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78-416: Fritz X was a German guided anti-ship glide bomb used during World War II . Fritz X was the world's first precision guided weapon deployed in combat and the first to sink a ship in combat. Fritz X was a nickname used both by Allied and Luftwaffe personnel. Alternative names include Ruhrstahl SD 1400 X , Kramer X-1 , PC 1400X or FX 1400 (the latter, along with the unguided PC 1400 Fritz nickname,

156-422: A fusée , fusee , or bengala , bengalo in several European countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion . Flares are used for distress signaling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications. Flares may be ground pyrotechnics, projectile pyrotechnics, or parachute-suspended to provide maximum illumination time over

234-501: A "Universal color language". Red distress rockets and/or flares are now internationally recognized symbols that indicate a ship in distress. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) has standards for visual signals, including both handheld and aerial flares. Handheld flares must burn for at least one minute at an average luminosity of 15,000 candelas , while aerial flares must burn for at least 40 seconds with

312-501: A 30 m (100 ft) radius (other sources say 60% hits within 4.6 metre radius). The only Luftwaffe unit to deploy the Fritz X was Gruppe III of Kampfgeschwader 100 Wiking (Viking), designated III./KG 100; the bomber wing itself evolved as the larger-sized descendant of the earlier Kampfgruppe 100 unit in mid-December 1941. This unit employed the medium range Dornier Do 217 K-2 bomber on almost all of its attack missions; in

390-458: A 30,000-candela average luminosity. While rockets and flares are still an option for signaling distress, they have since been surpassed by improved technology. Distress signals can now be sent using automated radio signals from a search and rescue transponder . Other internationally recognized methods include the radio message SOS , which was used during the 1912 sinking of the Titanic , and

468-421: A Hs 293 sank the troopship HMT  Rohna from Mediterranean convoy KMF 26 . Several defensive measures were implemented right away. Ships capable of maneuvering at high speed were instructed to make tight turns across the weapon's flight path in order to complicate the missile operator's efforts. Attacking aircraft were interdicted with air patrols and heavy-caliber anti-aircraft weapons , disrupting either

546-607: A biped or laid flat) to signal traffic hazards or that a road is blocked, often as a more visible replacement for traffic cones. Law enforcement in the United States usually use magnesium -based flares that last from 15–30 minutes. Fusees used for rail are known as railroad flares , they are commonly used to perform hand signals or used as torches in rail transport applications. Railroad flares can burn for at least 10 minutes, are not fastened to train cars, and are handheld by railroad personnel for protection at night. It

624-564: A control input was sent to them. The Fritz X was steered by the bombardier in the launching aircraft over a radio link between the aircraft's Kehl transmitter and the weapon's Straßburg receiver. The bombardier had to be able to see the target at all times, and like the Azon, the Fritz X had a flare in the tail so it could be seen from the controlling aircraft for its MCLOS -form guidance to control it properly. The disadvantage with this — in comparison to fully autonomous-guidance glide bombs like

702-576: A conventional torpedo was responsible). Explanatory notes Citations Glide bomb World War II -era glide bombs like the German Fritz X and Henschel Hs 293 pioneered the use of remote control systems, allowing the controlling aircraft to direct the bomb to a pinpoint target as a pioneering form of precision-guided munition . Modern systems are generally self-guided or semi-automated, using GPS or laser designators to hit their target. The term " glide bombing " does not refer to

780-540: A detachment of troops far in the distance. Another mention of the signal bomb appears in a text dating from 1293 requesting their collection from those still stored in Zhejiang . A signal gun appears in Korea by 1600. The Wu I Thu Phu Thung Chih or Illustrated Military Encyclopedia , written in 1791, depicts a signal gun in an illustration. In the civilian world, flares are commonly used as signals, and may be ignited on

858-452: A few cases near the end of its deployment history, Dornier Do 217K-3 and M-11 variants were also used. The Fritz X had been initially tested with a Heinkel He 111 bomber, but was never taken into combat by this aircraft. A few special variants of the troublesome Heinkel He 177 A Greif long-range bomber were equipped with the Kehl transmitter and proper bombracks to carry the Fritz X, and it

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936-598: A large area. Projectile pyrotechnics may be dropped from aircraft, fired from rocket or artillery , or deployed by flare guns or handheld percussive tubes. The earliest recorded use of gunpowder for signaling purposes was the 'signal bomb' used by the Chinese Song Dynasty (960–1279) as the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) besieged Yangzhou in 1276. These soft-shelled bombs, timed to explode in midair, were used to send messages to

1014-762: A roughly 12-sided annular set of fixed surfaces and a cruciform tail with thick surfaces within the annulus, which contained the Fritz X ' s aerodynamic controls. The Luftwaffe recognised the difficulty of hitting moving ships during the Spanish Civil War . German engineer Max Kramer , who worked at the Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt ( DVL ), had been experimenting since 1938 with remote-controlled free-falling 250 kg (550 lb) bombs and in 1939 fitted radio-controlled spoilers . In 1940, Ruhrstahl AG  [ de ]

1092-456: A single Fritz X. The Italian battleship Roma , flagship of the Italian fleet, received two hits and one near miss, and sank after her magazines exploded. 1,393 men, including Admiral Carlo Bergamini , died. Her sister ship, Italia , was also seriously damaged but reached Tunisia. The American light cruiser USS  Savannah was hit by Fritz Xs at 10:00 AM on 11 September 1943 during

1170-440: A slow, steady course so the bombardier could maintain visual contact to guide the bomb. When working properly, the missile was able to pierce 130 mm (5.1 in) of armor. Accuracy is the main reason for developing a weapon system of this kind, rather than continuing to use unguided bombs . A skilled bombardier could guide 50% of the bombs to within a 15 m (50 ft) radius of the aiming point, and about 90% hit within

1248-424: A small liquid-fueled rocket fired to speed the weapon up and get it out in front of the releasing aircraft, which was flown to approach the target just off to one side. The bomb then dropped close to the water and glided in parallel to the launch aircraft, with the bomb aimer adjusting the flight left or right. As long as the bomb was dropped at roughly the right range so it did not run out of altitude while gliding in,

1326-490: A spoiler-based control setup on its tailfin unit, using three sets of aerodynamic control spoiler systems, with two of them giving control in the pitch and yaw axes, differentially operating and constantly oscillating rapidly under direct control from the Kehl-Straßburg radio control link. The roll control setup, operating autonomously and not under control from the deploying aircraft, oscillated similarly to those under

1404-628: A total of 5,000 tonnes of water and lost steam and consequently all power, both to the ship herself and to all her systems, but although the damage had been considerable, Warspite ' s casualties amounted to only nine killed and fourteen wounded. She was towed to Malta by tugs Hopi and Moreno , then returned to Britain via Gibraltar and was out of action for nearly 9 months; she was never completely repaired, but returned to action to bombard German positions in Normandy during Operation Overlord . The last Fritz X attack at Salerno lightly damaged

1482-629: Is known to inhibit the uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland . While there are currently no US federal drinking water standards for perchlorate, some states have established public health goals or action levels, and some are in the process of establishing state maximum contaminant levels. For example, the US Environmental Protection Agency has studied the impacts of perchlorate on the environment as well as drinking water. California has also issued guidance regarding perchlorate use. US courts have taken action regarding

1560-472: Is the origin for the name "Fritz X"). Fritz X was a further development of the PC 1400 ( Panzersprengbombe, Cylindrisch 1,400 kg) armour-piercing high-explosive bomb, itself bearing the nickname Fritz . It was a penetration weapon intended to be used against armoured targets such as heavy cruisers and battleships. It was given a more aerodynamic nose, four stub wings, and a box-shaped tail unit consisting of

1638-518: Is thought that this combination might have seen limited combat service, at least with the combinations known to have been involved in test drops. It was found that the launch aircraft had to "toss" the bomb slightly, climbing and then descending, to keep it in view ahead. The Fritz X was first deployed on 21 July 1943 in a raid on Augusta harbour in Sicily. Several attacks around Sicily and Messina followed, but no confirmed hits were made and it appears

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1716-536: Is used in military aircraft as a defensive countermeasure against heat-seeking missiles. These flares are usually discharged individually or in salvos by the pilot or automatically by tail-warning devices, and are accompanied by vigorous evasive maneuvering. Since they are intended to deceive infrared missiles, these flares burn at temperatures of thousands of degrees, incandescing in the visible spectrum as well. Flares connected to tripwires are used to guard an area against infiltration. The flare begins burning when

1794-557: The 'Bat' and its earlier variant, the 'Pelican' . The longer-range Bat used an active radar seeker and was used in the Pacific on August 13, 1944, but could not distinguish between targets in a cluttered environment and could be easily spoofed by even simple radar countermeasures. Only four examples of an experimental glide bomb, the ' Pratt-Read LBE ', were produced. After the war, the increasing sophistication of electronics allowed these systems to be developed as practical devices; from

1872-528: The European theater against these weapons. While early models proved inadequate, by the time the Allies were preparing for the invasion of France in 1944 more capable systems were deployed, and the success rate of guided weapons declined considerably. Even more important to the defeat of the weapons was Allied command of the airspace and the interception of incoming bombers by Allied fighter aircraft. The Hs 293

1950-547: The Fritz X were aerodynamically integrated into the trailing edge of the annular surfaces of the tail fin, non-metallically encapsulated within four "bulged" sections in the trailing edge. This design feature of the FuG 230 Straßburg receiver installation is like the Azon (US contemporary guided bomb), which had its receiving antennas placed in the four diagonal struts bracing the fixed sections of its tail fins. Minimum launch height

2028-595: The Hs 293D models. The use was problematic – as the bomb approaches the target, even tiny amounts of control input would cause the target to jump around the TV display, so much of the difficulty was in developing control systems that would become progressively less sensitive as the pilot required. A wire-guided version was also developed, but this Hs 293B variant was never deployed. In 1939 Sir Dennistoun Burney and Nevil Shute Norway , worked together on an air-launched gliding torpedo,

2106-465: The Royal Navy ships they were attacking. By 1941, accurate bombing was as difficult as ever, with the added problem of evading anti-aircraft fire. The German solution was the development of a number of glide bombs employing radio control guidance. One was created by fitting a control package on the rear of an otherwise standard bomb, starting with their 1400 kg armor-piercing bomb to create

2184-466: The Royal Navy suggested that rockets for distress should have a distinctive color. The request was made to help ease confusion between ships in distress and rockets used by pilot ships . By 1875, the Board of Trade (UK) had issued regulations for Captains in regards to night signals. Rockets containing at least 16oz of composition were only to be used as a sign for a ship in distress. Passenger ships at

2262-461: The Ruhrstahl SD 1400 , commonly referred to as Fritz -X . This weapon was designed specifically to pierce the deck armor of heavy cruisers and battleships. The bomb aimer dropped the bomb from high altitude while the aircraft was still approaching the ship, and guided it to impact with the target by sending commands to spoilers attached to its rear. This proved to be difficult to do, because as

2340-453: The combustion of a pyrotechnic composition . The ingredients are varied, but often based on strontium nitrate , potassium nitrate , or potassium perchlorate , mixed with a fuel such as charcoal , sulfur , sawdust , aluminium , magnesium , or a suitable polymeric resin . Flares may be colored by the inclusion of pyrotechnic colorants . Calcium flares are used underwater to illuminate submerged objects. *Note- Fusees manufactured in

2418-510: The "Toraplane", and a gliding bomb, "Doravane". Despite much work and many trials the Toraplane could not be launched with repeatable accuracy and it was abandoned in 1942. The US Army Air Force started a wide-spanning development program of both glide bombs, known as "GB", and similar systems designed to fall more vertically, as "VG". Several models of both concepts were used in limited numbers during WWII. The first to be used operationally

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2496-545: The 1960s air forces deployed a number of such systems, including the USAF's AGM-62 Walleye . Contrast seekers were also steadily improved, becoming very effective in the widely used AGM-65 Maverick missile. Both were standard systems until the 1980s when the development of laser guidance and GPS based systems made them unnecessary for all but the most accurate of roles. Various TV-based systems remain in limited service for super-accurate uses, but have otherwise been removed. In

2574-580: The Allies were unaware that the large bombs being dropped were radio-guided weapons. On 9 September, the Luftwaffe achieved their greatest success with the weapon. After Pietro Badoglio publicly announced the Italian armistice with the Allies on 8 September 1943, the Italian fleet had left La Spezia and headed to Tunisia . To prevent the ships from falling into Allied hands, six Do 217K-2s from III. Gruppe of KG 100 (III/KG 100) took off, each carrying

2652-521: The C model with a conical warhead which was designed to hit the water short of the ship and then travel a short distance underwater to hit the ship below the waterline. The guidance system for the Hs 293 series was the same as the Fritz-X unpowered munition; it used a Funkgerät FuG 203 Kehl radio control transmitter with a single two-axis joystick in the deploying bomber, and an FuG 230 Straßburg receiver in

2730-545: The Coston flare based on early work by her deceased husband Benjamin Franklin Coston. In 1922, a "landing flare" was an aerial candle attached to a parachute and used for landing an airplane in the dark. The flare burned for less than four minutes and the candlepower was about 40,000 lumens . During World War II , the U.S. Navy tested underwater flares for use in detecting submarines. A special variety of flares

2808-487: The Fritz X had no significant effect on the invasion fleet. Some accounts report that the Norwegian destroyer Svenner was hit by a Fritz X at dawn on D-Day. This is unlikely, as III./KG 100, the unit which had carried the Fritz X into combat, had largely been re-equipped with the Hs 293 by that time for its anti-ship missions, and the attack on Svenner occurred before the first glide bombers launched their assaults on

2886-521: The Fritz X relied on radio contact between the bomb and the guidance unit, and was susceptible to electronic countermeasures . After the initial attacks in August 1943, the Allies went to considerable effort to develop jamming devices. These were first deployed in late September 1943, too late for Salerno. The system met with some success, but proved cumbersome and easily overwhelmed if large numbers of weapons were deployed simultaneously. In early 1944, as

2964-417: The Normandy beaches. The Fritz X has been credited as responsible for the loss of the hospital ship HMHS  Newfoundland at Salerno as well as the destroyer HMS  Janus and the light cruiser HMS  Spartan at Anzio , but these ships were hit by Hs 293s, as demonstrated by the nature of the damage inflicted, as well as by reports from witnesses (in the case of Janus , either an Hs 293 or

3042-792: The US Army was engaged in the Battle of Anzio , the United Kingdom began to deploy its Type 650 transmitter, which employed a different approach to interfering with the FuG 203/230 radio link on a Fritz X, by jamming the Straßburg receiver's intermediate frequency (IF) section. The FuG 230 receiver's IF section operated at 3 MHz, and the Type 650 appears to have been quite successful in interfering with Fritz X ordnance deployments, especially because

3120-598: The US light cruiser Philadelphia with two near misses on 17 September. This attack is sometimes reported as taking place on 18 September but US Navy records show the cruiser Philadelphia departed Salerno the night of 17/18 September. According to Luftwaffe records, III./KG 100, the Luftwaffe unit armed with the Fritz X, flew its last mission on 17 September. Other ships damaged by Fritz-X included Dutch sloop Flores and British destroyer Loyal . The control system used by

3198-409: The United States no longer use potassium perchlorate as an oxidizer and do not contain aluminium or magnesium . Many in-service colored signal flares and spectrally balanced decoy flares contain perchlorate oxidizers . Perchlorate, a type of salt in its solid form, dissolves and moves rapidly in groundwater and surface water. Even in low concentrations in drinking water supplies, perchlorate

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3276-459: The airframe components to detach from the torpedo which would then enter the water and continue towards its target. Guidance signals were to be transmitted through a thin copper wire, and guide flares were to be carried to help control. Siemens-Schuckertwerke was already occupied with remote controlled boats (the FL-boats or Fernlenkboote ), and had some experience in this area. Flight testing

3354-519: The anti-ship role, direct attack from an aircraft even at long range became more dangerous due to the deployment of anti-aircraft missiles on ships. Weapons such as the Bat had ranges too short to keep the attacking aircraft out of range, especially in a force provided with air cover. This was addressed with the introduction of small jet engines that greatly extended the range, producing the anti-shipping missile class that remains widely used today. Similarly,

3432-419: The bomb dropped toward the target it fell further behind the launch aircraft, eventually becoming difficult to see. This problem was solved by having the launch aircraft slow down and enter a climb to avoid overtaking the bomb as it fell. In addition it proved difficult to properly guide the bomb to impact as the angle of descent changed, and if the bomb was not aimed accurately so as to end up roughly right over

3510-526: The emergency procedure word " Mayday ", which dates to the 1920s. Another type of flare is the fusee , which burns with a bright red light. These come in two main types which are used for roadways and rail transportation . The first type are fusees used for roadways which are known as highway flares or road flares . These are commonly used to indicate obstacles or advise caution on roadways at night and are found in roadside emergency kits. Law enforcement also may use these flares (either propped on

3588-486: The externally controlled sets, and were on the outboard sections of the horizontal tailfin surfaces within the annular set of outer tailfin surfaces. These were like the American Azon ordnance's aileron control surfaces in their purpose, commanded by an internal gyroscope in the tail's central housing in both the Azon and Fritz X, to keep the ordnance level during its trajectory. The inboard set of spoiler surfaces in

3666-483: The first operational glide bombs were developed by the Germans as an anti-shipping weapon. Ships are typically very difficult to attack: a direct hit or an extremely near miss is needed to do any serious damage, and hitting a target as small as a ship was difficult in this period. At first dive bombers were used with some success in this role, but their successes were countered by ever-increasing anti-aircraft defenses on

3744-510: The ground, fired as an aerial signal from a pistol -like flare gun , or launched from a self-contained tube. Flares are commonly found in marine survival kits . Distress rockets (aka "rocket-propelled parachute flares" ) have been mentioned in the modern era for civilian maritime emergencies since at least 1856. The U.S. Nautical Magazine of that year mentions the use of "rocket stations" for ship related emergencies. White rockets were solely used until 1873, when commander John Yorke of

3822-464: The guidance package mounted to standard 500 kg bombs was tested in September 1940. It was found that the bomb was unable to penetrate a ship's armor, so changes were made to fit an armor-piercing warhead before the system finally entered service in 1943. The basic A-1 model was the only one to be produced in any number, but developments included the B model with a custom armor-piercing warhead, and

3900-561: The ignition of controlled burns . They ignite at 191 °C (376 °F) and burn as hot as 1,600 °C (2,910 °F). Flares are used by law enforcement agencies such as the United States National Guard , and police as a form of riot control . This practice dates back to at least the 1940s where they are mentioned as being "useful in night operations". Handheld flares are also counter used by protestors at demonstrations. In 1859, Martha Coston patented

3978-409: The invasion of Salerno , and was forced to retire to the United States for eight months of repairs. A single Fritz X passed through the roof of "C" turret and killed the turret crew and a damage control party when it exploded in the lower ammunition-handling room. The blast tore a large hole in the ship's bottom, opened a seam in her side, and blew out all fires in her boiler rooms. Savannah lay dead in

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4056-548: The munition. Following the capitulation of Italy in 1943, Germany damaged the Italian battleship Italia and sank the Roma with Fritz-X bombs. Attacks were also made on the USS ; Savannah , causing much damage and loss of life. HMS Warspite was hit by three Fritz-X, and although casualties were few, the ship had to be towed to Malta for repairs and was out of action for six months. The cruiser USS  Philadelphia

4134-416: The need to attack well-defended targets such as airbases and military command posts led to the development of newer generations of glide bombs. European air forces use a glide package with a cluster bomb warhead for remotely attacking airbases. Laser and GPS guidance systems are used. [REDACTED] Media related to Glide bombs at Wikimedia Commons Flare A flare , also sometimes called

4212-534: The operational U.S. Navy's Bat radar-homing glide bomb , used against Japan in 1944–45 — were that the aircraft had to be flown towards the target on a steady course and that as the missile neared its target it became possible to misguide it by jamming its radio channel. Unlike the Hs 293, which was deployed against merchant ships and light escort warships, the Fritz X was intended to be used against armoured ships such as heavy cruisers and battleships. The Fritz X had to be released at least 5 kilometres (3 mi) from

4290-517: The operator did not have to attempt to find which of the eighteen selected Kehl-Straßburg command frequencies were in use and then manually tune the jamming transmitter to one of them. The Type 650 automatically defeated the receiver, regardless which radio frequency had been selected for a missile. By the time of the Normandy landings , a combination of Allied air supremacy (keeping the Luftwaffe's bombers at bay) and ship-mounted jammers meant that

4368-552: The same morning. The Fritz X just missed the ship, exploding about 15 metres away. Damage was minimal. The Royal Navy 's light cruiser HMS  Uganda was hit by a Fritz X off Salerno at 14:40 on 13 September. The Fritz X passed through seven decks and straight through her keel , exploding underwater just under the keel. The concussive shock of the Fritz X's underwater detonation close to Uganda ' s hull extinguished all her boiler fires, and resulted in sixteen men being killed, with Uganda taking on 1,300 tons of water. Uganda

4446-671: The system was easy to use, at least against slow-moving targets. The Hs 293 was first used operationally in the Bay of Biscay against RN and RCN destroyers, sloops and frigates. Its combat debut was made on August 25, 1943, when the sloop HMS Bideford was slightly damaged by a missile which failed to fully detonate, but killed one crewman. Another sloop, HMS Landguard , survived a near miss with slight damage. The Germans attacked again two days later, sinking HMS Egret on August 27, 1943; they also seriously damaged HMCS Athabaskan . Over one-thousand Allied soldiers died on 25 November 1943 when

4524-421: The tailfin's horizontal surfaces, which used a set of wing fence -like flat surfaces for airflow separation from the autonomous roll control spoilers, controlled the pitch angle after release and were controlled by the radio control link, giving the Fritz X's bombardier in the deploying aircraft the ability to control the range of the drop, a capability that the Azon did not have. The yaw control spoilers housed in

4602-410: The target, there was little that could be done at later stages to fix the problem. Nevertheless, the Fritz X proved useful with crews trained on its use. In test drops from 8,000 m (26,000 ft), experienced bomb aimers could place half the bombs within a 15 m (49 ft 3 in) radius and 90% within 30 m (98 ft 5 in). Design work started as early as 1939, and a version of

4680-426: The target. The plane had to decelerate immediately after bomb release so the bombardier could see the bomb and guide it; this deceleration was achieved by making a steep climb and then levelling out. The bombardier could make a maximum correction of 500 metres (1,600 ft) in range and 350 metres (1,150 ft) in bearing. The bomber was vulnerable to fighter attack and ship-based air defence weapons while maintaining

4758-459: The target; most "spun in and exploded 15 miles from the target... many of the batteries failed to hold [their] charge"). More advanced models in the GB series included the television guided GB-4 , GB-5 , GB-12 , and GB-13 , which used contrast-seekers for anti-ship use, and the command-guided GB-8 , ' Azon ', ' Razon ', as well as the infrared-guided 'Felix' . US Navy glide bombs included

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4836-416: The time were required to carry 12 of these rockets. The Merchant Shipping Act of 1894 further stated that these rockets were to be fired one at a time in short intervals of approximately one minute apart. Distress rockets continued to be used in different colors, as was the case with RMS Titanic . At the time shipping companies had "a particular kind of distress rocket (that differed by color)". Each ship

4914-613: The tripwire is triggered, providing both alarm and illumination. Under the UN hazard number system , pyrotechnic flares are designated class 1.4 explosives. Several U.S. states, including California and Massachusetts, have begun regulating levels of potassium perchlorate, which can be unsafe at certain levels in drinking water. Contaminated drinking water can lead to such symptoms as gastric irritation, nausea, vomiting, fever, skin rashes, and even fatal aplastic anemia (a reduction in all types of blood cells). Flares produce their light through

4992-470: The use of glide bombs, but a style of shallow-angle dive bombing . In October 1914, Wilhelm von Siemens suggested what became known as the Siemens torpedo glider , a wire-guided flying missile which would essentially have comprised a naval torpedo with an attached airframe. It was not intended to be flown into a target, but rather at a suitable altitude and position, a signal would be transmitted, causing

5070-455: The vertical tailfin surfaces were also under control through the radio link, and had similar "fence" surfaces to guide airflow over them. All three spoiler surface sets barely protruded from the surface during operation, with the pair of spoiler systems under external control having a degree of "proportionality" in their operation by varying the "dwell time" spent on one side or the other during their rapid rate of oscillation from side to side when

5148-471: The visual or radio links to the guided weapons. Smoke was used to hide ships at anchor. Allied aircraft also attacked the home bases of the special German units equipped with these weapons, primarily ( Gruppen II and III of Kampfgeschwader 100 and Gruppe II of Kampfgeschwader 40 ). American, British and Canadian scientists also developed sophisticated radio jammers to disrupt the guidance signal. Ultimately nine different jamming systems were deployed in

5226-510: The water with her forecastle nearly awash, and eight hours elapsed before her boilers were relit, allowing the ship to get under way for Malta. USS Savannah lost 197 crewmen in this attack. Fifteen other sailors were seriously wounded, and four more were trapped in a watertight compartment for 60 hours. These four sailors were rescued when Savannah had arrived at Grand Harbor , Valletta, Malta on 12 September. Savannah ' s sister ship, USS  Philadelphia , had been targeted earlier

5304-435: The weapon that damaged James W. Marshall is uncertain. A witness aboard a ship nearby, Joseph A. Yannacci, attributes the attack to Ju 87 "Stuka" dive bombers, which were too small to carry glide bombs. An attack with a Fritz X cannot be ruled out, but there is at least an equal case that, if a glide bomb was involved, it was an Hs 293 from II./KG 100; Luftwaffe records show that II./KG 100, armed only with Hs 293 glide bombs,

5382-544: Was 4,000 m (13,000 ft) – although 5,500 m (18,000 ft) was preferred – and a range of 5 km (3.1 mi; 2.7 nmi) was necessary. As it was an MCLOS -guidance ordnance design, the operator had to keep the bomb in sight at all times (a tail flare was provided, as with the Azon, to assist the operator in tracking the weapon) and the control aircraft had to hold course, which made evading gunfire or fighters impossible. Approximately 1,400 examples, including trial models, were produced. The Fritz X possessed

5460-463: Was active over Salerno that day. KG 100 achieved another success with Fritz X while the British battleship HMS  Warspite was providing gunfire support at Salerno on 16 September. One bomb penetrated six decks before exploding in number 4 boiler room. This explosion put out all fires and blew out the double bottom. A second Fritz X near-missed Warspite , holing her at the waterline. She took on

5538-479: Was also given a guide of colors to use depending on what signal was to be sent. Modern red distress signals are mentioned by the United States Bureau of Mines as early as 1959, where they state "12 handheld rocket-propelled parachute red flare distress signals" are to be used by ocean going ships. The color red was eventually incorporated for use in the United States on 17 December 1979 as part of

5616-630: Was also used in August 1944 to attack bridges over the Sée and Sélune at the southern end of the Cherbourg peninsula in an attempt to break US general Patton 's advance, but this mission was unsuccessful. A similar mission against bridges on the river Oder , designed to slow the Soviet advance into Germany, was made in April 1945 but failed. The Germans also experimented with television guidance systems on

5694-460: Was argued during an Appeals case that railroad flares are much more visible than lanterns . In general: trains that encounter a lit railroad flare are required to stop until it burns out. Fusees made specifically for railroad use can be distinguished from highway fusees by a sharp steel spike at one end, used to embed the fusee upright in a wooden railroad tie . In forestry and firefighting, fusees are sometimes used in wildfire suppression and in

5772-517: Was invited to join the development, since they already had experience in the development and production of unguided bombs. Fritz X was guided by a Kehl-Straßburg radio control link , which sent signals to the movable spoilers in the thick vertical and horizontal tail fin surfaces, within the annular tail fin structure. This control system was also used for the unarmoured, rocket-boosted Henschel Hs 293 anti-ship ordnance, first deployed on 25 August 1943. The Straßburg receiver antenna installations on

5850-539: Was performed under the supervision of an engineer called Dorner from January 1915 onwards, using airships as carriers and different types of biplane and monoplane glider airframes to which a torpedo was fitted. The last test flight was performed on February 8, 1918. It was planned to use the Siemens-Schuckert R.VIII bomber as a carrier craft, but the Armistice stopped the project. During World War II,

5928-609: Was the Aeronca GB-1 , essentially an autopilot attached to a small glider airframe carrying a bomb. It was intended to allow the 8th Air Force bombers to drop their payloads far from their targets and thus avoid having to overfly the most concentrated areas of anti-aircraft artillery fire. It was first used on 28 May 1944 against the Eifeltor marshalling yard in Cologne , but only 42 of 113 bombs released reached anywhere near

6006-406: Was towed to Malta for repairs. Two merchant ships may have been hit by Fritz X bombs at Salerno, though the evidence is uncertain. SS Bushrod Washington was hit by a glide bomb, either a Fritz X or a Hs 293 , on 14 September while offloading a cargo of fuel. SS James W. Marshall was set on fire by a conventional bomb, Hs 293 or Fritz X on 15 September. As with Bushrod Washington , the nature of

6084-554: Was very slightly damaged by several near misses from Fritz-X bombs. The light cruiser HMS Uganda was also hit and put out of action for thirteen months as a result. A more widely employed weapon was the Henschel Hs 293 , which included wings and a rocket motor to allow the bomb to glide some distance away from the launch aircraft. This weapon was designed for use against thinly armored but highly defended targets such as convoy merchantmen or their escorting warships. When launched,

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