Type 4 Incendiary Rocket (RoSa)
The Roketto Yon-shiki Shō-san-dan, sometimes just RoSa-dan where anti-aircraft rockets used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during the World War II, combining incendiary shrapnel elements.
The rocket is designated with the English borrowing "rocketto", but stays more commonly classified as a "shell", borrowing partially the technology used by the [San Shiki (anti-aircraft shell)|Type 3 Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft shell "San Shiki"].
The Imperial Japanese Navy deployed the 12 Senchi 28 Rensō Funshinhō, a specially built rocket launcher, on a number of aircraft carriers and battleships during 1944-1945, with the type first seeing action in October 1944. It was also emplaced at Kure Navy Yard to provide anti-aircraft coverage. This rocket launcher used the 25 mm triple AA mount with minor modifications.
The rockets were intended to put up a barrage of flame, by being notably equipped on a 28 rack rocket-launcher, through which any aircraft attempting to attack would have to navigate. However, much like the sanshiki shells, these rockets were not very effective, lacking in effect radius among other things.
An experimental explosive warhead variant for use in the conventional artillery role was developed but is believed to have never entered formal service. The Imperial Japanese Navy also attached a small number of 12 cm AA rockets to suicide boats in 1945 to acts as a type of visual distraction against potential targets during an invasion scenario. One rocket was attached to each side of the boat.
Specifications
These rockets were in diameter for long, and weighed. Similar to the "San Shiki", these rockets were made:- 24 incendiary charges, that, once the rocket has exploded, would ignite and form long flames,
- Two explosive charges of, used to create a dispersion cone of 40 ° and in diameter, to create the barrier wall,
- A fuze, to adjust the triggering altitude of the explosive charge, and being adjustable to settings of or,
- 6 rocket engines and their fuel, for propulsion, providing a maximal range of.
- *The engines were arranged to provide rotational motion, stabilizing the rocket in flight.
- *They used "Special DT6" as fuel, a smokeless powder in solid tubes of 3.4 kg form, composed of 30% Nitroglycerin, 60% Nitrocellulose, 3% centralite, and 7% mononitro naphthaline.
The rockets had a maximum range of, with a maximum altitude of.