Barcode: 0 89195 86509 0
Case Pack: 36
Box Size: 7.5" x 11.4" x 1.8"
Rocket artillery plays an important part in modern armies, with one of its
primary advantages being the ability to saturate enemy positions with simultaneous
massed fire. In WWII, rocket artillery was still in its infancy, though several
effective systems were developed by both sides of the conflict (e.g. Russian
Katyusha and German Nebelwerfer). One of Germany’s first rocket weapon systems
was the Schweres Wurfgera"t 41, which translates as “heavy throwing apparatus”.
This weapon was essentially a wooden or steel framework in which crates containing
rockets could be placed. The crates would be inclined at a particular angle
towards the enemy, and the rockets could then be fired. Rockets were either
280mm in diameter for HE or 320mm for incendiary, with the former having a range
of 1920m and the latter 2195m. Introduced into combat in 1941, its level of
accuracy was somewhat crude, but the “howling cow” (as it was nicknamed) could
have a devastating effect on enemy positions and morale.
Dragon now provides modelers with an accurately proportioned Schweres Wurfgera"t
41. The wooden frame is a completely new tooling, while the steel rocket crates
are produced by sophisticated photo-etched parts. Included in the set are both
28cm and 32cm rockets that can fit inside their launch crates. The set even
includes “rocket men” to operate the system, these crewmen dressed in parkas
for a wintertime period. These figures can be posed as though realistically
operating the rockets. This is an unusual weapon, and Dragon’s new set allows
modelers to depict an authentic vignette of a “howling cow”!
