GB-4
Encyclopedia
GB-4 was a precision guided munition developed by the United States during World War II
. It was one of the precursors of modern anti-ship missiles.
Following German success with the Hs-293
and Fritz-X, the U.S. began developing several similar weapons, such as Felix
, Bat
, Gargoyle, GB-8
, and GB-4.
GB-4's development began in 1944 as clear weather, good visibility weapon to attack heavily-defended targets; it was only useful against objectives readily identifiable on the crude CRT
screens of the period. It featured a plywood
airframe with twin booms and fins with a single elevator. The warhead was a 2000 pound (900 kg) general purpose (GP) bomb.
The target was acquired by a television
camera
beneath the warhead, with a field of view
18° high and 14° wide, and the bomb was steered by radio command guidance, the operator tracking it by means of flare
s in the tail. It was intended to be carried externally, under the wing of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress or North American B-25 Mitchell. Release was at about 175 miles per hour (280 km/h) and 15,000 feet (4575 m) altitude, giving a range of 17 miles (27 km), with an average flight time of four minutes. Its accuracy was 200 feet (60 m).
The Pacific War
ended before it entered combat.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was one of the precursors of modern anti-ship missiles.
Following German success with the Hs-293
Henschel Hs 293
The Henschel Hs 293 was a World War II German anti-ship guided missile: a radio-controlled glide bomb with a rocket engine slung underneath it. It was designed by Herbert A. Wagner.- History :...
and Fritz-X, the U.S. began developing several similar weapons, such as Felix
VB-6 Felix
The VB-6 Felix was a precision guided munition developed by the United States during World War II. It was one of the precursors of modern anti-ship missiles....
, Bat
Bat (guided bomb)
-External links:*...
, Gargoyle, GB-8
GB-8
GB-8 was a precision guided munition developed by the United States during World War II . It was one of the precursors of modern anti-ship missiles.Following German success with the Hs-293 and Fritz-X, the U.S...
, and GB-4.
GB-4's development began in 1944 as clear weather, good visibility weapon to attack heavily-defended targets; it was only useful against objectives readily identifiable on the crude CRT
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
screens of the period. It featured a plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
airframe with twin booms and fins with a single elevator. The warhead was a 2000 pound (900 kg) general purpose (GP) bomb.
The target was acquired by a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
camera
Iconoscope
The Iconoscope was the name given to an early television camera tube in which a beam of high-velocity electrons scans a mosaic of photoemissive isolated granules...
beneath the warhead, with a field of view
Field of view
The field of view is the extent of the observable world that is seen at any given moment....
18° high and 14° wide, and the bomb was steered by radio command guidance, the operator tracking it by means of flare
Flare (pyrotechnic)
A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for signalling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications...
s in the tail. It was intended to be carried externally, under the wing of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress or North American B-25 Mitchell. Release was at about 175 miles per hour (280 km/h) and 15,000 feet (4575 m) altitude, giving a range of 17 miles (27 km), with an average flight time of four minutes. Its accuracy was 200 feet (60 m).
The Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
ended before it entered combat.
See also
- Fritz XFritz XFritz X was the most common name for a German guided anti-ship glide bomb used during World War II. Fritz X was a nickname used both by Allied and Luftwaffe personnel. Alternate names include Ruhrstahl SD 1400 X, Kramer X-1, PC 1400X or FX 1400...
- GB-8GB-8GB-8 was a precision guided munition developed by the United States during World War II . It was one of the precursors of modern anti-ship missiles.Following German success with the Hs-293 and Fritz-X, the U.S...
- AzonAzonAZON was one of the world's first smart bombs, deployed by the Allies and contemporary with the German Fritz X.Officially designated VB-1 , it was invented by Major Henry J. Rand and Thomas J...
- Razon
- VB-6 FelixVB-6 FelixThe VB-6 Felix was a precision guided munition developed by the United States during World War II. It was one of the precursors of modern anti-ship missiles....
- List of anti-ship missiles