Best tank killer aircraft of WW2

[kiwimac]

I agree Aussie. The Stuka the Val FTM were designed, pre-war, for a role that quickly disappeared when WW2 got underway.

I think, as well, that it is important to remember that when the Typhoon was used in the Ground-attack role, it required fighter cover to protect its butt, it wasn't just a "Stuka" thing.

Kiwimac

 

[GermansRGeniuses]

u know what germans needed? ROCKETS! like mini v2's or something...

 

[kiwimac]

Didn't the Germans pioneer the use of air to ground missiles?

Kiwimac

 

[GermansRGeniuses]

if so they didnt use them much as far as i know...

 

[aussie jim]

u know what germans needed? ROCKETS! like mini v2's or something...

what they needed was good leadership...and lucky for us they didnt get it

 

[GermansRGeniuses]

what they needed was tanks for rommel after normandy

 

[kiwimac]

Did a spot of research, found the following

Fritz X was a German air-launched anti-ship missile, deployed during World War II. Fritz X was an allied code-name; alternate names include Ruhrstahl SD 1400 X .

History

Development began in 1938.

Inventory

Combat Performance

Fritz X was using in combat in 1943.
It sank the Italian battleship Roma , seriously damaged the British battleship HMS Warspite , and hit the American cruisers USS Philadelphia and USS Savannah . It sank the British light cruiser HMS Spartan .

Characteristics

Primary Function: air-launched anti-ship missile

Contractor: Ruhrstahl

Power Plant: HWK 109-507B rocket engine

Length: 3.32 m

Diameter: 85.3 cm

Wing Span: 1.49 m

Launch Weight: 1362 kg

Speed: 343 m/s

Warhead: 320 kg amatol explosive, armour-piercing

Range: 5 km

Fuzes:

Guidance system: Kehl-Strassburg FuG 203/230; MCLOS

Unit Cost:

Date Deployed: 1943

Users:

Germany: carried on Heinkel He 111, Dornier Do 217

See also:

German missiles of WW2

Henschel Hs 293

===============================

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

Kiwimac

 

[aussie jim]

Thanks for taking the time for that info Kiwi The He111s that used the Fritz were hunted by a group formed by the RAF that were equipped with Mosquitoes which did very well and shot down 80 percent of the planes they intercepted...many of these at night and low on the water heading for the England coast so they werent an easy target .

Lucky the allies were so advanced in Radar and the Germans were far far behind us in that area. 8)

 

[bronzewhaler82]

what the germans needed was a miracle

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

they were behind but they also saw radar as more of a naval technology, hot really a land one

and the germans did fit a few 262's with air-to-air rockets, there were 6 under each wind fired in quick succession

 

[Hot Space]

Didn't the Germans pioneer the use of air to ground missiles?

Kiwimac

If it wasn't for the German's, the American's wouldn't of had a Head Start in the Late 40's 8)

Hot Space

 

[GermansRGeniuses]

i knew about hs293 and fritz x but i mean like normal 60 pounders or 8 inchers (heheheheh...) not really complicated bombs only a twin engine bomber could use altough they did first test a certain anti-ship missle onto a Fw-190 F-8 during tests (cant remember which missle now but will post later) but a Butcher Bird with rockets would be great against allied armor and shipping

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

well, i suppose aslong as the 87's were doing there bit, they didn't need any rockets

 

[aussie jim]

..yes the Germans already made enough silly decisions with turning fighters into bombers or laying out orders for planes to be a fighter and a dive bomber as well as ground attack etc.. Although the FW190s did have some good dedicated ground attack SG squadrons..although guys like Rudel stayed with the JU series ..says something about the plane when their best ground pounder ace stays with the 87 over an fw190 although he did get the D9.

I still say the 87 was the best tank killer of the war

 

[kiwimac]

By the end of WW2, the Stuka was having a bit of a renaissance because it was now so much slower than the opposing fighters that they were having significant difficulty shooting the damn thing down!

Still, all in all, it was an efficient machine and damn good at what it was designed to do.

Kiwimac

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

I still say the 87 was the best tank killer of the war

*cough* typhoon *cough*

 

[cheddar cheese]

you only really like ritish planes, dont you lanc? 8)

 

[aussie jim]

It seems Lanc may need some medicine for that cough

 

[SINKA]

 

[kiwimac]

Typhoons were certainly good tank busters but then again, a microlight would be a good tank-buster with 8-16 rockets!

Kiwimac