[Archive] Rocket carts of the Ming Dynasty (Patreon)

Note: This is an outdated version of my article about rocket carts of the Ming Dynasty, kept here for archival purpose. The up-to-date version of the article can be found in my blog.

Ever since the founding of Ming Dynasty, the Chinese had been an avid user of rocket weapon. Early Ming Dynasty rocket cart could have an upward of six hundred rockets, but subsequent redesigns reduced the number of rockets to make the cart more mobile.

Huo Jian Che (火箭車, rocket cart)

Huo Jian Che was recorded in the sixteenth century military treatise Si Zhen San Guan Zhi (《四鎮三關志》) without any specification on its size and structure. It might be the same rocket cart mentioned by general Qi Ji Guang (戚繼光) in his book Lian Bing Shi Ji (《練兵實紀》), written five years prior to this book.

Ye Meng Xiong's Qing Che (輕車)

Although not specifically designed as a rocket cart, this lightweight war cart designed by Ye Meng Xiong (葉夢熊) does carry enough rockets to qualify as one.

For more details on Qing Che, see my other post.

Huo Gui Gong Di Che (火櫃攻敵車, lit. 'Enemy-assaulting cart with fire cabinet')

Huo Gui Gong Di Che is a type of multiple rocket launcher mounted on a two-wheeled ox cart. It is equipped with one hundred rockets and five spears. Manned by two soldiers, this is a formidable assault weapon capable of providing suppressive fire and deterring enemy assault at the same time.

Chong Lu Cang Lun Che (衝虜藏輪車, lit. 'Hidden wheel cart of barbarian-charging')

Chong Lu Cang Lun Che is a multipurpose weapon platform that incorporates a box of forty rockets, eight spears or other polearms and two large shields, one behind the other. It uses a wheelbarrow design and thus only has one wheel.

Jia Huo Zhan Che (架火戰車, lit. 'Chariot of fire rack')

Perhaps the most well known of the Ming Dynasty multiple rocket launchers, Jia Huo Zhan Che or "rocket wheelbarrow" as it is known in the West is an extremely versatile weapon platform. It incorporates four pods of Chang She Po Di Jian (長蛇破敵箭) of thirty rockets per pod, and two pods of Bai Hu Qi Ben Jian (百虎齊奔箭) of one hundred rockets per pod, for a total of 320 rockets. In addition, it has three Bai Zi Chong (百子銃), two fixed spears, and a cotton curtain to defend against arrows.

The versatility of Jia Huo Zhan Che lies in its modular design. Unlike other multiple rocket launchers that are usually one-shot weapons, Jia Huo Zhan Che can quickly replenish its rockets by replacing spent rocket pods with fresh ones. The rocket pods and anti-personnel guns can also be detached and used as standalone weapons. On top of that. several Jia Huo Zhan Che can be chained together to form a mobile fortification similar to a wagon fort.

Gai Shi Wu Gang Che (改式武剛車, 'Modified Wu Gang Che')

Gai Shi Wu Gang Che takes the modularity of Jia Huo Zhan Che one step further: it is a two-wheeled hand cart that can be separated into two wheelbarrows. Each wheelbarrow is equipped with two small cannons, a Huo Jian Xia (火箭匣) of twenty-seven rockets per pod, and a large shield. Like Jia Huo Zhan Che, multiple Gai Shi Wu Gang Che can be chained together to form a mobile fortification. Surprisingly, it can still be used like a normal cart to carry military supply.

This weapon is named after Wu Gang Che (武剛車), a Han Dynasty horse-drawn cart famously used by general Wei Qing (衛青) to defend against nomadic Xiongnu cavalry.

EXTRA: Huo Che (火車) and Hwacha (화차 or 火車) debate

Oftentimes, any mention of Chinese Huo Che will inevitably bring about the comparison with Korean Hwacha (and vice versa). With national pride somehow at stakes, such discussions often degenerate into meaningless bickering and insults about "We invented it first!" and "My Huo Che/Hwacha is better than yours!"

The debate is completely pointless. However, I will still attempt to track down the earliest historical references to both Huo Che and Hwacha, and hopefully clear up the confusion.

The first recorded use of Ming Dynasty Huo Che occurred in 1401 A.D., during the final phase of Jingnan Campaign. Since no detailed description of Jing Nan Campaign Huo Che can be found, this cannot be used as a definitive proof of the existence of Chinese rocket cart in 1401 A.D.. Nevertheless, the first unequivocal description of a Chinese rocket cart can be traced to 1449 A.D. .

On the other hand, it is clearly recorded that the first Hwacha was developed in 1409 A.D., seven years after the conclusion of Jing Nan Campaign. However, early Hwacha was actually a volley gun cart designed to shoot unpowered darts [3], which obviously did not qualify as a multiple rocket launcher. Rocket-launching Hwacha was a much later development only introduced in 1451 A.D. [4], three years after the perfection of Shingijeon (신기전 or 神機箭) rocket in Korea.

Verdict: Chinese invented the world's first rocket cart/vehicle-mounted multiple rocket launcher, although they only beat the Koreans to it by a mere two years.

Relevant sources

Ming Dynasty

1. 《奉天靖難紀》

上先以三騎覘賊陣，見其火車、火器、強弩、戰楯悉列陣前，遂掠賊軍而過。

2. 《明實錄 · 英宗實錄》

順天府箭匠周回童言：『軍中所用神機短槍，人執一把不能相繼。臣請為車一輛，上安四板箱，內藏短槍二十把，神機箭六百枝。臨用將槍五把安車上，為叉以駕之，叉亦可禦敵。槍多可相繼而發。車止用四人，一人推，兩人傍扶，一人隨釁，其於人執一槍發，輙不繼者，功相十五。』奏入，帝令武清侯石亨試其可用而後造之。

Joseon Dynasty

3. 《朝鮮實錄 · 太宗實錄》

賜軍器少監李韜、監丞崔海山馬各一匹。上御解慍亭， 觀放火車，有是賜。又賜布五十匹于火桶軍。火車之制，以鐵翎箭數十，納諸銅桶，載於小車，以火藥發之，猛烈可以制敵。

4. 《朝鮮實錄 · 文宗實錄》

先是上命臨瀛大君璆，制火車。其車上設架子，插置中神機箭一百箇，或置四箭銃筒五十箇，以火炷之，連次而發。