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

Note: This is an outdated version of my article about rocket weaponry of the Ming Dynasty, kept here for archival purpose. I plan to revise and update the blog post in the future.

While first rocket was believed to be invented around twelfth century, it was not until the Ming period that rocket was employed as practical battlefield weapon. Chinese constantly sought to create more deadly rocketry, and developed many platforms to better utilise this devastating weapon, whether stationary, handheld or mobile.

Huo Jian (火箭, rocket)

In its simplest form, a rocket or Huo Jian is just an arrow with a black powder rocket motor attached to its shaft. However, simply attaching a rocket motor to an arrow does not make an effective weapon, as the arrow can easily become unbalanced and wildly inaccurate. Ming Dynasty Huo Jian has specifically straightened shaft and carefully attached counterweight to offset this issue.

While launch tube or rocket pod are preferred, a Huo Jian can be launched from anything with a fork-like structure, including tree branch and Tang Pa (鎲鈀).

A normal-sized Huo Jian is usually four chi two cun long, with a five cun long rocket motor.

Ming Huo Jian (明火箭, lit. 'Bright fire arrow')

Also known as Ming Huo Fei Jian (明火飛箭, lit. 'Bright fire flying arrow'), this is a Huo Jian with up to two incendiary warheads. It is often used in conjunction with Du Huo Fei Jian (毒火飛箭, lit. 'Poisonous fire flying arrow'), its counterpart with poison smoke-cum-incendiary warhead.

Ding Peng Jian (釘篷箭, lit. 'Sail-nailing arrow')

Ding Peng Jian is a type of incendiary rocket specifically designed to set fire on the sails of enemy sailing ship. It has a secondary poison smoke warhead that prevents the enemy from attempting to put out the fire, as well as barbed arrowhead to prevent extraction.

It is usually launched from a bamboo tube called Liu Tong (溜筒, lit. 'Slip tube').

Da Tong Huo Jian (大筩火箭, lit. 'Big tube rocket')

Da Tong Huo Jian is a large (five chi long) rocket with extended range.

Fei Dao Jian (飛刀箭, lit. 'Flying sabre arrow')

Fei Qiang Jian (飛鎗箭, lit. 'Flying spear arrow')

Fei Jian Jian (飛劍箭, lit. 'Flying sword arrow')

Yan Wei Jian (燕尾箭, lit. 'Swallowtail arrow')

Fei Dao Jian, Fei Qiang Jian, Fei Jian Jian and Yan Wei Jian are four nearly-identical large rockets (six chi long shaft and eight cun long rocket motor), with their only difference being differently-shaped arrowhead. Capable of easily punching through iron armour, these powerful rockets also have poisoned arrowheads for increased lethality.

Fei Dao Jian, Fei Qiang Jian and Fei Jian Jian are also collectively called San Fei (三飛, lit. 'Three flying').

Huo Jian Pan Qiang (火箭盤鎗, lit. 'Spear with rocket tray')

Huo Jian Pan Qiang is a spear with two attached round plates that function as rocket rack.

Meng Jian (猛箭, lit. 'Fierce arrow')

Meng Jian can refer to a type of five shot rocket launcher or its ammunition, which is a small (one chi six cun to two chi long shaft, three cun long rocket motor) rocket. Aside from its own launcher, Meng Jian can be carried by other types of rocket pod, such as Bai Hu Qi Ben Jian (see below).

Shen Ji Jian (神機箭, lit. 'Divine engine arrow')

Shen Ji Jian can refer to a type of two or three shot bamboo rocket launcher or its ammunition. Like its smaller cousin Meng Jian, Shen Ji Jian rocket can be carried by other types of rocket pod, such as the famous Nest of Bees.

Wu Bei Zhi describes the Shen Ji Jian as having a swallowtail (i.e. barbed) arrowhead and without fletching. However, the accompanying drawing in the same book depicts normal Huo Jian. Shen Ji Jian can carry either poison smoke or incendiary warhead.

Korean Singijeon (신기전 or 神機箭) rocket was derived from, and shares its name with, this weapon.

Xiao Zhu Tong Jian (小竹筒箭, lit. 'Small bamboo tube arrow')

Xiao Zhu Tong Jian is the smallest handheld rocket launcher in Ming arsenal. It is essentially a short bamboo tube that carries ten miniature (nine cun long) poisoned rockets. It is so light (entire tube plus ammunition only weigh two catties) that a soldier can carry up to five tubes without issue.

Xiao Zhu Tong Jian is usually carried by close combat troops to be employed as surprise close-in weapon. A very large salvo of miniature rockets can be launched at unsuspecting enemy at extremely close range, just before two armies clash in hand to hand combat. It can still be employed as long range weapon like other rockets, however.

Qi Tong Jian (七筩箭, lit. 'Seven tubes arrow')

Qi Tong Jian is a handheld rocket launcher that carries seven rockets. Instead of a single, large rocket pod, Qi Tong Jian is assembled from seven small bamboo tubes, each carries one rocket. It comes with a disc-shaped hand protector made of cowhide.

Huo Long Jian (火籠箭, lit. 'Fire basket arrow')

Huo Long Jian is a handheld rocket pod made of bamboo basketry that carries up to twenty incendiary rockets.

Shuang Fei Huo Long Jian (雙飛火籠箭, lit. 'Twin flying fire basket arrow')

Shuang Fei Huo Long Jian is a very interesting weapon — it is not a rocket launcher in the traditional sense, but a rocket launching incendiary rolling bomb made of bamboo basketry. Once the fuse is lit, entire basket is rolled down a slope (or thrown from high place) into enemy formation and will soon start blasting away with rockets from both ends.

Si Shi Jiu Shi Fei Lian Jian (四十九矢飛廉箭, lit. 'Forty-nine shot Fei Lian arrow')

Si Shi Jiu Shi Fei Lian Jian is a forty-nine shot rocket pod made of bamboo basketry. It carries a type of specialised rocket that has a three-pronged arrowhead dipped in poison as well as two paper tubes attached to the shaft. The front tube is a incendiary-poison smoke warhead, while the back tube is the rocket motor. The rocket can be modified to deliver incendiary-fragmentation payload as well.

Wan Shi Fei Lian Jian (萬矢飛廉箭, lit. 'Ten thousand shot Fei Lian arrow')

Wan Shi Fei Lian Jian is a modified Si Shi Jiu Shi Fei Lian Jian (see above) that can carry one hundred rockets. It is mounted on a swiveling stand similar to Bai Zi Chong (百子銃).

Wu Hu Chu Xue Jian (五虎出穴箭, lit. 'Five tiger emerging from a cave arrow')

Wu Hu Chu Xue Jian is a handheld five shot rocket launcher that fires small (two chi five cun long shaft, three cun long rocket motor) poisoned rocket. With a range of five hundred paces, Wu Hu Chu Xue Jian is one of the longest ranged rocket in Ming arsenal (the recorded range might be exaggerated, though), yet still light enough to be used comfortably on horseback.

Xiao Wu Hu Jian (小五虎箭, lit. 'Small five tiger arrow')

Xiao Wu Hu Jian is the lightened, but no less deadly, version of Wu Hu Chu Xue Jian. It shoots slightly smaller rockets than the full-sized version.

Bai Hu Qi Ben Jian (百虎齊奔箭, lit. 'Hundred tiger running together arrow')

Bai Hu Qi Ben Jian is a box-shaped wooden rocket pod that carries one hundred Meng Jian rockets. It is a bulky weapon that has to be laid on the ground before firing, but can be mounted on wheeled cart or warship as well. When mounted on a mobile platform, Bai Hu Qi Ben Jian can be modified to accommodate larger Shen Ji Jian rocket.

Together with Chang She Po Di Jian, it is the main armament of Jia Huo Zhan Che (架火戰車).

Qun Bao Heng Ben Jian (羣豹橫奔箭, lit. 'Prowl of leopards stampede arrow)

Also known as Qun Bao Chu Lin Jian (羣豹出林箭, lit. 'Prowl of leopards emerging from a forest arrow'), this is a octagonal wooden rocket pod that carries forty Shen Ji Jian rockets. Like Bai Hu Qi Ben Jian, it has to be laid on the ground before firing. The rocket pod is slightly flared so that it can spread the rockets over a large area.

Chang She Po Di Jian (長蛇破敵箭, lit. 'Long serpent enemy-breaking arrow')

Chang She Po Di Jian is a wooden rocket pod that carries thirty medium-small (two chi nine cun long shaft, four cun long rocket motor) poisoned rockets. Unlike other weapons in this article, Chang She Po Di Jian is specifically designed with handheld shooting in mind without sacrificing firepower or number of shots. It even comes with a "gun sling" that allows the soldier to carry the rocket pod over his back.

Together with Bai Hu Qi Ben Jian, it is the main armament of Jia Huo Zhan Che (架火戰車).

Qun Ying Zhu Tu Jian (羣鷹逐兔箭, lit. 'Convocation of eagles chasing hare arrow' )

Qun Ying Zhu Tu Jian is a double-ended rocket pod that carries thirty small (one chi four cun long shaft, three cun long rocket motor) poisoned rockets on each ends, for a total of sixty rockets. Like Chang She Po Di Jian, it comes with a "gun sling" for ease of carrying.

Yi Wo Feng (一窩蜂, lit. 'Nest of bees')

See my other post.

Huo Jian Xia (火箭匣, rocket box)

Huo Jian Xia is a box-shaped rocket pod that carries twenty-seven poisoned rocket. It is the main armament of Gai Shi Wu Gang Che (改式武剛車).

Shen Huo Jian Ping (神火箭屏, lit. 'Divine fire arrow screen')

Shen Huo Jian Ping is a stationary rocket launcher that carries one hundred rockets. It can be activated by a pressure plate Zhong Huo Ku (種火庫).

Huo Long Shen Ji Gui (火龍神機櫃, lit. 'Fire dragon divine engine cabinet')

Huo Long Shen Ji Gui is a box-shaped rocket pod that carries thirty-six Shen Ji Huo Long Jian (神機火龍箭, lit. 'Divine engine fire dragon arrow', which is just a fancy name for ordinary rocket). It is possibly the earliest iteration of Ming Dynasty multiple rocket launcher.

Huo Long Shen Ji Gui is light enough that one man can carry two at the same time. However, it is not a handheld weapon, and must be laid on the ground before firing.