The Henschel Hs 293 was a German guided glide bomb used against ships during World War II.
History
The Hs 293 project was started in 1940, based on the "Gustav Schwartz Propellerwerke" glide bomb which was designed in 1939.
Varients
Hs 293A . The original version
Hs 293B was wire guided to prevent jamming; it was never put into production, because jamming was never serious enough to prevent the radio-guided version from being effective.
Hs 293C had a detachable warhead (also designated Hs 293A-2 )
Hs 293D was television-guided. 20 were built and tested. It was never used operationally as it was unreliable.
Hs 293E an experimental model with different control surfaces; never put into series production.
Hs 293F a tailless varient; never got firther than the design phase.
Hs 293H an experimental varient designed to be launched from one aircraft and controlled from another.
Hs 293V6 designed for launch from the Arado Ar 234 jet bomber.
Inventory
Over 1000 were built, from 1942 onwards.
Combat Performance
The Hs 293 was intended to destroy unarmoured ships. (Compare with the Fritz X, which was intended for use against armoured targets, i.e. warships).
One drawback of the Hs 293 was that, after the missile was launched, the bomber had to fly in a straight level path, and thus could not manouvre to evade anti-aircraft guns.
On August 27, 1943, an Hs 293 was used in the first successful attack by a guided missile, sinking the British sloop HMS Egret.
Characteristics
Primary Function:
Contractor: Henschel
Power Plant: liquid-propellant rocket motor, 600 kgf thrust for 10 s; subsequently glided to target
Length: 3.82 m
Diameter: 47 cm
Wing Span: 3.1 m
Launch Weight: 1045 kg
Speed: maximum 260 m/s
Warhead: 295 kg explosive
Range: at 2.2 km altitude 4.0 km; at 4.0 km altitude 5.5 km; at 5.0 km altitude 8.5 km;
Fuzes:
Guidance system: Kehl-Strassburg FuG 203/230; MCLOS
Unit Cost:
Date Deployed: 1943
Users:
Germany: carried on Heinkel He 111, Heinkel He 177, Fucke-Wulf Fw 200, Dornier Do 217.
See also:
German missiles of WW2
Fritz X