Archie to SAM: A Short Operational History of Ground-Based Air ...

ANTIAIRCRAFT DEFENSE THROUGH WORLD WAR II
Figure 24. Schmetterling.The Schmetterling was about one-quarter the
weight of both Enzian and Rheintochter and looked like a swept-winged
aircraft. The Germans test-fired about 80 of these missiles. (Reprinted
from Air Force Historical Research Agency.)
rider guidance, in which the missile rides along an electronic
beam to its target. But telemetry difficulties created problems.
The Germans had two schemes for detonating the warhead:
ground-activated signals and a proximity fuze. The developers
completed design work for the Wasserfall in early 1943 and
first flew the missile in February 1944. The Germans tested at
least 25 times before canceling the project in February 1945. 71
Some authors speculate on what might have been if the
Wasserfall, the most promising flak rocket, had been built in
quantity, rather than the V-2. As it required only one-eighth
the man-hours to build as a V-2, clearly a large number could
have been built. They overlook some basic factors. The antiaircraft
problem is much more difficult than that of ground
bombardment, for the target is small, possibly maneuvering,
and fast moving. The Germans lacked an operational proximity
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