Navy SWOD Mk 9 "Bat" Glide Bomb (1945)‏

[jzichek]

Check out this article at RetroMechanix.com on a USAAF evaluation of the Navy “Special Weapons Ordnance Device” (SWOD) Mark 9 “Bat” radar-guided glide bomb dating from 1945:

The Bat was one of the world’s earliest fully-automatic, target-seeking “smart” weapon systems. In 1945, the Air Force sent a liaison officer to observe the employment of this radar-guided glide bomb by Navy PB4Y-2 Privateer squadrons against Japanese ships. The article reproduces the entire report, along with 10 photos of the Bat and its associated equipment.

-Jared

 

[Stargazer]

Just a little addition for researchers:

The Bat was initiated by the National Defense Research Committee (NRDC) and the National Bureau of Standards.
There were two variants, the first designated SWOD Mk 9 Mod 0 (Bomb MK 57) and later redesignated as ASM-2, then ASM-N-2.
The second one, designated SWOD Mk 9 Mod 1 was later redesignated as ASM-2a, then ASM-N-2a.

One final word: this glider bomb must not be mistaken with Northrop's N-16 (JB-1 and JB-10 series), also called the Bat.

 

[Johnbr]

Great info on it here.
http://bathead.com/asmbat.html#use

 

[aonestudio]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQCmTc5Sl0o

http://ufxufo.org/images/BatHead.pdf