Figure 1.--.

Germany developed surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems. None of these were deployeded operationally, but they were used on an experimental basis and did damage and bring down Allied air craft. Many Allied air crews reported seeing these rockets. The accounts suggest that they were not rare sitings, but usually only one rocket was reported. This suggests that the Germans never used them in large numbers. They were never made in large numbers, both because of technical prpblems and the Allied strategic bombing campaign. The V-1 and V-2 programs were given higher priority. We assume this reflected Hitler's mindset of destroying whole Allied cities not a few attacking bombers. Allied air crew reportys generally do not identify the type of rocket. And some aircraft were brought down. There were several different SAM missle types. They included: the Enzian (Gentian), Rheintochter (Rhine Daughter), Schmetterling (Butterfly) (an air-to-air variant was planned), Wasserfall (Waterfall), and Feuerlilie (Fire Lily). The Messerschmitt Enzion was named for a genus of mountain flower (Gentian) was a surface-to-air missile that was the first known weapon to use an infrared guidance system. The missile was tested during the later stages of the War. It was a complicated weapon system which encountered many technical problems and was eventually cancelled. The Rheintochter was a SAM ordered by the Heer and an air-launched version was designed, but never developed. The Henschel HS-117 Schmetterling (Butterfly) was a futuristic-looking surface-to-air missile guided by radio control. An air-to-air version was planned. The Wasserfall was a radio-controlled/heat-seeking SAM based on the V-2 design,, but much smaller because it only need to reach the height of Allied bombers over German cities. Armanamebts Minister Speer claims that it was largely perfected by 1942, but never went into prodfuctiin because Hitler was fixated on the V-2 and leveling London.

Development

Less well known than the "V" weapons were surface to air missle (SAM) developed by the Germans. The Germans developed several types of SAMs. None were deployed operationally, but they were used on an experimental basis and did damage and bring down Allied air craft. There seem to have been both guided missles to strike individual aircraft. There also seem to have been FLAK weapons fired like AA artillery. Accounts vary as to the level of development. Armaments Minster Albert Speer claims that the work of Wasserfall had been largely completed by 1942 and was about ready for production. Waterfall was. however, not perfected and mass produced because Hitler ordered that Germany's dwindling industrial strength be focused on the V-2 project (July 1943). He had dreams of leveling London after Von Braun showed him an impressive color film of a V-2 launch. Armaments Minister Albert Speer had been a big supporter of Von Brawn and even got him out of jail when the Gestapo arrested him and his aides. Speer after the War described his support for the V-2 project as one of his 'most serious mistakes'. He says that Waterfall was ready for mass producrion in 1942 even though the project got only a small fraction of the resources made available to Von Braun for the V-2. He points out that in comparison to the 2,210 scientists and engineers working on the V-2, only 220 were assigned to Waterfall. Even so, Waterfall was ready for production before the V-2. [Speer, p. 468.]

Usage

Many Allied air crews reported seeing these rockets. The accounts suggest that they were not rare sitings, but usually only one rocket was reported. This suggests that the Germans never used them in large numbers. A good example is a en entry in T/Sgt. Carl A. Benson's war diary. He flew with the 722nd Bomb Squadron of the 15th Air Force out of Manduria, Italy. His entry for Mission 38/Sortie 32 on October 13, 1944 read, "Budapest, Hungary, Marshalling Yards. Moderate Flak. Pilot – Lombard. Plane – Fast Freight 387 – Lead box. 8 – 500 lb bombs. 360 [meaning clear skies] over target – no flak first trip – moderate second. One rocket shut [shot] up – one plane down in flames. Hit target. Fighters followed us. 4 P-38's as escort. Temperature -26." It is interesting this occurred over Budapest and not Berlin. [Benson] The entry is rather cryptic. We are not sure the rocket brough the plane down. A n expert on the the 15th Air Force tells us, "Could be either or both. Rockets and Flak were more pray and spray than accuracy." [Worthington] We also note reports of unguided FLAK rockets fired like AA artillery. One reports suggest that some werrte fired in bursts of four and may have been deployed tob defend Operation Crossbow targets like V-2s, but the 8th Air Force annalysts were unsure about this. [PAF Station Medmenham]

Production

They were never made in large numbers, both because of technical prpblems and the Allied strategic bombing campaign. The V-1 and V-2 programs were given higher priority. We assume this reflected Hitler's mindset of destroying whole Allied cities not a few attacking bombers. Allied air crew reports generally do not identify the type of rocket. And some aircraft were brought down.

Types

The Germasns were developing several different SAM missle types. They included: the Enzian (Gentian), Rheintochter (Rhine Daughter), Schmetterling (Butterfly) (an air-to-air variant was planned), Wasserfall (Waterfall), and Feuerlilie (Fire Lily). The Messerschmitt Enzion was named for a genus of mountain flower (Gentian) was a surface-to-air missile that was the first known weapon to use an infrared guidance system. The missile was tested during the lateter stages of the War. It was a complicated weapon system which encountered many technical problems and was eventually cancelled. The Rheintochter was a SAM ordered by the Heer and an air-launched version was designed, but never developed. The Henschel HS-117 Schmetterling (Butterfly) was a futuristic-looking surface-to-air missile guided by radio control. An air-to-air version was planned. The Wasserfall was a radio-controlled SAM based on the V-2 design, but much smaller because it only need to reach the height of Allied bombers over German cities. Speer describes it as heat seaking missle. It is not well known because it was not given the priority for mass production. The Germans referred to it as a 'rocket missle'. The code name was Wasserfall/Warterfall and the designation was C-2. It was in fact the first SAM. It homed in on enemy planes by tracking the heat signature of their engines. There was no defense against it. Escort aircraft could not have protected the bombers from it. The German Waterfall SAM missle was 25 feet long and carried 660 pound warhead, more than enough to destroy a B-17 or B-24. It could hit bombers up to 50,000 feet with great accuracy. It could be fired during the day or night and even when heavy clouds obscured visual sightings. Speer estimates that given V-2 production of 900 a month that they could have turned out several thousand of the smaller, less complicated Waterfall C-2 missles monthly. He writes, "To this day I think that the rocket, in conjunction with the jet fighters, would have beaten back the Western Allies' air offensive against our industry from the Spring of 1944 on. Instead, gigantic effert and expense went into developing amd manufacturing long-range rockets which proved to be, when they were at last ready for use in the autumn of 1944, an almost total failure." [Speer, p. 468.]

Sources

Benson, Carl A. War diary, 450 Bomb Group Memorial Association website, accessed April 22, 2011.

PAF Station Medmenham (8th Air Force OC, APIS, RAP). Photo Division, Mr. Duncan. "Interpretation Report No. N3.265. Flak Phenomena, Type 4--Reexamination," Secret Report. April 2, 1945.

Speer, Albert. Inside the Third Reich (Avon, New York, 1970), 734p.

Worthington, Mark. Webmaster. 450 Bomb Group Memorial Association website. E-mail, April 22, 2011.

Created: 8:13 PM 4/22/2011
Last updated: 2:48 PM 8/31/2013