what were the various powers first atgms?

[sven]

just curious....

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Give all you can all you can give....

[GLK]

If you really mean guided AT systems, the earliest examples go back the late fifties and early sixties. The Soviet Swatter (radio command link) and Sagger (wire command link), I think, were among the first. The US Army first used the French built SS-11 and the ENTAC. They were replaced by the first version of the TOW in the early 70s.

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[sven]

thanks. I am an ex-TOW gunner myself, and am curious as to whether or not there is any truth to the legend that the Germans were on the verge of fielding atgms when the war ended. Anyone have any info?

regards,
sven

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Give all you can all you can give....

[Drake666]

First ATGM was tested by the German near the end of the war.

Chick this site for more.
http://www.topedge.com/panels/aircraft/sites/gustin/gweapons.html



[This message has been edited by Drake666 (edited July 18, 2000).]

[Jon Grasham]

I was gonna say, but see the sight already has it, about the German's use of AS missles, and tests of SAMs/AAMs. They had all sorts of weaponry that every allied soldier is glad (and lucky in many cases) never made it to frontline ( extensive front line for some of them) use. Kinda scary too when you look at what was tested at that time, compared to what the Allies had testing in comparison! (the US did have their glide bomb, and their guided "bomb" which was a radio controled B17 filled with explosives.

[This message has been edited by Jon Grasham (edited July 19, 2000).]

[Drake666]

Yup its strange how fate worked against them. They started the war 1 or 2 years earlyer then they should and becouse of it their U-boat arm was not up to strengh and all they advance weapons that they were building never come online ontill it was to late for them.

[Santa Klaus]

Also look at:
http://www.geocities.com/Augusta/8172/panzerfaust.htm#pzschreckusage

Has some VEEEERY interesting stuff in there.
Ciao

Klaus http://www.fischers-design.de

[PR^Spanjab]

I saw some film a while ago of a German anti-ship wire guided missile.

It was used to sink some defecting Italian warships towards the end of the war by flying the large winged bomb down the funnel. I can't remember if it was powered or just free fall guided but the gunner had a little joystick to control it like more modern missiles.

Of course Hitler was told the ships were sunk by conventional air power as at that stage the luftwaffe was concerned with his fanatical approach to new technologies.

Spanjab

[Nikademus]

the Ships in question were the Italian battleships Roma and Italia (ex-Littorio)

Italia was hit by one (near missed by another) and severely damaged.

Roma was the unfortunate recipiant of two of these glider bombs, one of which set off the ship's forward magazine blowing her 'B' turret right off the ship.

the bombs were not wire guided but could have their trajectories alterted a bit by radio signals to their control surfaces hence giving them a 'semi-guided' capability.

their effect could later be reduced by simple jamming but they were a potent harbringer of the shape of things to come. The bombs weighed in at a whopping 1400ILBs approx and could penetrate even the thick armored hulls of most battleships.

HMS Warspite was permanently lamed by a couple and the US cruiser Savannah had a very lucky close call with one that actually went straight thru the ship via one of her turrets and out the bottom. Fortunately the magazine flooded before it could detonate.