steadying the
launcher. The modification was simple and gave the firing crew extra protec
tion behind suitable cover.
Despite the success of the Panzerschreck the increasing effectiveness of
the Panzerfaust series meant that the RP 54/1 had to increase its effective
range considerably to remain a viable weapon . Development of the 8 8 cm
rocket grenade could not be taken much further as it had almost reached its
development limit and further improvements could only be made by the adop
tion of heavier and larger equipment. The design of this new equipment had
actually commenced in October 1943 but was on a very low priority and
was even stopped at one time, only to be revived in early 1945.
The new equipment was the 105 cm 'Panzertot: although other names
used were 'Panzerschreck-kanone' and 'Hammer'. It was a three-man load
and used two small wheels for towing. The rocket grenade used was an 8 cm
projectile fitted with a discarding sabot. Round the rocket's fin was the propel
lant which vented between the shaped end of the tail shaft and the restricted
end of the firing tube. Development of 'Hammer' was ended by the German
collapse.
51
+ PlungEr
CIRCUIT
OIAGAAM
FOA NEW
BOMB (.;;tr.d
r;n<3 "'contact
Backsi")h_t_ _
-c:::::===~~~
Summer 1944.
Wi nter 1944-45
Identified by 'ARKT 44/ 45 ' it was again for the range from - 25 C to + 25 ' C.
52
53
However, use above +25 C was not recommended as the rocket was liable
to explode while stili in the tube . As a result the projectiles could not be left
in sunlight or stored near heat. To show the difference made to range by
temperature this last projectile had a range of 200 m at +25C and 100 m at
- 25C.
To accommodate this range of propellants the RP 54/ 1 foresight could be
clamped into one of three vertical positions : '+' '0' and' -' (see diagram).
. . . . . . . ..
foresight described
in text.
Division HQ
Reconnaissance Company
Signal Battalion
Artillery Regiment
AA Battalion
120 mm Mortar Battalion
Anti-tank Battalion
Engineer Battalion
6
4
6
12
12
6
36
The pre-1944 infantry division (Infantriedivision) had 90 R P 43s but the post
1944 total was increased to 108. These were distributed 36 to each of the
three regiments where they made up two platoons of the anti-tank company
(14 Company) .
The post-September 1944 Volksgrenadier Divisions had an establishment
of 216 launchers as the Raketenpanzerbuchse took over the anti-tank role from
the anti-tank gun (one company to each regiment). Distribution was 18 to each
of three platoons with 18 in reserve. The anti-tank company continued to be
referred to as '14' Company.
Army Mountain Divisions (Gebirgsdivisions) had an establishment of 72
launchers: 36 to each of the two mountain infantry regiments, where they were
used by '16' Company.
The Luftwaffe parachute division (Fallschirmjagerdivision) had 250
launchers. Each of the three regiments had 54 with the remainder divided
among the other units as follows:
54
55
Raketenpanzerbuchse
Establishments
~ amMifitEr
]I
PANZERFAUST (KIE,n) -3 0m
PANZE:RFAUST BOm
~
o
~.
' .
' =nzNZE2AhT~loom
11 /1:(11
1\
tions on where and how the weapon could be used. After firing the tube
was disca rded .
The whole Panzerfau st w ea pon series was designed for use after a minimum
of training and experience. Instructions were printed on the bomb body so that
anyone finding one in a battle area who had not been train ed in its use could
still fire it to some effect. Th e launching tube carried the words 'Achtung!
Feu erstrahl! (Beware of jet flame) to protect the unwary user and th e firing
button or lever was also clearly marked ' Feuer' .
The whole equipment was robust and highly portabl e but the equipment
had to be protected from damp which co uld penetrate the cardboa rd ca p on
the end of the launcher tube and also seep past the soft plastic disc in front
of the propelling charge. The effects of the damp could produce misfires or
partial firing causing the bomb to fall short. Damp could also ca use the tail
fins to rust together with resultant loss of guidance on firing. Ord ers stipulated
keeping the weapon under cover from the weath er but in forward areas this
usually mea nt wrapping th e head in sacking. Fuses were also a source of
malfunctions and prematures, and tests employed involved shaking (any that
rattled were not used ) and dropping onto a hard surface from about 50 cm;
if it survived it was then safe for transport . This fuse testing cannot have bee n
CHARGE
= : l HOllOW
"C-- 41
DVM D
"""
~ ----- ~ -
In May 1945 the Panzerfaust 150 was still being developed to overcome
the increasing Shortage of raw materials including the steel launChing tubes
A new re-Ioadable tube was designed to be used ten times. The bomb was
altered by lengthening the propellant charge and the firing mechanism
contained a strip of ignition caps not unlike toy pistol caps. This development
was curtailed by the end of the war.
The Panzerfaust 250 was intended to replace all other types in service by
August 1945 but the propulsion system development was not completed. The
changes from previous models were again increased range and also a reload
able facility combined with electrical firing.
The range increase was effected by using the Panzerfaust 150 bomb with
a longer tail shaff, a larger propellant charge (in two parts again) and a venturi
at the exhaust end of the launching tube. This increased the muzzle velocity to
120-150 metres/second. The electrical firing mechanism ignited an electrical
fuse in the lengthened propellant charge attached to the bomb. Firing was
from a trigger~operated impulse magneto in a pistol grip (similar to that on the
88 cm Raketenpanzerbuchse) . This was connected to the bomb by a plug
and socket connection at the front of the tu be. The circuit was completed by
a further surface connection between the bomb and the tube.
By the time the Panzerfaust 250 was under development the length of the
tube was becoming too long for easy field handling . Further developments
would have been directed towards staggering the propellant ignition on firing
to increase the muzzle velOCity and range still further, but the Panzerfaust
250 would probably have marked the end of the weapon's useful development.
The 250 model was too complex, awkward and expensive-a far cry from the
Simple Faustpatrone I.
58
The early 30 m models were not well received at first by the troops in the
field. The fuses in particular were not very reliable and the fire jet caused
casualties when used in unsuitable situations such as bunkers and in front
of walls. Also the low range of 30 metres meant that the user had to get
BELOW: Troops disembark from a lorry during the last winter of the war. They
are carrying Panzerfaust 60s with slings.
..,
---::=;:r:o.~,
very close and become exposed to his target and could be injured by the
resultant flying splinters. Experience showed however that the weapon was
invaluable as a 'tank killer' and that the weapon's more dangerous traits
could be tamed. In time all 'blind' rounds were left well alone and the
user wore a steel helmet whenever possible , On the practise ranges a 770
yard radius circle was left round each firing point. Individual rounds were
kept dry and always close to hand . There are few photographs of German
infantry during the last year of the war that do not show one variant or other
of a Panzerfaust somewhere in the frame. All arms of the German forces were
equipped with the Panzerfaust including Volksturm, Hitler Jugend cadre units
and Luftwaffe field units. Nearly all transport in front-line areas carried at least
one round for individual defence.
One unusual role of the Panzerfaust in the late period of the war in NW
Europe was in trip-wire operated booby-traps for tanks. A wire stretched across
a road to be used by tanks was connected to the Panzerfaust firing mechanism
of a round secured behind a wall so that when the wire was stretched the
round was fired into the vehicle's side. Devices of this sort delayed the Allied
advance in built-up areas during the later period of the war.
As the ranges of the various marks increased so did their popularity with
the infantryman who used them. But it was basically a defensive weapon and
a cheap and simple to use one at that. It exactly suited the defensive role of the
German forces in 1944-45.
After the war development of the Panzerfaust was not entirely neglected as
can be seen by the adoption of the 'Leichte Panzerfausf by the West German
Bunderswehr. This weapon is a much modernised Panzerfaust 250, with a
re-usable launcher, shoulder rest and sophisticated sights.
The American M72 6 6 cm anti-tank rocket launcher closely follows the
Panzerfaust concept by utilising a collapsible and expendable launching tube.
However, the 66 cm projectile has a range of 300 m, and the complete
equipment weighs only 216 kg. It has been issued to nearly all NATO armies.
Penetration
Weight of Muzzle
Performance Propellant Velocity
Sighted
up to
140mmat
30 to N
535
grams
30 m/
sec
30
metres
3~lb
200 mm at
30 to N
95
grams
30 m/
sec
30
metres
15 cm
3~lb
200 mm at
30 to N
134
grams
45 m/
sec
80
metres
15 cm
3~
200 mm at
30 to N
190
(2 x 95)
grams
62 m/
sec
150
metres
Panzer
faust
Total
Weight
Bomb
Weight
Bomb
Weight
Diameter of HE
(klein)
30 m
9~lb
3~lb
10 cm
1 ~ Ib
30 m
11~
6ilb
15 cm
60 m
15 Ib
6ilb
100 m
151b
6ilb
Ib
Ib
10-5 em Rocket
From about mid 1944 in the Skoda Works at Pilsen, Czechoslovakia had been
working on launching equipments for a 105 cm rocket. Little is known about
this rocket apart from the fact that it weighed 19 kilogrammes and had an
60
28 em Rocket-assisted Shell
Ordnance designers are constantly looking for new ways to increase the range
of their progeny. During World War 2 many new and novel approaches were
made into this age-old problem and among these was the use of a delayed
action rocket to fire just as the shell's initial velocity was beginning to die
away. This principle went into service in the form of the 28 cm Raketen
granate 4331 (R Gr 4331) which was fired from the 28 cm K5 (E) railway
gun. It increased the gun's not inconsiderable range of 67,800 yards to
93,100 yards-a 37% improvement.
The 28 cm R Gr 4331 was a pre-rifled projectile weighing 545% lb. After
loading into the gun, using a special aligning rammer to align the pre-rifling
with the barrel grooves, the shell was fired using a normal charge. After 19
seconds, a Zt Z S/30 time fuse set in the shell nose ignited a cast one-piece
motor to exhaust through a single venturi, after burning away a base plug. This
carried the warhead onwards at a time when the shell would otherwise have
begun its downward path. Two AZ 4331 percussion fuses were armed ready
for detonation by the rocket exhaust gases burning through a black powder
pellet.
The R Gr 4331 was used operationally but SUffered two major failings. One
was that the 19-second timer and the rocket burning time could not be made
to perform to very exact limits so that the range and as a result, accuracy
could not be constant. Another, and perhaps the major drawback was that
the warhead weighed only 30l lb out of a total projectile weight on firing of
545llb. The resultant explosion on impact could not be justified in view of the
large amount of effort and cost expended, even though the nuisance and
propaganda value would have been considerable.
The 38 em Raketen
During 1942 the German Army encountered great difficulties in adapting to
street fighting in the Russian cities of Leningrad and Stalingrad. Solidly built
office and factory blocks were vigorously defended by the Russian troops who
used great skill and ingenuity in turning every building they occupied into a
fortress. Ordinary infantry weapons were not heavy enough to make much
impression on these solid structures and tank and mobile artillery weapons
could do little but chip away masonry bit by bit. As a result the house-to
house fighting was prolonged, costly, and always bitter.
Various remedies were investigated by the German staff. One project was
the Rammtiger-a heavily armoured carapace on a Tiger chassis which would
61
38 C;.1.
.-ccc-- -- , =
119Y
,-
-'--l - jC:='I;A
I
ROC:~ET
PROJECTILE.
" ,'01.
1.,~c!t~;.J(li i:[ii\~ )~ .~ .
13l5"
<:
,04
~ iJ
Sti'iot l e il
w(\,OEO
14.94- 0 1A..
Ir.
. ~3~
1 , I ~r
HIGH
EXPLOSIVE
BODY
,,~. I
-.30
.l l"
There were in fact two types of high explosive heads. They had the S;lIl1ll
length (94'5 cm) and diameter (38 cm) but the Sprenggranate 4581 contuin o<i
a conventional thin-walled charge of 270 Ib of Amatol 50/50. Th e other lyp",
the Hohladungsgranate 4592 contained a similar charge but employed a hollow
charge head. Fusing arrangements differed . Both employed nose fuses but lho
HE fuse incorporated an optional 012 second delay (the A Z KM 8) while lho
hollow-charge head employed a normal percussion device (the A Z KM 10) .
Some fuses were marked with a red ring. This meant that the rocket to whi, ;h
the fuse was fitted could be carried loaded in the projector. Both typ es of fU SI)
also had a 'safe' position, and had to be rotated to the 'armed' or 'doklY'
position before loading,
The motor body was known as the Treibsatz 4581, and screwed into tho
threaded rear of the explosive head. Length of th e body was 471 cm ,111(1
the 88~ Ib propelling charge was contained in a 1346 cm thick metal casino.
At the rear of the body nine splines were set ready for insertion into [hn
projector.
The propellant was made up of twelve sticks-ten spaced round [WI)
concentrically placed sticks, Down the central stick were placed three blnck
powder filled bags which acted as a relay from the flash-fired igniter ill III<'
base centre to the maintainer in the front of the body. This maintainer W ; I! ;
supported on a spacer ring and spread the ignition to all the other stick:;,
Each stick was spaced from the others to enable steady and equal burninn.
The nozzle assembly contained thirty -two venturi holes spaced in four group:;
of eight . Each venturi was angled at 14 to give the rocket clockwise rNnli()l)
in flight. The assembly threaded into the motor body, and the nozzles W(JJfJ
sealed with a thin asbestos gasket.
When fully assembled the projectile was 144 cm long . The total wl,iqlil
varied around 761 Ib (345 kg) . Each rocket was stencilled with its w oi(J111
correct to the nearest 12 Ib (5-436 kg) as this had to be taken into acc(lI"ll
when computing ranges. Special range tables were compiled for this purpo,;o.
The temperature of the propellant also had to be allowed for, and themJ()
meters were issued for this purpose. Extracts from the compiled rang e tnl>l,, :;
show the effect of the propellant temperature on the rocket performance .
~
1.4.9 <1 " 0 14 ,
t ,U;-'
50%
MOTOR
800V
Temperature
Range
Elevation
Drift
Correction
115 C
- 15C
4600 m
4600 m
1131 mils
1150 mils
+ 123 mils
+ 91 mils
Length
Width
(J1l 0 IH IiI )
208
246
2%
I6.S"
IGNIT ER
TWICr.,~~
'J;
R~pT~~I~G
HOl.ILE
A~!;!=MBLY
.60'
.". =
~~~:.;::
~".omn
~ l. "'ENT U ~ I
H OL.S
s'
.J;.
.J4 '
.z.a'
tr::l
~
oI I 2.I ' 4! 1
.E{).
JL0.!Q 1'J_~A
SPLINE
.fY'
l .or
L .'
fiI
O~~~'L
110
Nt
,He n ON B - B
NOZZLE DETAIL.
ZOllO
II0lillii
Time of
Flight
:~ Ol\
From the above it can also be seen that the rocket was visible in flight, ;llId
that the 50% zone was quite large . However, when used against large [;1r!i' , I:.
at short rang es the blast effect must have been devastating.
The rockets were painted olive drab with a 2 cm wide white band I"OlIlId
the centre of gravity. On the nose the figures 13A (a code number for Iii "
explosive filling) were stencilled in white along with entreaties to protncl 1111)
device from rain, water and damp.
The Raketenwerfer 61
Manufactured by Rheinmetall Bohrsig at their Dusseldorf factory, the R"l<oll)1I
werfer 61 featured many novel design developments. Unlike any provl l1 l." ,
63
rocket projector it utilised breech loading with a sliding breech block which,
as well as sealing off any exhaust gases which would otherwise vent to the
rear, actually diverted them to discharge round the muzzle. This was bought
about by an obturator ring of unusual design, consisting of two 'L' -shaped
rings. The heavier inner ring was perforated with eighty half-inch holes. Exhaust
gases from the rocket found their way through these holes to the outer, 'L'
shaped ring which expanded outwards to seal the breech and also enable the
gases to expand upwards and outwards through the 1 t inch wide chamber
between the barrel liner and the projector jacket. They finally exhausted through
31 holes in a ring round the muzzle.
Length of the projector was 206 cm (81 ~ inches). It was made up basically
of a liner, jacket and breech block. Liner length was 188 cm (74l inches)
and was made of t inch thick steel. The rifling in the liner consisted of nine
grooves about 5 mm deep and having one complete turn every 176 calibres.
At the breech end the rifling had a leader to take the fixed splines on the
rocket. The jacket was separated from the liner by four steel blocks at the
breech end and the previously mentioned 31 hole ring at the muzzle.
The breech block, as in most German artillery designs, was of the sliding
type and closed from right to left on a hand - operated rack and pinion. The
block proper was machined from a 2fs inch thick steel plate and featured the
normal safeties. After the rocket was inserted into the projector a plunger fell
behind the round to hold it in place some 5 inches from the block ready for
firing. Centrally mounted on the block was a further rising block which when
lifted enabled a percussion tube to be inserted into the firing mechanisni .
Firing was then effected via a lanyard operated lever which operated a striker
mechanism. The resultant flash was then directed on to the igniter in the rocket's
nozzle assembly.
The Sturmtiger
The vehicle chosen to carry the Raketenwerfer 61 was a much modified Tiger
Ausf E which was given the designation 38 cm RW61 Ausf StuMrs Tiger.
~/
Two views (above and opposite) sho w the massive appearan ceo f the S turm tiger.
Note ammunition crane and resilient steel wheels.
This vehicle featured a bulky armoured compartment bolted on to a Tiger
chassis with the RW61 mounted on the front plate. Alterations were made to
the forward part of the Tiger hull to increase internal space. These modifications
were carried out by the Berlin firm of Alkett on vehicles returned from the front
but only ten were completed . As well as the armoured compartment the
suspension was also altered to the later steel tyred wheels version as opposed
to the earlier convex rubber tyred wheels which were fitted to earlier Tiger
models and also to the Sturmtiger prototype. This prototype was first
demonstrated to Hitler and the General Staff on October 20 1943 but produc
tion did not begin until August 1944.
The RW 61 was mounted on the 45 sloping superstructure front plate
which was 150 mm (5 '9 inches) thick . Side (20 ) and rear (10) plates were
84 mm (3'3 inches) thick and the horizontal roof 40 mm (1'6 inches) . An
extra armour plate was also added from the hu II front up to the bottom of the
sloping superstructure front. The RW 61 was offset to port along with its
attendant mantlet, supporting bracket and cradle which were all heavy castings.
Elevation controls enabled the projector to be elevated from 0 to 85 and
traverse was limited to 10 on either side. Dimensions of the superstructure
are shown separately but the internal space available in the fighting compart
ment was quite large until the rockets were loaded. There were folding racks
fitted to the side walls for stowage of twelve projectiles and one extra could
be carried in the projector provided it was fitted with a redband fuse. With a
full crew of five (sometimes six) and a full load, space was at a premium,
especially for the machine-gunner/ radio operator in the right-hand hull front.
Other crew members were the commander, driver, layer, loader and sometimes
an extra loader who doubled as observer.
65
Ol
Ol
o
0
0=,
- -. .:.... ..
feet 7 inches
feet 5 inches
feet 1 inch
feet 9 inches
feet 2 inches
feet 11 inches
First stage
7 seconds
Second stage
17 seconds
25! seconds
Third stage
At the end of the final burn (Brenchluss) the missile had reached a
velocity of 1 mile / second and was at an altitude of nearly 80 km,
Rheinbote was fired from a modified A-4 trailer boom (the trailer was
called a Meillerwagen), and trials were carried out at Blizna, 20 miles east of
Mielec in Southern Pol and, The trials generally went well , except for one
round which went wrong on launch and showed up the weapon's greatest
failing, After failing to gain altitude the warhead came to earth and exploded .
A shallow crater only four feet across was found. This was due to the fact
that of the rocket's total weight of 3775 Ib only 44 Ib (20 kg) was actual
warhead explosive (total warhead weight was 88 Ib), Such a payload was
militarily and economically useless and General Dornberger, in charge of
rocket research, reported accordingly, However, he was overruled by Hitler who
insisted on its use, no doubt for propaganda reasons . He was supported by
the Special Commissioner for long-range weapons, Hans Kammler, and a special
Army unit was formed and trained.
Rheinbote went into action during November 1944. Some two hundred
rounds were fired against Antwerp from Zwolle in Holland, as part of the
attempt to deny the port's facilities to the Allies. At that time, Antwerp was
already under bombardment from V-1 s, V-2s and sporadic Luftwaffe raids, so
it is not surprising that the Rheinbote warheads were of very limited value,
and were hardly noticed by the recipients. However, when regarded purely
from design viewpoint, Rheinbote must count as a remarkable achievement.
70
J,
The Nebelkraftwagen
(Sd Kfz 11/1)
Many different types of vehicle were used to tow the various Nebelwerfer
projectors into action, but one specialised vehicle was developed for use by
Nebeltruppen, This was the Nebelkraftwagen (Sd Kfz 11/1) or H L kl 6N, a
half-track weighing 73 tons. It carried the launcher crew and also the
ammunition . In use with 15 cm units it could carry 36 rockets but when
used by 21 cm units stowage was limited to 10 rockets, The stowage
bins were interchangeable .
A BO VE: The Sd Kfz 11/1 With th e locker doors open showing storage racking,
~
71
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