Download - The German 9mm Rocket and it’s Descendents
The German 9mm Rocketand it’s Descendents
or
The Intro to Mel’s Gyrojet Book!!!
Conservation of Momentum – Every action has an equal and opposite reaction
Force = mass x velocity x velocity
Mass is a function of size of nozzle throat in a rocket
Rocket Theory
Supersonic flow
Mach 1 in nozzle throat
Lower Pressure
High Pressure
Why a Rocket
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Normal Cased Cartridge
Self Contained Cartridge - Propellant in Bullet
Rocket Cartridge - Propellant in Bullet – Exhaust Nozzle
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Throat size & burn time
German 9mm Rocket Cartridges• Col Jarrett found 11 Rocket rounds in Walther Factory in 1945
– Unloaded in white
• Capt Pollard Report – To British D. of A. (S.A.) 30/7/45 – 5000 rocket bullets made at Walther and loaded at DWM Wittenberg
– Weapon was a modified blowback Schmeisser type, smooth bored and Walther pistol with a recessed blot head supporting the cap nipple – interview with Karl Walther and Schmeisser
– Steel ball as primer anvil
– Muzzle velocity increased from 1200ft/sec to 1700ft/sec
– Enable powerful weapon with low recoil in a cheap blowback weapon capable of mass production
– Based on Langweiler impulse propulsion concept ca 1939• Apparently not simple a rocket
• Subsequently other rounds turned up in Germany
Mel Carpenter collection-ex Val Forgett (ex Jarrett)
~ 902 ft/sec
~ 30mm overall length – 6 exhaust ports
My 9mm ex-Kaultmann – 30.23mm
Woodin Laboratory 9mm ex-Jarrett – 30.23mm
My 9mm ex-Jarrett – 30.23mm
Walther Rockets
Mel Carpenter Photo
Walther Rockets
Woodin Laboratory ex-Kaultmann– 34.6mm
Woodin Laboratory – 30mm Mel Carpenter Photo
Mel Carpenter Photo
Rounds from A. Schurk of Munich marked “Langweiler Project”
Courtesy of the Woodin Laboratory
CIOS Report – DWM Schultup nr Lubeck -2/7/46• DWM denied involvement initially• Involved in aspects of Langweiler impulse propulsion• “Mr Strecke has been engaged in this effort”
Courtesy of the Woodin Laboratory
DWM/Schurk Rockets
Polte Rockets ???
Courtesy of the Woodin Laboratory - Mel Carpenter Photo
• Reportedly German
• Very blunt bullet
• Rear nipple very short
• Overall length ~30mm
• Legit???
Unknown German 9mm Rocket
Mel Carpenter collection-ex Val Forgett
Lew Curtis collection-ex Kaultmann
British 9mm Rocket Cartridges• Chief Superintendent Armament Research – Ft Halstead 30/8/45
– Based on work published in 1939 by Langweiler on impulse-propulsion– Testing done with modified 7.92x57 tracer increased MV by 150 ft/sec– Recommended British Conduct Experiments
• Use Lab mockup weapon• Start with an exact copy of the German bullet• Recommended various types of propellants which could be tried
• Sir Dennis Burney – (for B.T.Co. ???) 14/9/45– Describes the German rocket bullet– References test of “rocket projectiles” in the Hotchkiss 6 pdr.
• Attached Minutes– Preliminary designs being manufactured at Radway Green – 23/1/46– Trials of D6(B) 341/56 and D6(B) 338/56 with propellent P.16454 – 5/3/47
• 341/56 fired satisfactorily• 338/56 blew out duralumin nose plug before complete pressure buildup
– Worked with steel nose plug
• Requested further tests of 250 rounds – order confirmed
– Trial at ROF Swynnerton terminated 29/8/47
• Appears to be open at rear
• Self Contained cartridge design
• Tested successfully
Design 341/56
• Based on German design
• Top closed with nose plug
• Used perforate disk
• Initially unsuccessful
• Later tested successfully
• Steel nose plug
• Disk removed
Design 338/56
U S Navy 9mm Rocket Cartridge
• Built by China Lake Naval Armament Lab in 1954• No evidence of a weapon ever being built
– Used a test fixture like the British
• Built for Don Stoehr– Based on a sample of Walther Rocket from Fred Datig– Less than a dozen made– Not a serious research program
Mel Carpenter collection
US Navy 9mm Rocket
German 9mm Rocket
Mel Carpenter collection
US Navy Rocket
French Rocket
Czech 9mm Holecek Cartridges
• Jaroslav Holecek worked for the firm Zbrojovka Brno Czech had data on German caseless work from WW I and WW II Round nose cartridge tested in a modified CZ vz 247 submachine gun Improved cartridge with flanges achieved 400 m/sec (1300 ft/sec) Primer residue exited barrel Aimed at conversion of 9mm Para weapons Reportedly developed in early 1950s
Czech 9mm RZK Rocket Rifle Cartridge
Other 9mm Rocket Cartridges
• Russian– In 1957 Val Forgett was told by Karl Walther that the 9mm Rockets found in his desk
were not German but Russian but didn’t work– In 1994 at Artillery Museum in St Petersburg Val saw a drawer with these cartridges
in two lengths and pistols. When he referred to them as “German” he was told “no they are Russian”
– Karl Walther was a strong Nazi supporter and “uncooperative” – Pollard– Other German efforts applying Langweiler’s concept besides Walther’s
– 7.62mm Self Contained round identified• Dates from early 1970s
• German Post WWII– 9mm Submitted to Meppen for testing in 1962
• MBA Gyrojets– Buy Mel Carpenter’s book when it is published
Courtesy of Yuri Bushin and John Moss
Courtesy of the Woodin Laboratory
Summary• Germany had a fairly broad effort on 9mm
Rockets– Numerous variations of German 9mm Rockets– Langweiler’s technical principles still unclear
• French and British efforts Immediately after war• Czech effort may be based on German effort• US effort kind of an afterthought• Lots more research needed
Warning!!!• Lots of replicas, copies and fakes (US, German & Swiss)
• Some marked, but most are not marked
• History of the cartridge is best insurance
Credits
• Herb Woodend - British Material• Mel Carpenter & Bill Woodin – Photos and German Ref• Ted Koch• Peter Petrusic• Yuri Bushin• John Moss• Rolf Foerster• John Schmitt• IAA Journal 410 & 412• Buttweiler Archives
Backup Charts
Dutch Rocket Cartridges• Product of Artillerie - Inrichtingen
• Apparently no work in 9mm
• Appears to be related to Gyrojet