WW2 HVAR Warhead

[hirsca]

Estate sale find a couple of years ago.  Made by the John E. Mitchell Co. (JEM) of Dallas, TX.  They made several items for the war effort, mostly ordnance related.  Info on the company is scarce.  From what I have found, JEM made two types of HVAR rockets, this one being for a 2.75" High Velocity Aerial Rocket.  I do not know what the other rocket was.  It is completely inert.  It has a shaped charge cone, made probably of copper.  My pictures aren't the greatest, but do show the front and rear of the shaped cone.  Also, the stamped markings on the side of the warhead show it to be a MK5-0, a designation that I find elusive.  Could it be a prototype?  Seeking help from my fellow Forum members to get more information about this items.  Many thanks in advance, Al

[hirsca]

Sorry for the poor picture, but I found this on line for the John E. Mitchell Co.  This is a picture of one of the many RPPC's the company issued, showing the various items produced for the war effort.  The text is hard to read, but the first sentence basically says an automatic conveyor belt handling one of two types of rockets made by the company.  Fixed fins, but what diameter?

 

Al

[hirsca]

Anyone?

 

Thanks, Al

[Charlie Flick]

Hi Al:

 

Sorry, but I have not been able to locate any info on the Mk. 5 Mod. 0 HVAR.  It does not appear in the Navy's BuOrd Aviation Ordnance Equipment Catalog of May 1944 nor in any of the other wartime Ordnance publications I have looked at.  I suspect that it may be a post-war item but since I can't find out anything about it that suspicion is open to question, too.

 

Regards,

Charlie

[hirsca]

Hi Charlie.

 

Thanks for taking the time to look.  I'm going to take a different approach and try and find more detailed historical info on the company.  The Dallas library system might have some records about their WW2 contracts.

 

Thanks again,

 

Al

[hirsca]

 

Thanks to a Forum member friend who found this.  Still searching for when these rocket warheads were first used:

 

 

Airborne Rockets, NAVAIR 11-85-5, Commander, Naval Air Systems Command, Washington, D. C., 1 January 1992.

 

 

Figure 2-13.-Mk 5 Mod 0 high-explosive antitank warhead.