Is This True?

[Zipper730]

I remember hearing about the Wasserfall, it seemed to have been one of the world's first SAM's, and I was under the impression that these things were never operationally used.

I was doing some reading on various German aircraft designs that were never built, and somewhere along the way, I found something that said that there were used to some extent.

It's hard to tell these days because so many pilots saw "foo fighters" over the course of the war, and there were conspiracy theories up the wazoo about the capabilities of the Germans during WWII, so I'm curious what your thoughts are.

 

[tyrodtom]

The few WW2 vets that are still alive, and that will admit to seeing Foo fighters, and are on this forum ???
How many do you think there are ? 1? 2? 0?
Opinions from anyone out of that small group would mean nothing.

One time I saw a video of a supposed UFO taken from a helicopter.
When you put it on slow forward you still couldn't see it very clear, but you could still see it when the camera was pointed briefly at just the solid interior panels.
In other words, in the cockpit, like maybe a fly in the cockpit.
The eye can be fooled easily.

That's my meaningless opinion.

 

[GrauGeist]

No Wasserfall rocket was ever used operationally.

Aside from the fact that the V-2 program had priority at Peenemunde, the project suffered quite a few time-consuming setbacks, like the death of Dr. Thiel, but the tests were mostly successful.
However, they simply didn't have enough time to get the rockets into production before the war ended.

I

 

[Zipper730]

No Wasserfall rocket was ever used operationally.

Were they ever tested during the war?

 

[GrauGeist]

Were they ever tested during the war?

They were.
Going completely on memory here, but I believe there were about 35 test launches conducted with roughly a 90% success rate (the later into the program, the higher the successes).
However, there was never any testing done with Allied AC in the area, so these tests can't be confused as combat/operational.

 

[25Kingman49]

USAF sample Wasserfall Surface-to-Air Missile > National Museum of the US Air Force™ > Display

Good concept details here EMW Wasserfall Luft '46 entry

Operation video here:

View: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x51y1xx


Not the Nazi's only SAM
iew: https://youtu.be/elqD2m1q78c

Interesting evaluation of Nazi AA Missiles: An Efficient Alternative to Artillery Flak?

View: https://youtu.be/B7Q92V5hK-c


Thank goodness the Nazi did not develop or capture the VT Proximity Fuse

View: https://youtu.be/6-D592VR4RU

 

[wuzak]

I wonder if the money spent on the V-2 was used for this, and similar programs, whether they would have been used operationally.