German Wire-Guided Missiles of WW2

[panzer1946]

Did the XT-7 "Rotkappchen" and M42 see action in WW2?

The XT-7 is mounted on a small trailer which doubles as the launch platform. The M42 (86mm rocket) is mounted on a stand and the base plate seems to be bolted to the ground. The M42 also has a launch tube and sighting mechanism similar to a leaf sight, and the launch tube has a flared front end on it (I presume to help collect the exhaust and improve forward motion as well as offering some protection for the gunner).

[Grzesio]

There are some seedy rumours, the Rotkaeppchen could be used in combat in one way or another against Soviet tanks in early 1945 - probably even in form of operational trials - enjoying some successes.

The M42 in turn, was not a guided weapon. There was a whole family of naval spin stabilized 8,6 cm rockets of different purpose - splinter, illuminating, smoke and wire barrage. They differed with size, performance and construction details - e.g. some were propelled with blackpowder, others with smokeless powder, had time or impact fuzes etc. And yes, they were actually used in combat.
They were generally mounted on ships - the basic launcher was the RAg M42 (8,6 cm Raketen-Abschuβgerät M42) you described.
The wire barrage rocket was built similarly to an illuminating rocket - but it carried a parachute with a reel with wire instead of an illuminating charge. The load was ejected by a time fuze at given height and the unrolled wire was slowly descending on the parachute, forming temporary barrage against low flying aircraft.
Some of the 8,6 cm launchers were used in AA coastal defence (probably Denmark or Norway, if I remember correctly) - they even enjoyed some kills in closing stages of the war.





Regards

Grzesio

[panzer1946]

thanks much for the information! It is very interesting to see how some weapons actually got so close to being used (and possibly were used...) by the war's end!

I have the 2 items in kit form and will use the M42 platform mounted to an e-boot or something like that. The Rotkappchen will find a nice diorama build later on.

-Tony

[Grzesio]

Is it your Rotkaeppchen model made by RPM?
The wheeled launcher in this kit is a complete fantasy - they just reused lower carriage elements of their earlier 8,8 cm R-Werfer 43 model.
All I know about the actual launcher, is it was a 15 kg heavy device mounted on a tripod. I've seen a schematic drawing in a Russian book some time ago, it looked like a U-shaped rail surrounding lower half of the fuselage till the wing roots, probably a little bit over 1 meter long, placed on a low tripod. But I have no idea if this drawing had anything to do with reality.

Regards

Grzesio

[Wurger]

Hi Grzesio,

can you please post that russian illustration? I remember that Fritz Hahn mentioned a shoulder fired anti-aircraft X-7. Probably it was just the same rail as used with the tripod.
Also, do you know about illustrations on the Pfeiffenkopf/Pinsel/ Steinbok? I`m away from my sources, but I recall also an AT missile by BMW, along with the Rochen series.

[Grzesio]

Lucky you, I managed to find it!  

I cannot remember Hahn wrote about a shoulder fired X-7 (I believe the missile size and exhaust blast excluded such a way of use), but he mentioned the Hand-Foehn.

The BWM missile was apparently called Gerät 78, although I also encountered the designation Gerät 3378, which is in turn a factory name of the BMW 109-548 engine for the X-4, so something can be confused here. Anyway, the missile is said to be similar to the X-4 and the only representation of it, I know, is a modern side view in an another Russian book - it looks very much like the X-4 indeed, but has no wingtip bobbins, wings are similarly swept but leading and trailing edges are parallel to each other, and fins have greater chord. But I have no idea if the drawing is reliable.

Sadly I know nothing of the Pfeifenkopf or Steinbock shape, but the AT missile than intrigues me most is the Rumpelstilzchen with its mysterious light beam guidance. 100 were apparently built. 

Regards

Grzesio

[red admiral]

with its mysterious light beam guidance.

Sounds similar to that proposed for the RAe's Ben GAP in the 1940s. Essentially a beam riding missile but with photoeletric sensors on the missile and a radar guided searchlight. Getting a tight enough beam with a portable light might be problematic for an anti-tank weapon.

[Grzesio]

Also the Steinbock was to be guided by an IR beam... But as far as the Rumpelstilzchen is concerne, there's something strange in descriptions of the guidance system, I know - a light beam with four different modulation frequencies...? What for?

Regards

Grzesio

[Jemiba]

From Bill Gunston "Encyclopedia of rockets and Missiles ":

[Grzesio]

I believe the one below is closer to the real thing...  

By the way - what was the propellant weight of the 109-506 engine? It's usually given as 6,5 kg, sometimes as 3,5 kg or 3 kg. None of these values can be true. So what was the reality?  

Regards

Grzesio

[Wurger]

Thanks, Grzesio,

you`re great!