1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910458768703321

Autore

Bollinger Martin J. <1958->

Titolo

Warriors and wizards [[electronic resource] ] : the development and defeat of radio-controlled glide bombs of the Third Reich / / Martin J. Bollinger

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Annapolis, Md., : Naval Institute Press, 2010

ISBN

1-283-04958-9

9786613049582

1-61251-002-7

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (316 p.)

Disciplina

940.54/4943

Soggetti

Guided bombs - History - 20th century

World War, 1939-1945 - Aerial operations, German

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

CONTENTS; Tables and Illustrations; Acknowledgments; Introduction ""Wellsian Weapons from Mars""; ONE Egret Explodes; TWO Development of German Glide Bombs; THREE Death of a Battleship and Crisis at Salerno; FOUR Early Warnings from Agents and Analysts; FIVE False Hope: Initial Countermeasures Development; SIX IL/KG 100's Struggles in the Mediterranean; SEVEN Transition Time: KG 40 and the He 177; Eight Intelligence Work Leads to Improved Electronic Defenses; NINE Stalemate at Anzio and on the Convoy Routes; TEN Lessons Learned, Moves, and Countermoves

ELEVEN Last Gasps: The Invasions of FranceTWELVE How Effective Were the Glide Bombs and Electronic Countermeasures?; Epilogue; Appendix: Ships Sunk or Damaged with Glide Bombs; Notes; Selected Bibliography; Index

Sommario/riassunto

In August 1943 the Luftwaffe began using radio-controlled anti-ship glide bombs, and within weeks they had sunk one battleship, crippled another, wrecked two cruisers, and destroyed numerous merchant ships. Yet a year later the Germans abandoned their use, defeated in part by electronic systems to jam the radio links that guided the



bombs. Drawing on a wealth of new sources, Martin Bollinger examines what happened from both a historical and technological perspective and lays out a mission-by-mission analysis of effectiveness. Based on interviews with participants, intelligence documents,