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25-668: Mattress was the term applied to ground-based British-devised multiple rocket launchers during World War II . Compared with the German and Soviet counterparts (the Nebelwerfer and Katyusha launchers respectively), the western Allies deployed these weapons late in the war. Nevertheless, they did see useful service as artillery support during the crossings of the Rhine and the Scheldt rivers. The first multiple rocket launch system developed by

50-451: A CEP of hundreds of meters at dozens of kilometers' range to just a few meters and largely independent of the range of the round (except for INS, as INS navigation creates a small dispersion that is about proportional to range). This in turn made great increases of rocket (or missile) ranges useful; previously dispersion had made rockets too inefficient and often too dangerous to friendly troops at long ranges. Long-range MRL missiles often fly

75-552: A 16- or 30-tube launchering system mounted on a towed carriage. The land version had an operational range of 8,000 yd (4.5 mi; 7.3 km). Rounds were fired at a rate of 4 per second. At the crossing of the Scheldt , over a thousand rockets were fired in six hours. Multiple rocket launcher Unguided rocket artillery is notoriously inaccurate and slow to reload compared to gun artillery. A multiple rocket launcher helps compensate for this with its ability to launch multiple rockets in rapid succession, which, coupled with

100-465: A coded message to the rocket to deploy air brakes at just the right time to correct most of the range error. This requires that the rockets were originally aimed too far, as the range can only be shortened by the air brakes, not extended. A more sophisticated system makes use of radar data and a one-way radio datalink to initiate a two dimensional (range and azimuth ) correction of the rocket's flight path with steering by fins or nose thrusters. The latter

125-598: A higher quasi-ballistic trajectory than shorter-ranged rockets and thus pose a de-confliction challenge, as they might collide with friendly aircraft in the air. The differences between an MRL missile and a large anti-tank guided missile, such as the Nimrod , have blurred due to guided MRL missiles such as the M31 GMLRS (guided unitary multiple launch rocket system), which passed flight tests in 2014. Battle of Haengju The Battle of Haengju took place on 14 March 1593 during

150-516: A system of two rows of 12 guide rails mounted to a Maultier chassis, each row providing the capacity for 24 rockets, underslung as well as on top of the rails, for 48 rockets total. This vehicle was designated 8 cm Raketen-Vielfachwerfer (8 cm multiple rocket launcher). As the launch system was inspired by and looked similar to the BM-13, which the Germans had nicknamed " Stalin-Orgel " or "Stalin-Organ",

175-535: A two-wheeled cart. The range of the fired arrows is estimated to have been 2,000 meters. The hwacha was used to great effect against invading armies during the Japanese invasions of 1592–1598 , most notably the Battle of Haengju , in which 40 hwachas were deployed to repel 30,000 Japanese soldiers. European armies preferred relatively large single-launch rockets prior to World War II. Napoleonic armies of both sides followed

200-485: Is more common with systems which can be used to upgrade old rockets and the IMI ACCULAR is an example. Fin-stabilised rockets also allow for easy course corrections using rudders or minute charges. Precision-guided munitions have been introduced to exploit this. Guidance principles such as satellite navigation, inertial navigation systems and semi-active laser seekers are used for this. This improves dispersion from

225-940: Is more difficult to determine the trajectory compared to that of a howitzer by adding or removing propellant increments. Simple MRL rocket types have a rather long minimum firing range for the same reason. An approach to lessen this limit is the addition of drag rings to the rocket nose. The increased drag slows the rocket down relative to a clean configuration and creates a less flat trajectory. Pre-packaged MRL munitions do not offer this option but some MRL types with individually loaded rockets do. Improvised MRLs based on helicopter or aircraft-mounted rocket pods (typically of 57–80   mm caliber) especially on light trucks and pickups (so-called " technicals ") are often seen in civil wars when rebels make use of captured launchers and munitions. Modern MRL systems can use modern land navigation (especially satellite navigation such as GPS) for quick and accurate positioning. The accurate determination of

250-608: The 1592–1598 Japanese invasion of Korea . The Japanese attack failed to overcome Haengju fortress. Gwon Yul was stationed at the fortress of Haengju, a wooden stockade on a cliff over the Han River . Haengju posed a threat to Hanseong (modern Seoul and capital of Joseon) due to its proximity, so the Japanese attacked it in March. The Japanese attack led by Konishi Yukinaga happened on 14 March 1593 with 30,000 men. They took turns attacking

275-526: The British adoption of Mysorean rockets as the Congreve rocket . These were explosive steel-cased bombardment rockets with minimal launchers. European navies developed naval multiple launcher mounts with steadily improving explosive rockets for light and coastal vessels. These weapons were largely replaced by conventional light artillery during the late nineteenth century. The first self-propelled MRLs—and arguably

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300-403: The British was designed to be deployed on warships and landing craft and fired in support of troops in a landing action. The rockets were 5-inch cordite sticks and the launching system, known as a "mattress projector", was capable of projecting a salvo of 16 to 30 rockets 3,000 yards (2.7 km) in around 45 seconds. The weapon was also known as the "Stickleback". For naval assault on beaches,

325-646: The Katyusha. The Germans began using a towed six-tube multiple rocket launcher during World War II, the Nebelwerfer , called the "Screaming Mimi" by the Allies. The system was developed before the war to skirt the limitations of the Treaty of Versailles. Later in the war, 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41s were mounted on modified Opel Maultier "Mule" halftracks, becoming Panzerwerfer 42 4/1s. Another version produced in limited numbers towards

350-490: The Koreans managed to hold them back long enough for it to be repaired. When the Koreans had nearly run out of arrows, I Bun arrived with supply ships containing 10,000 more arrows, and they continued to fight on until dusk when the Japanese retreated. Aside from the defeat, the Japanese situation became even more tenuous after Zha Dashou led a small group of raiders to Hanseong , burning more than 6,500 tons of grain. This left

375-506: The Vielfachwerfer soon became known as the " Himmler-Orgel ", or "Himmler-Organ". There are two main types of MRLs: Like all artillery, MRLs have a reputation of devastating morale on ill-disciplined or already-shaken troops. The material effect depends on circumstances, as well-covered field fortifications may provide reasonable protection. MRLs are still unable to properly engage reverse slope positions in mountain warfare because it

400-404: The air. The tracking allows determination of the influence of winds and propellant temperatures on the rockets' flight paths. These observations can then be factored into the firing solution for the rocket salvo for effect. Such tracking radars can also be used to predict the range error of individual rockets. Trajectory-correcting munitions may then benefit from this, as a directional radio may send

425-423: The battery position previously required such effort that making a dispersed operation of the battery was at times impractical. MRL systems with GPS can have their MRLs dispersed and fire from various positions at a single target, just as previously multiple batteries were often united on one target area. Radar may be used to track weather balloons to determine winds or to track special rockets that self-destruct in

450-645: The end of the war was a conversion of the Schwerer Wehrmachtschlepper ("heavy military transport", sWS) halftrack to a configuration similar to the Panzerwerfer 42 4/1, mounting the 10-barreled 15 cm Nebelwerfer. Another German halftrack MRL system was inspired by the Russian BM-13. Keeping the Soviet 82 mm rocket caliber as well as the launch and rocket stabilisation designs, it was developed into

475-451: The large kill zone of each warhead, can easily deliver saturation fire over a target area. However, modern rockets can use GPS or inertial guidance to combine the advantages of rockets with the higher accuracy of precision-guided munitions . The first multiple rocket launchers, known as Huo Che , were invented during the medieval Chinese Song dynasty , in which the Chinese fire lance

500-549: The most famous—was the Soviet BM-13 Katyusha , first used during World War II and exported to Soviet allies afterwards. They were simple systems in which a rack of launch rails was mounted on the back of a truck. This set the template for modern MRLs. The Americans mounted tubular launchers atop M4 Sherman tanks to create the T34 Calliope rocket launching tank, only used in small numbers, as their closest equivalent to

525-477: The specially-outfitted Landing Craft Tank (Rocket) - LCT(R) was devised, each of which carried over a thousand rockets intended to be fired en masse against targets on the invasion beaches and intended for saturating the defenders' positions with rockets. They were used in the Allied invasion of Italy and in the Battle of Normandy . The so-called land mattress was a ground weapon named after its naval equivalent. It

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550-415: The stockade due to the limited space. The Koreans retaliated with arrows, cannons, and hwacha . After three attacks, one with siege tower, and one where Ishida Mitsunari was wounded, Ukita Hideie managed to breach the outer defenses and reach the inner wall. However, he was wounded as well and had to fall back. In the last attack Kobayakawa Takakage burned a hole through the fort's log pilings, but

575-470: The striking distance reached 300 to 400 paces. The Chinese also enhanced rocket tips with poison and made sure that the launchers were mobile. They designed a multiple rocket launcher to be carried and operated by a single soldier. Various forms of MRLs evolved, including a launcher mounted on a wheelbarrow. The Joseon dynasty of Korea used an expanded variant of such a launcher (called a hwacha ) made of 100 to 200 holes containing rocket arrows placed on

600-506: Was fixed backward on a pike or arrow and shot at an enemy as early as 1180. This form of rocket was used during the Mongol siege of Kaifeng . Chinese militaries later created multiple rocket launchers that fired up to 100 small fire-arrow rockets simultaneously. The typical powder section of the arrow-rockets was 1/3 to 1/2 ft (10 to 15 cm) long. Bamboo arrow shafts varied from 1.5 ft (45 cm) to 2.5 ft (75 cm) long and

625-478: Was originally developed by Lt. Col. Michael Wardell of the British army in 1944. Based on the British Z gun anti-aircraft rockets , it was tested in the summer of 1944 and saw some action with British and Canadian troops, with mixed results. The Land Mattress was based on the 3-inch-diameter (76 mm) tube of the RP-3 or "60-lb" rocket used as an air-to-ground weapon with naval 5-inch shells as warheads and consisted of

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