GERMAN RHEINMETALL LONG-RANGE ROCKET - RHEINBOTE - Rh. Z 61/9 and LAUNCHER

Description

At the end of the 1930s, in the solid fuel rocket for short-range forces bombing missions. Rheinmetall-Borsig arms company has been with a lot of experience. German army direction the company proposed to design a solid fuel missile standby, in case V1 or V2 design and construction plans fail. In May 1942, Rheinmetall - Borsig is prepared a multistage solid fuel rocket program, carry a 1225 kg warhead, a maximum range of 241 kilometers. Although signed a production contract, but soon discovered that the missile’s development cycle is very long, and the focus was shifted to a smaller, faster, and more. Rh.Z.61/9 became the final selected model, known as the "Rhinebote" (Rheinmetall). This is a four level without a guidance system of fin stabilized rocket, shell weight 1715 kilograms, because there is no guidance system to accurately will its only 40 kg warhead toward the target. The Wehrmacht have strong reservations about the practicality of the design. But the SS say the rocket can destroy target ally of great potential and in November 1944 to "Rhine messenger" issued a production order. "Rhinebote" test forces for deployed in Dutch Nunspeet of the 709 artillery battalion, they use the rocket to bombing Belgian Antwerp Port in the Christmas of 1944 to January 1945. Originally planned for the attachment of the 12 launchers final only deployed four sets, part of the ‘Rhinebote ‘is installed to launch it in Flak41 type of antiaircraft gun carriage. Because there is no guidance system, the hit rate of the projectile is very limited. The project was eventually terminated in February 1945. (Scale : 1/35e)