German missiles of WW2 - Definition and Overview

During World War II, Germany developed many missile systems, some of which were extremely advanced.

These included the first cruise missile, the first short range ballistic missile, the first guided surface-to-air missiles, and the first anti-ship missiles.

Organisations

• Peenemünde rocket test site

People

• Wernher von Braun
• Walter Dornberger

List of missiles

surface-to-surface missiles

Both the V1 and V2 were used operationally, against London and other targets. The Rheinbote was fired against Antwerp.

• V1 flying bomb
• V2 rocket
• Rheinbote

surface-to-air missiles

Germany developed a number of surface-to-air missile systems, none of which were ever used operationally:

• Enzian
• Rheintochter (an air-to-air variant was also planned)
• Wasserfall missile
• Schmetterling (an air-to-air variant was also planned)

air-to-air missiles

• X-4 missile (anti-tank variants of this were also designed, such as the X-7 and X-10)
• R4M rocket

anti-ship missiles

German anti-ship missiles were used operationally against allied shipping in 1943, notably in the Mediterranean Sea:

• Fritz X anti-ship missile
• Henschel Hs 293 air-to-ship gliding guided bomb

See also

• List of military aircraft of Germany
• List of aircraft of the WW2 Luftwaffe
• List of RLM aircraft designations
• List of missiles