- TomT
As I recall, the launching ramp was mounted on a 5 ton truck. The National Guard museum in Lawrenceville NJ has an intact rocket and launcher they plan to refurbish. An Honest John unit from Cape May served in Europe. There is a ramp and rocket on display off the Garden State Parkway in Cape May NJ but no vehicle. Another interesting fact on this rocket is that it was covered with a tight fitting quilted electric blanket for hours before a lauch in order to maintain the proper temperature for the solid fuel! Don't know how that would work out in a combat situation. Somewhere in my photos I have a picture of that setup. TomT
Heating and tie-down unit shown: (the image is larger and clearer in the links I posted earlier)
Also, there's this:
"General LAUNCHER, ROCKET: 762-mm, truck-mounted. M386, w/e, is a mobile, heavy field artillery type launcher which provides a base for launching surface-to-surface, large caliber, free-flight, fin-stabilized rockets. It is composed of the 762-mm rocket launcher (ORD No. 8417300) and the 6-ton 6 x 6, M139 (modified) chassis. The launcher M386 consists of the chassis which is equipped with agasoline generator set M26, launching beam assembly, elevating mechanism assembly, traversing mechanism group, equilibrator assemblies, and the electrical system. Three screw-type jacks are need to provide stability when elevating or firing the launcher. Elevation of the launcher is either done manually or by power. Traversing is accomplished by a rack and pinion which is operated manually.
