Fliegenfische!

[sequoiaranger]

The Germans experimented with winged torpedoes to increase the stand-off distance of an otherwise dangerous, low-level, close-in approach to a naval target bristling with AA. I am familiar with the "Friedensengel", shown here,
but now we have a new one!

My "Fliegenfische" (Flying Fish) uses a standard German LTF5W torpedo loosely encased in a shell of a V-1 (minus the dorsal powerplant). Twin vertical stabilizers are added, with the majority of their height facing downward. The long casing protects the sensitive fusing propellers and detonator devices in the nose.

A torpedo-carying plane (f'rinstance, my Aichi 119), moving fast and relatively high (maybe 1500-2000 feet), brings its nose up slightly and releases the Fliegenfische and it glides straight and true (hopefully) for another three-quarter mile or so before hitting the water. The long glide helps bleed off speed, and the carefully-calculated glide ratio means that the torpedo will hit the water at a shallow angle. The impact of the water on the V-1 shell, particularly at the wings, shears off the shell. The curvature of the front of the shell directs the torpedo slightly downward as it scrapes over the top of the torpedo, but leaves the "delicate" mechanisms on the nose of the torpedo intact.

From there the torpedo acts normally.

The whole idea is to limit the time the torpedo-carrying plane has to suffer AA. Letting the torpedo go at "normal" launch speeds means getting a whole lot closer, slower, lower (more dangerous risk of dipping a wing, etc. into the water), and compressing the space in which enemy ordnance is flung. The obvious drawback is that one has to aim and "fire" a long way back while the ship is turning, but the high speed of the mother plane and the Fliegenfische makes up for a lot of that.

Or so my theory goes!

Anyway, here is a top view, with markings similar to what my Aichi 119 will carry, except the wing and fuselage markings are strictly German rather than German-Pacific. Normally, such ordnance would not carry national markings, but the Germans of Commando Marschall in the Pacific wanted any onlookers to know that it was GERMAN ordnance heading their way, not Japanese. (BTW, the rail on top is actually the rack that will be attached to the fuselage, but modelwise it was easier to attach it to the Fliegenfische first and THEN attach the sub-assembly to the model later.)


Here is an underside view of the torpedo and its V-1 "shell":


Look for it to be mounted underneath my upcoming Aichi 119.

[philp]

Neat idea, I like it.

Hmmm, may have to come up with another category for the Whiffies - Best What If Armaments

[Ed S]

Clever idea.  Lots of potential for this.  Should look good on the 119.

Ed

[sequoiaranger]

A kind of "Flying Torpedo". Actually the Highballs are MORE like "flying fish" than the Fliegenfische, skimming over the wavetops and splashing occasionally.

Developed in parallel with the famous "Dam Buster" large depth-charge carried by four-engined Lancaster bombers, a smaller, more rounded version to be used against warships became known as "Highball", and the twin-engined DeHavilland Mosquito bomber was rigged up to use two of them. Induced backspin and fast forward motion when dropped from sea-skimming altitude would theoretically have the Highball splashing toward an enemy warship like a skipping stone until the weapon hit the side of a ship. The backspin and gravity would see the Highball sink in the water to explode at a pre-set depth against the ship's hull. The weapon could be dropped at high speed (some 350mph), limiting the time of danger to the aircraft when approaching an enemy warship. The Royal Air Force's 618 Squadron worked up with them for use against the German battleship Tirpitz, and some Sea Mosquitoes were even rigged for use aboard carriers for the Pacific campaign, but never actually used against warships.

The following link has a video of a Mosquito releasing two Highballs against the HMS Malaya (about 30 seconds into the clip)

http://www.youtube.com/user/BattleOfTheBeams#p/c/0BDB76F1B1CBA672/2/QUCo0qIhgdU

My "Fairchild Flounder" Mosquito variant whif carries THREE of them. It's really too bad they were never used in anger on warships--what a sight that would have been! Say the Japanese see these bouncing bomb-things coming at them, hit their ship and drop into the water without exploding. Ah! Relief! *THEN* the big booms as these "depth-charges" go off below water and cave in the side of the ship!

The film clip has some German ones, too (without backspin). Does anyone want to try a Ki.67 "Peggy" whif with the ordnance??

[The Wooksta!]

Most of 618's Mosquito B.IV Specials* were modified for carrier ops - four blade props, arrester hooks, low alitude Merlins, tropical filters and larger Sea Mosquito style elevators - but no Sea Mosquitos were fitted with Highball until after the war and even then, only two or three test aircraft.

The SAMI/Richard Franks Mosquito Datafile has the serials of all of those aircraft such modified and there's a Kits at War decal sheet that has at least one Oxtail Mosquito on it.