Mark 108 Weapon alfa
Contents
Description
Write an introduction to the article in 2-3 small paragraphs. Briefly tell us about the history of the development and combat using the weaponry and also about its features. Compile a list of air, ground, or naval vehicles that feature this weapon system in the game.
Vehicles equipped with this weapon
General info
Mark 108 Weapon alfa shoots RUR-4 320 mm antisubmarine rockets. Explosive mass of 113 kg of TNT and penetration of 99 mm makes it very effective against boats and ships. Biggest disadvantages are a range of 800 m and a speed of 306 km/h which makes it very situational for naval combat.
Effective damage
Describe the type of damage produced by this type of rocket (high explosive, splash damage, etc)
Comparison with analogues
Give a comparative description of rockets that have firepower equal to this weapon.
Usage in battles
Describe situations when you would utilise this rocket in-game (vehicle, pillbox, base, etc)
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Explosive mass comparable to some torpedoes
Cons:
- Slow compared to other rockets
- Short range
History
During World War II, The United States Navy worked to attempt to counter the Type XXI U-Boat and decided to develop a weapon similar to the 7.2 in Mousetrap but more powerful to counter the new submarine. The design started with a crash program at Naval Ordnance Test Station China Lake in California where they designed a rocket intended to be fired in front of the ship to sink the enemy submarines. Even when the war ended, the development of the weapon nicknamed "Weapon Able" continued until it was finished in 1949. With the foundation of NATO, the weapon was redesignated to the Mark 108 "Weapon Alfa" to fit the NATO Phonetic Alphabet later in its career.
The Mark 108 Weapon Alfa launcher fires a 500-pound 5-inch rocket with a 250-pound warhead that sinks at a rate of 40 feet per second and a range of 400 to 800 yards and a time fuse set by an SQG-1 sonar. Two mounts were developed for the Weapon Alfa launcher. The first was a modified version of the Bofors L/60 Mark 1 mount weighing 22,760 pounds and a later purpose-built mounting 25,240 pounds. The Mark 108 Weapon Alfa was primarily mounted on post-war destroyers from the 1950s and 1960s such as the Mitscher-class. In 1963, the Mark 108 launcher was re-designated again as the RUR-4 Weapon Alfa and with the RUR-5 ASROC (Anti-Submarine ROCket) entering service in 1961, the Weapon Alfa was phased out by the end of the decade. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force also adopted the Mark 108 using it on their anti-submarine warfare craft such as the Isuzu frigate.
Media
- Images
Damage caused by a single rocket lauched from the Mark 108 Weapon alfa
See also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the article about the variant of the weapon;
- references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Naval special armaments | |
|---|---|
| USA | |
| Mortars | 7.2-inch T37 · Mk 2 |
| Rockets | 5-inch GPSR Mk.7 · Mark 108 Weapon alfa |
| Missiles | RIM-24A |
| Germany | |
| Rockets | M/50 Bofors |
| Missiles | Strela-2M |
| USSR | |
| Mortars | BM-37 · RBM · RBU-1200 · RBU-2500 · RBU-6000 · RKU-36U |
| Rockets | BM-14-17 · BM-21 · M13 · M-8 |
| Missiles | Volna-M |
| Britain | |
| Mortars | Ordnance ML 4.2-inch mortar |
| Japan | |
| Rockets | 4.5-inch BBR Mk.7 (USA) · Mark 108 Weapon alfa (USA) |
| Italy | |
| Missiles | Nettuno |
| France | |
| Missiles | SS.11 |
