Rockets

Rockets are air-fired projectile weapons with a explosive warhead, mounted underneath the wing of fighter bombers and attacks alike. Rockets do not take up much room on your craft, and are good for light ground targets such are truck columns, tanks, buildings like bridges, and small ships for close ground support, but ineffective against aircraft and installations due to their slow speed and small blast radius. All rockets have a smoke trail and a steep drop off after being launched.

## Anti-air rockets

### R4M

A very small and portable rocket used against large flying targets. A width of 55mm and they are so small and light that up to 24 can be carried. But outside of it's job, it's blast radius is very small and unworthy for ground roles despite a ground version for 16 rockets. For best usage, fly above bomber formations a few hundred feet away and then fire just in front for the rockets to line up.

Used by all 3 Me 262 types and Go 229. In *Firepower*, used by Me 334, Ta 183, and Ho 229 V5

## Anti-ground rockets

### HVAR

An 5 inch (12.7 cm) American anti-ground rocket, often mounted under the wing of fighters and some bombers. The have a fairly good blast radius and range, great for taking out still and low moving targets against armor, convoys, tanks, and transport ships, and bridges. When mounted on the P-47, Tiger tanks are nowhere safe!

The British used them too, but in-game for the British aircraft they are simply called "Rockets".

Used by all American aircraft, except for the B-17F/G and B-29A in the *Firepower* add on. Used by both Spitfires IXc and IXe, Typhoon IB, Tempest Mark V, all 3 Mosquito variants, Vampire I, and all 3 B-25 variants.

In *Firepower*, used by Me 334.

### M8 4.5 inch Anti Tank Rocket

The Bazooka is a anti-tank rocket launcher, carried by both infantry and mounted under the wing of ground support aircraft. The M8 is carried inside a M10 triple tube launcher.

Used by P-47D/D-25 only.

### "60 lb-pounder" Rocket (British)

The standard anti-ground rocket for the RAF, with a 3 inch body and a 5 inch warhead. It has acceptable range and velocity, able pound armor and small buildings. Performance is similar to the American HVAR 5-inch rocket. Smooth all round handling, it boasts destructive power, but weight combined with launch rails affect accuracy for fighters. Due note they are simply called "Rockets" in game.

Used by all British aircraft fighters and bombers alike.

### Werger-Granate 21

The WGr 21 is a German aircraft mounted rocket. Like the American HVAR, is designed and built for the ground role assault. Fighters such as the Bf 109 and Fw 190 carried two of them within a launch tube on either wing. While it can stop heavy tanks in their tracks, it has a heavy drop due to warhead weight and poor accuracy from the drag produced by the launch tubes, resulting in short range.

Used by Me 109G-6/G-10, Fw 190A5/A8. In *Firepower*, used by Me 334.

### Panzerschreck 3.46 inch anti tank rocket.

A man portable anti tank launcher for destroying Shermans modified to now destroy them from above. The 88mm tube launched Panzerschreck is a small alternative to the WGr 21, carried inside a launch tube. Range is very poor, no more past than 130 yards (120m).

### Panzerblitz II

Basically the same as the mentioned R4M rocket but for ground targets. Unlike the R4M 16 total can be carried at a time but still is a lot compared to 24. It shares the same problem with its ariel counterpart: very low blast damage and radius, in fact, if you fire it straight down a runaway while in a tricycle gear (German) the splash damage wouldn't even hurt you from less than 10 feet away. Have fun killing things covered in steel.

Used by all 3 Me 262 types and Go 229. In *Firepower*, used be Me 334, Ta 183, and Ho 229 V5.

## Firepower Special

These special ordnance rockets are only featured in the *Firepower* add on installment. They boast far more performance than the regular rockets.

### Ruhrstahl X-4

The world's first operational air-to-air missile, designed to attack allied bombers at range, developed in 1944. The X-4 is wired guided, controlled by a joystick and assisted by a gyroscope. The X-4 did not see service in time and it's air-to-ground version the X-7. The X-4 in *CFS3: Firepower* is depicted as a unguided anti-tank missile, but is definitely superior to the WGr-21 and HVAR and is has a wider blast radius and deals a lot more damage, making it perfect for taking out heavier targets such as Cruiser ships and largely packed installations such as factories and refineries.

Used by the Me 334, Ta 183, and Do 217M1 in *Firepower*.

### FX 1400 (Fritz X)

A powerful, German fin-stabilized anti-shipping glide bomb with and wide range and a wide blast radius, commonly called the *Fritz X*. This deadly flying ordnance was responsible for sinking many allied ships. Like the X-4, this bomb in-game is showed as a flying rocket-bomb rather than a glide bomb. It is very powerful and ruthless, turning all ground targets into crater holes and sinking all but the biggest ships. Blast radius is about the size of a 1,000 kg bomb. Do note the color scheme of the Fritz X is black and red instead of white or olive drab.

Used by the Do 217M1 and Ar 234 in *Firepower* (note the FX 1400 carried on the Ar 234 is called "1,400 kg bomb").

### Herschel Hs 293

A technological stepping stone in anti-shipping, the Hs 293 is a radio controlled, TV guided anti-shipping smart bomb. This nasty bomb was a culprit behind the sinking of many allied ships. The Hs 293 in-game also performs as a powerful anti-shipping rocket, so getting rid of bigger ships such as Cruisers and facilities like factories and rail yards is less of a chore in more of a blast, with a blast than is very big!

Used only by the Do 217M1 in *Firepower*.

## Trivia

* After a certain amount of time after launch, the emitted smoke trails will cease. Rockets will also disappear after a very long flight.
* If one were to spam fire, a maximum (confirmed) of 206 launched rockets can be active in the sky should they not hit ground first. Unlimited Ammo must be enabled.
* While the X-4 missile did not reach operation status, it did inspire post work and development for modern air to air missile systems with advanced guidance such as Heat Seeking, Semi and Active Radar instruments.
* As previously mentioned the Firepower special weapons like the The X-4, FX 1400, Hs 293 behave as normal rockets instead being respectively manually or radio guided. The Microsoft team may have skipped or didn't have the time and research to create new gameplay mechanics to manually control arial munitions during the production of Firepower.