Evening star., 1942-06-30
Ron1ers Success in Africa Credited to Rocket Cannon
BY HOWARD BLAKESLEE,
wid. world Science Editor.

Wide WOrld Science
NEW YORK, June 30.-The flrst
rocket cannon appears to be the
reason for Field Marshal Erwin
Rommers victories in Libya and
Egypt. ,
This gun is the s8-millimeter
weapon. firing shells which are Dig
ger and which outrange any tank
projectiles possessed by the Brit
ish.
MANY reasons point to this ex-
planation. Edward Kennedy OF the
Associated Press, in dispatch from
Cairo on June %, wrote: Shells
from this gun are Of a semi-rocket
type, said to gain greater range by
gases produced after being fired.
THE SO was thus able to destroy
many of the best tanks on this side.
such as the U. S. Gen. Grants. which
have 75-millimeter guns. before the
tanks could get within range OF
the German artillery"
Success in the rocket p inciple,
applied to bombs. was reported from
London five days before Mr.. Ken
nedy's dispatch. in an account OF
the sea night in the Mediterranean.
The same dispatches pointed out
that the Russian Stormvik planes
used rocket bombs with great effect.
Confirmed by Picture.
Another confirmation comes from
the Associated Press photo June Is
of the SS-millimeter gun, picture
which came from Portugal, show
ing a remarkable looking weapon
q light gun, with an exaggerated
long barrel, appearing almost too
slender to hold shell of 88 milli-
meters about 3ia inches.
Photos in previous wars have re-
vealed important enemy secrets, and
Edward F. Chandler, New York en-
gineer and member OF the American
Rocket Society, says this picture vir-
tually fixes the semirocket charac-
ter Of the new German terror.
The slenderness Of the barrel and
the light weight Is the tip that the
gun is partly merely a protector. 1t
is not heavy enough to fire an 88-
millimeter shell full range. unless
made of some secret new alloy, an
Interpretation precluded by the
Cairo dispatch.
The British soldiers could see the
tails of fire from these shells.
Principles of Firing.
The principles on which this gun
necessarily operates are obvious.
The shell Is fired as In an ordinary
gun, but only by a light charge OF
explosive propellant. The charge is
sufYicient to give the shell a fair
muzzle velocity, and to AK its direc-
ton, or trajectory, toward the target
with accuracy.
AS it leaves the muzzle, a rocket
charge inside the shell ignites, to
carry 1t farther than 1t otherwise
would travel, and probably actually
to cause it to pick up speed after it
leaves the gun muZzle. In fact this
type of shell could be travelling with
its greatest velocity at the moment
of impact. instead of when it leaves
the cannon.
The requirement to make such a
shell is merely chamber filled with
fuel. which will burn explosively.
shooting out from the rear end Of
the shell in a continuous, rocket
stream. II is not this stream Of fire
which propels the shell, but the
inner explosion, pushing against the
shell. showing 1t in the direction al
ready impaired by the cannon.
Several of these firing fuels are
known to all atoms. and have been
in experimental use for years. In
Germany the written records on
these rocket firing fuels 90 back
more than 10 years.
Ordinary Explosive Believed Used.
Rocket engineers make the guess
that some ordinary explosive. like
smokeless powder. is used. Such a
fuel can be packed accurately, will
remain stable. the same as the rest
of the contents of artillery shell.
Furthermore this sort Of explo-
sive would furnish power long
enough. 1t has to fizz. or explode
continuously. only for few seconds
at most. to get the added push that
outranges other guns.
The greater range is only one Of
the vital advantages. Light weight
IL almost as important. A rocket
cannon Is. by comparison with other
artillery. always lighter. always can
be moved faster from place to place
and maneuvered or manipulated
easier.
Putting the rocket jets on airplane
bombs serves three purposes. all
combining to make them more
deadly than any other type Of bomb.
The London Daily Mail describes
two Of these in 4 report Of the re-
cent experience Of the great Medi-