Field rocket equipment of the German Army, 1939-1945

© 1972, Almark Publishing Co. Ltd. Text © T. J . Gander

All rights reserved. No part of this publication ma y be reproduced. stored in n relrieval system, or transmilled by any means, electronic, mechanical or by photo copying without p rior permission from the publishers.

First published - October 1972

ISBN 855240849 (hard cover edition)

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 .

ISBN 85524 085 7 (paper covered edition)

CONTENTS Page

Section

Printed in Great Britain by Byron Press Ltd., 59 Palmerston Road, Wealdstone, Middlesex for the publishers, Almark Publishing Co . Ltd., 270 Burlington Road , New Malden, Surrey KT3 4N L, England 2

5

1: Deployment and Organisation

14

2: Rock et Equipment

3

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 .

TACTICAL USES OF ROCKET UNITS /lBO VE: Start of a rocke t barrage . The fierce smoke trail was a characteristic

an d awesom e accompaniment to Nebelwerfer battery fire.

FRONT COVER: (Top) RP 54 team at the moment of loadin g. (B o ttom)

I'ilrarrooper with the ubiquitous Panzerfaust. This variant is the 30 m model.

BA CK COVER: Rocket troops re -Ioading a 15 cm N ebelwerfer 41.

4

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.

5

ORGANISATION OF 'DIE NEBElTRUPPEN' Up to 1940 the main weight of the German Chemical Warfare Units was biased towards smoke production for tactical screens. The units involved were few in number and utilised the 10 cm Nebelwerfer 35-an enlarged mortar (for details see separate section) . In 1940 this was supplemented by the 10 cm Nebelwerfer 40 but by the same year the first rocket equipments (the Schweres Wurfgerat 40 with its 28/ 32 cm rockets) came into service after development at Meppen and Kummersdorf. However, during 1939 the first Nebeltruppe were amongst the German forces invading Poland, but there was little for them to do. There were in fact three Nebelabteilung present during that campaign. As the rocket equipments became available a training unit (Lehrabteilung) was formed at the Nebel­ truppenschule at Celie, south of Stettin but the first Werfer Regiment was not formed until June 1940-just too late to take part in the campaign in France, After that, however, th e numbers of Werferbrigaden (each made up of two or three Werferregimenter) increased until there were twenty in the line and numerous other units available for special purposes such as the Panzerwerferbatterie and Rheinbote units. A second training unit and range was at Munster- Nord.

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 7·5 cm Pak.

BEL 0 W: A battery of 15 cm N ebelw erfer 41 s in action. N ote the absence of p ersonnel who w o uld ha ve been under cover during th e firing period.

(2) Heavy Rocket Projector Brigade (motorized}-Schwere Werferabteilung (mot) . These units could be equipped with either the 21 cm Nebelwerfer 42, the 28/ 32 cm Nebelwerfer or later the 30 cm Nebelwerfer 42 or 56. A brigade was described as heavy if more than one battery was equipped with the 21 cm equipment or larger (the normal werferabteilung usually had only one 21 cm battery, if that). Thus a Heavy Brigade could consist of three 21 cm batteries or two 21 cm batteries and one 15 cm battery. However, the brigade HQ was often enlarged by th e addition of an extra detachment to deal with chemical decontamination, in addition to the normal HQ units. (3) Mountain Rocket Projector Brigade-Gebirgswerferabteilung. Relatively few in number these units were normally equipped with the 10 cm Nebelwerfer 35 and 40 mortars, though rocket equipment could be added for special campaigns, eg, the 1942 Caucasus campaign. In addition to the above there were also independent armoured projector companies (Panzerwerferbatterie) which employed the 15 cm Panzerwerfer 42 mounted on Maultier half-tracks, These were normally organised into two platoons, each with four projectors. There were no established units for the Schweres Wurfgeriit 40 and 41 . Manpower was detailed off for their use whenever they were required. It must be stressed at this point that the Werferregimenter and small er units were not normally part of any Army divisional establishment but were allotted to the various armies, corps and divisions by OKH (General Head­ quarters of the Armies). Only the SS Panzer Divisions (SS 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 12) had organic Werferabteilung (each of 18 projectors) . To return to the Regimental level, regiments like their brigades were divided into Werferregimenter and Schweres (heavy) Werferregimenter. The W erfer­ regimenter was normally comprised of a Regimental HQ and HQ battery, two 15 cm abteilung, one 21 cm abteilung and a light projector column (usually a 15 cm detachment) for special purposes. A Schweres Regimenter was one in which more than one abteilung was equipped with the 21 cm Nebelwerfer 42 or larger. Normal establishment for one of these heavy units was two 21 cm or 28/32 cm (later 30 cm) abteilung and one 15 cm abteilung.

The Werferabteilung (mot) (15 em) As the basic unit of the Nebeltruppe, the W erferabteilung needs further explanation . Its equipment strength table is shown separately but shows that the brigade HQ had a 'paper' battery with the usual HQ staff and anti -tank unit. There were usually three batteries, each with six projectors, and one 3 ·7 cm Pak or 7·5 cm Pak anti-tank gun. On the road each abteilung column covered a length of 1800 metres and took 20 minutes to pass one point. This was on a first class road when the column speed was 30 km/hr. On the autobahn the speed could be raised to 40 km/ hr and lowered to 20 km/ hr for second class roads or tracks. In action a brigade covered a front of up to 1200 m, as each battery took 350 m, although 200 m was the more usual-this reduced the front to about 800-900 m. The inherent inaccuracy of the rocket projectile meant that volume of fire had to replace accuracy and the watchword of the Nebeltruppe was 'Klotzen, Nicht Kleckern' (roughly-'thump, don't tap'). This was shown by the ability to fire 108 rounds in 10 seconds, and 648 in 90 seconds. Such a volume of fire would saturate most targets and led to early reports from the

7

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.

ABOVE: Maultiers with 15 cm Panzerwerfer 42 projectors being prepared for action during the winter of 1944. Note rhe discarded 'packkiste' at the bottom left of the picture. Russians that the 15 c m Nebelwerfer 41 could fire 6 rockets in five seconds­ actually the firing rate was six in ten seconds. It must be stressed that the establishments described above and in the tables are for ideal situations. Even at the start of a campaign the manpower, equipment and transport figures could be reduced by up to a third as a result of sickness, maintenance, unserviceability, etc. By 1945 manpower had become so critical that Werferregimenter consisted of two abteilung only. Transport was another problem area and it should be borne in mind that many of the projectors described in this book were often towed into action by horses. However most SS units managed to maintain a higher establishment of equipment and man­ power due to the preference shown to Party formations. In September 1944, certain of the Werferabteilung were re-designated Volks-Werferabteilung . The term had purely political overtones in view of the impending defence of the Reich, and made no differences to establishments or role in the Nebeltruppen.

ROCKET UNIT DESIGNATIONS Few records remain of the Nebeltruppen (later Werfertruppe) formations. Listed below are the known regiments which made up the Werferbrigaden in 1945: Werferbrigade

1

2 Werfer Regi menter 3, 70

3

4 Werfer Regi menter 51, 52, s2

Werfer Lehr Regiment 1, 2

W erfer Regimen t s 1

Werfer Abteilung 1 (with WR 54)

Werler Regiment s 2

Werfer Abteilung 2 (with WR 52)

Werfer Regiment s 3

Werfer Abteilung 3 (with WR s3)

Stab Werfer Regiment z b V 4

Werfer Abteilung 4

Werfer Abteilung 5 (with WR 55)

Werfer Abteilung 6

Werfer Abteilung 7 (with WR 54)

Werfer Abteilung 8 (with WR s 2)

Stab W erfer Regiment s b V 8

Werfer Abteilung 9 (with WR 71)

Werfer Regiment 10

Gebirgs Werfer Abteilung 10

Werfer Abteilung 11

s Werfer Regimenter 13. 14, 15

Panzer Werfer Bam 21 (with WR 57)

Panzer Werfer Battr 22 (with 15 Panzer Grenadier Div)

s Werfer Regimenter 21, 22, 26

Werfer Abteilung 31

Werfer Regimenter 38. 50, 51, 52 53

Werfer Regiment 54 (mit 21 [pz] Battr)

W erfer Regiment 55, 56

s Werfer Reg iment 57 (mit 21 [pz] Battr)

Werfer Reg iment 70 (mit 21 [pz] Battr)

Werfer Regiment 71 (Tunisia '43)

Werfer Regimenter 77,79,81,83,84,86,87,88,89

Stell Werfer Regimenter 100, 101, 102, 103

Werfer Batlerien 105

113

114

151 (with WR 70)

203

208

211

224

287 (with WR 56)

408

458

The Smoke Units that took part in the Invasion of Poland in September 1939 were Nebelabteilung 1, 2 and 5.

5

6

7 Werfer Regimenter 83, 84 (Normandy July '44)

8

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

8

9

I..-....~==..........'--";o...;;;;,...------------------r----------------~------..-

Rocket Projector Regiment (motorized) Werferregimenter (mot) .X­

c

(f)

~

c

:J Ol

UNIT

Qi

c



7 20 109

3 2

109 109 20

9 9

374

37

.X-

c

"(.!J

::J~

Regimental HO ......... . ... . .... Regimental HO Battery . .. ...... Projector Battalion

31 110 555

2 20

4

18

Projector Battalion ........ . ... Projector Battalion ......... . . Light Projector Column ...... .

555 555 70

20 20

4 4

18 18

Total ... . ................. ...

1,876

62

Q)

U

Q)

0

(f)

ou -i:

Q)

a..

12

>­

o

54

0

~

9

5

Total strength 1,876

ABOVE: (Top) 32 em Wurfkorper MFL 50. (Bottom) 30 em Wurfkorper Spreng.

AMMUNITION ESTABLISHMENTS (NUMBER OF ROUNDS)

Rocket Projector Battalion (motorized) Weferabteilung (mot) (f)

(f)

C :J Ol

(f)

Q)

c

,

ii

Q)

ro

UNIT

c

u (f)

(f)

Q; U

:i: 0

(f)

0

u Z

~ C1l

>

a:

0 (f)

Q)

~ 0::

.'1 110 l3,lttery ..... . .. . . . .

­ U

0 0

~

6

3 13 31

1 2 2

6 6

31 31

2 2

18 109

9

Total strength 555 10

Werferabteilung (mot) (15 em) Carried into action: 1728 explosive (80%) 432 smoke (20%) 432 explosive ie, for each battery: 108 smoke Sehwere Werferabteilung (mot) (21 em) Carried into action: 900 HE-10 salvoes ie, for each battery: 180 For light column: 360 Sehwere Werferabteilung (mot) (30 em) Carried into action: 600 HE-3 salvoes

ie, for each battery: 120

For light column: 240

Sehwere Werferabteilung (mot) (28/32 em) 45028 cm HE Carried into action: 150 32 cm Incendiary Gebirgsnebelwerferabteilung (10 em Nebelwerfer 35) Carried into action: 1899 HE

1269 Smoke

453 HE

For each battery: 303 Smoke

540 HE

For light column: 360 Smoke

11

.-------

:;­

'"'

.' ,~.~~;c? ;.. ,:~~;,-'.:. ;.\~~~:~~%~

ABOVE: (Top to Bottom) 21 em Wurfgrenate 42 Spreng; 7.3 cm Propaganda­ granare 41; 28 cm Wurfkorper Spreng (unfused) in its 'packkiste '.

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.

UNIFORMS OF ROCKET TROOPS The original users were the Nebeltruppe or Smoke Troops, who were dressed in th e infantry- style uniform used by most of the technical formations of th e German Army during World War 2: the arm of service colour was a dark red (burgundy red) and appeared on the shoulder straps and the collar patch (as t he base colour). The forage -c ap for other ranks had dark red piping on the 'cuff. Camouflage smocks were occasionally worn . Th e most prominent users of the Panzerfaust were the Fallschirmjager or Paratroop Regiments. The cover shows an Unteroffizier (Serg ea nt) in the slyle of dress affected by paratroopers in the Mediterranean theatre of war. The Inll n ca mouflage smock and a canvas bandolier were peculiar to these troops­ lilt : former is shown 'as issued' but this soon became bleached to a lighter :: 11 :1(1 0. The grey-blue helmet of paratroop pattern could be covered by a loose :;' "11 I colo ured cover. Th e single 'wing' on the upper arm denotes rank, and is rectangular patch. Other members of the platoon using the ,,;.,,;olly lin 1""' ''t: rI ; lIl ~t c,mi ed spare rounds, often tucked into their waistbelts like the :;111; 1, qrllll ; ld c~ th ey also carried- a somewhat more dang erous practise owing II I 111 " lillllm sizo of th e Panzerfaust round.

The Panzerfaust was issued to normal infantry units in 1944 in lieu of anti-tank artill ery, and also tothe Hitler Youth and the newly-created Volksturm (Home Guard) . The latter consisted of old men, and those unable to fight in the Wehrmacht for medical reasons. The Panzerfaust was often issued in place of proper personal arms to these formations in last-ditch attempts to stem th e tide of Allied armour. There w as only a token attempt at uniform in that items of Army, Navy and Air Force uniform (principally caps and greatcoats) were issued. An authorized armband for the Volksturm bore the words ' Deutscher Volksturm-Wehrmacht': improvised armbands of white with black letters also appeared with and without the word 'Wehrmacht' . No rank appears to have been shown- th e 'officers' of these detachments were often Party leaders in the first instance, until the close proximity of Allied troops caused them to hand over their command to the Wehrmacht.

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.

BELOW: 75 em HE Rocket with 'Tp': Tropical use stencils.

ABOVE: Inserting an ERZ 39 initiator into a ro cket in a 75 em Panzerwerfer 42. (IWM-STT5705). The payload was in a fibre container in the rocket's steel base. The usual HE charge was 5~ Ib of TNT which could cause considerable blast damage. A fuse was screwed into the base and could be either a conventional centri­ fugally armed contact fuse or a time delay fuse for use on fortifications. The charge was held separate from the motor by an iron spacer to prevent prema­ ture detonation. The rocket was usually painted dark green or grey with identifying stencils in white or black. Length was 36·6 inches and weight 70 Ib for HE and 79 Ib for smoke . The rockets were delivered to the troops in wooden boxes each containing one round and an initiator in a waxed cardboard tube clipped under the lid. These initiators were known as the Elektrischer Randdusenzunder 39 or ERZ 39.

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 3·7 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

Nebelwerfer 41 firin g diagram. Th e si x

barrels we re fired in th e follow in g

sequ ence: 1-4-6-3-5-2.

00

aGO0

BELOW: A loaded 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41 captured at Bannevi/le, near Troam, on July 20, 1944. The box on the left-hand side contains th e sigh ts. (IWM -B7783) .

ABOVE: Loading the top two rounds into a 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41 . (IWM-STT5137J. right- hand side of the mounting. From th ere the pulses were fed to the initiators by fixed cables on the projector. Th e rockets were fired at 2-sec ond intervals and this interval had to be judged by th e firer using the rotary hand generator-one turn fired one rocket. All six rockets could then be fired and reloaded in 90 second s. When fired the rockets made a distinct droning sound and left a trail of smoke which gave rise to one of the Nebelwerfer 41 's tactical limitations as these smoke trails were highly visible and attracted counter­ battery artillery and mortar fire. The 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41 remained the sta ndard equipment of th e Werferabteilung throughout the war .

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 40·1 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

Aushilfsrichtmittel38 (No 38 Auxiliary sight) . BOTTOM: Prepanng a 75 em

N ebelwerfer 47 for firing.

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 3·6 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

ABOVE: The 15 em Nebelwerfer 41 on display at the Imperial War Museum. The Do-geriit does not appear to have been widely used and illustrations of it are rare.

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 ()

BELOW: An Allied motor cyclist examines a captured Nebelwerfer 41 in May 1943. Note the electrical cables for flfing and the internal guide rails inside the barre/. (IWM-NA2583).

ABOVE: Maintenance on a 75 cm Panzerwerfer 42. No te the 'G' on the hull side which is probably a battery letter.

Sd Kfz 11 / 5 Leic hter Zugkraftwagen in 1943. No pictorial evidence of this variant appears to survive. After the war the French mounted captured Panze rwerfer 42 projectors on Somua carr iers but this vehicle is beyond th e scope of this book. In additon to the 15 cm projectors mention ed above, the 21 cm Nebel­ werfer 42 cou ld also be fitted with lin er rail s to fire th e 15 cm rocket . The 30 cm Raketenwerfer 56 co uld also be so adapted. At the end of the war experiments were being carried out by Skoda and Krupp to investigate fin stabilisation of the 15 C!l1 rocket, and also the fitting of hollow charge exp losive heads wa s projected. One much revised 15 cm design was being developed at Rugenw ald e as a concrete piercing weapon. Weighing 130 kg and about 280 cm long it cou ld be fired from a closed breech tube or from rails. Several test firings were made but the end of the war precluded fu rther trials. In March 1945 it was proposed that a 12 cm rocket shou ld be designed to replace the 15 cm rocket as an economy me as ure. Existing 15 c m projectors would be fitted with liner rails but as with so ma ny other developments the war ended before the project really started.

I WI! views of Maultiers carry­ I IJ' cm Panzerwerfer 42 I I/lil1.'1.'1 ors. Note the leading vI.'I 11'';/1.' III Ihe lower picture /1.'/." IllI.' conine cooling vents IIl11

I

'I If 'II .

22

23

The 21 cm Rocket

The 21 cm Wurfgrenate 42 Spreng was developed and utilised alongside the 15 cm rocket. However in appearance it resembled a conventional artillery round as it was carefully streamlined by the addition of a false hollow nose (ogive) which did away with the usual blunt nose of most German rockets. Layout of the rocket was conventional ie, the motor was at the rear and the warhead in front, both encased in a mild steel body. The motor was made up of seven propellant sticks, each 21·67 inches long, each stick 2-46 inches in diameter. A grid trap separated the propellant from the nozzle assembly and between the two was a tinfoil sealing disc to keep out moisture. Round th e edge of the nozzle assembly were 22 venturi angled at 16° from the rocket axis to impart the stabilising spin in flight. In the centre of the one-piece nozzle plate was a hole ready to take the ERZ 39 (Elektrische Randdusenzunder 39) initiator. When fired electrically the ERZ 39 would ignite a quickmatch relay through the centre of the motor to the black powder igniter at the front of the body. A small spacer ring held the igniter separate from the motor to ensure even burning . Weight of the motor was 87·75 Ib and the nozzle assembly 5 ' 12 lb. The propellant alone weighed 40·25 lb. The 90 Ib warhead shell contained 22-4 Ib of TNT and was threaded onto the motor body. A point detonating fuse with an optional delay of 0 ·10 seconds was screwed into a booster cup in the nose. Connection to the fuse was made from the false ogive by a wooden rod . Overall length of the rocket was 49·21 inches and the total weight was 241 ·3 Ibs. Only HE rockets appear to have been used in this calibre. Supplied to the front line in shaped mild steel 'cage' crates, they were painted black or dark grey with white stencilled markings.

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 3·7 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 6·00/20 pneumatic tyres. Weight of the equipment was 12 cwt (605 kg). Maximum range of the projector was 8530

OPPOSITE PAGE: A sequence showing the loading and firing of a 21 cm Ncbelwerfer 42. (TOP) Loading-note the transport cages. (MIDDLE) Operating the hand generator. (BOTTOM) Firing, there appears to be three projectors in use. (/WM-STT7339). 24

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.

---) '~/---­) - . -- .

(

21 cm Nebelwerfer 42 firing diagram. The five barrels were fired in the following sequence: 1 -5-3-4-2.

( \

5

".-

1

I.

2

",,--­

/ \ / -\ l 4 )i 3 \"---./

"'-~./

BELOW' Troops retire to cover after loading the rockets into a 21 em Nebelwerfer42. (lWM-MH34 7) .

.!

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 109G·6/ R4 fighter. To the crews the projector was known as the 'Ofenrohr' (or Dodel) (not to be confused with the 8·8 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.

The 28/32 cm Rockets The first of the Ger'm an field rockets to enter service, th e 28/32 cm rccket equipments appeared in late 1940. Compared with later rock ets they were of poor ballistic shape but compensated for the ir relatively short range by th ei r large payloads. Both rockets had basically the same co nstruction and motor, and used the same projectors but the major difference5 are best described first: The 28 em Wurfkdrpe r Spreng This weighed 181 Ibs and contained 110 Ibs of TNT or am atol. It could be identifi ed by a 1 j- inch wid ') pink band round the head of the projecti le. Length was 3 feet 11 inches. The 32 em Wurfkdrper M FL 50 Thi s weighed 174 Ibs and co ntained 11 gallons of a mobil e brown incendiary liquid made from a mi xture of petrol and diesel oil. The identifying band was green and yellow. Length was 4 feet 2~ inches. Filling was carried out through a plug behind the swell of the head . The general appearance of the rocket can be seen from the photographs. In both t y pes the motor was at th e rear with the la rge bulbous head containing the proportionately large charge. Propulsion came from a 14 Ib 9 oz charge of propellant known as dieth ylene glycol dinitrate . This substance was in a single stick with one central hole and eight grooves spaced round the outside to assist burning . In this hole and the grooves cellular sticks were placed to start the burning after ignition from front and rear by two separate ignitors. Ignition was commenced by an electrical initiator in the base . The exhaust 27

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.

The Schweres Wurfgerat 40 and 41 The Schweres Wurfgeriit 40 and 41 w ere two tYP3S of the same static launching frame to hold four 28 or 32 cm rockets in their crates ready for firing. The only differences between the two types wns that the Schweres Wurfgeriit

BEL OW: Schweres Wurfgeriit emplaced and loaded ready for the assault on Sebas tap ol, 1942.

ABOVE: (Top) Schweres Wurfgerat 40. (B ottom) Schweres Wurfgeri':t 41. 40 was made of wood and weighed 115 Ib while the 41 model was metal and weighed 243 lb. Both were simple frames with the front legs adjustable for elevation. Four crates were laid on top and after connecting up the initi­ ators in the rocket base centres the equipment was ready for action. As always, firing was carried out from a position under cover but the Schweres Wurfgeriit was often used in remotely controlled batteri es to cover approaches to a de­ fended position or emplaced to lay down a rocket barrage during an attack . All four rockets could not be fired at once, but at 2-second intervals. 29

This delay was introduced automatically by means of a device known as th e GILikzundkette 40 mV. It was in fact made up of lengths of a delay composition in plug assemblies to each rocket. An electrical pulse from a standard hand generator fired one rocket and the delay composition then acted as a slowmatch to fire off the other rockets after 2, 4 and then 6 seconds. The cableform ends were identifiable by metal tags and labelled 4,0,2,6 (seconds) from left to right as this was the correct firing order, ie, 3-1-2-4. The required firing current was OA amperes. Laying the Wurfgeriit frames was effected by setting up the frame facing the target and then setting the elevation angle by using a hand clinometer on the motor body (as shown in the pl1otograph). The front of the frame was then raised or lowered until the appropriate angle was obtained and the adjustable frame front legs were locked in position. If the rockets were already on the frame up to four men were needed to carry out this task. A range and elevation table is shown separately. The Schweres Wurfgerat 41 could also be used to fire 30 cm rockets from their transport crates.

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).

Extract from range tables for 28/32 cm Rocket Projectors 40 and 41 (Schwere Wurfgerat 40 und 41) 28cm HE Rocket

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

32cm Incendiary Rocket 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100 2200

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

I

i

I

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 7·5 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· .

BELOW: Laying a 28/32 cm Nebel werfer 41 . The mushroom shaped objects on top are used to hold the rockets in p lace when the top flap is hinged forw ards and do w n for transportation. Note the cable from the firing position to the connection box and the l eads to th e rocket initiator. (I WM -STT5560) .

AB OVE: A 28 /32 cm N ebelwerfer 41. N ote the junction box on the nearside

The 28/32 em Nebelwerfer 41 To give the 28/ 32 cm rockets more mobility than that afforded by the Schweres Wurfgerat 40 and 41 the Nebelwerfer 41 was developed. This con­ sisted of a two-wheeled trailer towed into action by a Sd Kfz 1 O/1-ton half­ tracked vehicle. On this trailer was mounted six open steel frames in two superimposed rows of three. Each of the six frames was contoured to hold one 32 cm rocket and lin er rails were provided for use with 28 cm rockets. Elevation and traverse mechanism was provided for use by the layer who stood by or sat on the left-hand mudguard and used a small dial sight fixed to the launcher framework. These sights were covered by a hinged metal flap when not in use . In action the launcher was held rigidly in position by two jacks in front of the launcher rails and a small trail spade. The trail was not split-a feature which differentiates the Nebelwerfer 41 from the similar 30 cm Raketenwerfer 56. Traverse for the Nebelwerfer 41 was 30 ° and elevation from 0 to 45 °. Weight was 2,460 lb . Ranges were the same as that for the Schweres Wurfgerat 40 and 41. Firing was effected electrically. The connection box was on the right-hand side of the projector. For an initiator the Steckzunder 40 was used. This was a simple plug screwed into the centre of the rocket base . Two 13 inch long insulated leads leading from it were then connected to the fixed electrical circuitry on th e launcher. The Steckzunder 40 was carried separately from other ammunition in sealed cardboard cartons, each holding 16 initiators ready for use. Rockets were fired in the order shown in the diagram. The 28/ 32 cm Nebelwerfer 41 was one of the projectors used by the Heavy Rocket Projector Battalions (motorised) (Schwere Werferabteilung (mot) of the SS and Army divisions. They saw extensive service in Russia.

28 / 32 cm Nebelwerler 41 firing diagram. The six crad les were fired in the foll o w ing sequence : 2-5-1-3-4-6.

33

000 000

ABOVE: A Russian soldier holds a meter rule against a 28/32 cm Nebel­ w erfer 41. In the foreground are two 28cm rockets - one unfused and one in its 'packkiste·. In front of the launcher are the 28 cm liner rads. not needed for the two visible 32 cm rockets loaded in the launcher. In the background can be seen a 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41. (IWM-21024J.

The Schweres Wurfrahmen 40 One of the lessons learned from the early campaigns of 1939-40 was the need for heavy support fire for the forward elements of the Panzer divisions. At that time much of the Wehrmacht artillery was still conventional in form and towed by horse or truck. This was too slow and lacked cross-country ability so alternative means had to be found. One solution, and the most widely used, was the Sturmgeschiitze series of mobile guns on a wide variety of tracked chassis. The half-tracks were also involved in this new concept but they were mainly too light to effectively mount the heavy weapons needed. To rectify

BELOW: A poor qualilV battlefield shot of an Sd Kfz 251/1 in action. This vehicle was sometimes called 'SlUka zum fuss' -'Infantrv Stuka'.

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 .

Schw eres Wurfr ahmen 40 firing diagram. The si x crad les w ere fired in Ihe foll owing sequ ence : 1-2-3- 4-5 -6.

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.

The 30cm Rocket Of all the large field rockets, the 30 cm roc ket was the largest and the latest to see service. It ben efited from earlier experienc e in that it employed an enlarged 15 cm motor and its launchers were similar to, and in two cases the same as, those employed by the 28/ 32 cm rocket. In appearance it was much more streamlined than the clum sy-looking 28/ 32 cm family, but apart from that they were similar in concept, ie, the rocket motor was at the rear and the proportionately large warhead w as at the front . There the resemblance ended for the 30 cm Wurfkiirper 42 Spreng (or Wurfkiirper Spreng 4491) weighed 277 Ib of which 100 Ib was the amatol bursting charge. The propellant weight was just over 33 Ib which meant a higher payload to motor w eight rati o than other German field rocket types and this resulted in a ma ximum range o f 6000 metres (6562 yards) though the

BELOW: A Wurfrahm en 40 armed Sd Kfz 2 51/1 rea dy for action. No te the comman der's stereo scopic binoculars.

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 12°42' 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

BELOW: 30 cm rocke ts in flight. N ote the relative absence of smoke. (IWM-S TT5572J,

,

A BOVE: Cam ouflaging a 30 cm Nebelwerfer 42 prior to its use in a barrage. Th e end result can be seen in the left backgroun d. purely static or defensive role, as a launching ramp for the 30 cm projectile . For details of the Schweres Wurfgerat 41 see the section on the 28 / 32 cm rockets.

The 30 em Nebelwerfer 42

,

Following similarity to the 28 / 32 cm, the 30 cm Nebelwerfer 42 was an enlarged version of the 28 / 32 cm Nebelwerfer 42. The only real difference was in the w elded steel projectors which were re-contoured and longer to take the 30 cm ammunition . In addition the two front stabiliser jacks were not always fitted . Laying, firing and firing sequence was the same as the 28 / 32 cm Nebelwerfer 41 .

,

The 30 em Raketenwerfer 56

,

On this projector the launching rails remained th e same as on the 30 cm Nebel ­ werfer 42 but the carriage was adapted from the 5 cm Pak 38 anti-tank gun carriage. This was of the split-trail type. The two trails were tubular and split to 56 inches between the trails. On each trail was a brake lever connected by a cable to the wheel. The 16·2 inches diameter wheels had solid rubber tyres and were made up of pressed steel discs. The axle was mounted on yokes . hinged to the carriage and mounted on transverse leaf spring suspension. When the trail was spread this leaf spring was compressed and this stabilised the carriage. Apart from the normal towing eye at the end of the trail arms, a second eye was provided on the carriage under the projector frame so that other projectors could be added to form a chain (see photograph on page 41). In the photo­ graph the towing vehicle is a 'Maultier' Munitionspanzer but many other methods of towing could be used including horses. As on other rocket projectors the sights were on the left along with the

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.

ABO VE: Three abandoned 30 em Raketen w erfer 5 6s in front of munition ­ spanzers al Oelle in Ap ril 1945. On top of the proj ectors are stacked th e 15 em liner rails. (I WM - BU3430) . The 30 cm Raketenwerfer 56 entered service during 1944 and remained in use on all fronts until the end of hostilities.

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 7·875 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

Incendiary 10 cm Wurfgranate 35 Brenn

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 21·9 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

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per minute.

AMMUNITION The Nebelwerfer 35 and 40 both had a calibre of 10·5 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

20 mm (-79 in) H. E. (~) ROCKET PROJECTOR (LUFTFAU5T) 43

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 0·2 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'

prevented it energizing the magneto. Each rocket had a warhead which was in fact a standard 20 mm HE shell­ already in wide use with all arms of the services. The motor was made up of a single diglycol stick in a steel tube crimped onto an annular groove on the shell. Ignition was through a central hole in the venturi plate with the exhaust venting through four equally spaced venturis angled at 45 ° and the central venturi already mentioned. The igniter cartridge was crimped onto the motor base. A self - destructing contact fuse was fitted to the shell nose. Each basic equipment was issued in a wooden crate weighing 95 lb. Inside was one launcher and eight pre-loaded clips each in a fibre container. No pre­ preparation was needed before use apart from unpacking . Production of the Luftfaust was initiated in early 1945 and mainly carried out in small workshops manned by unskilled labour, including women and children . Some 10,000 units had been completed by the cessation of hostilites but few if any were issued and there is no record of any being encountered by Allied aircrews. The Luftfaust would indeed have been a formidable defensive weapon if employed in large enough numbers. It was probably the earliest ancestor of the personal ground-to-air missile systems of today- one of which is Blowpipe and another Redeye. Luftfaust Rocket Details

Total weight of clip .... .... ........ .. .. .. .. .... .... .. ...... .. 5t Ib

Weight of one round .. .... .... .............. .. .. .. ... .250 grams (8'8 oz)

Weight of shell ..... ... ....... .. .... . ...... ... .. .. ........... .. 110 grams (3 ' 9 oz)

Weight of propellant.. .. . .. .. .. .. .. ........ .. .. .... .40· 7 grams (1 -4 oz)

Length of round less igniter ......... .. ............. .... ..... 9 inches

44

Velocity of rocket .. . . . . . . . . .... . .. . ..... . . .... ..... .. ........ 280-310 metres/sec Rotational velocity 40 metres from muzzle . . ..... .... .. ............... ..... ...... 26,000 rpm

Effective range ..... ...... . .. .................. .. .......... .... 230-550 yards

Maximum range .. ... . . .. .. ..... . .. ...... .... ... .. . . ............ 2,200 yards

Average dispersion ....... . ... . . . . .• .. . . ...... . . . . ... ... . . ... 10%

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 7·3 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

THE 7·3 em MULTIPLE LAUNCHERS

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 7·3 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.

The development of the 7·3 cm rocket for propaganda purposes alone made for rather an expensive exercise at a time when Germany's limited resources were feeling the strain of producing large amounts of war material so it is not surprising that the 7 ·3 cm motor was adapted to carry a more offensive warhead. In this form it was renamed the 7·3 cm Raketensprenggranate and utilised mainly as an anti-aircraft weapon. However it was also used against ground targets and thus comes into the scope of this book. The 7·3 cm R Sprgr weighed 6 Ib (2'74 kg) and was 11 ,09 inches (28'2 cm) long . Of this length the motor made up 5 392 inches and as before the propellant was a one-piece charge weighing just over 1 Ib and venting through seven base venturii. The 0·62 Ib (280 grams) bursting charge in the warhead was made up of two possible fillings. One filling, coded '95'on the casing was known as 'cyclonite/TNT (60/40)'. A later variant of this was coded 'H5+Fp02' and made up of 55% cyclonite, 40% TNT and 5% wax (cyclonite is a form of RDX) . As the rocket was primarily intended as an anti­ aircraft weapon it carried a self destructing charge in the nose fired by a ~ inch long tracer chain ignited from a relay in the warhead base. This relay was set off by the rocket igniter. Normally the warhead was set off by a point detonat­ ing nose fuse known as the Raketenaufschlagzunder 51 (RAZ 51) which was adapted from the fuse used in standard 20 mm ammunition , The un­ painted rockets were finished in a matt dark grey or black anti-corrosion coating. A 1 inch wide yellow band was painted round the rocket body and on the warhead was painted a large white 'R' and charge details, also in white. The main launcher for this rocket was the Fohn Geriit, which could be either mobile or fixed. It consisted of 35 31 inch long launching rails mounted in a box formation of seven superimposed rows of five. As was to be expected of an anti-aircraft weapon 360° traverse was provided and elevation was from -10 ° to 90°. Sighting was carried out from an armoured box, fitted with a transparent plastic window, mounted to the left of the racks. The sights themselves were designed for both anti-aircraft and ground target use and a rudimentary rear and foresight was provided for rapid pointing . All thirty-five rockets were fired in one salvo, provided the two safety devices were cleared, by firing pins behind each rail. The mobile version of the Fohn Geriit was mounted on an adapted 3·7 cm anti-aircraft gun two-wheeled trailer. Fixed mounts were set up on sheet iron or concrete platforms . Some of these mountings were used to cover river crossings at Satzvoy, Unkel and Hahn, At the time of the German collapse development work was being carried out on 3-,5-,7- and 24-barrel projectors for the 7·3 cm rocket . Each barrel was hexagonal so various barrel combinations could be easily assembled . For the 3-,5- and 7-barrellaunchers the barrel length was 100 cm (39'37 inches) while the 24-barrel version was to be 55 cm (21'65 inches) long . Each barrel held three guide rails and spring clips held the rocket in position 20 cm from the rear. On the 24-barrel version the barrels were open leaving only the rail 'skeleton' along most of its length . Apparently the 3-barrel weapon was intended for one-man use and a 50 x 50 cm shield was provided for firer protection . One further launcher remains to be mentioned. This is the unusual device referred to in Allied Intelligence reports as the 7·5 cm Multiple Fortress Rocket Projector. It consisted of four rows of seven barrels mounted on a low, two­ wheeled trailer. The four rows were at slightly different elevations to give a

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 2·36 inch in diameter. The German equivalent fired a 8 ·8 cm rocket and was known as the 8·8 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

The 8-8 cm Rocket Grenades

The 8·8 em Raketenpanzerbuehse Grenate 4322 This was the first German rocket grenade to see widespread service and weighed 7 ·26 lb. Other marks followed the same basic design so only this variant will be described in detail. Length was 25·56 inches and the missile was stabilised by drum fin s at the rear. The main bursting charge was in the bulbous warhead and weighed 1 Ib 7·2 oz made up of 41 ·2% TNT and 58·8% cyclonite. This combination of explosives was known as cyclotol. Cavity lining was of 0 ·15 mm thick mild steel plate. The detonator for the charge wa's embedded in the rear of the charge and the nose fuse was of the AZ5095 type which had a functioning time of 0 ·0002 seconds. Inside the tubular steel body was the propellant charge weighing, togeth er with the igniter assembly, 0-403 lb. Made up of seven propellant sticks, this charge propelled the grenade at a rate of approximately 340 ft / sec and burned for about 7 feet of the rocket's travel. Each stick was 7·6 inches long and 0-45 inches in diameter with a central 0 ·22 inch perforation. Composition was 64 ·5% nitrocellulose, 34·5% DEG N and 1 % stabiliser. The sticks were held in position by two simple wire grids with the igniter at the top end of the tube. An electrical primer was inserted into the centre of the venturi assembly in the tail. The R pz B Gr 4322 was fired from the R P 43 ' and had a maximum effective range of 165 yards. Their colour was dark green with white stencilled identifying markings.

A BOVE: An RP 43 on view at the RAe Tank Museum. Bovington. Known also as the Ofenrohr (not to be confused with the aircraft mounted WG 21 21 cm launcher) and Panzerschreck (tank terror) , the RP 43 wa s 5 feet 4~ inches long and weighed 20 ~ lb. The grenade was loaded from the rear into a steel tube supported on the firer's shoulder by a shaped metal rest a third of the way along the tube, with further support given by two hand-grips under the tube . Simple back and foresights were provided for aiming , while a thin webbing sling was provided for carrying by one man. As mentioned above the weapon was normally operated by two men . The loader also carried the ammunition in wooden boxes, each carrying three rocket grenades, though later sheet steel carriers were provided. As each rocket was taken from its box it was checked to see that the electrical primer was secure in the base. Two thin leads ran from this primer to a plug . After loading the rocket was held in position by a retaining catch and also by a spring­ loaded plunger at the tail. The wandering leads were then plugged into a housing at the end of the tube. Previous to this the firing mechanism had been cocked by pulling on the cocking handle in front of the trigger. This compressed a spring which was held by the trigger. Releasing the trigger allow ­ ed the spring to drive a magnetised rod through a coil and the resultant current was fed to the rocket's primer via fi xed conduit on the side of the tube . When fired the rocket motor burned for about the first 7 feet of its journey. This gave rise to considerable flame and smoke which was very dangerous to the firing crew. As a result they were issued with special flame-proofed ponchos with face-masks, and steel helmets had to be worn. This extra protec­ tive clothing was also extensively camouflaged as the crew had to be quite close to the tank when they fired. The bulk of the RP 43 made 'stalking' the

Raketenpanzerbuehse Grenate 4992 The R pz B Gr 4992 (sometimes referred to as 4999) was a later version of the 4322 and had a range improvement of up to 220 yards. It was fired from the later R P 54/1, and featured side el ectrical contacts for the ignition primer.

Raketenpanzerbuehse Grenate 4312 The R pz B Gr 4312 was designed to be fired from the Raketenwerfer 43 (Pi.ippchen) and was shorter and lighter than the R pz B Gr 4322 . It was 19·64 inches long and weighed 5 Ib 13 oz. The propellant was a single perforated stick made up of 62·8% nitrocellulose, 36·1 % diglycoldinitrate, 0·7% alkalide and 0·2% ash . This mixture was ignited by a perc ussion cap in the venturi at the rear. Weight of the propellant was only 1·7 oz, while the bursting charge was 1 Ib 8 oz (684 grams) of cast RDX / TNT 60/ 40. All the above grenades could penetrate up to 8~ inches of armour plating placed vertically , while 40 0 sloped armour could be penetrated up to 6·3 inches. However their penetration could be reduced by placing relatively thin plates some distance away from the armour to be protected. The charge then lost a great deal of energy before hitting the armour proper and penetration was considerably reduced. These thin plates were loosely attached to the sides of most tanks in combat and were known to the Germans as 'Scheutzen' . Wire 1O(!sh could also be used for the same purpose, and is still in use in Vietnam ,,,day.

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Illudu handling and loading by one man a difficult task. 48

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III" 1I IIkoiollpanzerbuchse 42 (or RP 43) was designed as a launcher for the fl li

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Thp, Raketenpanzerbuehse 43 II I' .. II ( it II :Q 2 and came into service late in 1943. It was a two-man weapon

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8·8 cm.(3 ·S in.) A.Tk. ROC !