Taifun – German Anti-Aircraft Rocket


The Taifun was an unguided rocket developed in 1944 by Elektromechanische Werke GmbH – EW at Karslhagen Peenemünde. It had a length of 1,93 m, 10 cm diameter and a weight of 21 kg with a 500 grams warhead. The relative cheap rocket used a liquid fuel and had a boost time of only 2,5 seconds. But with a speed of 3.300 km/h it reached a height of 15 kilometers. It was fired from a 30- or 50-barrel launcher. This Volley rocket launcher was manufactured by the Skoda Plzen Company.

The Taifun’s nose was fitted with a contact fuze. One of the two contact fuze designs, developed by Mende Radio of Dresden, used a condenser, charged by the ionization of the exhaust gas stream, discharging through a tube in rocket’s nose, the other, developed by Rheinmetall-Borsig used a conventional impact fuze design. A timed self-destruct fuze was fitted to the rear of the Taifun to destroy the rocket if it failed to hit a target.

Production started in January 1945 and about 600 were made until May 1945 but none were used.
After the war further development on the Taifun rocket proceeded in the United States, with help of captured German engineers, under designation 76mm HEAA T220 “Loki” Rocket. The solid fuel version of the Taifun named “Wirbelwind” was the base of the Soviet R-103 and R-110 unguided surface-to-air rockets.

Taifun – Surface to Air Missile – photo 2017
Taifun – Courtsey raketenflugplatz-berlin
Taifun Test Centre Peenemunde – Courtsey raketenflugplatz-berlin
Taifun Test Centre Peenemunde – Courtsey raketenflugplatz-berlin
Taifun – Surface to Air Missile – photo 2017
Taifun – Surface to Air Missile – photo 2017
Taifun – Surface to Air Missile – photo 2017
Taifun – Surface to Air Missile – photo 2017
Taifun – Surface to Air Missile – photo 2017
Taifun Volley Rocket Launcher  – Škoda Plzeň Company- Armedconflicts
Taifun – Surface to Air Missile – photo 2017

 

James Van Allen holding a Loki Rocket – Courtesy of Wikipedia

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