T27 Xylophone Rocket Launcher Battery

When the United States entered the Second World War in 1941, the US armed forces were lacking any form of rocket in their arsenal. However, weapons developers were quick to remedy this and developed the relatively simple but effective Rocket, HE, 4.5-in, M8.

The simple design of the M8 made it easy to manufacture; but being only fin-stabilized meant the rocket was inaccurate and had to be utilized in large numbers to saturation an area for a bombardment to be effective.

One method delivering the large numbers required for an effective bombardment was the T27 Xylophone rocket launcher; which mounted racks of M8 rockets on the back of a 2½ ton truck. Other methods of delivering mass fire were the T34 Calliope which mounted no fewer than sixty launching tube on the turret of a Sherman tank.

Though the M8 rocket had served US forces well, its inherent lack of accuracy, ineffectiveness against hard targets along with the insights gained from captured German rocket led to the development of the spin-stabilized M16 rocket. Though the M16 only saw limited service the M8 prove the workhorse rocket of for US forces in World War Two.