"Austrian Rocket Batteries - 1859 and 1866" Topic

Does anyone have information on rocket-equipped batteries (description, accuracy, deployment, organization, etc.) that were used by the Austrians in the 1859 and 1866 wars?

- Don

This should get you started:

link

Thanks Mallen. I'm trying to field a rocket battery for my 15mm Austrians. Was the rocket launched from the same type of tripod that was used by the British in the Napoleonic era? If so, this should be pretty easy to build from scratch.

The Austrian rockets were fired from a tripod frame. The two pictures below are from the Hungarian Revolution in 1848-9. The 1859 rockets were heavier [twelve pounder sized instead of six, but the same general frames and methods.

The Rockets were used as short-ranged artillery, generally fired at 6-800 yards or less like canister.

FreiKorps 15 sells them. I have a couple. The site doesn't have a picture but it is pretty accurate.

link

Thanks for the information, gentlemen. I am especially appreciative of the visuals. I was preparing to put an order together for Freikorps soon, so I'll definitely include the rocket battery. Mallen, how many rocket/tripods come with each pack?

The stick rocket wasn't in use by 1866, the Austrians had bought the rights to manufacture the Hales Rocket themselves under license. It was shorter (much) than the stick rocket and made of ceramic, the exhaust gasses were vented through ports in the fins causing spin and improved in flight stability. The British launched the Hales from a pig trough thing but the Austrians still used the tripod. I have an excellent booklet on this but unfortunately its in Czech!