The Northover projector was the simplest World War II British Home Guard weapon devised. It consisted of about half a dozen components and looked like a section of drain pipe on legs. It was sighted from 50 to 200 yards in 25 yard divisions. The aim of the device was to propel grenades by using a small explosive propellant charge. The projector was operated by pulling back a cocking handle which, when released by the trigger, would release the firing pin on to a percussion cap placed on the propellant charge.
The grenade used in the Northover projector was the "green-cap" Self-Igniting Phosphorus grenade, a stronger built version of the No.76 Special Incendiary Grenade, the standard No. 36 grenade or the No. 68 Anti-tank grenade. The crew consisted of two gunners and a commander. There were some 'home made' variations of the Northover projector. Some had the legs removed and were placed on wheeled carriages to make transportation easier. A slightly more elaborate version was designed by two members of the Buckinghamshire Home Guard. They produced a Northover 'Revolver' Projector which had a five-chambered revolving magazine. Each of the chambers was loaded from the front, the magazine was rotated using a ratchet lever, operated by hand. As each chamber came in line with the barrel, the trigger self-cocked and then just had to be fired. This projector weighed 86 pounds (39 kg) and could easily be operated by two men.
External links
- Northover Projector in training (images) Imperial War Museum on-line collection: search for "Northover Projector".
- UK Anti-Invasion Defences
