Submarines and their Weapons - Aircraft of World War II

CHAPTER EIGHT
Surface-to-Air
Missiles
In parallel with the programmes to develop air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles,
German scientists and engineers also strove to produce guided surface-to-air
missiles (SAMs). Work first began in 1941, but yet again, progress was overtaken by
events; the first usable missiles were due to go into service in mid-1945, but by then
the war was already over.
Finding ways to defeat the Allied bomber formations
which pounded the Reich preoccupied the
Luftwaffe and the RLM alike. As a result, a number
of teams were at work developing new weapons. Most
important amongst these were the more-or-less successful
jet and rocket-powered aircraft we have
already discussed. However, much energy and
resources went into developing surface-to-air missiles
(SAMs) too, amongst the most significant of which
Above: The Messerschmitt 'Enzian' was made largely of
plywood and flew at subsonic speeds.
Left: Like the 'Enzian', the 'Wasserfall' relied on blast
effects; its warhead was detonated by an artillery fuze.
were the Henschel Hs 117 'Schmetterling'
('Butterfly'), the Messerschmitt 'Enzian' ('Gentian'),
the Rheinmetall-Borsig 'Rheintochter' ('Rhine
Maiden'), and the BMW 'Wasserfall' ('Waterfall') -
all of which had a guidance system - and the BMW
Taifun' (Typhoon'), which was unguided.
THE HENSCHEL Hs 117 'SCHMETTERLING'
The earliest of the projects was for a subsonic shortto-medium-range
missile which was radio controlled
by an operator on the ground. Henschel first began
work on the project in 1941, alongside a number of
unguided flak rockets, and two years later was
ordered to develop it as the Hs 117. With stubby
swept-back wings and a cruciform tail, the Hs 117
1 m