Luftwaffe anti-shipping capability

[Grzesio]

PC 1000 RS "Pol", produced in large quantities (4000+) as well. Hahn describes the effect on a HMS Dido class cruiser in the MTO, after an impact velocity of 1152 km/h, delayed fuse of 0.065 sec.
The PC 1000 RS that hit the cruiser passed through the entire ship, and detonated 5 meter under the keel.

By the way - I wonder, which Dido class cruiser was attacked with the rocket bombs, where and when exactly (in early 1942)? The ship apparently didn't sustained much damage and made it to Malta.

[Knouterer]

Some discussion of LW anti-shipping capability early in the war here: viewtopic.php?f=54&t=226227

[Paul Lakowski]

http://navypedia.org/ships/uk/brit_cr_dido.htm


http://navypedia.org/ships/uk/brit_cr_bellona.htm

several candidates might fit.

[Grzesio]

Thank you!
There are two Dido class ships damaged by bombs according to the links - HMS Dido on May 29, 1941 and HMS Sirius on October 7, 1943. Hmmm...
Of course Germans could misidentify the ship class too.

But according to this site http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CL-Sirius.htm HMS Sirius was hit with a 250 kg bomb on October 17, 1943:

Deployed in Aegean with HM Destroyers PATHFINDER, ECLIPSE and BEAUFORT. Reinforced HMS AURORA and destroyers in support of military operations. Bombarded Cos harbour with HMS AURORA. Under heavy and sustained air attack. Hit by 250 Kg bomb on quarterdeck and further 4 near misses causing fires aft.Major damage to armament and radar aerials from splinters. 14 of ship's company were killed and 30 wounded. Returned to Alexandria.

And then we have HMS Dido on May 29, 1941 (http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CL-Dido.htm):

Embarked troops from destroyers. Sustained direct hit on B-turret during passage of Kaso Strait. Many casualties including soldiers of The Black Watch. Extensive structural damage made forward armament unusable.

It does not look very much like a 1000 kg rocket assisted bomb hit.

[Urmel]

I wasn't aware the LW was using rocket-assisted bombs in early 1942?

[Grzesio]

Rocket assisted bombs (PC 500 RS, designated as PC 500 then) were apparently used in field/combat trials on the western front already in 1940. And there are e.g. Ju 87 and Ju 88 manuals for using PC 500 RS and/or PC 1000 RS bombs from May 1940 or April 1941.

[Knouterer]

According to an expert on the subject, Wolfgang Fleischer, rocket-assisted PC bombs were being tested in 1939/1940, but tended to fly all over the place and were not yet ready for service, although he does mention (unsuccessful) use of PC 500 RS against the Liege fortifications in May 1940. Page from Deutsche Abwurfmunition bis 1945:

[Knouterer]

This webpage shows covers of manuals for dropping/launching the PC 1000 RS from the Ju 87 (B and R versions) and the Ju 88A, both dated June 1941. It would seem these bombs were first used (in any numbers) during the Crete campaign: http://www.germanluftwaffe.com/archiv/D ... n.html#VII

[Urmel]

The article posted above indicates that until the advent of the PC1400X the issues weren't sorted out?

[Grzesio]

No, it doesn't.

[Urmel]

It states there was a 'qualitative jump' with the introduction of the PC1400X, and it doesn't mention anything but disappointments with the prior munitions, and nothing about its precision. So to me this indicates that it took the radio-control to make this type of munition useful.