Field ArTillery - US Army Center Of Military History

The nUclear arena
Honest John rocket
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effects of enemy counterfire. The U.S. Marine Corps and numerous foreign nations
also adopted the rocket. 10
The original Honest John rocket batteries each had three rocket platoons, each
with two sections. Each of the six sections had one self-propelled rocket launcher.
Until 1957, one battery was attached to each 280-mm. atomic cannon battalion for
administrative and operational control. But between 1956 and 1957, the batteries
were reorganized as single-firing battery battalions. The firing battery had two firing
platoons of two launchers each. Sufficient personnel and equipment were provided
to employ the firing sections individu ally, either as platoons or as battalions, giving
the desired flexibility. 11
10 Mark S. Watson, “New Trend in Weapons,” Ordnance, January-February 1961, pp. 488–92; Mary
T. Cagle, “Design, Development, and Production of Rockets and Rocket Launchers,” Special Historical
Monograph, 21 July 1954, 2:152–54, AMCOM files and copy in CMH files. See also idem, “History of
the Basic Honest John,” AMCOM files and copy in CMH files, and Mary T. Cagle and Elva W. McLin,
“History of the Improved (M50) Honest John Rocket System, 1954–1965,” Historical Monograph no.
AMC 7M Part 2, 23 August 1965, AMCOM files and copy in CMH files.
11 TOE 6–525C, 1 Mar 1956; TOE 6–525D, 5 Dec 1958; Thomas E. DeShazo, “Field Artillery Missiles,”
Army Information Digest, December 1956, p. 106. The 280-mm. gun is discussed in chapter 10.