Model of Two Congreve Rockets with Launching Gear

...; transferred from the Ministerie van Marine (Department of the Navy), The Hague, to the museum, 1883

ObjectNumber: NG-MC-1027

Model of two rockets with launching gear or frame, for use on land.

The rockets consist of a pointed cylinder, of which the head contains the incendiary mixture and the rear part the propellant, with a long stabilising stick mounted to the side. The launching frame consists of a sort of ladder with a traveller at the top, which loosely embraces the foremast of a ship’s boat to guide that end when raised and lowered for loading and aiming. However, this model is equipped with a pair of legs with a cross-beam to form a tripod for use on land. On each leg of the frame a beam is mounted with a metal chamber with a flintlock and a set of braces. The triggers of the flintlocks have a hole for a lanyard. In the chamber, the rocket head is set beneath a pair of braces. The spark of the flintlock is deflected by a metal plate inside the chamber to enter the rear of the rocket. Two linstocks are added: one with a round brace at the end for a single fuse, the other is forked for two fuses for simultaneous firing and has a pointed lower end.

This model is almost identical to model NG-MC-1026. The most striking feature of these models are the extra beams supporting the chambers, which do not appear in the original designs by William Congreve (1772-1828).¹¹W. Congreve, The Details of the Rocket System ... , London 1814, pp. 33-35, 47-49, pl. 11.

Rockets of Congreve’s design were used by the British during the bombardments of Flushing in 1809 and Algiers in 1816.

Scale unknown.

W. Congreve, The Details of the Rocket System ... , London 1814, pp. 33-35, 47-49, pl. 11; O.H. Kuyck, Verhandeling over de vuurpijlen, Breda 1856; J.M. Obreen et al., handwritten inventory list for items 944 to 1431, 1884, manuscript in HNA 476 RMA, inv. no. 1089, no. 1027; R.M. Haubourdin et al., De physique existentie dezes lands. Jan Blanken, inspecteur-generaal van de waterstaat (1755-1838), exh. cat. Amsterdam (Rijksmuseum) 1987, no. 41; C. van der Burght, Rapport. Technisch onderzoek Congreve raketten, Flushing 1989, manuscript in RMA, folder NG-MC-1027; M. Willemsen, ‘Oorlogsvuurpijlen en het Nederlandse leger’, Armamentaria 45 (2010-11), pp. 60-77

J. van der Vliet, 2016, 'Rijkswerf Rotterdam, Model of Two Congreve Rockets with Launching Gear, Rotterdam, 1818', in J. van der Vliet and A. Lemmers (eds.), Navy Models in the Rijksmuseum, online coll. cat. Amsterdam: hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.244842