In Service: 1943 to 1945
First Flight:
Manufacturer: Rheinmetall-Borsig
Number built:
Type: Air-to-Air Missiles
Guidance system:
Length: m
Wingspan: m
Diameter: 0.210 m
Weight: 111 kg
Engine: 1 × rocket engine
Maximum speed: 1,200 km/h
Range: 1,200 m
Warhead: 41 kg
Fuze:
Launch Platform: Fw
190,
Me 262,
Bf 110,
Bf
109
Operators: Heer, Luftwaffe
Variants:
21
cm Nebelwerfer 42
21 cm Werfergranate 42
Other: Missiles
Articles:
The 21 cm Werfergranate 42 was a air to air missile designed
and developed by
Rheinmetall-Borsig
AG.
Which was adapted from the armies
21
cm Nebelwerfer 42 (21 cm Nb.Wf 42) Which was a five barreled
multiple rocket launcher mounted on a two wheeled carriage.
The 21 cm Werfergranate 42 was mounted as auxiliary armament
beneath the wings of the
Fw
190,
Me 262,
Bf 110,
Bf
109 as a single launcher tube fitted to each wing, but
because of the high amount of drag they caused, it was later
replaced by a Salvo type drum magazine. Similar in appearance
to the
21
cm Nebelwerfer 42 used by the army, allowing multiple
rounds to be fired at once, this version was designated BR-Gerät
this experimental weapon was fitted to
Me
410. however due to the amount of damage caused to the
airplane. It was not furthered. The 21 cm Werfergranate 42
was an extremely effective air to air missile system, in one
particular air battle on the 14th of October 1943 over Schweinfurt.
It was used against 228 Boeing B-17 bombers, 62 were shot
down in the initial engagement 17 others crash landed in Britain
and a further 121 were so badly damaged that they had to be
broken up.
The Warplanes of the Third Reich.
ISBN-10: 0385057822
German Aircraft of the Second World War.
ISBN-10: 0370000242
Hitler's Luftwaffe.
ISBN-10: 051718771X
For a complete list of
sources
