Hale Rocket Launcher - Field Artillery Museum - Fort Sill, Oklahoma - Military Ground Equipment Displays on Waymarking.com

Hale Rocket Launcher
1846

This was the first type of rocket launcher used by the U.S. Army. Englishman William Hale designed the first spin-stabilized rocket, which used angled exhaust nozzles to cause the rocket to spin in flight. The Hale rocket had a range of 2,000 yards and was considerably more accurate than the earlier Congreve rockets. A rocket brigade of 150 volunteers was organized at Fort Monre, Virginia. First used in combat at the siege of Vera Cruz on March 24, 1847, the rockets were employed until the end of the war.

Rockets were not a new item to in the 19th Century. The biggest problem encountered with rockets was their inaccuracy. A rocket that was designed at the beginning of the 19th Century was called the Congreve Rockets designed by the British. Through use of a long stick, the rocket had a tendency to reduce its inaccuracy. In fact, it is these rockets that are mentioned within Francis Key Scott's Star Spangled Banner.

In the 1840s, along with the realization that a spinning bullet had a longer and more accurate trajectory, William Hale, a British inventor developed the spin to the rocket, there by eliminating the need for the long stick to gain accuracy. His changes were patented in 1844. As afore mentioned, the United States Army began use of the Hale Rocket in the Mexican American War (1846 - 1847). Throughout the American Civil War, continued use of the rockets were spuratically used on both sides of the war. However, the British Army never adopted the use of the Hale Rocket until 1867.

Admission is free, and access to Fort Sill can be done through the visitor's gate. Be sure to have your license, registration and proof of insurance available, because you are almost certain to be asked for. From the gate, you can ask for direction. At you first stop, you can get a map of important sites on the base. Be sure to go to plan additional time to go to the Indian Cemeteries. There you will find the graves of different Indian Tribes, including Geranimo. There are many sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, from the old fort, cemeteries, and aviation related locations. Fort Sill can easily be a place to visit for a couple hours, or for the entire day.

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