This silent, confidential film from WWII shows tests of various 4.5″ B.R. launchers at Camp Pendelton, California on Jan. 19, 1944. It’s not entirely clear what the abbreviation “B.R.” stood for, but these are clearly multiple artillery rocket launchers similar in some ways to the Russian Katyusha system. According to a website, the type 36 rocket launcher could be easily installed on a Jeep and featured armored plating to protect the driver. This plating can be seen in the footage at 1:10. At 1:30 slow motion footage shows the system in action while at 2:00 the effects of the firing are shown downrange. At 2:30 something similar to the U.S. M8 barrage rocket is shown, again mounted on a Jeep. Firing is again shown in normal speed (3:18) and then slo-mo (3:49). (This Jeep lacks the armor plating and the firing kicks up considerable debris.) At 4:54 small racks of rockets are shown being test fired. At 6:28 infantry portable rocket launchers are shown, probably again with M8 rockets which are fired by troops adjacent to the launcher. At 6:50 the rockets detonate with considerable effect downrange.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com