Verkleinerte Wasserfall - 1945 - Wasserfall Flakrakete successor

M

moin1900

ACCESS: Top Secret
Joined
28 January 2008
Messages
875
Reaction score
1,061
Verkleinerte Wasserfall - 1945 -
Wasserfall Flakrakete successor

Last proposal within the VESUV program.
- smaller and simpler successor to Wasserfall anti aircraft rocket
- width: 640mm
- length: 5680mm
- thrust: 2900kg
- range: 20km, altitude: 12km
- without homing device or proximity fuze
- 80kg warhead, additional 20kg destruction charge


Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasserfall- "Project of a small AA rocket Type
Wasserfall" by Dr. Ludwig Roth, EMW, 1.February 1945
- "Entwurf einer kleinen Flakrakete vom Typ Wasserfall" von Dr. Ludwig Roth, EMW, 1.2.1945

WASSERFALL missile details
Post-2
Attachment: 065.jpg
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/wasserfall-missile-details.46719/post-800903
Book:
Wunder mit Kalkül
Die Peenemünder Fernwaffenprojekte als Teil des deutschen Rüstungssystems
by HISTORISCH TECHNISCHES MUSEUM PEENEMÜNDE
Page: 145, 161
 
Last edited:
Maybe related?

February 16, 1945
Dornberger meeting with Kammler

Abgeänderte Wasserfall:
Modifying the "Wasserfall" missile to a simpler design and combining Professor Wagner's proposals with those of the EW would mean a completely new development and a loss of 1.5 years. The current Wasserfall design is far advanced in its development and, as the only supersonic missile, must be developed as quickly as possible to the point of production readiness and as a testbed for targeting devices and rangefinders, so that in the event of supersonic bombers being used by the enemy, at least one weapon, albeit in small numbers, would be available. However, if there is no prospect of manufacturing the missile—even in small numbers—then Wasserfall must be stopped immediately, consciously abandoning any supersonic missile and all the consequences that entails. Proposal: Terminate development with small production runs.

Source: Bundesarchiv
Signatur: RH 24-30/274
Page: 54 -55

Direct Link:
https://invenio.bundesarchiv.de/invenio/direktlink/5a0eae7c-c66b-4241-8882-da524db22fa0/
 
What they are discussing is the W 10 version of Wasserfall. This was a scaled down model that would have reduced the materials required for construction of one along with reduction in the fuel and oxidizer use. It was considered shortly before the war ended but nothing came of it due to the war ending.

I will add that the memo of 16 February above, is rather optimistic in stating that "...the current Wasserfall design is far advanced in its development..." when it was barely reliable in testing and there was no definitive guidance system or any testing of that system proving it would work against a live target. As a system Wasserfall was likely 2 to 5 years from being a deployable SAM in April 1945.
 
November 24, 1944
2.) Projekt eines verkleinerten Flak-Überschallgerätes

2.) Project for a miniaturized supersonic anti-aircraft missile

GL-FLAK-E wants a comparative study that will contrast the effort of the "Wasserfall" missile with that of a supersonic missile, also a cruciform-wing design, which, like the "Schmetterling" missile, is launched towards the target from a traversable launcher. The missile is intended to use solid fuel rocket boosters for launch. The explosive charge only needs to weigh 100 kg, but it must break the missile into sufficiently small pieces to minimize damage from falling debris. The comparison should, in particular, allow for a comparison of the required material weights and nitric acid consumption. Only standard solid fuel rocket boosters are suitable. When comparing material weights and nitric acid consumption, the weight of the steel for the solid fuel rocket boosters and the nitric acid required for the powder must be taken into account.

The project report is due by December 20, 1944. It should include information on the extent to which existing or currently under development components for the "Wasserfall" missile's guidance system could be used for such a missile. Fuel base Salbei-Visol.

Source: Bundesarchiv
Signatur: RH 8/1928; Page: 5

Direct Link:
https://invenio.bundesarchiv.de/invenio/direktlink/2961b7f4-0e41-42f0-a382-4f8367e39f78/
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom