For the mechanized units of the Wehrmacht, a version of the schweres Wurfgeraet 40 (Holz) was developed, which could be mounted on half-track armored personnel carriers. The most common modification was the Sd. Kfz.251 / 1 half-track armored personnel carrier with six missile launchers mounted on the sides for firing 280 and 320 mm rocket mines. The name of such an artillery system is Mittlerer Schutzen-panzerwagen mit Wuhrfrahmen or Wurfrahmen 40. Three containers with rockets were placed on each side of the armored personnel carrier's hull. In the vertical plane, the containers were guided (set the elevation angle) in the range + 5 ° … + 40 ° using a special. guidance mechanism. Guidance in the horizontal plane was provided by turning the machine.
For more accurate horizontal guidance on the armor of the engine (power) compartment, there were two 400-mm pins that facilitate the installation of the armored personnel carrier in a given position of the firing axis. The launchers themselves were manufactured by J. Gast AG (Berlin). The high-explosive 280-mm Wurfgranate (WGr) 42 projectiles had a war charge weighing about 40 kg, and the 320-mm incendiary rounds contained 50 liters of a gasoline combustible mixture, which in its composition was close to napalm. As a rule, high-explosive shells were placed in metal transport containers, and incendiary shells in wooden ones, at the same time serving as guides. Electric signals for mines were supplied from a remote control installed in the cockpit. The shelling sector was provided by turning the body of the armored personnel carrier.
Installation of Wurfrahmens 40 launchers on the Sd. Kfz medium armored personnel carrier. 251 24th Panzer Division
The firing range of a high-explosive projectile (Sprenggranate) from a mobile launcher was 1, 9 thousand meters, and incendiary rounds (Flammgranate) was 2, 2 thousand meters. A full salvo takes 10 seconds. In most cases, the ammunition load consisted of five 280-mm missiles and one 320-mm projectile, or three of both types. Up to two 7.92 mm MG 34 (MG 42) machine guns were installed on Sd. Kfz.251 / 1 armored personnel carriers as an auxiliary weapon. Ammunition is 2010 rounds. The combat weight of the self-propelled armored personnel carrier is up to 9140 kilograms. The calculation of such an armored personnel carrier consisted of 7 people.
The performance characteristics of the MLRS Wurfrahmen 40:
Dimensions:
Body length - 5980 mm;
Case width - 2100 mm;
Height - 1750 mm;
Clearance - 320 mm;
Reservation:
Body forehead (top) - 10-15 mm;
Hull side (top) - 8-14.5 mm
Hull side (bottom) - 8-14.5 mm;
Body feed - 6 mm;
Hull roof - 6 mm;
Bottom - 6 mm;
Armament:
Machine guns - 2 × MG-34 or MG-42 caliber 7, 92 mm;
Other weapons - 6 × 280 or 300 mm high-explosive fragmentation missiles or 6 × 320 mm incendiary missiles;
Mobility:
Engine type - 6-cylinder in-line carburetor Maybach HL 42 TUKRM liquid-cooled;
Engine power - 100 hp with.;
Highway speed - 53 km / h;
In store down the highway - 300 km;
Wheel formula - half-track;
Overcome moat - 2 m;
Overcome ford - 0.5 m.
