MGR-1 Honest John

The MGR-1 Honest John rocket was the first nuclear-capable surface-to-surface rocket in the United States arsenal. Originally designated Artillery Rocket XM31, the first unit was tested on 29 June 1951, with the first production rounds delivered in January 1953. Its designation was changed to M31 in September 1953. The first Army units received their rockets by year's end and Honest John battalions were deployed in Europe in early 1954. Alternatively, the rocket was capable of carrying an ordinary high-explosive warhead weighing .

History and development

left|thumb|Honest John test launch

Developed at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, the Honest John was a large but simple fin-stabilized, unguided artillery rocket weighing in its initial M31 nuclear-armed version. Mounted on the back of a truck, the rocket was aimed in much the same way as a cannon and then fired up an elevated ramp, igniting four small spin rockets as it cleared the end of the ramp. The M31 had a range of with a 20 kiloton nuclear warhead and was also capable of carrying a conventional warhead.

left|thumb|"It's no secret we're in the 'missile business' to stay..." Douglas Aircraft Company ad in the California Institute of Technology 1958 yearbook

The M31 system included a truck-mounted, unguided, solid-fueled rocket transported in three separate parts. The Honest John was assembled in the field before launch, mounted on an M289 launcher, and aimed and fired in about 5 minutes. The rocket was originally outfitted with a W7 nuclear warhead, with a variable yield of up to ; in 1959, a W31 warhead with three variants was deployed with yields of 2, 10 or 30 kt (8.4, 41.8 or 125.5 TJ). There was a W31 variant of used exclusively for the Nike Hercules anti-aircraft system. The M31 had a range between .

Early tests exhibited more scatter on target than was acceptable when carrying conventional payloads. Development of an upgraded Honest John, M50, was undertaken to improve accuracy and extend range. The size of the fins was greatly reduced to eliminate weathercocking. Increased spin was applied to restore the positive stability margin that was lost when fin size was reduced. The improved M50, with the smaller fins and more "rifling", had a maximum range of 30+ miles with a scatter on target of only , demonstrating an accuracy approaching that of tube artillery. The Honest John was manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company of Santa Monica, California.right|thumb|Honest John warhead cutaway, showing [[M134 bomblet|M134 sarin bomblets (photo c. 1960)]]

In the 1960s, Sarin nerve gas cluster munitions were also available, designed to be interchangeable for use with either the Honest John or MGM-5 Corporal. Initially the M79 (E19R1) GB cluster warhead, containing 356 M134 (E130R1) bomblets for the M31A1C Honest John. The production model was the M190 (E19R2) GB cluster warhead, containing 356 M139 (E130R2) bomblets when the M31A1C was phased out in favor of the XM50 Honest John. Under nominal conditions it had a mean area of effect of 0.9 square kilometers.

Variants

The two basic versions of Honest John were:

MGR-1A (M31) was long, had an engine diameter of , a warhead diameter of , a fin span of , weighed (nuclear), and had a range of . The Hercules Powder Company M6 solid-fueled rocket motor was long, weighed , and had thrust.

MGR-1B (M50) was long, had an engine diameter of , a warhead diameter of , a fin span of , weighed (nuclear), and had a maximum range of , practically twice that of the M31. An improved propellant formulation gave the rocket motor thrust.

Name origin

thumb|right|Unloading a rocket from the M329 transport trailer.

In late 1950, Major General Holger Toftoy was a colonel overseeing the development of the rocket. The project was in danger of cancellation "on the grounds that such a large unguided rocket could not possibly have had the accuracy to justify further funds." On a trip to White Sands Missile Range, Toftoy met a Texan man who was prone to making unbelievable statements. Whenever anyone expressed doubt about the man's claims, he would respond, "Why, around these parts, I'm called 'Honest John!'" Because the project was being questioned, Toftoy felt that the nickname was appropriate for the rocket and suggested the name to his superiors.

Support vehicles

thumb|right|Vehicles and components of the Dutch-operated Honest John rocket system. From left to right: M386 launcher based on the M139 5-ton truck, M62 wrecker/crane, M329 rocket transport trailer, M78A1 truck-mounted heating and tie-down unit and [[Willys M38A1 light utility truck. Prime movers in the rear.]]

Vehicles used with the Honest John platform:

M33 trailer, launcher,
M46 truck, heating and tie down unit (G744)
M289 truck, rocket launcher, (M139 truck) (G744),
M329 trailer, rocket transporter, (G821)
M386 Truck, Rocket, 762 mm, short launch rail, 5-ton (M139 truck)
M405 handling unit, trailer mounted,
M465 cart assembly, transport, 762 mm rocket,

Surviving examples

thumb|"Weapons of the Field Artillery" (1966).

Belgium

Gunfire Braaschaat museum, Province of Antwerpen, Braaschat.

Canada

CFB Petawawa Military Museum, CFB Petawawa, Petawawa, Ontario.
The Central Museum of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, Shilo Manitoba
Outdoor Display of 2 Warheads, Canadian Forces Logistics Training Center Ammo School, CFB Borden, Borden, Ontario.

Denmark

The Royal Danish Arsenal Museum

thumb|"The Pentatomic Army" (1957).

Netherlands

The National Military Museum

United Kingdom

Imperial War Museum Duxford
Royal Air Force Museum

United States

right|thumb|Restored Honest John on M465 cart at Carolinas Aviation Museum

thumb|Honest John at Hillyard, WA

3rd Cavalry Museum, 1st Cav Museum, Fort Hood, Texas
45th Infantry Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Air Force Space & Missile Museum, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
American Armoured Foundation, Inc. Tank & Ordnance War Memorial Museum, Danville, Virginia
Bedford, Indiana, displayed outside a military surplus store, at the southwest corner of US-50/IN-37 and IN-450.
Camp Atterbury Military Museum, Camp Atterbury, Indiana.
Carolinas Aviation Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina (Two missiles are on display – both came from the Florence Air & Missile Museum)
Crestwood, Illinois, on display at municipal park.
Combat Air Museum, Topeka, Kansas
Fort Lewis Museum, Fort Lewis, Washington
Field Artillery Museum, Fort Sill, Oklahoma
National Atomic Museum, Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Rock Island Arsenal, Arsenal Island, between Iowa and Illinois
Texas Military Forces Museum at Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas
Underwood Public School, Underwood, Minnesota.
United States Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama
Yuma Proving Ground, Yuma, Arizona
Milledgeville High School, Milledgeville, Illinois (home of the Milledgeville Missiles)
Miami Central High School Miami, Florida Home of the "ROCKETS".
A.C. Reynolds High School Asheville, North Carolina Home of the "ROCKETS".
Outdoor display, Spokane, Washington – southwest corner of Sanson and Market in Hillyard neighborhood
Outdoor display, St. Albans Roadside Park, St. Albans, West Virginia
Outdoor display, White Sands Missile Range Museum, New Mexico
Neenah High School, Neenah, Wisconsin
Outdoor display, M50 from 6th Bn 112th FA on display at the Armory in Cape May Courthouse, Cape May, New Jersey.
Outdoor display, Hull Street Outlet Inc., Richmond, Virginia.
Outdoor display, Trumann Middle School, Trumann, Arkansas

Operators

thumb|400px|Map with former MGR-1 operators in red

thumb|West German parade in 1969

thumb|South Korean Armed Forces day in 1973

Former operators

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Belgian Army

Used in various Corps and Divisional artillery units (75, 3, 20 and 14th Artillery Battalions) from 1960 to 1978. Replaced by Lance missile.

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Canadian Army

Canada adopted the MGR-1B with the 1-kiloton W31 warhead. Four units were assigned to 1 Surface to Surface Missile Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery at Hemer, Germany under 4 CIBG. Two to four units were supplied to 2 SSM Battery at CFB Shilo in Manitoba for training. These units were formed in September 1960. 1SSM maintained very high readiness and able to deploy to firing positions quickly. Their ability to maintain camouflage kept even elite NATO special forces from locating them in exercises. 1SSM was authorized to wear the black scarf of the Congreve rocket gunners. Canada disbanded the Honest John batteries in mid-1970 without replacement.

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Royal Danish Army

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French Army
Corps Artillery
301st Artillery Group [Battalion] (1959–1970) – absorbed into 50th Artillery Regiment
50th Artillery Regiment (1970–1976)
302nd Artillery Group [Battalion] (1959–1970) – absorbed into 60th Artillery Regiment
60th Artillery Regiment (1970–1975)
303rd Artillery Group [Battalion] (1960–1970) – absorbed into 3rd Artillery Regiment
3rd Artillery Regiment (1970–1973)
Divisional Artillery
3rd Group, 32nd Artillery Regiment (1962–1974)
3rd Group, 68th Artillery Regiment (1960–1973)
Nuclear Security
351st Artillery Group (1962–1970) – expanded to 351st Artillery Regiment
351st Artillery Regiment (1970–1975)

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German Army

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Hellenic Army

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Italian Army

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Republic of Korea Army

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Norwegian Army (1961–1965)

thumb|right|Dutch soldiers take cover and await the launch of an Honest John rocket in 1960.

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Royal Netherlands Army

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Republic of China Army

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Turkish Army – in service with 420th, 450th, 490th, and 550th Battalions, 1963.

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British Army – 24 Missile Regiment RA 1960/61 – 1977; 39 Missile Regiment RA; 50 Missile Regiment Royal Artillery, both 8 inch towed, two batteries, and two batteries Honest John.

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United States Army
United States Marine Corps