|
''Rheinbote'' (''Rhine Messenger'') was a German short range ballistic rocket developed by Rheinmetall-Borsig at Berlin-Marienfelde during World War II.〔Christopher, John. ''The Race for Hitler's X-Planes'' (The Mill, Gloucestershire: History Press, 2013), pp.136-7.〕 It was intended to replace, or at least supplement, large-bore artillery by providing fire support at long ranges in an easily transportable form. ==History== One of the problems for the German military, and indeed any mobile military force, is the weight of the artillery and, more importantly, its ammunition supply. Battlefield rockets were intended to circumvent the problems, which led to the development of ''Rheinbote''. The ''Rheinbote'' was the successor of the earlier ''Rheintochter'' (Rhine Maiden).〔Ford, Brian J., ''Secret Weapons'', Osprey Publishing, 2011, p.84, ISBN 978 1 84908 390 4〕 Developed in 1943 by the Rheinmetall-Borsig company, ''Rheinbote'' was a four-stage solid-fuelled rocket, and the only long-range battlefield ballistic missile to enter service in World War II.〔Christopher, p.136.〕 The first test flights were carried out that year. Several changes were made to the system, but the basic design remained the same. It measured , with fins at the tail and one set of additional fins at each stage.〔Christopher, p.137.〕 The propellant was a diglycol dinitrate mix, which enable test models to achieve , the fastest rocket of the period.〔Christopher, p.137.〕 The Rheinbote carried a warhead (just 6.5% of the missile's total weight)〔Christopher, p.137.〕 to a height of ,〔Christopher, p.137.〕 for an effective range of ; it reached over in testing.〔Christopher, p.137.〕 For shorter ranges, some of the stages could be removed. It was launched from a simple rail on a mobile trailer, based on the one used to transport the V-2.〔Christopher, p.137.〕 It was aimed simply by pointing the trailer and elevating the launch gantry, a method not guaranteed to be accurate.〔Christopher, p.137.〕 Over 220 were constructed,〔Christopher, p.137, says "over 200".〕 and numbers were fired against Antwerp between November 1944 and the end of the war.〔Christopher, p.137.〕 Some were fired from positions near the town of Nunspeet in the Netherlands. The concept of long-range artillery rockets on the battlefield would remain undeveloped after the war. Even ''Rheinbote'' was not used in its intended role, but instead as a smaller version of the V-2 missile in the strategic role, for which its warhead was essentially useless due to its poor accuracy, small size, and its fusing, since it tended to bury itself in the ground before exploding.〔Christopher, p.137.〕 Over 200 were used against the Belgian port of Antwerp. They caused only limited damage in small unpredictable areas of the city.〔Ford, p.84〕 After the war, the Soviet Union seized the design.〔Christopher, p.137.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Rheinbote」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|