History

The EMW C2 (codename Wasserfall) was the first ground-to-air guided anti-aircraft missile. It was developed in Germany from 1942 and would have become operational in mid 1945.

The Wasserfall was an anti-aircraft development of the A-4 (V-2) ballistic missile, sharing the same general layout and shape.

But since it did not have to fly as far or have such a large warhead it was about a quarter the size of the A-4 and cheaper and easier to produce.

Specifications had been defined by November 1942 and development began at Peenemunde in 1943 with the first successful test firing on 8 March 1944.

The project suffered severe setbacks from bombing raids against Peenemunde but tests continued and 35 trial firings had been completed by February 1945 when the design was finalised.

Plans called for production of 5000 missiles a month and 300 missile batteries, but the war finished before these plans could be implemented.

This model represents an operational Wasserfall in the early months of 1945.

Brengun 1/72 kit completed by Leigh Edmonds in September 2012.

Data

MODEL: EMW C2 ‘Wasserfall’

ROLE: anti-aircraft missile

TIME PERIOD: 1944-1945

ENGINES: one liquid-fuelled rocket motor

WIDTH: 2.51m

LENGTH: 7.85m

GROSS WEIGHT: 3,700kg

MAXIMUM SPEED: 2772 km/h

RANGE: 25km

ARMAMENT: 235kg warhead

SCALE: 1/72

KIT:

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