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The RP-3 (from Rocket Projectile 3 inch), was a British air to ground rocket used in the Second World War. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A rocket or rocket vehicle is a Missile, Aircraft or other Vehicle which obtains Thrust by the reaction of the World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The use of a 60 lb (27 kg) warhead gave it the alternative name of the "60 lb rocket"; the 25 lb (11. 3 kg) solid-shot armour piercing variant being the "25 lb rocket". They were generally used by British fighter-bomber aircraft against targets such as tanks, trains, motor transport and buildings, and by Coastal Command and Royal Navy aircraft against U-Boats and shipping. Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as Close air support for and in proximity to their own ground forces RAF Coastal Command was an organization within the Royal Air Force which defended the United Kingdom from naval threats and countered German U-boats The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers

Contents

History

The first use of rockets fired from aircraft was during World War One. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The "Unrotated Projectiles" were Le Prieur rockets which were mounted on the interplane struts of Nieuport fighters. Le Prieur rockets ( French Fusées Le Prieur) were a type of Incendiary Air-to-air rockets used in World War I against An interplane strut is an aircraft Airframe component used on Biplanes and other aircraft with multi-wing designs Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company famous for racers before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I These were used to attack observation balloons and were reasonably successful. World War I Observation Balloon HD-SN-99-02269JPEG|200px|thumb|right|Close-up view of an American major in the basket of an observation balloon flying over territory near front lines during World Sopwith Babies and Pups and Home Defence B.E. 2s also carried rockets. The Sopwith Baby was a British single-seat Seaplane used by the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS from 1915 The Sopwith Pup was a British single seater Biplane Fighter aircraft used during the First World War. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout [1] With the end of the War the Royal Air Force, intent on retrenching, forgot about the potential uses for rockets fired from aircraft. The British Army, however, did see a use for rockets against low flying aircraft; from late 1940 parts of Britain were defended by increasing numbers of "Z-Batteries" 2 inch (51 mm) rockets supplementing the conventional anti-aircraft guns. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Unrotated Projectile, or UP, was a short range Rocket firing anti-aircraft weapon developed for the Royal Navy to supplement the 2 pounder Pom-Pom Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging hostile military Aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces [2][1]

When German forces under the command of Rommel intervened in the Western Desert from early 1941 it became clear that the Desert Air Force did not have the weapons capable of damaging or destroying the large numbers of armoured fighting vehicles, particularly the heavier Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks possessed by the Germans. Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( ( 15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) (also known as the " Desert Fox " Wüstenfuchs The Desert Air Force (DAF also known as Air HQ Western Desert, the Western Desert Air Force and the First Tactical Air Force ( 1TAF) was An armoured fighting vehicle ( AFV) is a military Vehicle, protected by armour and armed with Weapons Most AFVs are equipped for driving in rugged Panzer III is the common name of a Medium tank that was developed in the 1930s by Germany and used extensively in World War II. The Panzerkampfwagen IV (PzKpfw IV commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a Medium tank developed in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and used extensively Something needed to be done and in April 1941 Henry Tizard, the Chief Scientist called together a panel to study "Methods of Attacking Armoured Vehicles. Sir Henry Thomas Tizard ( 23 August 1885 in Gillingham, Kent – 9 October 1959 in Fareham, Hampshire " [1]

The types of weapons investigated included the 40 mm Vickers S gun and related weapons manufactured by the Coventry Ordnance Works, as well as the Bofors and the 37 mm T9 cannon fitted to the P-39 Airacobra: however, it was already recognised that these weapons were only capable of dealing with light tanks and motor transport and using larger weapons on fighter-bombers was ruled out because of weight and difficulties handling recoil. The Vickers Class "S" was a 40 mm gun used to arm British aircraft for attacking ground targets in the Second World War. Coventry Ordnance Works was a British manufacturer of heavy guns particularly Naval artillery. The Bofors 40 mm gun is a famous Anti-aircraft Autocannon designed by the Swedish firm of Bofors. The 37 mm Automatic Gun M4, known as the T9 during development was a 37 mm Autocannon used in the Bell P-39 and P-63 fighters as well WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Tank classification is a Taxonomy of identifying either the intended role or weight class of Tanks The classification by role was used primarily during The chairman of the panel, Mr Ivor Bowen (Assistant Director of Armament Research) turned to the idea of using rocket projectiles as a means of delivering a large warhead capable of destroying or disabling heavy tanks. Information was sought from the Russians who had just started using unguided RS-82 rockets against German ground forces in the opening phases of Operation Barbarossa. RS-82 and RS-132 (Reaktivny Snaryad Russian Реактивный Снаряд rocket-powered cannon shell were unguided Rockets used by Soviet military Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II [3][1]

By September 1941 it was decided that two models of UP (Unrotated Projectiles) would be developed:

When it was realised that the 2 inch version would be less effective than the Vickers S cannon it was decided to concentrate on development of the 3 in version which could be developed from the 2 inch rocket used in the Z-Batteries. [1]

Design

Attaching 60-pdr SAP warheads onto 3 in rocket projectile bodies
Attaching 60-pdr SAP warheads onto 3 in rocket projectile bodies

The rocket body was a steel tube 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter, hence the name. The tube was filled with 11 pounds (5 kg) of cordite which was the propellant; this was fired electrically. Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace Gunpowder as a military propellant A warhead was screwed into the forward end, initially a solid 25 lb (11 kg), 3. 44 inch armour piercing shell which was quickly supplemented by a 6 in diameter, 60 lb (27 kg) high explosive head. An armor-piercing shell is a type of Ammunition designed to penetrate Armor. An explosive material is a material that either is chemically or otherwise Energetically unstable or produces a sudden expansion of the material usually accompanied Another type of head was a 25 lb (11 kg) mild steel (later concrete) practice head. Once the rocket had been mounted on the rails an electrical lead (nicknamed "pigtail") was plugged into the exhaust of the rocket.

Four small tailfins were fitted which gave enough spin to stabilize the rocket, though it was unguided and targeting was a matter of judgment and experience. For a start the approach to the target needed to be precise, with no sideslip or yaw which could throw the RP off line. Aircraft speed also had to be precise at the moment of launch and, because the launch rails were a fixture, the angle of attack also required precision. Trajectory drop was also a problem, especially at longer ranges. Trajectory is the path a moving object follows through space The object might be a Projectile or a Satellite, for example [4][5].

On the plus side the rocket was less complicated and more reliable than a gun firing a shell and there was no recoil on firing. It was found to be a demoralising form of attack against ground troops, and the 60 lb warhead could be devastating. The rocket installations were light enough to be carried by single seat fighters, giving them the punch of a cruiser. A cruiser is a large type of Warship, which had its prime period from the late 19th century to the end of the Cold War. Against slow-moving large targets like shipping and U-boats the rocket was a formidable weapon. U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers

Unfortunately the weight and drag of the all-steel rails as initially fitted to British aircraft had a detrimental effect on the aircraft's performance. Some aircraft such as the Fairey Swordfish had steel "anti-blast" panels fitted under the rails to protect the wing, which further increased weight and drag. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Aluminium Mark III rails, introduced from late 1944, reduced the effect. WikipediaNaming American experience with their own rockets (the USAAF's 3. The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. 5-inch FFAR (Folding Fin Aircraft Rocket) and the USN's 5-inch FFAR & HVAR[6]) showed that the long rails and anti-blast panels were unnecessary. British aircraft only started being fitted with "Zero-Point" mounting pylons in the post-war years

Use in battle

Air to Ground Use

Loading 3in 60-pdr SAP/HE rocket projectiles onto a Hawker Typhoon
Loading 3in 60-pdr SAP/HE rocket projectiles onto a Hawker Typhoon

Before the new weapon was released for service extensive tests were carried out by the Instrument, Armament and Defence Flight (I. A. D. F) at Farnborough. Hurricanes were fitted with rockets and rails and flown during June and July 1942. Further tests were undertaken from 28 September to 30 November to develop rocket firing tactics. Other aircraft used were a Hudson, a Swordfish, a Boston II and a Sea Hurricane. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout [5] At the same time the A&AEE had to develop tactics for all the individual aircraft types which were to be armed with the RPs. Aiming was through a standard GM. II reflector gunsight. "Sights" redirects here For the rock band see The Sights. A later modification enabled the reflector to be tilted with the aid of a graduated scale, depressing the line of sight, the GM. IIL. [7]

The first operational use of the RP was in the Western Desert as a "tank-busting" weapon on Hawker Hurricane Mk. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout IIEs and IVs. The 25 lb armour-piercing heads were found to be ineffective against the Panzer VI "Tiger" tanks coming into service. Tiger I ( is the common name of a German heavy Tank of World War II. With the example of the success Royal Artillery gunners were getting using high explosive shells from the 25 pdr gun-howitzer, it was decided to design a new 60 pound semi-armour-piercing (SAP) head. The Royal Artillery, is the common name for the Royal Regiment of Artillery, is an Arm of the British Army. The Ordnance QF 25 pounder, or more simply 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was the major British Field gun / Howitzer that was introduced These were capable of knocking turrets off tanks.

Soon after some encouraging results from the initial deployment, trials of the weapon were conducted against targets representing U-Boats. U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers It was discovered that if the rockets were fired at a shallow angle, near misses resulted in the rockets curving upwards in seawater and piercing the targets below the waterline. Soon Coastal Command and Royal Navy aircraft were using the rockets extensively. RAF Coastal Command was an organization within the Royal Air Force which defended the United Kingdom from naval threats and countered German U-boats The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The first U-Boat destroyed with the assistance of a rocket attack was U-752 (Kāpitan-Leutnant Schroeter) on May 23, 1943 by a Swordfish of 819 NAS. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout One rocket punched right through the pressure hull, rendering the U-Boat unable to dive: U-752 was scuttled by the crew. The term light hull is used to describe the outer hull of a submarine which houses the pressure hull providing hydrodynamically efficient shape but not holding pressure difference On May 28, 1943 a 608 Squadron Hudson destroyed a U-Boat in the Mediterranean, the first destroyed solely by rocket. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [5]

From then until the end of the Second World War in Europe, Coastal Command and the Fleet Air Arm would use the rockets as one of their primary weapons (alongside torpedoes, which, to a certain extent they replaced) against shipping and surfaced U-Boats. The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships The modern torpedo (historically called an automotive automobile locomotive or fish torpedo is a self-propelled explosive Projectile weapon launched above or below

A typical RP-3 installation was 4 projectiles on launching rails under each wing. A selector switch was fitted to allow the pilot to fire them singly (later omitted), in pairs, or as a full salvo. Towards the end of the war some RAF Second Tactical Air Force Hawker Typhoons had their installation adapted to carry an additional four rockets doubled up under the eight already fitted. The former RAF Second Tactical Air Force ( 2TAF) was one of three Tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force (RAF during and after World War WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout [8]

Possibly the best known action involving RP-3s was that of the Falaise pocket of mid-August 1944. During August 1944 the Falaise pocket was the area between the four towns of Trun, Argentan, Vimoutiers and Chambois near Falaise During the battle German forces, retreating to avoid being trapped in a pincer movement by Allied ground forces, came under air attack. The pincer movement or double envelopment is a basic element of Military strategy which has been used to some extent in many Wars and is considered Amongst the waves of light, medium and fighter bombers attacking the German columns the Typhoons of 2 TAF attacked with their rockets, claiming hundreds of tanks and "Mechanised Enemy Transport". However, after the battle Army and 2nd TAF Operational Research Sections studying the battleground came to the conclusion that far fewer vehicles (17 in total) had been destroyed by rocket strike alone. Operations Research (OR in North America South Africa and Australia and Operational Research in Europe is an interdisciplinary branch of applied Mathematics and What was clear was that in the heat of battle it was far harder for pilots to launch the weapons while meeting the conditions needed for accuracy. Smoke, dust and debris in the target areas made accurate assessment of the actual damage caused almost impossible. [8]

However, it was also clear that the rocket attacks were devastating to the morale of the enemy troops: many vehicles were abandoned intact or with superficial damage and interrogation of captured prisoners showed that even the prospect of rocket attack was extremely nerve racking. [8]

Tank Use

In 1945, some British Sherman tanks were fitted with two rails, one either side of the turret, to carry two 60 lb (27 kg) headed rockets. World War II foreign variants and use Lend-Lease Sherman tanks. These were used at the Rhine Crossing by tanks of the 1st Coldstream Guards. Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards (COLDM GDS is a Regiment of the British Army, part of The tanks were called "Sherman Tulips". The tanks fitted included both conventional Shermans and the more heavily armed Sherman Fireflys. The Sherman Firefly was a World War II British variation of the American Sherman Tank, fitted with the powerful British

The rockets were highly inaccurate when fired from a tank as they were being fired from a stationary point and had little slipstream over the fins. Despite this, the RP-3 was valued by tank crews for the destructive effect of its 60 pound warhead. [9].

Specification

Aircraft using the RP-3 in the Second World War

These are aircraft that used the RP-3 operationally, a number of aircraft types were fitted with RP-3s on an experimental basis. An explosive material is a material that either is chemically or otherwise Energetically unstable or produces a sudden expansion of the material usually accompanied

RAF and Commonwealth Air Forces

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Aeroplane Monthly June 1995
  2. ^ The Blitz Then and Now: Volume 3
  3. ^ Note: The possibility of the Russians sending a team of engineers to help set up production of these weapons was a possibility in August 1941. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout However the Russian offer was withdrawn, in spite of British efforts at supplying a Wing of Hawker Hurricanes and training Russian aircrew in their use. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
  4. ^ Note: In tests carried out by the A&AEE, dispersion ( when aimed at a 20 ft square (1. The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE was a research facility for British military aviation from 1918 to 1992 858 sq m) target) was 13 ft 6 in (4. 1 m) at 1,000 ft (305 m} range - equal to 3-4 degrees aiming error.
  5. ^ a b c Aeroplane Monthly July 1995
  6. ^ 3.5 in FFAR5 in FFAR and HVAR Retrieved 6 March 2008
  7. ^ GM.IIL
  8. ^ a b c Shores and Thomas 2005, pages 245-250
  9. ^ Fletcher, David (2008). Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Sherman Firefly. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1846032776.  
Bibliography

See also

History The 27561 gross ton Cap Arcona, named after Cape Arkona on the island of Rügen in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, was
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