Congreve rocket
Cohete Congreve
- Date
- 1804-1806 · confidence high
- Place
- Woolwich, London, England, United Kingdom
- Credited to
- William Congreve
- Field
- Conflict
What it is
A British war rocket with an iron case and an incendiary or explosive head, inspired by the Mysore rockets. It was used against Boulogne (1806), Copenhagen (1807) and Fort McHenry (1814), where it inspired the 'rockets' red glare' of the US anthem.
Congreve studied the Mysore rockets captured at Srirangapatna (1799), but perfected the rocket with propellant, a stabilising stick and projectile warheads.
What it led to
- Hale rockets stabilised by spin
- 19th-century military rockets
- 20th-century modern rocketry