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Better than Artillery?! Nebelwerfer (Rocket Artillery)

A look at the differences of rocket artillery - specifically the Nebelwerfer - and regular artillery in the Second World War. For this we look mostly at German primary sources (war-time documents) from the Second World War. Most of these aspects should also apply to Soviet Katyusha launchers etc. as well. Factors covered are production cost, accuracy, targets, speed of delivery, sustained fire, logistics, range, camouflage, mobility and organization. »» GET OUR BOOKS «« » The Assault Platoon of the Grenadier-Company November 1944 (StG 44) - http://sturmzug.com » Army Regulation Medium Panzer Company 1941 - http://www.hdv470-7.com »» SUPPORT MHV «« » patreon - see videos early (adfree) - https://www.patreon.com/join/mhv » subscribe star - https://www.subscribestar.com/mhv » paypal donation - https://paypal.me/mhvis » YouTube Membership - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK09g6gYGMvU-0x1VCF1hgA/join »» MERCHANDISE «« » teespring - https://teespring.com/stores/military-history-visualized » SOURCES « BArch, RH 1/1402: H.Dv. 210/1b: Allgemeine Ausbildung zu Fuß - Ausbildungsvorschrift für die Nebeltruppe. Berlin, 1938. BArch, RH 1/1406: H. Dv. 210/3: Ausbildungsvorschrift für die Nebeltruppe. Schießvorschrift. Vom 4. 11. 1939. „Offene Worte“: Berlin 1939. BArch, RH 1/1403: H.Dv. 210/2d: Die schwere Werferbatterie (mot.) - Ausbildungsvorschrift für die Nebeltruppe. Berlin, 1942. H. Dv. 200/5: Ausbildungsvorschrift für die Artillerie. Heft 5: Die Führung der Artillerie. E. S. Mittler & Sohn: Berlin, 1937. BArch, RH 10/58: Technische und andere Erfahrungsberichte der Truppe. BArch, RH 11-IV/37: Merkblatt geh 16/4: Merkblatt über die Nebeltruppe. 12. Mai 1943. Munitionsmerkblatt 7: Nebeltruppe. 15. Mai 1943. Pionier: Zeitschrift für die Übermittlungstruppen. Ausgabe 1943, Nr. 9. Zürich, September 1943. Hogg, Ian V.: German artillery of World War Two. Paperback edition, Frontline Books: London, UK, 1975. Emde, Joachim: Die Nebelwerfer. Entwicklung und Einsatz der Werfertruppe im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag: Dorheim, o.J. (1979?). Fleischer, Wolfgang; Eiermann, Richard: Das letzte Jahr des deutschen Heeres 1944-1945. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag: Wölfersheim, Germany, 1997. Wiener, Fritz: Die Nebelwerfer 1939-1945. In: Schirmer, Friedrich (Hrsg.); Wiener, Fritz (Hrsg.): Feldgrau. Heft 3. / 1. Juni 1959. Burgdorf/Han. 1959. Hahn, Fritz: Waffen und Geheimwaffen des deutschen Heeres 1933-1945. Dörfler Verlag: Eggolsheim, o.J. Margiotta, Franklin D. (ed.): Brassey’s Encyclopedia of Land Forces and Warfare. 1st ed, Brassey’s: Washington, DC, 1996. #Nebelwerfer,#Artillery,#RocketArtillery

Comments

Rob Brown

Long ago, I read that when the Nebelwerfer was first used against the Soviets, they threatened to respond with gas. Not sure how true that was. The Soviets went on to refine the "thermobaric overpressure " aspect, and now field the ultimate expression of the Nebelwerfer, in the TOS-1 Buratino, on the T-72 chassis, and TOS-2 on a truck chassis. _ EDIT 1-26-22: Something I forgot to mention, one reason standard tube artillery is favored over rockets / missiles, is that regular artillery can operate more reliably in all weather conditions.

Military History Visualized

I have heard various rumors regarding this, the one on the German side is that of "high pressure weapons" etc., e.g., a friend of mine who is also a historian interviewed a veteran that stated that the found a group of Soviets completely "intact", but all were dead with no sign of physical damage or something. Apparently the Nebelwerfer can create an explosion of the lungs or something, but that would not fit that aspect. One Nebelwerfer also addressed that aspect that the over-pressure can destroy the lungs or something and that some believed this was done by high pressure bombs or something, to which is stated nope that happens when X happens and there might not be an external damage to the body, if I remember correctly. If I remember correctly, one colleague (although not a historian) during my time at university mentioned also the threat by the Soviets in regards to a special kind of bomb. So, I assume they are linked, but I suspect mostly rumors, unless I see official documentation. I have actually no idea how the Soviets and Germans communicated during the war outside the "local level", the only thing that comes to mind is when they wanted to do a prisoner exchange for Stalin's son.