When were aircraft-launched guided missiles first used?
The Germans first used aircraft launched guided missiles in 1943. The most successful was the Hs-293, essentially a 500 lb. guided bomb with wings and a rocket motor. It was initially controlled by radio, but when the Germans found out that the Allies could jam the radio signals, wire guidance was employed. Two wire coils on the wing tips unwound after launch and signals were transmitted from the launch aircraft to the missile guiding it towards the target. A later variant of the Hs-293 was equipped with a television camera for transmitting images of the target. Eventually accoustic/magnetic detectors were used in the Hs-293 against other aircraft. Hs-293’s sank several merchant ships, at least five destroyers, and on Sept. 9, 1943 the 41,650 ton Italian battleship Roma.
