M8

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4.5 in M8 rocket diagram.jpg

Description

Side view of an M8 4.75 inch unguided rocket.


The 4.5-inch (114 mm) M8 fin-stabilised rocket is approximately 33 in (0.83 m) in length and 40 lb (18.1 kg) and is almost an equivalent of a 105 mm Shell M1. This rocket utilises an M4 fuse which explodes after a 0.015-sec delay set off by auxiliary M1 booster.

The components of the rocket break down into three separate sections, the fuse, shell and motor body. The shell of the rocket or the head is made up of a warhead body fitted with a burster tube. The burster tube itself extends from the shell through the rocket body and through the rocket motor, the purpose of this is to expand the explosive capability of the rocket by utilising the rocket motor as an additional source of fragmentation in the explosion. Once fired, folding fins around the tail flange will extend and spin-stabilise the rocket.

The M8 rocket requires a tube launcher to launch (as opposed to being installed directly to external hardpoints) and this is accomplished by mounting an M10 cluster launcher to the underside of the aircraft's wings or fuselage belly. The M10 is a cluster of three 10-foot tubes manufactured from plastic (M14s are made from steel and M15s are constructed of magnesium alloy) and are banded together in six places and are secured to the aircraft via two mounting straps, front and rear. The rear strap also bears the electrical connections which link up to the rockets once in the tubes as the firing links. The release and contact mechanisms are protected from flying links and fired casings ejected from the wing guns to prevent accidental damage or drop release of the M10 launcher.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

Vehicles equipped with this weapon
Fighters 
P-39  P-39N-0 · P-39Q-5
P-47  P-47D-28
P-51D  P-51D-5 · P-51D-10 · ␗P-51D-20 · P-51D-20-NA · P-51D-30
P-51H/K  P-51H-5-NA · ␗P-51K
Twin-engine fighters  P-38G-1 · XP-38G · P-38J-15 · Bong's P-38J-15
Attackers  A-20G-25
Medium tanks  Calliope · M26 T99
Motor torpedo boats  PT-200

General info

Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the rocket.

A soldier holding an M8 rocket prior to loading in a launch tube.

Effective damage

The M8 rocket is a 40 lb (18.1 kg) high explosive mass with a TNT warhead which travels at 600 mph (970 km/h). After slamming into a target a slight delay will set off the explosive mass of the missile causing the TNT shell to detonate along with fragmenting the rocket body and motor. Damage is caused by both the high explosives and fragmentation.

Comparison with analogues

Give a comparative description of rockets that have firepower equal to this weapon.

Usage in battles

The M8 rockets are typically mounted on an aircraft in groups of three (usually two launchers of three) or a total of 16 on the boat Higgins 78 ft PT-200. The M8 rocket is typically best utilised against personnel, installations and light armoured vehicles due to the fantastic fragmentation of this rocket upon impact and explosion.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Lightweight, able to mount on fighter aircraft
  • Can be used against bombers

Cons:

  • Inaccurate, best fired in groups to increase the chance of hitting a target
  • Increases aerodynamic drag, decreasing flight efficiency

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />.

Media

  • Image of ground crew member adjusting M8 rocket launch tubes under the wing of an A-20G-25.
  • Crew members loading M8 rocket tubes under the wing of an P-47D in Saipan, 1944.
  • An M8 rocket with its stabilising fins out (right) and an M16 rocket (left).
  • An A-20G-25 firing off an M8 rocket from an M10 Bazooka tube launcher.
  • A P-39Q-5 firing off an M8 rocket from an underwing M10 Bazooka tube launcher.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the article about the variant of the weapon;
  • references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.

External links


Rockets
USA 
70 mm  FFAR Mighty Mouse · Hydra-70 M247
110 mm  M8
127 mm  HVAR · Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP
298 mm  Tiny Tim
408 mm  Yasser
Germany 
55 mm  R4M
73 mm  RZ.65
88 mm  Pb2
150 mm  Wgr.41 Spr
210 mm  Wfr.Gr.21
USSR 
55 mm  S-5K · S-5KP · S-5M
80 mm  S-8KO · S-8M
82 mm  M-8 · ROS-82 · RBS-82
122 mm  S-13OF
127 mm  S-3K
132 mm  M13 · M-13UK · ROFS-132 · ROS-132 · RBS-132
212 mm  S-1of · S-21
240 mm  S-24 · S-24B
300 mm  M-31
420 mm  S-25O · S-25OF · S-25OFM
425 mm  TT-250
Britain 
51 mm  RP
70 mm  CRV7 M247
80 mm  Type R80 SURA T-80-P 3 · Type R80 SURA T-80-US 3
87 mm  AP Mk I · AP Mk II
152 mm  RP-3
183 mm  Triplex R.P.
292 mm  Uncle Tom · Red Angel
Japan 
100 mm  Type 5 No.1 Mod.9
120 mm  Type 3 No.1 Mod.28 Mk.1
130 mm  Type 75
210 mm  Type 3 No.6 Mod.27 Mk.1 · Type 5 No.6 Mod.9
China 
55 mm  Type 57-1
70 mm  FS70
90 mm  Type 90-1
130 mm  Type 130-2
Italy 
50 mm  ARF/8M3(AP-AT)
70 mm  Skyfire-70 AC/AP
France 
68 mm  SNEB type 23 · TDA
70 mm  FZ49
100 mm  TBA ECC · TBA Multi-Dart 100 AB
120 mm  T10 140 · T10 151
Sweden 
75 mm  srak m/55 Frida · srak m/57B
81 mm  Oerlikon Typ 3Z 8Dla
135 mm  m/56D · psrak m/70
145 mm  psrak m/49B · Psrak m/49/56
150 mm  srak m/51
180 mm  hprak m/49
Israel 
80 mm  Flz.-Rakete Oerlikon
127 mm  AR

Naval special armaments
USA 
Mortars  7.2-inch T37 · Mk 2
Rockets  5-inch GPSR Mk.7 · Mark 108 Weapon alfa
Missiles  RIM-24A
Germany 
Rockets  M/50 Bofors
Missiles  Strela-2M
USSR 
Mortars  BM-37 · RBM · RBU-1200 · RBU-2500 · RBU-6000 · RKU-36U
Rockets  BM-14-17 · BM-21 · M13 · M-8
Missiles  Volna-M
Britain 
Mortars  Ordnance ML 4.2-inch mortar
Japan 
Rockets  4.5-inch BBR Mk.7 (USA) · Mark 108 Weapon alfa (USA)
Italy 
Missiles  Nettuno
France 
Missiles  SS.11