In February 1943, the German armed forces adopted the 30 cm Wurfkorper Wurfgranate Spreng 300-mm high-explosive rocket mine (30 cm WK. Spr. 42), created taking into account the experience of the combat use of 280/320 mm rockets. This projectile weighing 127 kg and a length of 1248 mm had a flight range of 4550 m, i.e. twice as large as previous shells.
Firing 300-mm shells was supposed to be carried out from a newly developed six-shot launcher 30 cm Nebelwerfer 42 (30 cm WK Spr. 42). Since February 1943, the division of these installations underwent military tests, in July of the same year, the installation was adopted. Installation weight - 1100 kg, maximum elevation angle - 45 degrees, horizontal firing angle - 22.5 degrees.
Preparing 30 cm Nebelwerfer 42 for shooting
Launchers 30 cm WK Spr. 42 were in service with the heavy battalions of the Wehrmacht rocket artillery brigades. They were used in combat on both the Eastern and Western Fronts until the end of hostilities.
It took only 10 seconds to fire a salvo from the 30 cm Nebelwerfer 42 installation, and after two and a half minutes, the installation could fire another salvo. Since the enemy, as a rule, required much more time for a retaliatory strike, the divisions of such installations usually fired two volleys and then left their firing positions. The presence of a sprung course at the carriages made it possible to tow the installation at a speed of up to 30 km / h.
Later, this installation was replaced in production by a more advanced launcher 30 cm Raketenwerfer 56. In total, 380 units of 30 cm Nebe Svyerfer 42 were produced during production. From the start of production of 300-mm rockets in 1943, it continued almost until the very end of the war more than 200,000 units were produced.
Installation of 30 cm Raketenwerfer 56
The 30 cm Raketenwerfer 56 launcher was mounted on a converted gun carriage from a 50-mm anti-tank gun 5 cm PaK 38. The guidance angle was from -3 to +45 degrees vertically, and 22 degrees horizontally. With the help of special inserts from the 30 cm Raketenwerfer 56, it was possible to fire 150-mm shells of 15 cm Wurfgranate 41, which significantly increased the flexibility of the MLRS. There was also the possibility of firing 300-mm shells from the ground. Ammunition was loaded into capping 280/320 mm rocket mines. Obturation was achieved using special inserts. The mass of the installation, loaded with missiles, reached 738 kg.
Out of a total of 1,300 30 cm Nebe Svyerfer 42 and 30 cm Raketenwerfer 56 installations, which were actively used on all fronts until the very end of hostilities, no more than a third of the original number was lost in battles.
The most successful of all the German towed MLRS was the five-barreled 210-mm 21cm Nebelwerfer 42 on the wheeled carriage of the Pak 35/36 gun. For firing, 21 cm Wurfgranate rockets were used. The rest of the characteristics of the 21cm Nebelwerfer 42 remained identical to the launcher used to launch 150mm rockets. Combat weight 1100 kg, weight in the stowed position - up to 605 kg. The shells were fired alternately with the smallest interval of 1.5 seconds, the volley was fired within 8 seconds, the mortar reloading took about 1.5 minutes. During the operation of the jet engine (1.8 seconds), the RS accelerated to a speed of 320 m / s, which ensured a flight range of 7850 meters.
21 cm Nebelwerfer 42
The 21cm Wurfgranate 42 Spreng high-explosive fragmentation missile was first used at the front in 1943. She was very technologically advanced in production and had a good ballistic shape. In a stamped combustion chamber, 18 kg of jet fuel (7 tubular propellants) were placed. The neck of the chamber was screwed with a perforated bottom with 22 inclined nozzles (inclination angle of 16 degrees) and a small central hole into which an electric fuse was inserted.
Rocket 21cm Wurfgranate 42 Spreng disassembled
The body of the warhead was made by hot stamping from 5-mm sheet steel. It was equipped with cast trinitrotoluene or amatol weighing 28.6 kg, after which it was screwed onto the thread in the front of the combustion chamber. A shock fuse was screwed to the front of the warhead. The required ballistic shape of the missile was provided by a casing that was put on the front of the warhead.
From the 21 cm Nebelwerfer 42 mount, it was possible to fire single projectiles, which made it easier to zero in. Also, with the help of special inserts, it was possible to fire 150 mm shells from the six-barreled 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41.
If necessary, the 21 cm Nebelwerfer 42 could be transported over short distances by the crew. These installations were actively used by the Germans until the last days of the war. In total, almost 1,600 towed MLRS of this type were produced.
In 1942, the Germans managed to capture the Soviet rocket artillery vehicle BM-13 and rockets for it. Contrary to the widespread Soviet myth, the rocket artillery machines themselves with rail-type guides and the M-13 rockets did not represent much of a secret. They were very simple in design, technologically advanced and inexpensive to manufacture.
The BM-13 unit captured by the Germans
The secret was the technology for the production of powder bills for the jet engines of the M-8 and M-13 projectiles. It was necessary to make checkers from smokeless nitroglycerin powder, which would provide uniform traction, and would not have cracks and cavities, the presence of which could lead to uncontrolled combustion of jet fuel. The diameter of the powder cartridges in Soviet rockets was 24 mm. Their dimensions determined the two main missile calibers - 82 and 132 mm. German specialists did not manage to reproduce the technology for the production of powder bills for the engines of Soviet rocket projectiles, and they had to develop their own formulations of rocket fuel.
At the end of 1943, Czech engineers at the Ceska Zbrojovka plant in Brno created their own version of the Soviet 82-mm M-8 rocket.
The 80-mm rocket had characteristics close to its prototype, but the firing accuracy due to the rotation imparted by the stabilizers (mounted at an angle to the projectile body) was higher than that of the Soviet model. The electric fuse was placed on one of the leading belts, which made the rocket more reliable. The rocket, designated 8 cm Wurfgranate Spreng, was more successful than its Soviet prototype.
Was copied and 48 charging launcher, unusual for the Germans of the rail type, called: 8 cm Raketen-Vielfachwerfer. Launchers for 48 missiles were mounted on the chassis of captured French SOMUA S35 tanks. The guides were mounted instead of the removed tank turret.
A lighter version of the system - 24 guides, placed in two tiers, were installed on the basis of various half-track armored personnel carriers and on a specially designed sample, for which the base of the captured French half-track tractor SOMUA MCG / MCL was used. The installation received the designation 8 cm R-Vielfachwerfer auf m.ger. Zgkw S303 (f).
80-mm rocket launchers were used in the main four-battery rocket artillery battalions, which were attached to the tank and motorized units of the SS.
Unlike the M-8 rocket, the German copy of the M-13 has undergone major changes. To increase the fragmentation effect of the warhead, the caliber of the German version was increased to 150 mm. The manufacturing technology was greatly simplified, welding was used instead of screw connections. Granular jet fuel was used instead of gunpowder bombs. Due to this, it was possible to achieve stabilization of the pressure in the engine and a decrease in thrust eccentricity.
However, it never came to the combat use of these rockets, although the decision on their mass production was made.
At the front, other types of missiles (lighting and propaganda) were occasionally used, as well as rockets that were originally developed for the Air Force and Air Defense.
In addition to rocket projectiles, active-rocket projectiles with an increased firing range were created in Germany for large-caliber long-range guns. The jet engine, placed in the body of such a projectile, began to work on the trajectory some time after the projectile left the gun barrel. Due to the jet engine placed in the shell of the projectile, the active-rocket projectiles have a reduced explosive charge. The operation of the jet engine on the trajectory negatively affects the dispersion of the projectiles.
In October 1944, the Wehrmacht adopted a heavy assault self-propelled gun - 38 cm RW61 auf Sturmmörser Tiger, known as "Sturmtiger". "Sturmtigers" were converted from heavy tanks "Tiger", while only the fighting compartment of the tank and partly the frontal armor of the hull were re-equipped, while other components remained practically unchanged.
ACS "Sturmtiger"
This heavy self-propelled gun was armed with a Raketenwerfer 61 shipborne rocket launcher with a 5.4 caliber barrel.
The bomb launcher fired rockets with a solid-propellant engine, stabilized in flight due to rotation, achieved due to the inclined arrangement of the nozzles of its engine, as well as the entry of protrusions on the rocket body into the rifling channels of the gun barrel. The initial velocity of the rocket at the exit from the barrel was 300 m / s. The high-explosive rocket Raketen Sprenggranate weighing 351 kg contained 125 kg of TNT.
380-mm high-explosive missile "Sturmtiger"
The firing range of this "rocket monster" was within 5000 m, but in practice they did not shoot farther than 1000 m.
"Sturmtigers" were issued in the amount of only 18 copies and had no effect on the course of hostilities.
The long-range four-stage missile, the Raketen-Sprenggranate 4831, also known as the Rheinbote, which was created at the end of the war by the Rheinmetall-Borzig company, stands apart. It was the first operational-tactical missile brought to mass production and put into service.
Several variants of the rocket were developed, which differed in the range and weight of the warhead. A modification was adopted - RhZ6l / 9 with a warhead equipped with 40 kg of powerful explosives. As a result of the explosion in the soil of medium density, a crater was formed with a depth of about 1.5 m and a diameter of 4 m. An important advantage of the rocket was considered its simplicity and relatively low cost. It took only 132 man-hours to make one rocket.
In the final version, the rocket had a length of 11 400 mm and weighed 1715 kg.
The diameter of the first stage was 535 mm, followed by two stages with a diameter of 268 mm, and the fourth carrying charge had a diameter of 190 mm. Solid-propellant rocket engines of all four stages contained 585 kg of gunpowder and accelerated the rocket to 1600 m / s.
The rocket was launched from a mobile launcher at a range of up to 200 km. The accuracy was poor; dispersion relative to the aiming point exceeded 5 km.
The specially formed 709th separate artillery division with 460 soldiers and officers was armed with Reinbote missiles.
From December 1944 to mid-January 1945, the division fired at the port facilities of Antwerp, through which the supply of Anglo-American troops went. About 70 rockets were launched. However, this shelling did not have a noticeable effect on the course of hostilities.
Analyzing the actions of the German rocket artillery during the war, one can note the differences in the tactics of using rocket artillery with Soviet units. German towed and self-propelled systems were much more often involved in destroying individual targets and providing direct fire support. This can be explained by the fact that the accuracy of fire in German systems, thanks to the stabilization of the shells by rotation, was very high: the coefficient of circular probable deviation did not exceed 0, 025-0, 0285 of the maximum firing range.
At the same time, the Soviet MLRS, being more long-range, were used on a much larger scale to destroy area targets.
Many technical solutions, first used in German rocket launchers, were implemented in the post-war MLRS, which were put into service in different countries.
