the luftwaffe rocket kills topic

[luftwaffemesserschmitt]

heey all off the luftwaffe experts here,

i like to now more about how many kills the luftwaffe had with air to air rockets ( like the r4m)

best regards jan

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Good luck...

[Erich]

no kidding.

~ March 18, 1945 III./JG 7 first operation with the R4M in combat against heavy bombers. There is most un-likely that there will ever be a final tally written as important docs have been lost at wars end surrounding the R4M and the units operating it. Consider also the use by JG 26 on their Doras and also a possibility with JG 301

[Njaco]

and don't forget JV 44 had them during April '45 I believe.

[Erich]

Njaco you and others will not like my post but here goes nothing .......... JV 44 was an abortion of experten run by Galland. the unit fought off some B-26's and that is about it, a so-called field of experts who rather stayed out of the war quite well in 1945. to me it was a total failure, just about everything with a/c and arms went wrong with this outfit as it moved forever closer into the depths of the Bayern/Osterreich at Ainring.

[luftwaffemesserschmitt]

i have read that the R4M could kill a b-17 bomber with one shot
is there a possiblity that a bomber get it to there base after a r4m hit ?

best regards jan

[Njaco]

No prob, Erich. I really have not developed an opinion yet on JV 44 and bow to your vast knowledge. I was just throwing another unit up there that used the R4m also.

[lesofprimus]

Yea jaco, the more I delved into the history of JV 44, the less enamoured I became, as what Erich said sums it up pretty nicely...

[Njaco]

I'm slowly coming to the same realization. Mostly media hype.

[T4.H]

r4m

R4M - Wikipedia
(german version)

They say that in total around 500 allied aircrafts should have been shot down with r4m rockets.

18. march 1945: 6 Me 262 (Jg7) attacked 1221 bombers and 632 fighters (on there way to Berlin) with there R4M rockets and after it with there cannons, 25 bombers were shot down, 2 me262 were lost, one pilot dies.
(Allied sources: 37 Me262 attacked, 12 bombers and one fighter were lost, 3 Me262 were shot down).
In April 1945 24 FW190 shot down 40 bombers without own losses.