Heinkel HeS 011 turbojet

The HeS was to be the next generation of tur­bojet and was to be the powerplant of choice for a great number of German project designs, and also the first of the second gen­eration jet fighters such as the Messerschmitt P 1101 and the Focke-Wulf Та 183 ‘Hucke – bein’. Only 19 were built before the close of the war and the engine never attained pro­duction status. Allied intelligence cited a 12 March 1945 letter from Kurt Fammertz to Director Wolff of Heinkel-Hirth stating that the 1JN should be supplied with complete plans for the HeS 011 engine and that it should be transferred via submarine. There is no evi­dence to show this transfer was completed.

Henschel Hs293 guided bomb

The Hs 293 was an SC500 bomb onto which wings, a tail and a rocket engine were mated. The Hs293A-l, which was the only opera­tional model, used radio signals to direct its bomb to the target. Later test versions used
wire-guidance as a means to defeat jamming. The weapon entered service in 1943 and, early in that year, a Japanese delegation was given a demonstration of the Hs293A-l at a field in Gartz in Germany. The Germans kept information on the improved, wire-guided Hs 293A-2 from the delegation. It is unknown if the Japanese acquired further information on the weapon and Allied intelligence reports suggest that, if they had, the Hs 293 would not have reached service until the fall of 1945. In addition, one report makes the assumption that the Hs293 was an influence on the Kugisho MXY7 Oka in so far as a human oper­ator, in the weapon itself, would have over­come the lengthy research and development of a radio guided munitions.

Henschel Hs 294 guided bomb

This was an improved version of the He 293, incorporating a longer, more pointed nose, heavier warhead and two rocket engines. The Hs294A used radio guidance, the Hs 294B wire guidance and the Hs 294D used television guidance. The Hs294 failed to see service. However, in December 1944, UN rep­resentatives met with German Air Ministry officials to discuss the Hs 294 but with what results is unknown.

Rheinmetall-Borsig MK 108 30mm aircraft cannon

Known as the ‘pneumatic hammer’, the MK 108 cannon was a very successful weapon encompassing heavy hitting power, ease of manufacturing and compactness in one package. Despite having a low muzzle veloc­ity which reduced range, it was used on a number of operational German aircraft and secret projects. The Japanese were very interested in manufacturing the cannon and studied the requirements to produce it. Cap­tured documentation in June 1943 suggested production was soon to be underway as the Japanese had received examples of the MK 108A-2 cannon. The MK 108 was not built in Japan.

Ruhrstahl-Kramer PC 1400X Fritz-X guided bomb

The Fritz-X was a guided munition made from the unguided PC 1400 ‘Fritz’ bomb. Using a cruciform tail arrangement with guidable fins, the Fritz-X was directed to the target via radio signals sent by the operator in the launch aircraft. To help visibility, flares were installed in the tail. The munition saw service from August 1943 to the end of the war in April 1945, being relatively successful in the anti­shipping role. The Japanese were aware of the Fritz-X and information on the bomb was available to Japan in September 1944. It is unknown if any examples were provided or if the Japanese pursued the weapon further.