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The Fliegerfaust ("plane fist "), was a German prototype of an unguided, man-portable, and multi-barreled ground-to-air rocket launcher, designed to destroy enemy ground attack planes.
Designed by HASAG (Hugo Schneider AG) of Leipzig in 1944, the Luftfaust was produced in two different versions.
The first version, the Fliegerfaust A, had four 20 mm caliber barrels. These fired 20 mm projectiles weighing 90 g and containing 19 g of explosive, propelled by means of a small rocket.
The second version, the Fliegerfaust B ("Luftfaust") increased the length of the barrels, and added another 5 barrels, for a total of 9 barrels. The weapon had a total length of 150 cm and weighed 6.5 kg. The firing sequence was that the first 4 rounds from every second barrel were fired immediately and the remaining five 0.1 second later to avoid damaging the projectiles themselves by the rockets' exhaust fumes and from interfering with their courses.
The Fliegerfaust was not a successful weapon because of its small effective range caused by too large dispersion of projectiles and the designed range of 500 meters was never attained. Although large orders for the weapon were placed in 1945, and with 10,000 launchers and 4 million rockets ordered, only 80 of these weapons were ever used in combat trials, in this case by a unit based at Saarbrücken. However, a 1945 photograph of the Hotel Adlon in Berlin clearly shows at least 3 expended Fliegerfaust B's lying in the rubble.The final version, which was only in prototype form, was composed of six barrels of 30 mm caliber.
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http://worldwartwo.filminspector.com/2019/09/the-fliegerfaust-first-shoulder-fired.html
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Photos - The Luftfaust , Fliegerfaust and Fliegerschreck
Man Portable anti aircraft missile systems
In 1945 the Luftfaust was designed by 'Hugo Schneider' of Leipzig and by the end of that year the German army were ready to field test the weapon system. The early version 'Luftfaus A' had only four shorter barrels however in this article we will be looking at the 'Lufthaus B'
Un skilled labour was employed to make the Luftfaus however it is believed approximately 10000 units were made by the end of the war. Information on how many were issued and the use against allied aircraft is not available.
The introduction of the 'Luftfaus' was an attempt by the Germans to reduce the dominance of Allied air superiority.
The Luftfaus was inexpensive but had the potential to be lethal to allied aircraft, it was made up of eight steel tubes arranged in a circular pattern around a central ninth tube all held in place by four steel plates.
The weapon was fired by a simple trigger and its ammunition was arranged in clips that were breach loaded. The ammunition was a 20mm High explosive, spin stabilised solid fuel round, the stabilisation came in the form of holes drilled into the ammunition itself.
The rounds were fired in two stages with a 0.2 second gap between salvos.
The Fliegerfaust never got past the design stage however it would have been a significant improvement on the 'Luftfaus'. The proposed changes would have incorporated a 30mm projectile in a six barrelled configuration.
The Fliegerschreck
The Fliegerschreck was by the end of the war almost ready for field trials and was to use a new form of ammunition that could be used by the Panzerschreck, which enabled the Panzerschreck to be used for both the anti aircraft and anti tank roles.
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The new ammunition was to contain an explosive charge and 144 small incendiary sub munitions that would be fitted to a standard rocket motor. The new warhead was ready in 1945 however none were ever issued to front line troops.
The Fliegerschreck would incorporate a new AA sighting system similar to that used by the MG 42 Machine gun
 
USA introduced to Japanese people just before Pearl Harbor in 1941.

FDR meets Churchill on HMS Prince of Wales in August to give warning to Hitler.
1/3 less gasoline campaign launched.
More airmen campaign launched.
17,000 workers launch a strike at Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company.
Import ban of Japanese silk lets women run to hoard stockings.

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Meiji-maru was built by Napier Shipbuilders in Glasgow as a royal yacht for Japanese Meiji Emperor in 1874.
Retired in 1902, this yacht was introduced again as iconic one for the Marine Day on July 20, 1941 so that people would not forget.

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As the people had forgotten in the postwar, I thought this ship would have been abandoned but she still survives at the schoolyard of Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology. Amazing.
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Source: 重要文化財 明治丸 国立大学法人 東京海洋大学 海洋工学部
 

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