German Guided Missiles of World War II : Fritz-X to Wasserfall and X4 - Steven J. Zaloga

German Guided Missiles of World War II

Fritz-X to Wasserfall and X4

By: Steven J. Zaloga, Jim Laurier (Illustrator)

Paperback | 28 November 2019

At a Glance

Paperback


$35.90

or 4 interest-free payments of $8.97 with

 or 

Aims to ship in 15 to 25 business days

A detailed guide to German missile technology in the World War II period, including the development of some of the world's first guided missiles and the influence of German missile designs in the postwar era.

Although not as well-known as the V-1 buzz bomb and the V-2 missile, the first German missiles to see combat were antiship missiles, the Henschel Hs.293 guided missile and the Fritz-X guided bomb. These began to see extensive combat in the Mediterranean in 1943. In their most famous use, the Italian battleship Roma was sunk by Fritz-X attack in September 1943 when Italy attempted to switch sides. The serious threat posed by these missiles led to a vigorous but little known "Wizard War" by the Allies to develop electronic counter-measures, the first effort of its kind.

Besides the antiship missiles, the other major category of German missiles were the air-defense missiles. Germany suffered extremely heavy losses from Allied strategic bombing attacks, and German fighter and flak defenses proved increasingly unsuccessful. As a result, the Luftwaffe began an extensive program to deploy several families of new air defense missiles to counter the bomber threat, including the Wasserfal, Schmetterling, and others. This book traces the origins of these missile program and examines their development and use in combat. With full-color illustrations and detailed explorations of the stories behind the missiles, this study offers a comprehensive overview of German guided missiles in the World War II era.

Industry Reviews
"Highly recommended. This part of the Luftwaffe's offense and defense later in the war has not been thoroughly covered before, and this book brings a lot of great information to the reader." - IMPS / USA Reviews

More in Air Forces & Warfare

Unbroken : An Extraordinary True Story of Courage and Survival - Laura Hillenbrand
44 Days : 75 Squadron and the Fight for Australia - Michael Veitch
Aircraft of World War II : Development, Weaponry, Specifications - Robert Jackson
Skunk Works : A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed - Leo Janos
Aircraft of World War I 1914-1918 : Identification Guide - Jack Herris
Modern Military Aircraft : Development, Weaponry, Specifications - Robert Jackson
1944-45 : The Freedom Road - Richard Collier

RRP $41.25

$10.35

75%
OFF
Luftwaffe's Secret WWII Missions - Dmitry Degtev