Wartime German Tactical Missiles
The German effort on guided missiles and pilotless aircraft was aimed at thee tactical problems: (1) the bombing of Allied ships, both naval and merchant vessels; (2) long-range strategic bombing of England; and (3) defense against Allied bombers. Some thought and effort had also been given to the problem of the long-range strategic bombing of America by unmanned missiles.
Development of high-angle and glide bombs to answer the first problem was started about the end of 1939 or the beginning of 1940 and resulted in the PC-1400-FX and Hs-293 missiles, first used in August and October, 1943. Both missiles were direct-sight radio-controlled and became unusable as soon as air superiority was lost. The well-known V-1 and V-2 were used to meet the second problem, which arose after the failure of the attempt to bomb England by conventional aircraft because of the efficient British air defense. Although the fundamental scientific research and development work on these missiles had its root in projects initiated for other purposes early as 1935, the focusing of effort on the tactical problem of long-range bombing of England iippars to have started in 1941.
Hitler gave priority to a project which promised an antiaircraft weapon as well as a means of bombing Britain. The fact that a long-range rocket cost DM38,000 while a bomber cost DM1,250,000—not to mention the trained crew—was an added incentive to German missile development in 1940–41. Development of guided missile defense against bombers began early in 1943. The missiles were all rocket-propelled and, in their final development, many were to be automatically controlled with homing devices and equipped with proximity fuses. Many of these missiles (X-4, Hs-298, Schmetterling, Rheintochter, Enzian, and Wasserfall) reached their final testing and early production stage but with direct-sight radio-control only.
The electronic developments, homing devices, and proximity fuses lagged behind the vehicle and propulsion unit developments. The X-4 airto-air missile was provided with an interesting direct wire control to avoid the possibility of jamming, present with radio control. Two of the wings carry at the tips spools of fine wire long enough to permit a range of three miles while maintaining direct wire connection between the missile and the control aircraft. The wires can be fed out at speeds of more than 400 mph. None of these missiles were used against Allied bombers.
The German scientists believed, although some German engineers in industry disagreed, that the ultimate guided missile would be completely automatic in its operation. Although for quick development and for test purposes they favored the use of manual radio control, their long-range plans contemplated first automatic blind tracking of the missile and target, then the connection of the two tracking devices through a computer to the radio control channels, and finally the use of a homing device for the last part of the trajectory and a proximity fuse.
The German situation became so critical indeed that development of complicated guided rockets was stopped in February, 1945, in favor of concentrating on small, unguided rockets to be used in large numbers. Thle German military agencies, research institutions, and industrial designers devoted a large effort to guided missiles and considered them very promising weapons. In August, 1944, there were some 25 projects for homing devices under developments. The major research laboratories of thle air and ground forces made many wind-tunnel and flight tests, some at high supersonic speeds, and made many theoretical studies of problems related to guided missiles and pilotless aircraft.
