Hale Rocket Attack

[SCTiger]

On May 22, 1864 on James Island, South Carolina. Major Manigault of the SC Seige Train Artillery wrote in his diary that his force came under attack from Union "Hale" Rockets. One of the rockets did land amongst his battery and injured the crewmen. Does anyone have any information on the Hale Rocket? I was going to research it on the old web site before it crashed.

Greg Deese

[SCTiger]

On May 22, 1864 on James Island, South Carolina. Major Manigault of the SC Seige Train Artillery wrote in his diary that his force came under attack from Union "Hale" Rockets. One of the rockets did land amongst his battery and injured the crewmen. Does anyone have any information on the Hale Rocket? I was going to research it on the old web site before it crashed.

Greg Deese

Hey my search engine finally worked!

http://www.olypen.com/tinkers/74th%2...ge/Rockets.htm

[Jack Enright]

Greg; many thanks for posting this; I had no idea that rockets used in this period were gyro-stabilised in this way.

The earlier (non-spinning) types used in the Napoleonic wars were notorious for their erratic behaviour, which wiped out their potential advantages, as mentioned on the website, of light weight and ease of swift movement - especially compared to heavy artillery and mortars of that period.

By comparison, the Hale rockets must have been almost as useful as a present day mortar.

Best regards,

Jack Enright
24th MI Vol Inf (UK)

[1stMaine]

Comrade Jack,
I've often thought about recreating one of these "infernal devices" to take to demonstrations. etc. The complete instructions for their creation are included in the 1862 Ordnance manual, including powder charges, propellant mix, etc.
My thought was to make a few full-size rockets without the propellant charge for display and then some full-sized ones for "blank" firing out of pasteboard with some model rocket engines for safety. I dunno....like I said I've thought about it for some time, but there's also not too many places where one can actually "blank" fire these things without the risk of setting fire to something
respects,

[Jack Enright]

Dear Tim,

well, I WAS hoping to join a unit-organised trip to one of the big events near Atlanta next year . . . but I'm having second thoughts . . . regardless of which side you're on!

"Infernal device" is right - no wonder you call yourself a rowdy pard!

Mind you; it would be the trip of a lifetime - even if I didn't live to brag about it!

Best regards,

Jack Enright
24th MI Vol Inf (UK)

[tmattimore]

A few years back one of the members of our Artillery unit built a hale rocket quite close to spec and brought it out to one of our training exercises. After careful calculation of windage and elevation a launch was prepared. I had just read Napiers history of the war in the Peninsula and mentioned that rockets had a stong tendency to hit horses. Despite assurances that the fins would keep the device going down range I moved all the horses 100 yards to the left and 50 yards to the rear. All drivers dismounted and stood to horse. At the instant of ignition I was proved right and the "infernal device" turned and appeared to come at my nose. It struck my horse (a some what fractious beast on a good day) in the left buttock. He being extremly displeased at this headed for the barn thinking all the demons of satan at his heels, rolling me on the ground like a fat bowling ball. Max (the horse) and all others were fine and though he would still stand the rattle of musketry and the roar of the guns a gentle wooshing sound would spook him the rest of his days.
Tom Mattimore

[SCTiger]

Tom

That was a hilarious story about the horse! I have a chow-chow that was accidentally hit by a rocket during the Fourth of July singed her fur. Same result, she hates the woosh sound.

If you did recreate a Hale Rocket launcher today, I would suppose that the BATF would have a hissy fit and probably throw us in jail. I doubt they would grant a permit for the device. Although one could build a static display model.
Still, it looks so much like a modern mortar, I would hate trying to explain it if the police stopped my car.

Quite a few of the things were fired at picket boats by the Federals. It was easier than having to drag a cannon through the "pluff mud."

Weird thing about the Charleston campaign, every long range technological advance makes an appearance there. From torpedos to submarines and rockets!

Greg Deese

[Tom Ezell]

On May 22, 1864 on James Island, South Carolina. Major Manigault of the SC Seige Train Artillery wrote in his diary that his force came under attack from Union "Hale" Rockets. One of the rockets did land amongst his battery and injured the crewmen. Does anyone have any information on the Hale Rocket? I was going to research it on the old web site before it crashed.

Greg:

Think of a really big-azzed bottle rocket, and you have the Hale. They're a Brit invention, and are what they are referring to by the phrase "the rockets' red glare" in the Star Spangled Banner.

Usually carried in an ordnance wagon, they have two major parts - the rocket itself, and a long pole sort of like a broom handle that's intended to add some degree of stability. You put them together, lay them on the launching rack, and point them in the general direction of the enemy. They're fuzed, and you light the fuze with a portfire and get the heck out of the way. They make a screeching, whooshing sound as they go by. Sometimes they even explode. The horse story is typical; the Brits had a Hale battery with them at the battle of Bladensburg, MD in the summer of 1814, and that's what they used to rout the American militia (known ever after as the "Bladensburg Races") and open the road to Washington. What they had left over from the march on Washington, they shot at Fort McHenry near Baltimore a few weeks later.

Similar weapons were revived in the Great War and WWTwice, called the Minenwerfer by the Germans and the "Screaming Meemies" by the Allies. Soviet-style artillery relies heavily upon them with the MRL battalions, and Uncle Sam now has the M270 MLRS... the direct descendant of the Hale rocket in U.S. service.

Tom

[1stMaine]

Comrade,
If memory serves me correctly, the British used "Congreve" rockets in their assault on Fort McHenry. It was developed by Dr. Congreve, and used Colonel Shrapnel's shell design for it's warhead. The Hale pattern was a later edition, (1840) much more accurate, and used slightly angled nozzles/gas exhaust ports to im[part a spin to the projectile, thus dispensing with the need for the stick.
Of an interesting note, only one British warship (HMS Erebus) at Fort McHenry was equipped for rocket bombardment, but it was modified for "through-deck" launching, so as to protect the crew and rockets from inclement weather. Beat's the modern Aegis' system by some 170 years
More info may be found here: http://www.usna.edu/LibExhibits/Spec...s/Congreve.htm
And Here:
http://www.rockets.org.uk/mf.ec.1820rockets.html
For a timeline of rockets I would suggest:
http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal113/gal113.html

Trusting this is of some small use, I remain, respectfully,

[SCTiger]

Thanks Tom and Tim:

As a 13 Charlie/Echo Fire Direction Specialist, I use to cross train on the MLRS system and also with the long gone "Lance" missile system. The woosh and scream of a rocket had a different effect than the "Boom" of cannon. I once witnessed a artillery brigade "fire for effect" with 32-40 rockets all landing at once at the NTC. (Ft. Irwin, California). The psychological effect of a rocket was unnerving, even from your side.

As always, the rocket boys always looked down on the "tube artillery" and the "cannoneers" were the "close support" and regarded themselves as the true red legs. One day the rockets will replace the tubes entirely and the only "boom" of a cannon that could be heard, will be at one of our events.

So the Hale rocket crews were ahead of their time, long before the V2, ICBM'S Mavericks, RPG's TOW2 and the M270!

Sadly, most of the modern Army- MLRS crews aren't aware of this legacy!

Greg Deese