Tuesday 12 July 2011

ABC Wednesday Z is for Z Batteries

 Anti-aircraft rocket or 'Z' Battery manned by the Home Guard on Merseyside.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The Z rocket was an anti-aircraft weapon developed in Britain in the Second World War and launched in numbers from projectors. Although it was not very accurate it was thought that, if fired in sufficient numbers, some success might be achieved. In April 1941 the first German plane was brought down by one, part of a battery defending Cardiff. Later 
developments linked it to radar and equipment that could forecast aircraft flight paths.

Land-based batteries, known as Z batteries were usually operated by the Home Guard.  They comprised 128-round launchers.

There follows a favourite clip from 'Dad's Army', a comedy series based on the Home Guard.





To see more Zs please click here

23 comments:

  1. Fascinating stuff.

    ROG, ABC Wednesday team

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  2. I love Dad's Army! We saw a gun at the farm the other day-defending the docks. The bend in the river made the area easily identifiable.

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  3. THe vid is hilarious!

    Zoning the ABC, please come and see.

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  4. I have read so much history in six months as you went through the alphabet, Janice.
    At first I said "learned so much history" and then realized it all went in one week and out the next, but I'm hoping bits of it will have stuck here and there. "Z batteries" sounds like something I can remember.
    Thanks!
    — K

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  5. Great, very interesting post for the Z Day! I love your new header! So beautiful! Hope your week is going well!

    Sylvia
    ABC Team

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  6. Oh my goodness, that clip was funny!!

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  7. Very interesting bit of history! Enjoyed the clip, too.

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  8. I hadn't heard of Z batteries. Interesting post and I like the humor!

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  9. Is your header photo of campanula? You have some beautiful garden flowers scrolling, also. :-) I enjoyed the little clip.

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  10. Loved the video and very interested in the history of the Z batteries, - have not heard of them before.

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  11. Is this the origin of the phrase 'sactter gun approach'?

    greeting from the other side of the world ... xx

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  12. The video was cute - "Don't tell him Pike." :)

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  13. My grandfather served in the Home Guard. Interesting piece of information.

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  14. I had no idea... had never heard of Z - rockets. Much thanks for that.

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  15. Interesting information on the Z rocket. If they brought down some German planes I suppose they were accurate enough.

    The video is very funny, I'm going to have to watch a few more of those. Thanks for sharing.

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  16. I used to love Dad's Army.
    I feel the Homeguard were very underrated.
    Jane x

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  17. Interesting! I have never heard about Z batteries before :)

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  18. A very interesting piece of history Janice, thank you. Loved the clip also, I was always glued to that show. Now it's Doc Martin :)

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  19. Oooh, this is a clever Z post! Didn't know about Z batteries, of course. And thanks for the giggle.

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  20. I've only seen clips from Dad's Army and am always surprised it hasn't played in the U.S....

    Pearl

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  21. Never heard of the Z batteries. Back then the philosophy of throwing enough stuff and eventually hitting something was wasteful, but there was not much other option. Now with our laser guided missiles and all it's much more accurate, but I don't know if it's any more cost efficient.


    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  22. Yes, "Dad's Army" played on TV over here in the colonies, years ago.

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