Editing Congreve rocket (section)

===New Zealand Wars===

During the period of the [[New Zealand Wars]], British forces used rockets against Māori fortifications, along with cannons and mortars, to limited effect.<ref name="population">{{cite book |last=Belich |first=James |title=Making Peoples |publisher=Penguin Press |year=1996 |location=Auckland |page=178 }}</ref>

[[File:Storming of John Heki's pah, New Zealand, on the 8th. of May 1845 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Royal Navy rocket brigade at the Battle of Puketutu, May 1845]]
During the [[Battle of Puketutu]], 8 May 1845, a [[Royal Navy]] rocket brigade made up of Lieutenant Charles Randle Egerton, [[HMS North Star (1824)|HMS ''North Star'']],<ref name="TNL1845"/>{{rp|78}}<ref>{{cite wikisource |title=A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Egerton, Charles Randle |last=O'Byrne |first=William R. |year=1849}}</ref> commanding, Lieutenants Alleyne Bland, HMS ''Racehorse'',<ref name="TNL1845">{{cite book |title=The Navy List Corrected to the 20th December, 1845 |publisher=John Murray |location=London |date=1846 |url=https://archive.org/details/navy-list-1846/page/n83/mode/2up |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>{{rp|81}}<ref>{{cite wikisource |title=A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Bland, Alleyne |last=O'Byrne |first=William R. |year=1849}}</ref> and Leeds, HEICS ''Elphinstone'', directing the rockets, and eight seamen, fired 12 rockets at Te Kahika [[pā]], with a view to driving the defenders out.<ref>{{cite news |last=Merrett |first=James |title=Remarks on the Battle |work=Wellington Independent |volume=I |issue=24 |date=21 June 1845 |page=1 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WI18450621.2.5}}</ref> In consequence of the rocket-tube being positioned too close, rockets flew over and half-a-mile beyond, one struck the earth in front of the pā and exploded, and another struck high up on the palisade, went through, and apparently ignited two places. The defenders soon extinguished fires.<ref>{{cite news |title=Another Account |work=The Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle |volume=4 |issue=171 |date=14 June 1845 |page=59 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NENZC18450614.2.13}}</ref><ref name="WI18450621.2.11">{{cite news |last=Merrett |first=J. |title=Continued Narrative of the Heki Campaign |work=The Wellington Independent |volume=I |issue=24 |date=21 June 1845 |page=2 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WI18450621.2.11}}</ref>

It was mentioned, some-time later, that the rocket brigade had forgotten to bring the quadrant, without which taking aim was impossible.<ref>{{cite news |title=New Zealand Spectator, and Cook's Straits Guardian |work=The New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian |volume=I |issue=37 |date=21 June 1845 |page=2 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZSCSG18450621.2.5}}</ref> Though the defending chief [[Hōne Heke]] believed these rockets could do no harm, allied Maori, in a discussion of events with the interpreter, J Merrett, agreed with the opinion that had the rockets succeeded in setting fire to the pā, the siege would have been over by mid-day.<ref name="WI18450621.2.11"/>

[[File:The bombardment of ruapekapeka pa.jpg|thumb|Royal Navy rocket brigade at the bombardment of Ruapekapeka pā, January 1846]]
At the [[Battle of Ruapekapeka]], December 1845–January 1846, Egerton's rocket brigade, located at the British main camp, operated two of HMS ''North Star'''s rocket-tubes—24-pounder and 12-pounder. They accurately fired rockets into Ruapekapeka pā on 31 December 1845 and each day thereafter.<ref>{{cite news |title=To his Excellency Governor Grey. Camp before the Ruapekapeka, Kawiti's Pa, January 5, 1846 |work=The Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle |volume=4 |issue=207 |date=21 February 1846 |page=203 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NENZC18460221.2.11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=To his Excellency Governor Grey. Camp before the Ruapekapeka, Kawiti's Pa, January 9, 1846 |work=The Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle |volume=4 |issue=207 |date=21 February 1846 |page=203 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NENZC18460221.2.12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Official Despatches |work=The New-Zealander |volume=1 |issue=38 |date=21 February 1846 |page=4 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZ18460221.2.12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The War in New Zealand |work=The Illustrated London News |volume=9 |issue=218 |date=4 July 1846 |page=4 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_illustrated-london-news_1846-07-04_9_218/page/n3/mode/2up}}</ref> Captain [[Thomas Bernard Collinson]], [[Royal Engineers|RE]], later remarked:

<blockquote>
During this time some trial shots were made from the 650 yards with guns and 24-pounder rockets; the latter rather failed; they must have been bad rockets, as Colonel Despard supposes, otherwise these weapons are most useful in such service for firing ''into'' pahs; and from their portability, a great many can be carried with a body of troops without delaying them.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Collinson |first=Thomas Bernard |title=2. Remarks on the Military Operations in New Zealand |journal=Papers on Subjects Connected with the Duties of the Corps of Royal Engineers |volume=New Series 3 |pages=5–73 |publisher=John Weale |location=London |date=1853 |url=https://www.nzsappers.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/PapersVol3NS.pdf}}</ref>{{rp|69}}
</blockquote>

On the 10 January 1846 all batteries opened fire all day, creating two small breaches in the outer stockade. A watercolour by Major [[Cyprian Bridge (British Army officer)|Cyprian Bridge]] or Sergeant John Williams, [[58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot|58th Regiment]], depicts two rocket-tubes in action on that day.<ref>{{citation |last1=Bridge |first1=Cyprian |last2=Williams |first2=John |author-link=Cyprian Bridge (British Army officer) |title=Ruapekapeka, N.Z. January 1846. The bombardment |date=10 January 1846 |url=https://hocken.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/56844 |via=[[Hocken Collections]]}}</ref>