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The 7.2-inch Multiple Rocket Launcher T40/M17 ''Whizbang'' (sometimes spelled ''Whiz-Bang'' or ''Whiz Bang'') was a tank-mounted
The Whizbang was originally intended for use in the allied invasion of France, where it would be used to breach shoreline defenses. No T40s were ultimately deployed during the landings, despite some tanks already being fitted with the mounting brackets. Later the U.S. Army planned to equip a total of 30 Shermans, belonging to the 743rd Tank Battalion, with the system, to be used in a planned operation in Belgium in December 1944. This operation was eventually cancelled due to the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes on December 16, prompting the U.S. Army to remove the T40s from the battlefield. The launcher ended up not being reinstalled on their intended Shermans, instead, 8 of the launchers were sent to Italy, to be used for artillery fire support. In Italy, the Whizbang's range proved dissatisfactory, prompting the 760th Tank Battalion to rearm at least one of theirs with 54 4.5-inch M10 aircraft rocket launch tubes.
The Marine Corps examined the Whizbang for possible use in the
multiple rocket launcher
A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple launchers which are fixed to a single platform, and shoots its rocket ordnance in a fashion similar to a vo ...
used by the United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. The launcher was mounted atop 75mm variants of the M4 Sherman
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The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. It ...
, and fired a barrage of rockets from 20 launch tubes. It was developed and used in the late stages of the war, and saw limited combat in 1944–45.
Design
The T40/M17 Whizbang could hold twenty 7.2-inch rockets in two racks of ten rockets each, housed in a box-like frame protected by hydraulically operated doors. These doors protected the rockets from enemy fire, reflecting that it was designed to be used at a close range. The launcher could be aimed by elevating the tank's main gun, and had two firing modes, enabling the operator to fire a single rocket, or a salvo of rockets at a selected rate of fire. After expending all the rockets, the operator could easily jettison the empty launcher by turning the turret towards the side of the tank, fully elevating the gun, disconnecting the cables, and then pulling two handles.Service history
The Whizbang was originally intended for use in the allied invasion of France, where it would be used to breach shoreline defenses. No T40s were ultimately deployed during the landings, despite some tanks already being fitted with the mounting brackets. Later the U.S. Army planned to equip a total of 30 Shermans, belonging to the 743rd Tank Battalion, with the system, to be used in a planned operation in Belgium in December 1944. This operation was eventually cancelled due to the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes on December 16, prompting the U.S. Army to remove the T40s from the battlefield. The launcher ended up not being reinstalled on their intended Shermans, instead, 8 of the launchers were sent to Italy, to be used for artillery fire support. In Italy, the Whizbang's range proved dissatisfactory, prompting the 760th Tank Battalion to rearm at least one of theirs with 54 4.5-inch M10 aircraft rocket launch tubes.
The Marine Corps examined the Whizbang for possible use in the Marianas Campaign
The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, also known as Operation Forager, was an offensive launched by United States forces against Imperial Japanese forces in the Mariana Islands and Palau in the Pacific Ocean between June and November 1944 d ...
in 1944, but ultimately it was not used in the Pacific.
See also
References
Sources
* * * * * * * {{Refend World War II artillery of the United States Multiple rocket launchers of the United States M4 Sherman tanks Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1944