HITLER’S DEADLY RADIO-GUIDED BOMB At first, the Allies did not realize Hitler’s new weapon was the culprit responsible for the sudden rise in warship losses

The Illustration above shows the launch of a FX 1400 guided missile weapon commonly called a “Fritz X” by both the Allies and Germans. The tail surfaces can be maneuvered by the host aircraft and the nose is armor piercing. SEPTEMBER 1943: The LUFTWAFFE ATTACKS MAJOR SHIPS OFF THE COAST OF ITALY. It was in early-September 1943 that the Luftwaffe first hurled its guided-bomb/anti-ship

missiles at the unsuspect ships of the Italian Navy. After Italian Prime Minister Pietro Badoglio publicly announced the Italian Armistice with the Allies on 8 September, the Italian fleet was ordered to steam to Malta where they would be interred pursuant to the armistice agreement. Leaving early on the morning of the 9th, the fleet headed out from La Spezia, Italy. To prevent the ships from falling into Allied hands, 15 Do 217K-2s from III. Gruppe of KG 100, each carrying one bomb, flew to intercept the ships. At about 3:30 pm, the bombers began their attack. The first bomb was directed toward the Italia and it fell near the battleship temporarily blocking the rudder. The ship was then controlled with the auxiliary rudder. At 3:45, the Italian battleship Roma, flagship of the Italian fleet, was hit on the right side. The bomb burst into sea after having crossed the whole hull and the ship’s speed was reduced to 10-kts. At 3:50, the Roma was struck again by a second bomb. This one exploded in the forward deposits of the big caliber complexes. The ship was fatally wounded. The number 2 turret along with all of its occupants and the command tower were projected aloft and tilted to the right side. The ship began to tilt to the right side. It was a horrendous show of death The Italian battleship Roma seen during World War II. This ship, like most heavy units in the Italian Navy, was well armed and destruction. The majority and was capable of great speed. It lacked adequate armor and of the men were burned alive. At 4:12, the anti-craft guns. Roma turned upside-down, broke into two stumps, and sank. Over 1300 men, including Italian Fleet Adm. Carlo Bergamini, died. Sister ship Italia, though damaged, reached Malta. Successfully deployed for the first time, the weapons were the FX 1400 (or “Fritz X”) and the Hs 293 - both radio-controlled guided weapons. The Fritz X was an armor-piercing weapon designed to be used against warships, whereas the rocketpropelled Henschel Hs 293 was planned for unarmored vessels. Both carried a substantial warhead and until the Allies developed counter measures, they were highly effective. The Germans had already employed the Hs 293 against convoy ships sailing from North African ports to Italy during August 1943, yet the Allies did not grasp the import of these new weapons.

THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN ON LAND, SEA, AND AIR The German high command knew the Allies had to be thrown back into the Mediterranean Sea for the survival of the Third Reich. The reasons were obvious - once a foothold was established, Germany would be compelled to continue fighting the Russians in the east and ultimately the Americans and British in the West (France) and south (Italy). As long as Germany could depend on a single-front war and An Hs 293 guided-bomb. There were over 1000 of possibly a limited two-front campaign, these weapons produced during World War II, yet their war machine would likely prevail. most were never launched at Allied targets. This fact had been demonstrated in Europe in 1940 and the east in 1941 when Russia was very nearly subdued. However, a three-front war was out of the question. When and if Russia was defeated, 185 crack infantry and armored divisions could be re-deployed to destroy any Allied amphibious operations. For Germany, everything had to be attempted to prevent a front in the south from becoming a reality. For both the Axis and Allies, the campaign in the south was a do-or-die proposition. As it was, Germany nearly won one of the bloodiest and costly campaigns of World War II. This is the story of a few days that might have cost the Allies the Italian Campaign and delayed the end of the war in Europe. INVASION OF SICILY AND THE ITALIAN MAINLAND Allied political leaders and Combined Joint Chiefs of Staff met in Casablanca 14-23 January 1943 to decide the where, when, and how Europe would again be free. A direct assault on the European mainland was necessary, yet a cross-channel invasion into France from England was not possible until mid-1944. The Soviet Union was agitating for a “second front,” consequently it was imperative that a major attack by Allies forces be planned and carried out by the summer of 1943. This decision was not the sole order of business. Plans solidified for the immediate future of the free world included: !

Only the unconditional surrender by the Empire of Japan and the European Axis governments would be accepted.

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A massive air bombardment campaign would be carried out on Italian and German targets.

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A cross-channel invasion from England to France would be postponed for at least 14- to 18-months.

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The Mediterranean campaign would continue with the invasion of Sicily by American and British forces by the summer of 1943.

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The invasion of the boot of Italy would take place soon after the Sicilian campaign was successful and the principal target would be Naples in order to acquire one of the finest ports in Europe.

Above: A flight of Dornier Do 217s which acted as the mother aircraft for the FX 1400. The Heinkel He 111 was the mother aircraft for the Hs 293. Bomb: A surviving FX 1400 at the RAF Museum, Hendon, England.

Invasion locations chosen with Sicily first and Salerno on the Italian mainland second. After Sicily was captured from the Axis, the invasion of Italy had to follow. The time selected for the initial attack - Operation Husky - was 10 July 1943. The attack on the Italian mainland came on 9 September 1943 in the Gulf of Salerno. The Initial assault on the Italian mainland was successful yet shortly after a beachhead was established, the Germans responded with one of the fiercest ground, air, and land bombardments of the war. The Nazi ground forces, long-range artillery, and the Luftwaffe pinned the amphibious forces on or near the beachhead. There was even talk of retreating in the

face of such determined German opposition. The battle turned into a duel of warships versus German shore batteries and a very dogged Luftwaffe. It was here that the radio-controlled glider bombs were introduced to the Allies. The damage to Allied ships was nearly catastrophic; however the damage to morale was even greater. It was in the Gulf of Salerno that the Allied Navies experienced one of the most perilous hours in the Mediterranean. RADIO-CONTROLLED GLIDER BOMBS Accuracy in any form of air bombardment is an absolute priority for an air force. So it was for the Axis and all Allied air forces. Indiscriminate bombing, especially against sea-going targets was a waste of bombs, aircraft, and crews. Developing an effective bombing sight or the ability to guide a weapon onto a target was a priority, and the Luftwaffe had a jump on the Allies before the beginning of WWII. The Luftwaffe, secretly on loan to the Franco forces during the Spanish Civil War, had experienced difficulty hitting seaborne targets. Unlike other air forces, they already understood the gravity of bomber versus warship. There was a need for guiding weaponry from aircraft to target. In 1938/1939, experiments in guiding 250-kg iron or dumb bombs showed promise. Installing bombs with a box-like tail, stub wings, and a greater degree of aerodynamic shape led to radio-controlled transmitters being set up in control aircraft such as a twin-engine light bomber. From these experiments came the Henschel Hs 293 Henschel Hs 293 and the FX 1400 radio-controlled guided weapons. The Henschel Hs 293 was considered to be an antiship missile which weighed 1045-kg and was 3.82m in length. Its warhead consisted of 295-kg of explosive. It sped

Above a Heinkel He 111 to its target at over 600-mph and was controlled by an operator in the mother aircraft, usually a Dornier Do 217 or Heinkel He 111. It was necessary for This is a Dornier Do 217 the aircraft to fly a straight path to control the missile which had flares or lights on its tail for the operator to guide it to its target. The weakness was the need for straight

and stable flight, which meant the mother ship could not waver after a launch. The FX 1400 had a reinforced nose in order to penetrate armor. Often the weapon went through as many as seven decks of its target ship before exploding under the keel. Its weight was 1362-kg and length 3.82m. Its warhead consisted of 320-kg of amatol and hit its target at 770mph. This weapon system had the same weakness as the Hs 293. The first use of these weapons occurred 21 July 1943 against shipping targets in Augusta Harbor, Sicily. As bombs were not successful in hitting their targets, the Allies were not aware they had been attacked by guided weapons. This first use was followed up by other attack - again with no results. To the anxious commanders at sea, it was just another bombing raid. This changed on 9 September 1943. FORMAL INTRODUCTION OF THE MYSTERY WEAPON Just outside of Spezia, major elements of the Italian Fleet - the three battleships Roma, Italia, and Vittorio Veneto, as well as cruisers and destroyers - met up with ships from the Naval base at Genoa. Their destination was Malta. In mid-afternoon on 9 September, the ships were attacked by medium-bombers, which included six Dorniers armed with guided-bombs. Without any air cover, all the Allied ships had for defense were their own anti-aircraft guns. In the uneven battle that followed, the Roma was hit by two FX 1400s launched by its mother plane. The resulting explosion literally blew up the battleship, and with it almost 1400 officers and men. The Italia was also heavily damaged by a FX 1400. The six FX 1400 guided weapons used had a 50% hit rate, which in 1943 was outstanding. In all, after the attempted escape of the entire Italian fleet, 49 ships were destroyed by the Nazis from the air, shore batteries, or demolition. The next targets were in the Gulf of Salerno where Allied cruisers and destroyers were pounding German defenses to help their beleaguered comrades attempting to break out of their precarious beachhead. Protecting the beachhead was under the province of Allied light cruisers and destroyers. This included the USS Boise, USS Philadelphia, USS Savannah, HMS Spartan, and HMS The USS Savannah being hit in the roof of turret 3 by an FX 1400. The Uganda as well as weapon went down through the ammunition handling room and blew a US and British hole in the cruiser’s bottom. Had the explosion occurred where destroyers. All of hundreds of 6-in/47-cal shells were stored, then the entire ship would these ships have been vaporized. The inrush of water from the bottom and a split concentrated their seam in the hull plating saved the ship and its crew from certain death.

rapid-fire 4-in, 5-in, and 6-in weapons on shore targets. The ships were dangerously near the beach as they fired thousands of rounds, but were slowly winning the duel with the shore batteries. The Germans needed to even the odds, so the Luftwaffe operated day and night. On 9 September 1943, the USS Philadelphia was near-missed by a glider bomb, while sister cruiser USS Savannah was struck in the roof of her number 3 turret. The Brooklyn-class light cruiser was very nearly sunk and would have been destroyed had the explosion not blown a hole in the ship’s bottom. The ensuing flood of water prevented its magazine from detonating. The loss of life was high aboard the light cruiser, yet 8-hrs after the attack and with its foredeck awash, the Savannah got underway for Malta and temporary repairs. Just three-days later, the light cruiser HMS Uganda was hit by an FX 1400 and was heavily damaged. The armor-piercing weapon smashed through seven decks and detonated under the hull. On 16 September, the older British battleship HMS Warspite was hit by a single FX 1400. She had to be towed to Malta where they pumped out 5,000-tons of seawater. The battleship was partially repaired (number 3 turret inoperable) and continued the war during the Normandy invasion. The Hs 293 was even more successful in the Gulf of Salerno and Anzio Bay. The following major ships were either sunk or damaged by this weapon.

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HMS Spartan, light cruiser.

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HMHS Newfoundland, hospital ship.

HMHS Newfoundland sunk by an Hs 293 !

HMT Rohna with over 1200 American troops and crew killed Transport HMT Rohna, which suffered a hit from a Hs 293 radio-controlled bomb, sank and took the lives of 1138 American and British soldiers and crew. The attack constitutes the largest loss of US Troops at sea in a single incident

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SS Bushrod Washington and SS James W. Marshall, Liberty ships.

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USS Tillman, HMS Dulverton, and HMS Janus, destroyers.

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USS Prevail, USS Mayo, and USS Meredith

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HMS Lawford, frigate.

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HMS Inglefield, destroyer

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HMCS Matane, frigate

In addition to these ships, there were 16 other vessels damaged or sunk including two LSTs and several troop/cargo transports. The total death toll for these weapons was 5000 to 7000. In less than five-months, the Germans had done more damage to more ships using guided bombs than any other specialized weapons. DEFEATING THE RADIO-CONTROLLED WEAPONS Shooting down the guided weapons was only accomplished with luck given their speed and the Luftwaffe tactic of a swarm attack by bombers. Some would be carrying the guided weapons and others would have a load of iron bombs or torpedoes. Detecting the Dornier or heinkel with an FX 1400 or Hs 293 before launch time was hopeless. Consequently, Allied combat air patrols (CAP) were the most likely to intercept the bombs or cause them to break off control of the weapon. However, this was not always practical, something else had to be tried. Both the US and Great Britain developed crude electronic counter-measures to intercept the guided weapons. The device used by the US Navy was an XCJ jamming transmitter which was installed aboard the destroyer escorts Herbert C. Jones, and Frederick C. Davis. Destroyers Woolsey, Madison, Hilary P. Jones, and Lansdale were also equipped with the jamming device. The XCJ was partially effective at best and could be overwhelmed by a large number of aircraft that deployed their weapons simultaneously. Great Britain had more significant success with the Type 650 transmitter. It jammed the receipt of messages (course changes, etc.) from the bombers command set as opposed to jamming the transmission as the US Navy’s XCJ did. Following several intelligence coups, including a capture of an intact Hs 293 at Anzio and recovery of important Kehl transmitter components from a crashed Heinkel He 177 on Corsica, the Allies were able to develop far more effective countermeasures in time for the invasions at Normandy and Southern France. This included an updated XCJ-2 system from the US Naval Research Laboratory (produced as the TX), the modified airborne AN/ARQ-8 Dinamate system from Harvard’s Radio Research Laboratory, NRL’s improved XCJ-3 model (produced as the CXGE), the Types MAS system produced by the Airborne Instruments Laboratory (at the time affiliated with the Radio Research laboratory), the British Type 651 and the Canadian Naval Jammer. Even more sophisticated jammers from NRL, designated XCK (to be produced as TY and designate TEA when combined with the upgraded XCJ-4) and XCL, were under development but were never deployed as the threat had evaporated before they could be put into

service. By the time of the Normandy landings, a combination of Allied air supremacy, keeping bombers at bay, the ship-mounted jammers meant the Fritz X had no significant effect on the invasion fleet. Some accounts say the Norwegian destroyer Svenner was hit by Fritz X at dawn on D-Day. This is highly unlikely as III/KG 100, the unit which carried the Fritz X into combat, had largely been re-equipped with the Hs 293 missile by that time for its anti-ship missions, and the attack on Svenner occurred before the first glide bombers-launched their assaults on the Normandy beaches. The Germans did not fully understand how valuable their guided weapons were and could be. Had the German war machine invested much more time and resources into this type of warfare, it might have defeated the allied invasion in Italy.