GIRD

Russian Group of Study of Reactive Motion (GIRD) was founded in 1924 for study of reactive propulsion as predicted by Tsiolkovsky space flight theory earlier in 19th century.

Two Russian rocket programs were founded. They were the Central Bureau for the study of the problems of rockets (TsBIRP), and the All-Union Society for the Study of Interplanetary Flight (OIMS). The main leader of these early Russian rocket efforts was Fridrikh Tsander, and Sergey Korolev who succeeded him in 193. They developed liquid propellant rockets in the '20's and '30's, and Korolev later became chief engineer of Soviet space program

After Stalin took over the country in 1930, these rocket programs became Len-GRID and Mos-GRID, or "Group for the study of reactive motion" based in Leningrad and Moscow respectively. These, in turn, soon became the State Reaction Scientific Research Institute. During these years, Tsander, Glushko, and others led groups to test many different rockets. Also, Government Projects studied solid-propellant rockets for use in the military.

The Katyusha (Little Katie) rocket extensively used as a tactic weapon in WWII is of Soviet origin. In late 1920-s and early 1930s the NII-3 institute (currently the Federal Missile Construction Center) started with the development of solid propellant combat rockets designed for the Soviet Air Force; the 82 mm RS-82 fragmentation rocket for fighters and the 132 mm RS-132 for bombers.

In this time there was a technical exchange program between the Soviets and the Nazis. After the Germans started with the development of the six-barreled Nebelwerfer rocket mortar in 1936, this became known soon by the Soviet authorities, which ordered the NII-3 to develop their own artillery rockets. The NII-3 developed two major versions of Multiple Rocket Launchers (MRLS) the 82 mm BM-8 and the 132 mm BM-13. Both types were developed to carry chemical and incendiary warheads, and were mounted on the ZIS-5 and ZIS-6 trucks.

The first large scale testing of the rocket launchers took place at the end of 1938, 233 rounds of various types were used. A salvo of rockets could completely straddle a target at 5.500 meters (~3.4 miles). But the Artillery was not found of the Katyusha, because it took up to 50 minutes to load and fire 24 rounds. A conventional howitzer could fire 95 to 150 rounds at the same time. The Katyusha rocket also known by the nickname Stalin Organ was finally adopted in May 1941, just before the Nazis invaded Russia. In July that same year the rocket launchers were brought into action for the first time against the German aggressor in the version as long range flamethrowers at the Orsha railway stations. The Katyusha rockets were constantly modernized and new versions were mounted on al kind of trucks, T-40 and T-60 tanks and even on tractors.